Flex-a-tarian?

I'm an unintentional flexitarian.

As far as I understand it, there's three main camps (and of course, it's possible to span all categories). I'm mostly in the last one!

- The ethicist. They don't believe meat is murder, but they do believe in the ethical treatment of livestock. They believe it's more ethical to have a free range, grass fed, hormone free steak once a week, than it is to have a McBurger every day.

- The health conscious. They think that a diet that focuses on plant matter is the healthiest way to go, but recognize that there's health benefits to eating meat, poultry, and fish. So they cut back, rather than abstain altogether. They are arch enemies of Keto dieters.

- The cheapskate. They realize that, pound for pound, meat is expensive. So, rather than wasting their money on the luxury of meat main courses, they use it as a flavoring, or a side, or have completely vegetarian meals, rather than having meat, poultry, and fish be the stars of their meals.

Flexitarian, as I understand it, isn't really a term like vegetarian or vegan. Rather, it is a term used to describe the cultural phenomenon of the younger generations shying away from the "meat and potato" meals of their fore-bearers.

I don't really see why it sounds like a fairly healthy lifestyle. If you don't have ethical/moral reasons for avoiding meat, then you're just doing yourself a disservice by arbitrarily limiting your food choices, and especially your sources of high quality protein. Sure more veggies is usually a good thing, but veggies are a sub-optimal source of protein. And there is really no reason that you have to avoid meat to get tons of veggies in your diet.

Compared to a fastfoodatarian, it's fairly healthy.

A flexible vegetarian who doesn't include bacon.

What's the point of living anymore?!

I'll weigh in with a serious comment, too...

I became a vegetarian a year ago, to try to lose weight. It doesn't help, FYI, so I'll save you the trouble there. But what it did do was spur me to learn more about nutrition and macros, and to get creative with my meals by focusing on veggies.

This is exactly what happened for me when I was vegetarian for almost 4 years. I didn't become vegetarian to lose weight, but more for environmental reasons. At the same time, I quit eating a lot of junk and dropped almost 30lbs. Once my body regulated to my new style, I gained most of that back. I started eating meat again because organic/local meat is by far healthier for myself and the environment than a chemical filled morning star or light life "meat" product.

Anyway, if you are planning on cutting out pork and red meat I dont' see anything wrong with that. I also don't think you will have a problem nutritionally because you'll still be getting protein. But if you are planning on only have meat once/ week or something like that, make sure you watch your protein and B vitamins, specifically B12.

I slowly transitioned from being a meat eater to being a vegetarian over about 5 years. It started by eating and cooking w/veggie friends quite a bit. I stopped preparing meat at home, but I still ordered it out on occasion and I cheerfully consumed whatever I was served as a guest in someone's home.

Eventually I started making fewer and fewer choices to eat any meat. I had never been a big fan as a child and I think my natural preferences just started leaning away from it. At one point I realized it had been a full year since I'd eaten chicken so I decided to make it official and cut it out completely. A few months later I decided I'd cut it all out but fish and seafood. A few months after that I realized I wasn't eating much of that either, so I went lacto-ovo vegetarian and I haven't looked back.

Nothing wrong with cutting down on meat consumption. Enjoy.

With me it was exactly the other way around.

I grew up as a vegetarian. Just one of those things you don't question because it is all around you. When I was in my 20s I started eating an occasional fish or chicken with my friends. For the first few years I did not dare to eat beef or pork. I thought lightning would come down and struck me dead!

Eventually I started making more and more choices to eat meat. A year later I realized that my fear of eating beef and port were completely irrational and I tried both, secretly at first. It felt all wrong, for all the wrong reasons. Finally, a few months later I made it "official" and I started eating all of the meats and I never looked back.

Now I eat all of the varieties of meat. It is a great source of protein and it is delicious. I do look back at the days when I was depriving myself of meat and I wish I could go back and change it!

Nothing wrong with eating meat. It's good--and it's good for you!