any former vegetarians here?

I stopped because I was studying abroad in Indonesia and my hosts served meat at lunch and dinner most days (sometimes tofu). I still have mixed feelings about eating meat because there's so much wrong with our food system and the way animals are treated. At the same time, eating meat, fish, and eggs really fuels me for strength training and makes me feel better. My goal someday is to have enough money to splurge on one thing - my food. I don't care if I live in a tiny apartment. I like to be a minimalist. But splurging on high quality food, on animal products that are sourced locally and/or ethically... that would be ideal.

I don't think it's unethical for humans to eat meat or animal products. Someday I'd like to maybe do it myself, and see if I still feel okay with eating the animal I killed. Other animals eat animals, too. I do think it's unethical that we've industrialized the process and treat animals like commodities, not really respecting them, and that's why I've got cognitive dissonance.

I think it's fine if you choose to be vegan, but recognize that living a vegan lifestyle is only possible in areas where a) you simply don't have access to animal products, as is the case in some impoverished areas, or b) in highly industrialized nations where it's possible to replace butter, eggs, and meat with, for instance, soy and mushroom products. I don't think veganism is a good nutritional choice because you have to supplement a lot of things. Vegetarian/veganism may be more ethically sound, though.

Do not change your diet because of your parents.

A vegetarian/vegan diet is perfectly capable or meeting all of your nutrient needs. A great book about the nutritional considerations (vegan, not veggie) is Vegan For Life.

To answer your question, I am a former veggie, now vegan.