Why are you a vegetarian?

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SkinnyMsFitness
SkinnyMsFitness Posts: 389 Member
in Chit-Chat
Hi! I know there's different versions (i.e. vegans & so on) & I understand some people are vegetarians pertaining to their different views. However, I'm seeing posts that people are forcing their selves to become vegetarians although they don't really want to; that they're craving meat, but won't allow their selves to eat it! In that case, what's the point? A lot of (good) meat has good nutritional value.

** I'm not knocking anyone for their views, h*ll, I'm not vegetarian, but I mostly live off of plants...that's just what I like. But, if I want meat, I EAT MEAT! lol

Guess I'm looking for opinions...
Thanks!
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Replies

  • Alexandra289
    Alexandra289 Posts: 330 Member
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    Because I think animals are killed in pretty gruesome ways after living horrible lives (not always but usually). I just don't like the idea of eating a dead animal and I can live well without it so feel no need to eat meat.
  • jem302
    jem302 Posts: 301 Member
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    I've been a vegetarian since I was 8. Lived on a farm, watched my pet chickens get their heads chopped off, didn't wanna eat it anymore. I don't even think about it anymore until somebody brings up the fact that I don't eat meat. I live in a farming province so it's not very common.
    My spouse became veg when we started dating 4 years ago. I had no intentions of him following my lifestyle, but he said it was always something he wanted to do but was too tough while living with meat-eaters, so when we started dating on our dates he'd order all veg food so we could share and eventually just stopped altogether. He's more about the cruelty to animals and the sustainable healthy lifestyle without supporting that, I'm more just out of habit by now haha. That said, I definitely don't consider eating meat again in my life, I've gotten by just fine without it and don't see any reason to start now.
  • SerenaFisher
    SerenaFisher Posts: 2,170 Member
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    < carnivore.

    But most of my veggie friends say it's their ethics and how animals are treated. We do not discuss ethics, especially since they know I (and my family, who own a few farms in the area) grow and raise 90% of all the meat I consume. Minus the venison, that was caught.

    Considering many animals start consuming their prey when their still kicking, I think we are slightly more humane than animals themselves. :D

    Then I know people that consider themselves vegetarian that still eat chicken, and fish. So who knows the full reason, I know one friend just hates the taste of beef, thus she considers herself a vegetarian because all she eats is fish and chicken.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    I was one for 5 years, but craved seafood so bad that I eventually went back to meat and potato. I live with a die hard meat eater now, so it's hard to bring it back.

    I chose to become a vegetarian because of ethical.
  • Nightterror218
    Nightterror218 Posts: 375 Member
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    PETA

    People
    Eating
    Tasty
    Animals

    My sis was a vegetarian since as a kid she did not like the idea of eating a pretty animal. She eats meat now that she is gluten intolerant and options are low. My step mom was raised that way, so that is all she is knows. She is basically gone vegan because she is crazy. She is like 5'10 140 lbs and says she is fat..... so she went vegan to cut out eggs and cheese.
  • SerenaFisher
    SerenaFisher Posts: 2,170 Member
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    PETA

    People
    Eating
    Tasty
    Animals

    My sis was a vegetarian since as a kid she did not like the idea of eating a pretty animal. She eats meat now that she is gluten intolerant and options are low. My step mom was raised that way, so that is all she is knows. She is basically gone vegan because she is crazy. She is like 5'10 140 lbs and says she is fat..... so she went vegan to cut out eggs and cheese.
    My Vegan friend is also crazy. Coincidence?
  • rebeccajordannn
    rebeccajordannn Posts: 6 Member
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    i love animals.
    eating something that had eyes + organs + emotions always made me feel horrible.
    just looking at blood from meat grosses me out.
    being a vegan cured me of pcos.

    :)
  • DatMurse
    DatMurse Posts: 1,501 Member
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    watched my pet chickens get their heads chopped off,

    that's awesome
  • sasha_nz
    sasha_nz Posts: 7
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    I never enjoyed the taste of meat! My Dad was a butcher and I would feed my top quality meat to the dog. It became ethical as I endeavoured into my vegetarian journey, over 7 years into it and I still have no desire to eat meat. I will never push my views onto someone else unless they ask me about it, in which case I will answer honestly and happily debate my reasoning. Don't care about the smell of meat, or if someone eats a steak in front of me-it's just my choice not to eat it!
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
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    PETA

    People
    Eating
    Tasty
    Animals

    My sis was a vegetarian since as a kid she did not like the idea of eating a pretty animal. She eats meat now that she is gluten intolerant and options are low. My step mom was raised that way, so that is all she is knows. She is basically gone vegan because she is crazy. She is like 5'10 140 lbs and says she is fat..... so she went vegan to cut out eggs and cheese.
    My Vegan friend is also crazy. Coincidence?

    Not really. Lack of B12 found only in animal products will eventually progress to neurological issues.
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
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    Because I think animals are killed in pretty gruesome ways after living horrible lives (not always but usually). I just don't like the idea of eating a dead animal and I can live well without it so feel no need to eat meat.

    I hate to be unoriginal (because I am definitely one of a kind) but this^^

    Plus meat just grosses me out. :indifferent:
  • sunshinestater
    sunshinestater Posts: 596 Member
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    I'm another one who does it because of the treatment of animals on factory farms. I won't wear fur, but food animals want to live just as much as a mink or fox does.

    With that said, I'm not a perfect vegetarian. I'm working on it and am probably about 80 percent of the way there overall, but it's hard to get rid of meat cravings after nearly 50 years. I know I couldn't go vegan because I love cheese too much, but I've switched over to almond milk for everything but coffee (gotta have cream in that).
  • yourenotmine
    yourenotmine Posts: 645 Member
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    My Vegan friend is also crazy. Coincidence?

    Not really. Lack of B12 found only in animal products will eventually progress to neurological issues.

    Neurological issues =/= crazy.

    I'm a vegetarian because I'm a vet tech and it seems to me to be a conflict of interest. I also never really liked much meat, and had to be forced to eat most of it when I was a kid. So, I guess I should amend that to say primarily, it's because it's natural for me, but it's not the only reason.
  • wendyholla
    wendyholla Posts: 11
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    I stopped eating meat about 3 weeks ago, so I'm new at this. I do eat eggs and dairy, though not a lot of dairy since I am lactose intolerant and some are easier to digest than others. I drink soy milk. I basically stopped because I thought it was a healthier lifestyle. I know chicken and fish are healthy and good sources of protein, but I decided just to stop eating all meat. It hasn't really been that hard for me, since I didn't eat a lot of meat and my family has been supportive considering they all still eat meat. The main thing is - I have never felt better! If I knew I would have felt this good, I would have given it up a long time ago. I am continuing to make sure I eat enough protein and don't go overboard on the carbs and fat. I think I have found a good balance because I feel good and I am slowly losing weight.

    I just want to add, that I have not had any meat cravings yet.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
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    My Vegan friend is also crazy. Coincidence?

    Not really. Lack of B12 found only in animal products will eventually progress to neurological issues.

    Neurological issues =/= crazy.

    I'm a vegetarian because I'm a vet tech and it seems to me to be a conflict of interest. I also never really liked much meat, and had to be forced to eat most of it when I was a kid. So, I guess I should amend that to say primarily, it's because it's natural for me, but it's not the only reason.

    I understand that neurological issues doesn't equate to crazy. When the body uses all of it's B12 stores the nervous system starts to not function properly which leads to behaviors that aren't normal or logical. I'm not saying all vegans are like this.
  • jjscholar
    jjscholar Posts: 413 Member
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    Actually, I consider myself to be mostly vegetarian... What I mean is that I still eat chicken, turkey, fish and seafood in addition to fruits, grains, and vegetables... Basically, I avoid red meat, fried battered food, and fast food...

    My favorite type of food is either turkey burgers, Indian style vegetarian food such as vegetable samosas, and lobster curry... In addition, I love anything and everything that is spicy as long as it does not have any red meat in it...
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    Parents raised me to be vegetarian and I have never ever been tempted to eat a dead animal, I have been vegetarian my entire life and never even tasted meat but hey if you want to go eat eat dead animals, , then go eat them.
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
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    Considering many animals start consuming their prey when their still kicking, I think we are slightly more humane than animals themselves. :D

    Beg to differ. We are much less "humane" than other animals in the sense you mean. Other animals eat what they need to survive, they do not systematically dominate, contain and raise other species in unnatural, unhygienic and highly restrictive conditions with no concern for their welfare for their own convenience.
  • jrbb03092
    jrbb03092 Posts: 198 Member
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    I'm vegetarian because I got seriously ill (hospitalized) in Peru a few years back and when I came home I had continued gastrointestinal issues that nothing helped (saw specialists, had tons of tests, tried every other dietary change I could think of for TWO years) until one day I thought I'd take a break from meat and it made such a drastic, almost overnight difference that I simply can't go back to eating meat now.

    I feed my family vegetarian (I refuse to be a short order cook) and my kidlet (13) has decided to go completely vegetarian (with her it's because she loves animals) whereas my husband is a near vegetarian (he still occasionally eats meat when we're out but has chosen to go vegetarian even with his lunches and says he feels so much better as well - had some digestive issues too that have resolved themselves).

    Do I miss meat? Occasionally. But I felt so awful for the two years after Peru that I don't miss it enough to go back.
  • Cp731
    Cp731 Posts: 3,195 Member
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    So much drama on this thread. (when you say things like don't eat flesh & eyeballs and its animal cruelty)
    Meat was put on this Earth to be consumed.

    It's nice to see you all don't push your views on other's tho.
    Such as "If you eat meat, good for you, but we I don't"

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