Became a vegetarian today, help!

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  • eccowarrior
    eccowarrior Posts: 2
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    I believe being a vegetarian is healthier for me and more ecologically sustainable for the planet. And after seeing how we too often treat the creatures we share this planet with, I KNOW that my soul is more at peace once I stopped taking life to sustain my life.

    But, I make no judgements on what others may choose. I always try to live by the motto..
    I could be wrong.

    What amazes me the most are the number of people that attack my personal choice.
  • VeganLexi
    VeganLexi Posts: 960 Member
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    vegetarians are so much healthier than meat eaters that you will have to hunt down and eat some exotic and obscure plants as well as multivitamin pill supplements just to not get any malnutrition symptoms from missing micronutritients

    I wonder if any vegetarians put their cat or dog pets on veg food to be consistent with their moral convictions?

    What a helpful post, congratulations :drinker:
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    vegetarians are so much healthier than meat eaters that you will have to hunt down and eat some exotic and obscure plants as well as multivitamin pill supplements just to not get any malnutrition symptoms from missing micronutritients

    I wonder if any vegetarians put their cat or dog pets on veg food to be consistent with their moral convictions?

    I have heard of people feeding their dogs a vegan diet. Not cats, though. Cats are carnivores - not omnivores.
  • ChrisMundie
    ChrisMundie Posts: 18 Member
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    Now you asked for tips, not philosophical lectures like many have been providing you, so I will give you some of mine. These are all with a vegan tilt since that is what I know best.
    You seem to be the doing that?

    Other people have pointed out that there isn't a decently proven causation between cutting out these food groups and being healthier. That the observed correlation isn't useful information.

    I rather suspect a lot more (albeit smaller - does that mean they don't matter?) animals are killed during grain harvesting than are killed for food. And then there's animals that die 'in nature', which is truely horrific by the standards most veg's put forward.

    9 billion animals are killed per year in factory farming, that number triples if you add in sea food. There is no comparison with accidental killing in grain harvesting. So your suspicions are wrong... and dumb. Also they are not horrifically mutilated and tortured for years and years. That is such a bull**** carnist thing to say. Eating meat is a choice for humans, not a necessity like it is in the wild for animals. Troll.
  • mirinsesh
    mirinsesh Posts: 14 Member
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    9 billion animals are killed per year in factory farming, that number triples if you add in sea food. There is no comparison with accidental killing in grain harvesting. So your suspicions are wrong... and dumb. Also they are not horrifically mutilated and tortured for years and years. That is such a bull**** carnist thing to say. Eating meat is a choice for humans, not a necessity like it is in the wild for animals. Troll.
    and the human Earth population keeps getting larger and larger because we keep sustaining that growth, requiring ever more and more food to be produced and animals killed to feed the hungry mouths. but surely you'd flinch at the idea of doing something about that rampant population growth?

    also how is eating meat a CHOICE for humans, but a necessity for animals? we have enzymes to digest meat, chemical reactions to absorb every nutritient out of it, buckteeth to grind it down and we seem to be having problems with malnutrition if we don't eat it and have to hunt down supplements just to not suffer malnutrition. humans are omnivores, just like some other animals. it's not a choice. it's biology. nature has done that choice for us.

    also I'm pretty sure you're using a nice smartphone, wearing some sneakers and using Wal-mart bought tools that get produced by child labor somewhere in Asia. what's up with that? no tears for humans?
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    I was a vegetarian for about a year before I got pregnant and decided it wasn't in my best interest anymore. I went from meat eater to vegetarian overnight and did pretty well so here are a few of my tips.

    Define what you will or will not eat. I did not eat meat but I still ate fish and seafood. That was my lifesaver. Also I could never have gone completely vegan. I ate a ton of eggs, cottage cheese, and cheese. I ate a lot of protein. Be careful not to eat too many processed veggie foods. It is so easy to buy a bunch of frozen soy patties and veggie burgers but that is just as bad as frozen chicken patties. I ate a lot of salads and beans.

    I did lose weight but not because I stopped eating meat, because I ate better and made healthier decisions. Since I had all the crap out of my system I rarely even had cravings for things I shouldn't have been eating.

    Good luck, don't make it about losing weight, but being healthier, like you said.

    If you are doing this for health reasons, the above post makes much more sense. You don't have to cut out all animal products, just choose healthier ones. A diet high in red meat, has been shown to not be so good for most people, so trade off that burger for some baked fish. You get high protein with a much healthier fat source. Omega 3s are so good for you.
    Be sure you eat lots of leafy green veggies to get enough iron to compensate for the loss from red meat.

    Like others have said, a vegan diet is not necessarily healthier. You must make good choices and watch your macros and micros carefully. I would suggest easing into more slowly as well, otherwise it may be too overwhelming and you find yourself breaking into a McDonalds at 2am looking for cheeseburgers!
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    9 billion animals are killed per year in factory farming, that number triples if you add in sea food. There is no comparison with accidental killing in grain harvesting. So your suspicions are wrong... and dumb. Also they are not horrifically mutilated and tortured for years and years. That is such a bull**** carnist thing to say. Eating meat is a choice for humans, not a necessity like it is in the wild for animals. Troll.
    Claiming someone's a troll because they are offering a contrary opinion to yours would suggest that in fact YOU are the one trolling.

    Claiming 'there is no comparison' is rather a strawman-style argument.
    You can ALWAYS compare any two things.

    So, tell me, how many animals ARE killed during production of non-animal food for humans?
    How many more would be killed if no humans ate meat?

    You really SHOULD have these figures if you're willing to dismiss my questions like that.

    There are various ways you can eat meat that has had a fairly 'natural' life. There are also many more ways that you can eat meat and animal products where the animals have a much less stressful and more pleasant experience than the rather cruel world that is nature.

    Do you believe an animal being eaten alive by a predator is thankful their death is 'natural'?
  • FitWave
    FitWave Posts: 1
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    I just have to say this. Vegetarians/vegans are not inherently healthier than omnivores. You can be vegan and eat oreos, pop tarts, chips, breads, cakes, biscuits, etc. You still have to make healthy choices. Meat/animal by-products don't immediately make a person unhealthy. I've met plenty of obese vegetarians and fit and healthy meat eaters. It's all about the food choices you make, not just the diet you choose to follow.


    YES to this.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    - Don't be elitist. Life is not a contest. Level 5 super vegans who passive aggressively put people down for not making the exact same life choices as them are just not cool and give the rest of the the veg community a bad rap.

    THIS THIS THIS.. a million times THIS!!!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    Sorry I quickly through this post together, I don't have w documet that says they are healthier just my personal opinion. Also, obviously it depends what exactly you put into your body, I've just noticed people who have cut meat out d their diets for years tend to look much much younger in old age, and that and other reasons is why I made the seitch

    Or it could be, oh I don't know....genetics too? Hmmmmm..........
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    I have been a vegetarian for almost 25 years now. A few words of wisdom:

    - Don't fall into the carb trap. Many vegetarians fill the void with extra pasta/bread/rice rather than more veggies and protein

    - Just because it is vegan or organic does not make it good for you. I gained about 15 pounds because of a frequent consumption of seitan burritos with globs of neutro cheese followed by homemade organic vegan cashew cream pudding (boyfriend worked at a local vegan restaurant).

    - Don't be elitist. Life is not a contest. Level 5 super vegans who passive aggressively put people down for not making the exact same life choices as them are just not cool and give the rest of the the veg community a bad rap.

    - It gets easier the longer you do it. The choices become more obvious. There are plenty of options to eat out and enjoy life as a veg.

    I freakin' love the bolded on that. Hi5! :drinker:
  • albertine58
    albertine58 Posts: 267 Member
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    Congratulations! I was veg for 10 years; I'm a little more relaxed now and eat fish, but still no red meat ever (or ever again). Vegetarians live an average of 7 years longer than meat eaters, and meat consumption is absolutely 100% linked to cancer and heart disease. Processed or preserved meats (deli meat, bacon, hot dogs) are full of nitrates which are a direct carinogen- they're probably the WORST thing you could ever eat.
    [I'm in med school, which certainly doesn't make me an authority on any subject but that's where I've gotten my education on these topics- plus research.]
    I'm extremely against factory farming- 70% of the antibiotics in the world are given to livestock and meat eaters consume them every day! Factory farming is the reason that drug-resistant bacteria are developing and killing thousands of people. Try to only purchase hormone and antibiotic free dairy, if you're still eating dairy. Know you're making a great decision for yourself and for the world :)

    Vegans definitely need to pay attention to their nutrition and maybe take a B12 or other vitamins, but if you're still eating eggs and dairy you probably don't need to stress about it. I never even have to try to hit my MFP protein goal. Being veg definitely doesn't mean you automatically eat more carbs! I eat vegetables at EVERY meal; I only eat about 2 servings of "carbs" a day. This is true even when I'm not dieting! I eat a lot of lentils, egg whites, and quinoa, as well as some tempeh and tofu sometimes (but they aren't necessary if you don't like them). I try to minimize processed food so I try not to consume too much of the processed soy products like Morningstar and Boca, but they are really tasty and helpful for a quick meal. I try to focus on whole foods though! Try making a big batch of quinoa salad full of veggies for the week- makes great lunches! good luck :)
  • DatMurse
    DatMurse Posts: 1,501 Member
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    I'm surprised so many people are defensive on this issue.
    When you say this "I just truly believe vegetarians are healthier than meat eaters", what do you expect?
    My sister is vegan, has been for nearly 20 years. She's healthy, but she's also a vegan chef so she's cooking all the time and aware of her macros. We live on opposite sides of the US now but for a few years we lived in the same city and I was vegetarian, but not healthy. I eat whatever I want now and am healthy.
    My opinion/obersvation is most vegan's conviction comes from animal welfare. I "became" vegetarian during a time my work responsibilities took my "inside" commercial chicken, turkey, and hog farms and processing plants. I try not to think about that anymore. Chicken wings and Carolina BBQ won't kill you.
    agreed. people who practice this for animal welfare, thats great. thats your belief.

    And if I do I because my belief is they live simple lives, then it bothers people? Lol, why does it matter what my belief is? People on here who dot even know me personably are commenting like they're offended by my opinion. I think it may be a personal issue.

    that does not mean it is healthy.

    you're opinion is simply an uneducated opinion. You think that not eating meat is healthy? lol

    You're incredibly rude aren't you, she has a belief that has absolutely no impact on you and your life...what's wrong with you?

    For future reference it's "your" not "you're"...that's a bit embarrassing when you are calling someone else "uneducated" isn't it.
    regardless of my poor grammar, your general idea of how veganism will help you prevent heart disease baffles me. How about you go look at some legit health statistics where there is extremely low heart disease and a high intake of animal products.

    I also find it humorous how you think you have 0 chance of heart disease
  • RonW956
    RonW956 Posts: 105 Member
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    If you understand how the vegan food triangle works then there's no worrying about getting proper nutrition. A well stocked salad w/ some fruit & low fat cottage cheese on the side for example has plenty of vitamins & minerals. Eating vegan is pretty easy, you just have to be a bit creative in the kitchen to really enjoy it... There's plenty of vegan recipes online, allrecipes.com is a great place to look for ideas.

    There is plenty of evidence that a diet high in red meats is linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease & high blood pressure, which I happen to have neither...

    I consider myself to be 99% vegetarian, I say 99% because I do have the occasional piece of chicken breast with my meals....
    I'm 44 yrs old & my total cholesterol is 148, enough said.

    To the OP, go ahead and eat vegan if you want. You will enjoy clearer skin, more energy thruout the day, sharper memory & quicker weight loss.... Dont worry about what the haters say... Your the one who's gonna get skinny, not them.
  • enidite
    enidite Posts: 92 Member
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    Read "Eat to Live' and "Forks over Knives"
    Watch Earthlings a documentary on You tube.
    These will help strengthen your convictions.

    Remember there will always be those who will oppose. Just do your own thing.

    Sorry,but no. They are simply propaganda. I prefer peer-reviewed scientific nonsense.


    yeah, eat to live author Dr Fuhrman, MD know a lot less about nutrition than you do I am sure.

    The China study has been peer reviewed, so have many other studies.
    OP, if you go to the web site of the pcrm.org (Physicians' Committee for responsible Medicine) it has some good info , its sister site Nutritionmd.org has also good recipes, Dr Neil Barnard has authored several interesting books about vegan nutrition and its health impact, there are other interesting reads like "the engine 2 diet" (Rick Esselstyn, he has also a website: www.engine2diet.com", (some of its content is free) and his new book ' my beef with meat"; www.vegweb.com has quite a few vegetarian/vegan recipes; there are two good documentaries on Netflix "hungry for change" ,and "foodmatters" (not necessarilly all advocating all vegan diets but still interesting) .
    Our USDA food recommodations are highly political I believe, as well as what foods get subsidized and what are not. This is one of the reasons why cheap processed foods are so abundant and easily available. ( highly processed breakfast cereals and other unhealthy junk.)
    This is also one of the reasons that many believe that a vegan diet is not healthy. (if the government gives you this food pyramid they must be right). I agree with many who say a vegan diet can be very unhealthy , you can stuff yourself with junk all day by eating processed things like chips and fake meats, but I believe that if you plan and really make sure you eat legumes whole grains and fruits and vegetables you will be healthy and fine, just like non vegetarians will be.
    I am not a 100 % percent vegan yet. I still eat a little bit of chicken here and there maybe once or twice a month , maybe some fish once or twice. But I hope to transition completely one day, I am not a great cook and have not figured out how to spice things correctly, so there is still a lot to learn. But after having sat through a year of medical school (I am not a physician just to clarify) and as a biochemist ,I know that for me personally the choice will be a vegan diet. However, I do believe that a non-vegan diet can be healthy too.
    Good luck on your journey.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    Many studies funded by big business are well 'peer reviewed', but if you take the time to read them for yourself, can be found to be used for rather questionable conclusions.

    http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/07/07/the-china-study-fact-or-fallac/

    Here's a comment from a random person on that:
    >>Actually, many of Campbell’s references don’t actually support what he cites them for. For example, in Chapter 1, Campbell states “Heart disease can be prevented and even reversed by a healthy diet” and lists two references. Both those references are for studies that use diet *in conjunction* with other lifestyle changes (quitting smoking, stress management, exercise) or drugs (cholesterol lowering medications), making it unclear whether diet alone or the other changes improved heart health. And both studies were merely preliminary. Other examples of misleading citations abound in the book. Footnotes make things look authoritative, but even they require further investigation to validate.<<

    Quoted because from reading through research papers and the like, one big thing I've found is that if you keep yourself healthy through exercise, diet actually seems to matter significantly less.

    A lot of people might follow the conclusions of research that, for instance, might show that people benefit greatly from replacing a meat dish with a salad.
    However, when you read the details, you find they were sedentary mothers in the 30-50 year old range.
    If you are a 25 year old active man, it's quite reasonable to expect your body to work differently.

    Finally - I've no doubt that there's a higher proportion of healthier plant eaters - just because these are people that have made an active choice about their diet.
    This means they've thought about it at least a little bit. So reasonable, more likely to be people that have also taken the next step and made sure they are eating generally healthily too.
  • enidite
    enidite Posts: 92 Member
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    I agree to some extent, yes our bodies do work different, and both diets can be healthy. I do believe that the China study is quite valid as well as many of the studies such as the ones that PCRM and many others conducted. Of course these studies were smaller, these people didn't have the money big pharma and big food industries have behind them. And yes, you do have to change your life style , you can't just sit on the couch and change to a plant based diet hoping that you will get healthy. So yes, the exercise might have helped too ( I didn't know about cholesterol lowering drugs). Statistics can be bent and manipulated either way. But fundamentally, I do believe that science in general can be very biased when it comes to nutrition. And it is abused especisally in our society when the public is supposed to be educated , I do not believe in a minute that the USDA has our best interest in mind when they publish their dietary guidelines. They have too many people on their board that have close ties to the food and agricultural industry. Just look at the junk that they feed to our children in school , USDA mandated. That should tell you a lot.
  • Tahitidreamz
    Tahitidreamz Posts: 20
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    I was a vegetarian for about a year before I got pregnant and decided it wasn't in my best interest anymore. I went from meat eater to vegetarian overnight and did pretty well so here are a few of my tips.

    Define what you will or will not eat. I did not eat meat but I still ate fish and seafood. That was my lifesaver. Also I could never have gone completely vegan. I ate a ton of eggs, cottage cheese, and cheese. I ate a lot of protein. Be careful not to eat too many processed veggie foods. It is so easy to buy a bunch of frozen soy patties and veggie burgers but that is just as bad as frozen chicken patties. I ate a lot of salads and beans.

    I did lose weight but not because I stopped eating meat, because I ate better and made healthier decisions. Since I had all the crap out of my system I rarely even had cravings for things I shouldn't have been eating.

    Good luck, don't make it about losing weight, but being healthier, like you said.

    If you are doing this for health reasons, the above post makes much more sense. You don't have to cut out all animal products, just choose healthier ones. A diet high in red meat, has been shown to not be so good for most people, so trade off that burger for some baked fish. You get high protein with a much healthier fat source. Omega 3s are so good for you.
    Be sure you eat lots of leafy green veggies to get enough iron to compensate for the loss from red meat.

    Like others have said, a vegan diet is not necessarily healthier. You must make good choices and watch your macros and micros carefully. I would suggest easing into more slowly as well, otherwise it may be too overwhelming and you find yourself breaking into a McDonalds at 2am looking for cheeseburgers!
  • enidite
    enidite Posts: 92 Member
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    Tin foil conspiracy very funny.... It would be nice to be able to voice your opinion on these forums without being made fun of.
  • Airadet
    Airadet Posts: 31 Member
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    I didn't read everything because of the flood of negativity. Anyway, I have two things I would like to add:

    I second everything ChrisMundie said.

    And I just advise you to use common sense. Look up some easy, affordable recipes that you will actually want to make and plan out your meals in advance to make sure you are getting what you need. It is very easy to have an unhealthy vegetarian diet, and I found that meal planning is what works best for me in avoiding that. Good luck!

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