What made you Vegan/Vegetarian?

I became a vegetarian when I was around 8/9, so I've been one for about 12 years. I didn't like any meat I tried except KFC popcorn chicken lol. Then they changed the recipe or something and I found it too spicy, so I gave up meat completely. At this point, I just can't even stand the though of eating a dead creature. It's like too weird to me now.

I became a vegetarian at age 12, since that was pretty much the age my parents finally allowed me to become one. I hated meat and milk my whole life, and would cry at the dinner table whenever they forced me to eat it. I was a vegetarian for about 10 years, but really didn't eat very well, and felt unhealthy so I added poultry to my diet. Somewhere along the line I added milk too. I've been on and off vegetarianism for the past few years, and had really wanted to become one again and for good, but my life has changed in a way that has just make it difficult. Anyway, what was I saying here? Oh yeah, I never thought I would ever consider becoming vegan, but the past few years it's been my hope that I could one day do it. I never liked meat or milk for how it tasted., but as I learn more about the food industry, the whole thing just makes me sick. Even my big time meat eater husband has actually changed his diet so that he eats meat only once a day, whereas before he ate it at least twice. (If I actually liked to cook and was any good at it, I know that I could get him to cut down even more...he actually wants to now.) So I decided this past week to just go for it. Not just vegetarian, but full vegan, though I am not going to call myself that. (sorry, names like 'vegan' and 'paleo' drive me bananas, but maybe one day I'll proudly wear the title.) I'm going to try the 80/10/10 route, and I actually just got the book today! So excited! My first full start day is April 1st. Till then I've just been getting used to eating more fruits and veggies, and getting as much info as I can to prepare me for my journey. I'm giving it two months. I'm hoping I love it, and decide to keep it as a lifestyle. :happy:

I am a veggie for the same reason, 8 months going strong: watching movies that was able to show what happens behind the burger and behind the fast food restaurants. Movies that show you what happens to that ground beef you are buying from the store or picking up for whataburger. I still LOVE the smell of a whataburger but don't want any parts of it as far as eating it goes. I am disgusted by the image of MYSELF eating meat, but to all others, I could care less. I live in a home where there are FIVE other meat eaters here, one of them being my 3 year old ( i want her to be veggie/vegan but living with her granny (that doesn't support my choice) she constantly gives her meat any time I bat my eyelashes).

I just don't want to cause any unnecessary harm to any more animals, I constantly thought, what if someone was doing that to my loved ones right in front of me and treating my family and I that way just to kill us for food. It's like animal slavery or the holocaust for animals (these were my thoughts while watching these various movies). I just CAN'T be a part of that. I am slowly trying to be vegan but that cheese is one hard thing to give up

It wasn't too hard becoming veggie though because I didn't eat chicken, turkey, ham, etc it was really only beef and pork (loved me some bacon), Sept 14th 2013 I decided I would stop. I wanted to make sure this was something I could stick with and ordered a huge plate of nachos that I had always loved when out at the movies with family. All I could hear was the cow on the movie crying and I couldn't finish, that day Sept 19th was when I KNEW that lifestyle was no longer for me. Sorry for the long post, just wanted to put it all out there.

I don't like the taste. I don't think I could ever go vegan, although I do like some of their food substitutes, but to me meat tastes like blood I don't care for it. By all means though I tell my family to eat all the animals they want. Its not a cruelty thing for me.

Iv'e been vegetarian my entire life ( 47 years old and counting) and never ever tasted neither fish nor meat.

Don't be under any illusions about vegetarians being healthier, though…I hit 270 lbs on a vegetarian diet.

Thank you mfp for saving me.

veggie friends are always welcome.

I also, consume the odd sweet or two, even though I know it contains gelatine, and I eat chocolate.

I'm not vegan or vegetarian but I could relate. Ever since I was child I found the taste of meat to be horrible, unless it's been prepared in certain ways that disguise that taste/texture and produce a new taste/texture I like.

I treat food preferences like all personal beliefs, what convinces one person is not necessarily what convinces another, think of it as personal and go from there. My best advice to you is unless your goal is to advocate you beliefs, don't push it on anyone if they don't genuinely ask about it, just state that you are vegan as a fact if a situation arises where you need to let that be known. If you are going out / visiting, let your friend/host know of your preferences to avoid any embarrassing moments for either of you. If someone starts getting defensive as if their existence depends on you consuming animal products, don't add to the fire. I found that when I refuse eating certain types of meat, some of those who didn't know me would start going on and on about how silly it is to be a vegan/vegetarian, I just politely ignore them by just nodding or saying "alright". When you don't give aggressive people attention they tend to calm down and change the topic.

As for food choice, the more home made things the better. You would know exactly what is in your food. Cook things that do well as leftovers, refrigerate or freeze well. Cooking won't sound as daunting if you only have to do it once or twice a week.

I was a vegetarian for a while. But not anymore......What made me not eat meat was the thought of chewing on a piece of an animal....its gross. The blood, veins and all that....uuuugh. Now, I rarely eat meat and when I do, I only can if the thought doesn't hit.

I went vegetarian approximately 17 years ago after watching a program on factory farming and treatment of animals. I have always been an animal lover and what I saw broke my heart. I made the decision never to eat meat again and I have stuck by my choice.

When I switched over I was in my 20's. At this time in my life many friends and family were not accepting of my choice. They thought it was just a fad and I would never stick to it. They mocked me and did some pretty cruel things to me. Over the years I have dealt with people throwing pieces of pepperoni from their pizza onto mine and laughing, shoving meat in my face trying to force me to eat it thinking they are being funny, sending me pictures of slaughtered animals again thinking they are funny, making their burger moo at me while wiggling it in my face the list just goes on and on. Over the years the mocking has subsided somewhat but I still get grief over it on occasion. What I find ironic about the mockery is I am not the type of person who forces my views on other people, I don't make a big deal about me being vegetarian in social situations, I don't challenge people for eating meat but meat eaters find it necessary to do challenge my ways and do cruel things like that then think there is nothing wrong with their actions. :noway: I believe the actions of these people show a great deal of immaturity and insecurity on their part. Like many of you, I do my best to ignore the people who do things like this.

I found as I got older some of my family and friends became accepting of my choices. A few have inquired about vegetarianism and we were able to have had good discussions about it. If they ask I have no problem sharing my recipes with them. When throwing a dinner parties I make options for vegetarians as well as meat eaters. (My husband is a meat eater) Non vegetarians are free to try my meatless meals but I never force it on them. I am grateful for those who are accepting and respectful of my decision to be vegetarian.

I always say.... You eating meat does not offend or bother me, so please don't be offended or bothered by the fact that I don't!

I love this response!

I was never a fan of meat. As a child I naturally didn't want to eat it and would leave most of it in my plate and my mom would get mad. I grew up thinking I had to eat it. I move out and learned how expensive and wasteful it was and tapered off buying it. I read up on how animals are treated and how bad meat is for you and stopped eating it over time and eventually just stopped it altogether. Meat isn't a necessity to health or survival. It's also pretty gross. Since quitting I noticed I don't get acne anymore or as many food babies.

Gary's speech, coupled with learning about the environmental, humanitarian, animal cruelty and health realities of consuming dead animal parts did it for me.