Omnivore vs. Vegan / Vegetarian / Nutritarian

Has anyone here made that transition?

Yes. I switched to a mainly vegan diet in October last Year.

What prompted you to do it & how has the change affected your health?

For me, I read Rich Roll's book (he's a vegan ultra athlete) which pretty much changed my life overnight. That in itself is unusual for me as someone who is naturally very sceptical.
I made the change because whatever I'd tried before now simply wasn't working consistently so thought it was worth a shot.
By going vegan, it would also deny me my nemesis foods, greasy meats and cheese.
Before all the arm-waving starts, I know that the consensus on here is that you shouldn't deny yourself anything. But, for me, that simply wasn't working.

Health changes:

1) I definitely have more energy. That was the one, big, noticeable change that was fairly rapid.
2) I haven't got a cold or Winter bug since switching.
3) I'm far more aware of nutrients in food and the importance of proper fuelling.
4) Less of the aches and pains that I'd simply put down to getting older.

A lot of the above changes are probably more down to me now eating far more nutritious food rather than cutting out meat. But, whatever the reason, the benefits have been real.

Biggest challenges?

The learning curve really. Had I gone just vegetarian, I think it would have been a lot easier finding substitutes for meat in meals. Omitting animal products entirely takes a bit of work but I'm glad I learned how to do it as it now gives me options.
Also, peoples attitudes! I encountered a fair bit of negativity from friends and colleagues which surprised me. But, as it's no-ones business but mine, it doesn't bother me personally.

Where I am now:

I'm not in any particular group. I'm mainly vegan, but also vegetarian, but will also eat meat and fish occasionally. I'm doing the "me" diet which doesn't fit into a pigeon hole.
My personal thoughts are (and this is just my personal opinion, not looking to start arguments) that the problem with modern animal products is that they're so far removed now from how they would have been. Genetically engineered to yield massive gains from the least input, I don't believe that modern animal products are a particularly great way to live.
If I had access to natural, wild meat, I doubt I would have tried to remove it from my diet.
There is also the ethical argument, although I must admit I do it purely for selfish reasons.

Anyway, sorry, that's a lot of waffle that mostly isn't that relevant to you!
But, long story short, this previous self-confirmed carnivore who previously regarded veg as just "something that food eats" wouldn't now go back to an omnivorous diet.

Duplicate number 2...

I like being an omnivore...

Omnivore and glad of it.

shell1005 wrote: »

jddnw wrote: »

As an omnivore you can eat everything vegans, vegetarians, nutritarians eat. And then some. Or not. The only thing you don't get is a special label that lets you declare to your friends that you can't eat this or that because you've self identified with a label that doesn't allow this or that.

And that is so different as coming to a weight loss forum and loudly declaring your omnivore status. So so different. Pot. Kettle.

Why is that the same thing? The point of being an omnivore is that you can eat pretty much anything put in front of you, as long as it's not generally harmful to human life--and I'd add the restriction that you like it and are not sensitive or allergic to it. What makes being on a weight loss forum so special, when vegans declare their special snowflake status wherever, whenever they are around others who have the ability to comprehend them. The nice thing about being an omnivore is that it represents the majority--so eating as an omnivore does not need any special status or whatever--omnivores are just people eating, the way nature meant people to eat.

LoupGarouTFTs wrote: »

I never said I was an omnivore (although I am). It is completely not the same thing. A vegan can't walk into a room without announcing his or her vegan-ness. If they are in the room with a bunch of vegans, they need to compare vegan credentials. When omnivores get together, they eat. That's pretty much it.

Anyway, if someone is posting a thread asking about different ways of eating, then it's natural to respond with personal experience--in my case omnivorous eating. It doesn't mean anyone is announcing anything--they are simply staying on topic. There is nothing special about a vegan diet, with the exception of the sense of entitlement it confers upon the eater, at least in the case of the "ethical" vegan or if you believe that it is a form of orthorexia. It is just as bad or just as good as any other way of eating with just as many obese people as any other way of eating. If you don't like that people respond to threads entitled "omnivore vs. vegan, etc." with an omnivore's perspective, don't read them.

Woah there buddy. I find that a bit offensive, to say the least. Not everyone announces their "vegan-ness" thank you very much. I think at my work, maybe two of my coworkers (out of fifty) know that I'm vegan. And that's because they are close friends and I thought it might be helpful if they knew that I don't eat meat. I don't feel a sense of entitlement with my diet. I don't like meat, so I don't eat it. I don't want to eat dead animals, (since you brought ethics into this) so I don't. That doesn't mean I feel better than anybody, or that I look down on someone for what they eat. Frankly, that's silly. It's pretty darn simple.

I don't announce my vegan-ness for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I don't announce it because A. Most of the time it's irrelevant (exceptions being when I'm meeting someone for dinner, going to a family gathering, ect.) and B. because a lot of people have their own notions about what I have to be because of what I eat. I understand that the loudest vegan (I.e. PETA) tend to leave a sour impression in most peoples mind when they think of vegans, but please, don't judge everybody based on a small minority. That isn't very nice.

Also, OP, you are very welcome for the link!

LoupGarouTFTs wrote: »

shell1005 wrote: »

jddnw wrote: »

As an omnivore you can eat everything vegans, vegetarians, nutritarians eat. And then some. Or not. The only thing you don't get is a special label that lets you declare to your friends that you can't eat this or that because you've self identified with a label that doesn't allow this or that.

And that is so different as coming to a weight loss forum and loudly declaring your omnivore status. So so different. Pot. Kettle.

Why is that the same thing? The point of being an omnivore is that you can eat pretty much anything put in front of you, as long as it's not generally harmful to human life--and I'd add the restriction that you like it and are not sensitive or allergic to it. What makes being on a weight loss forum so special, when vegans declare their special snowflake status wherever, whenever they are around others who have the ability to comprehend them. The nice thing about being an omnivore is that it represents the majority--so eating as an omnivore does not need any special status or whatever--omnivores are just people eating, the way nature meant people to eat.

I'm not sure who you are hanging out with, but there are many vegans who don't bring it up unless it is relevant to the conversation. Many of my co-workers don't even know that I'm vegan.

I really don't see the difference between the behavior you're describing from vegans and your inability to avoid talking about how much you don't like vegans whenever there is a thread about veganism.