Vegetarianism

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sarahsmart88
sarahsmart88 Posts: 84
in Food and Nutrition
Three months ago, I decided to become vegetarian. I made this decision because I could not stand how the animals we eat are mistreated and because they are often injected with hormones and other substances (god knows what, sometimes).

However, I am recently craving meat like no other. Beef, in particular, and beef flavored fake meat isn't hitting the spot.

Have any other vegetarians gone through this phase? Does it get easier? Did you ever "slip up"?

I could use some veg friends to talk to, my husband is a huge meat-eater, which doesn't help my willpower right now smelling his steaks!
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Replies

  • thetrishwarp
    thetrishwarp Posts: 838 Member
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    I'm not vegetarion, I do eat chicken and fish, but not red meat.

    I've had a few slip ups. On Sunday, I was feeling very weak and had ham/beef at each meal to up my protein and energy levels. It happens. For me, I don't find it a big deal, because I know that in the big picture, I'm still doing well.
  • purpleipod
    purpleipod Posts: 1,147 Member
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    My vegan friend once told me, "if you're craving meat, it's for a reason, and something your body needs".
  • kdelost630
    kdelost630 Posts: 199
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    I've been a vegetarian for over a year now, and it definitely gets easier. Sure, I've slipped up...but like the person previously said, in the bigger picture, you're still taking a stand. Of course, there is still bacon/pepperoni that KILL me every time I smell them, but even now, I've learned to pass them over. Keep at it!
  • ak_in_ak
    ak_in_ak Posts: 657 Member
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    why not get some local, grass fed beef you know was treated right and feed without chemicals. You would also be supporting local farmers and their practices.
  • Jycooper
    Jycooper Posts: 195
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    I'm not a vegetarian but I eat chicken and fish. I dont eat red meat or pork. Thinking about becoming one --need more fruits and veggie sin my diet, but I love myself some chicken.
  • kenzietea
    kenzietea Posts: 614 Member
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    My vegan friend once told me, "if you're craving meat, it's for a reason, and something your body needs".

    Definitely not true! It means your body is craving protein and iron. Take an iron supplement or add more iron-rich veggie foods (broccoli is one, believe it or not) and start eating more protein. It took me about 6 months to have beef completely cut out before I was absolutely repulsed by it! Give it some more time, and you will look at it completely different. Or google some animal rights stuff that will gross you out for long enough to not give into temptation. I can send you a few links if you'd like ;)
  • rachelelizabeth88
    rachelelizabeth88 Posts: 73 Member
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    I've never had meat cravings, but I agree, if your body is craving it, it could be something you're missing.. are you getting enough iron?
  • VegGrrl
    VegGrrl Posts: 336 Member
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    My vegan friend once told me, "if you're craving meat, it's for a reason, and something your body needs".

    I have been vegan for 9 years and veg before that. If your body is being properly nourished your cravings for anything you'd rather not eat will go away. Unless it's strictly mental. Then you just need to tough it out and remember why you chose to not eat meat. I'm sure you can vividly picture the reasons why in your head when you need to. I was a cheesburger fanatic before I went veg - now the smell of meat cooking may as well be the smell of a pyre of human bodies - that's how disgusting it is to me. Burning flesh is burning flesh IMO. Hang in there and stick to your principles. It will get easier!
  • Moms3Kwa
    Moms3Kwa Posts: 57
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    I am a vegetarian of 6 years. When I quit eating meat I really craved chicken, but made the choice to not eat it. It gets easier with time. My husband and 3 boys eat a lot of meat and I cook it for them. I just tried to find other subsitutes for them. Stay strong. If you really want to stick to this choice, you will get through it. I don't know if this advice helped a lot, but who knows. Don't make a huge deal out of it if you slip, we are all human. Good Luck!!!
  • TinaMLT
    TinaMLT Posts: 32
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    Hi:

    Vegetarianism has many forms. Vegan: no animal products of any kind. Lacto-ovo meaning they eat eggs and milk products and pescatarinism meaning they will eat fish.

    Regardless of the choice, so long as you educate yourself and manage your diet these are healthful diets.

    There is one word of warning: Watch your B12 and iron levels. You can get iron from non animal sources, but Vitamen B12 is ONLY available through animal sourced protein. In both cases, red meat provides the highest amount of each in the smallest portions.

    Iron deficiency symptoms include pale skin, exhaustion, shortness of breath and restless legs at night when you are trying to sleep. These symptoms can begin to show within a few months for women and between 6-12 months for men.

    B12 deficiency symptoms include exhaustion, spoon shaped nails, fast heart beat. These symptoms take years to show because we use the vitamen very slowly so it takes time to use up what we have already in storage.

    To get around these to issues some vegetarians use dietary supplements (vitamens, minerals).

    My take on all of this: We are omnivors. That is we evolved to eat anything that we could catch or gather. So our bodies have developed systems to expect certain things from us. I believe that any diet that requires routine supplementation with pills cannot be a balanced diet. We should be able to get the vast majority of our nutritional needs simply by eating the right foods the proper proportions.
  • kenzietea
    kenzietea Posts: 614 Member
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    why not get some local, grass fed beef you know was treated right and feed without chemicals. You would also be supporting local farmers and their practices.

    Or if you have to eat meat, do this! The reason I became vegan was because of the meat and dairy industries, its disgusting! If slaughterhouses had glass walls, we'd all be vegetarian!
  • limismith
    limismith Posts: 156 Member
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    I just passed the year mark since giving up meat, for the exact same reasons you are doing it.

    My struggled at times for lots of reasons: it was hard to come up with new satisfying foods, its harder to eat on the run, and sometime you just miss the comforts you used to know.

    I never slip up... the truth is, I know exactly where the burger came from and that thought has always stopped me. The most I can say is after a while you find new favorite cravable foods, and in the case of my spouse we were even able to find foods we both like. As for the idea that you crave it because your body needs it, if this in a moral issue for you then stick by yours guns., If you are on the fence or just trying something new (like some people thing vegetarianism is practically a form of dieting) then you might want to decide whats acceptable in your book, or if you will eat meat X # of days per week..

    I have some good suggestions and recipes, if you want them. Friend me, I can share!

    check out the no meat athlete website too, awesome info!!!
  • swisspea
    swisspea Posts: 327 Member
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    Hi! I've been a pescetarian (I eat fish and I hate to admit it, but do allow myself candy with gelatin). When I was a nanny for a meat-eating family, I found myself absolutely craving salami (and other salted meats) like the children were eating for lunch! It drove me CRAZY! I had to take a step back and evaluate WHY my body was suddenly craving salty meats- and I realized I wasn't getting enough protein at all!! Also, my sodium intake was crazy low. I started eating more fish and soy products, and the cravings went away. Your body is supposed to stop "craving" meat after 1 year, as you no longer produce the enzymes to digest it, however I think these cravings can give us insights into what our body really needs. Try to up your protein intake, have some eggs and soy products and see what happens after. Good luck!
  • limismith
    limismith Posts: 156 Member
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    My vegan friend once told me, "if you're craving meat, it's for a reason, and something your body needs".

    I was a cheesburger fanatic before I went veg - now the smell of meat cooking may as well be the smell of a pyre of human bodies - that's how disgusting it is to me.

    I COMPLETELY AGREE!! Not knocking the carnivores.... I just have the same experience when I am around meat cooking. Esp ground beef!!
  • Vegan_Chick
    Vegan_Chick Posts: 474 Member
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    Try some seitan! It is really similar to beef
  • snowsflake
    snowsflake Posts: 214 Member
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    I became a vegetarian about 3 1/2 months ago. Mine was a gradual thing. My body slowly was no longer "craving" meat and then when I would eat it my body felt "depressed" and my stomach took a beating from it. Since it was done over time I haven't really had any cravings.

    Usually a beef craving for me, when I was still eating meat, was due to lack of iron in my system...usually around that TOM, but I haven't had a craving for beef since I started eating this way or any other meat. I do still like how it smells, but then I remember how awful I feel afterwards, so I just pass it up.

    A long time ago I tried to just quit cold turkey and I was back to eating meat a month later. This time was gradual and was thought out. I was actually "unofficially" a vegetarian for about 2 months or so, incase I ate any meat. Also, there are great books out there on how to switch over to a vegetarian diet - which have been helpful. I do still eat eggs and a little bit of dairy - half & half for my coffee, cream cheese for my bagels and some cheese. Bottom line is I did what was right for me.

    When I stopped eating meat I was a bit sluggish, but now I feel great. Other good sources of protein are beans, hummus, nuts, nut butters and seeds - especially pumpkin. Good luck!:happy:
  • _Sally_
    _Sally_ Posts: 514 Member
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    I could use some veg friends to talk to, my husband is a huge meat-eater, which doesn't help my willpower right now smelling his steaks!

    Have you searched in the Groups tab for vegetarian groups to chat with? There are at least a small handful that I'm aware of.

    Here are some links you can check out:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/62-happy-herbivores
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/236-mfp-vegetarians
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    My vegan friend once told me, "if you're craving meat, it's for a reason, and something your body needs".

    Definitely not true! It means your body is craving protein and iron. Take an iron supplement or add more iron-rich veggie foods (broccoli is one, believe it or not) and start eating more protein. It took me about 6 months to have beef completely cut out before I was absolutely repulsed by it! Give it some more time, and you will look at it completely different. Or google some animal rights stuff that will gross you out for long enough to not give into temptation. I can send you a few links if you'd like ;)
    Taking Iron can be VERY dangerous if you are not Iron deficient.
  • kenzietea
    kenzietea Posts: 614 Member
    Options
    Hi:

    Vegetarianism has many forms. Vegan: no animal products of any kind. Lacto-ovo meaning they eat eggs and milk products and pescatarinism meaning they will eat fish.

    Regardless of the choice, so long as you educate yourself and manage your diet these are healthful diets.

    There is one word of warning: Watch your B12 and iron levels. You can get iron from non animal sources, but Vitamen B12 is ONLY available through animal sourced protein. In both cases, red meat provides the highest amount of each in the smallest portions.

    Iron deficiency symptoms include pale skin, exhaustion, shortness of breath and restless legs at night when you are trying to sleep. These symptoms can begin to show within a few months for women and between 6-12 months for men.

    B12 deficiency symptoms include exhaustion, spoon shaped nails, fast heart beat. These symptoms take years to show because we use the vitamen very slowly so it takes time to use up what we have already in storage.

    To get around these to issues some vegetarians use dietary supplements (vitamens, minerals).

    My take on all of this: We are omnivors. That is we evolved to eat anything that we could catch or gather. So our bodies have developed systems to expect certain things from us. I believe that any diet that requires routine supplementation with pills cannot be a balanced diet. We should be able to get the vast majority of our nutritional needs simply by eating the right foods the proper proportions.

    You might want to check your sources. The common argument used by non-vegetarians is b12 can only be found in animal protein sources. Any vegan knows this is not true. I don't care how other people eat, it is a personal choice, I just want to point out this is incredibly untrue. B12 comes from microorganisms, aka bacteria, found on most foods. b12 doesn't even come from animals, it comes from the bacteria, fungi, and algae the animals eat and then store, so when we eat animals and their products we eat their stored b12.
  • sarahsmart88
    sarahsmart88 Posts: 84
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    why not get some local, grass fed beef you know was treated right and feed without chemicals. You would also be supporting local farmers and their practices.

    Thanks! Yeah I have thought about that. THat if I WERE to indulge the craving, that I would at least try to be smart about it. I definitely would not go for some processed "meat product" or any fast-food meat. ALthough Chipotle supposedly has farm-raised meat, does anyone know if that is true?

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