How does it feel to be a vegetarian??

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lind3400
lind3400 Posts: 557 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I was just wondering to all you people who made the transition from meat eating to vegetarianism...or have always followed a vegetarian diet....do you find better? Healthier?More energy? I currently eat meat but I have for many years contemplated the idea of going vegetarian...I try to incorporate a vegetarian meal or two into my weekly diet....but don't "love" meat enough and would be willing to cut it out altogether...any POSITIVE feed back haha would be welcome

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  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    I love being a vegetarian, but I have been one since the age of 11. I can't imagine myself not being vegetarian. That said, I feel my best overall when I make concentrate on my protein.
  • sarglava
    sarglava Posts: 206 Member
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    I'm not a vegetarian, but I don't eat a lot of meat. I probably eat meat every other week on average (chicken or fish). When I eat heavier meat like pork or steak I always feel uncomfortable after. Tired, heavy, and full. for some reason, chicken and fish doesn't affect me the same beef/pork does. And it also depends on the amount of meat.
  • Domestica
    Domestica Posts: 91
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    We eat almost fully vegetarian but have meat once a week. We are healthier, my husband's hives have completely disappeared, and I have way more energy. That said, the hubby eats fish at work a few times a week and our meat sources are ALL organic, (grass-fed beef).

    I think it depends on each person's body type and that your body will tell you if you need meat. When people say they "crave" a steak, I have no idea what they're talking about!
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    I think every person is different--just as people thrive on various macro percentages--people thrive on different diet compositions. I personally must have a high protein diet or I feel hungry NON-STOP. Other people need carbs or they feel "fuzzy" --I have almost equal carbs/protein usually. I don't eat meat but I eat some fish.

    Too many veggies make me feel like a bloated whale. Bleh. Hate that.
  • shimmer_glo
    shimmer_glo Posts: 103 Member
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    I didn't feel much of a difference between eating healthy vegetarian food and eating healthy food with lean meat, but I did feel awful in terms of health when I was a vegetarian who ate out a lot and didn't have healthy options (besides an iceberg lettuce salad -- boring!) I always ended up eating fried food or really carb heavy food and felt icky.
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member
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    When I was a vegetarian I lost a boatload of weight, but that is because I never found a decent routine of lazy meals to make. I can't say I felt more or less healthy.

    I can say...BACON. It's what broke me. Haven't looked back since

    bacon.jpg
  • enewsome2
    enewsome2 Posts: 355 Member
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    I was a vegetarian and then a pescatarian (no meat, just fish) for years.

    I now eat meat, but not terribly often. Sometimes I'll go a day or two without eating it. Somedays I'll eat it.

    It seems like I had a little more energy when I was a vegetarian. I also maintained a lower body weight without counting calories. However, I think it would be really hard for me to re-convert to vegetarian again due to family and living situations. If it was just me cooking for me, I think I would give it another go. :)
  • batalina
    batalina Posts: 209 Member
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    i feel great being a vegetarian (a vegan, actually). not to be gross or tmi, but... you know how awesome you feel when you take a really good crap? a lot of vegetarians report having awesome craps pretty much all the time. in general, i feel like my body works more the way it's supposed to. my skin's better, i feel icky less... it's kind of hard-to-quanitify stuff, but i have never considered taking up meat-eating again. i just like how this feels too much!
  • twelbies
    twelbies Posts: 31
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    I have been vegetarian for over ten years and have currently started eating very clean and mainly vegan. The better quality food I eat the better I feel.
    If you are looking into a vegetarian flex plan you should reading Raw Food Life Force Energy by Natalia Rose. It offers a lot helpful information and is geared towards people who aren't vegetarian but want incorporate that lifestyle. >^-^<
  • luckyambition
    luckyambition Posts: 5
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    I'm a vegan of 4 months and a vegetarian of three years. I can't say much about energy, but I never get sick, don't need caffeine, and feel pretty great. I love being a vegan, not only for health reasons, but also because of the impact on animals and the environment. A vegetarian diet can be a lot healthier, but you have to avoid the dependency on carbs. I'd recommend eating fruits, vegetables, lentils/beans, salads, etc.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    It was about 25 years ago now, but I do not recall a difference. Although that could be because I was not eating particularly healthy either before or after.
  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
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    I switched to a vegetarian diet about 5 months ago (although I'm not super strict so if for example something has fish stock in it I'll still eat it - I tried being stricter but here in Japan they put fish in the most bizarre things).

    I loved meat but ethically I feel better about myself if I don't eat it. I also had health concerns because of all the crap animals have done to them (hormones, anti-biotics etc). I can't say I've noticed any real difference in how I feel (I'm losing weight but that's because of all the effort I'm putting in here, the first month I was vegetarian was before I started here and I put weight on). For me the biggest issue is that I have to think a little more about my meals, I always ate a lot of vegies but I tended to build my meals around meat/fish.

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