Any vegetarians started eating meat again??
AH2013
Posts: 385 Member
I've been veggie for 23 years and never had a problem with it until I realised that it was stopping me from gaining proper muscle in order to lose fat. I kept being told that I should be eating meat to get my proper quota of protein for the day and drastically cut down on the carbs (which is hard when you are veggie).
Just wondered if anyone else has been through the veggie turning meat eater again as I'm finding it a bit of a struggle, in my head! I became a veggie for ethical reasons and I think that is what is holding me back. But having read many studies about how being vegetarian is not healthy for the body is making me think I need to eat meat again if I want a healthy body.
Should I persevere or should I just admit defeat and stick to eating what doesn't make me want to vom!?!?
Just wondered if anyone else has been through the veggie turning meat eater again as I'm finding it a bit of a struggle, in my head! I became a veggie for ethical reasons and I think that is what is holding me back. But having read many studies about how being vegetarian is not healthy for the body is making me think I need to eat meat again if I want a healthy body.
Should I persevere or should I just admit defeat and stick to eating what doesn't make me want to vom!?!?
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I was a veggie for 10ish years. Largely for quality of meat issues rather than ethical so one bacon butty and I never looked back
My feeling is veggies either go plant food or dairy as a main food. Neither being good. Mine being dairy, and coupled with other issues = 21stone
Being back to meat (while all the veggis will flame me) is probably for the better.
Eating what makes you vomit - is probably not good. Maybe just try and build up slowly with what you like rather than hitting the Atkins.
What do you eat now?0 -
I was a veggie for 10ish years. Largely for quality of meat issues rather than ethical so one bacon butty and I never looked back
My feeling is veggies either go plant food or dairy as a main food. Neither being good. Mine being dairy, and coupled with other issues = 21stone
Being back to meat (while all the veggis will flame me) is probably for the better.
Eating what makes you vomit - is probably not good. Maybe just try and build up slowly with what you like rather than hitting the Atkins.
What do you eat now?
I agree. I was vegan for 7 years and veggie on and off for 4 years prior. It was THE hardest decision, other than NOT applying to Harvard (and if you knew, I could have applied but didn't, so lazy haha) that I ever made. I particularly don't care about animals, in an, what I deem "ethical" way, treatment wise, I just thought/think it's weird to eat something that has a parent. lol. Anyway, I had to eat chicken because my peds was really having a hard time with me getting enough B-12 and Iron. To this day my body has never even repaired and yeah, I'm trying to eat better after going overboard with chicken nuggets and cheese. I was really sad giving up veganism because I felt it was part of me and my identity. I will never forget the first meal I had, 2 5 piece chicken nuggets from Wendy's. I never looked back. I'm still struggling now, I just hope in the very near future, it will be a thing of the past.0 -
There's plenty of things you can eat that aren't meat based, which are still high in protein.
I'd recommend quinoa, tofu, nuts, nut butter and eggs for your natural protein... and then adding protein powder either in your usual recipes (it's great added to smoothies, or into baking) or as a milkshake. I sometimes have protein bars as well, although it's hit and miss for which ones taste any good!
If you can stomach adding just fish back into your diet, that will also increase your protein count loads. I'm pescetarian (mainly for health reasons rather than ethical) and am currently trying to hit a 30% protein ratio. It's tough to do without protein supplements!0 -
I was a veggie for 10ish years. Largely for quality of meat issues rather than ethical so one bacon butty and I never looked back
My feeling is veggies either go plant food or dairy as a main food. Neither being good. Mine being dairy, and coupled with other issues = 21stone
Being back to meat (while all the veggis will flame me) is probably for the better.
Eating what makes you vomit - is probably not good. Maybe just try and build up slowly with what you like rather than hitting the Atkins.
What do you eat now?
Well I just had a chicken sarnie for lunch. It doesn't make me physically sick but it does make me feel a little gross, I don't enjoy it. I also know that it contributed to my weight gain due to all the carbs, and subsequently low fat crap I was consuming. I also read recently that vegetarians lose their digestive enzymes (which is why I take the supplements now) once they stop eating meat and this contributes to weight gain also. I may have to restrict myself to eating meat once a week or fortnight to start off and see where it gets me. Was just curious to know if others had gone through it..... and come out the other end
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There's plenty of things you can eat that aren't meat based, which are still high in protein.
I'd recommend quinoa, tofu, nuts, nut butter and eggs for your natural protein... and then adding protein powder either in your usual recipes (it's great added to smoothies, or into baking) or as a milkshake. I sometimes have protein bars as well, although it's hit and miss for which ones taste any good!
If you can stomach adding just fish back into your diet, that will also increase your protein count loads. I'm pescetarian (mainly for health reasons rather than ethical) and am currently trying to hit a 30% protein ratio. It's tough to do without protein supplements!
I eat all of these veggie options, but it still isn't enough for my protein intake each day. You need to eat a lot more to get the same protein you will from meat. Believe me if I could get what I needed from not eating meat, I most certainly would. I might try the fish option, never liked it before but I'm older and wiser now (?!) so who knows....thanks!0 -
I stumbled across a site for vegetarian body builders, the other day, which seemed to have lots of really helpful information. Maybe do a google for that?
I would think carefully about this, if you're a vege for ethical reasons that you still believe in. I appreciate your struggles, but I'm not convinced it's necessary to abandon your diet if you don't want to. (Of course, if you *do* want to, that's a different thing entirely.) I've very occasionally tried to eat meat, having been a vege just a tiny bit longer than you. It makes me gag. I can't *make* myself swallow it. And on the odd occasion when it has made it down my throat, it tends to come straight back up again.
If I can help, I will. There are lots of vege proteins that you could use - not least just using a good vegetarian shake. If you want me to have a look through what you're eating now and make some suggestions, I'm happy to do so.
Not trying to influence you in either direction, as I think that what people put in their bodies is entirely their choice. But it doesn't sound like your heart's really in this.0 -
Just had a quick look at your diary, but there's not much in there, so it's hard to help.0
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I tried being a vegetarian for about 18 months maybe 10 years ago just because I thought it was healthier and I'd loose weight. I gave up on it after I got some blood work done and my cholesterol was sky high (genetic according to my doctor but all I needed at the time to bail on the no-meat thing.) I like meat and fish though so it was easy to go back. I'm still pretty picky about meat though and avoid anything prepackaged- fast food- etc.0
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It's your choice whether you want to go back to meat again. However, you don't have to to be healthy or feel good. There are many people that have very active lifestyles and are either vegan or vegetarian. Every body type is different as well and what may be good for your blood type and personal nutrition needs may not be for someone else in your family. Here's a recent article on Runner's World I hope you'll enjoy. Whatever you decide, I hope it's the best for you and that you're successful in it!
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-303-308-14320-0,00.html0 -
I'm not a veggetarian but see that you may try pescatarianism. If you didn't like fish when you were young then I suggest you try white fish like tilapia, flounder, roughy etc. They're very mild flavor in comparison to say salmon or tuna. Although I must admit, I love a good tuna steak!I eat all of these veggie options, but it still isn't enough for my protein intake each day. You need to eat a lot more to get the same protein you will from meat. Believe me if I could get what I needed from not eating meat, I most certainly would. I might try the fish option, never liked it before but I'm older and wiser now (?!) so who knows....thanks!0 -
I've been a pescetarian for ~20 years. I get most of my protein from vegetarian sources though. I aim for over 100g of protein and I rarely am under 120g. If you don't like meat, there are other sources.
Whey protein, cheese, tofu, edamame, lima beans, quinoa, eggs, etc.0 -
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/vegetarian-bodybuilding.htm
http://www.trulyhuge.com/news/tips63iu.htm
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/
There's loads out there - clearly people who are successfully building muscle and managing well on a vege / vegan diet.
For me, the trick to getting protein up is to make sure I have protein with every meal, and with pretty much every snack. And make sure you're having a protein shake every day.
Also, make sure your base cals are right. If you're trying to hit protein targets but your overall cals are low, it's much harder.0 -
I was veggie for 10 years and then one day I just started craving fish. After about a month of craving fish I came to the conclusin that if my body wanted it, I must need somthing thats in it. I also had come to the conclusion that rather than embracing vegetarianism, it was more like I was denying meself meat. I've been back eating meat for about 6 years now.
I agree that there are ways to be a healthy vegietarian if you look for them but it's a personal decision every indevidual makes.1 -
I stumbled across a site for vegetarian body builders, the other day, which seemed to have lots of really helpful information. Maybe do a google for that?
I would think carefully about this, if you're a vege for ethical reasons that you still believe in. I appreciate your struggles, but I'm not convinced it's necessary to abandon your diet if you don't want to. (Of course, if you *do* want to, that's a different thing entirely.) I've very occasionally tried to eat meat, having been a vege just a tiny bit longer than you. It makes me gag. I can't *make* myself swallow it. And on the odd occasion when it has made it down my throat, it tends to come straight back up again.
If I can help, I will. There are lots of vege proteins that you could use - not least just using a good vegetarian shake. If you want me to have a look through what you're eating now and make some suggestions, I'm happy to do so.
Not trying to influence you in either direction, as I think that what people put in their bodies is entirely their choice. But it doesn't sound like your heart's really in this.
Yeah, sorry, only just back from hols and wasn't logging at all while I was away (really bad I know, but I was out of the house having fun!). I do have a diary for today and partly for what I'm planning tomorrow or you could go back a month. I eat a lot of meat substitute and protein shakes but I found a lot pressure to start eating meat again, especially as I'm getting more and more into training and my weight loss has stalled. You are right though, my heart really isn't in this, however I'm torn between persevering and just admitting defeat and sticking with my veg diet. I kind of know what the answer is but just wanted some ideas from those who have tried. Thanks so much for your wise words!!! 0 -
18 plus years then started eating seafood again. I think it's possible to get a lot of protein as a vegetarian, but will take planning and work to get high numbers consistently. I hd to accept my lazy nature when t ame to old prep. My earth was suffering, again not because I was a vegetarian, but because I was a bad one. Ridiculously liw b12, iron, and a whole lt of deficiencies.
Anywho, for supplement you can do tofu, protein powders, Greek yogurt, etc. look up vegetarian body builders, that is if you really want to remain a vegetarian.0 -
Ah, lovely, it's a really tough decision.
With you in mind, I made a special effort with my protein planning for today - have a look in there and see if you can get some ideas. I haven't logged exercise yet, so the balance will shift a bit, and I'll probably throw in some yoghurt (total fage has a good protein count).
One thing I noticed that might help you - the protein count on skimmed milk, and to a lesser degree semi skimmed milk products is much lower than on whole milk. And the calorie count isn't really as dramatically different as you might imagine. Just that might help.
If I'm being careful with my proteins, I add pulses to pretty much everything. If I'm making a rice based dish, I mix 50% rice, 50% lentils, for instance. If I'm making a bolognese, I use quorn AND kidney beans, and less pasta. Might help0 -
If you've been a vegi for ages, a quick word of caution. Start eating meat slowly, a little each week. Your weaker herbivore digestive system might take time to adjust to our omnivore ways.0
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Being a vegetarian is not the reason you cannot gain muscle. And gaining muscle won't help you lose fat. Focus on calories and macronutrient levels. Will eating meat make it easier to hit your daily protein goal? Probably. That doesn't mean you cannot hit your protein goal as a vegetarian.I've been veggie for 23 years and never had a problem with it until I realised that it was stopping me from gaining proper muscle in order to lose fat. I kept being told that I should be eating meat to get my proper quota of protein for the day and drastically cut down on the carbs (which is hard when you are veggie).0 -
Been debating returning to a little meat myself. I have done it on several occasions since becoming veggie at 13, but always went off it again, as I just felt uncomfortable ethically eating it, and didn't enjoy it enough to justify eating it. Also, my reasons for not eating it are ethically based, so the only way I would go back to it would be if I got it from a local farm or organic which is expensive. I must admit, recently, I experienced the most intense craving for the liver my boyfriend had cooked with bacon and ended up eating some. So I must have been lacking in something, iron I guess.
I don't know if some people are less cut out to be vegetarian or not. I must admit, I do tend to lack in energy more and more as I get older, whereas it was not an issue before. But I also worry I would actually gain weight eating meat again as I did gain a little just from having some liver a few days running.
I get my protein from beans, quinoa, Fage 0% yoghurt, full fat milk, cottage cheese, eggs, tofu and I do eat fish a lot so I guess that helps, though I feel guilty about eating anything with a face, in truth. But others have said that your health should come first.0 -
I was a vegetarian for over 20 years. About half of that time I ate fish/seafood. Most of my protein sources were highly processed *meat replacements* - you know, that Morningstar Farms stuff, tofurkey and the like. My diet was very high in carbs and quite low protein. Last summer, after being really frustrated with fatigue, tummy troubles, poor muscle tone and an auto-immune disease that seemed to be constantly flaring, I decided to make the switch. For me, it was the right choice. My energy levels are so much better now, I have great muscle tone and have gone from around 25% body fat to 18-19%. I feel so much better, in so many ways.
That said, I think with a lot of thought and minimizing the processed stuff, most people can be just as healthy vegeatrian. For me, it just wasn't ideal (partially due to the fact that I don't manage gluten very well), but there are lots of folks who make it work wonderfully. It was Such a difficult choice for me to make- one that I really agonized over- but I wouldn't go back now. I try my best to eat mostly lean, humanely raised animal products, and buy local pasture fed when I can get it. That makes it feel a little better for me. Feel free to message me if you have any questions.0 -
I had been veggie for 10 yrs but recently added fish back to my diet, however I do not eat fish everyday. I also supplement my protein with a whey protein in addition to getting protein from soy and other sources. I have a 40% goal of protein 30% carbs and 30% fat, which comes out to about 120grams of protein. I try to keep my carbs from 60 to 90 grams per day. It works for me.0
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Your weaker herbivore digestive system might take time to adjust to our omnivore ways.
What a loaded sentence.
Either you want to eat meat or you don't. You don't have to eat meat to get the correct nutrition, but it sounds like you've made the decision, so as mr. loaded there says - take it easy, your digestive system isn't used to eating or processing the stuff in meat any more.
I've been veggie for over 10 years now (also ethical), it's not the fact i'm a veggie that made me fat, more my love of cake, chocolate.......the list goes on
If you really don't want to eat meat there are loads of resources out there to help - have you tried a protein supplement also?
Also, loads of conflicting evidence r.e. what is bad for you - meat vs veggie.....i wouldn't believe everything you read 0 -
I have been thinking that maybe I cant build big muscle with a vegetation diet, but when you see guys like this -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZv0milS6hE&feature=plcp
It can be done I guess.0 -
I gained 2 stone trying to go veggie (I did it for a year). I find meat much more satisfying as a protein source (and you don't have to over-dairy). Personally I try to eat ethically sourced meat and have one day a week where I don't eat meat and that works for me. I found that I lost about half a stone when I returned to eating meat, probably because I felt fuller.
I've also known veggies who have been very successful at losing weight while veggies and some athletes swear by it so it's really personal preference.
I also found that when veggie you often default to lots of high FODMAP foods (the ones that make you gassy). This didn't work for me but it depends on what you eat.0 -
I was vegetarian for several years, a decision based on ethics about the treatment of animals and health concerns about the way meat is produced.
I did find it very difficult to get adaequate protein, and I gave up when my hair started breaking off and a trichologist assessment found the cause to be protein deficiency.
Also I wasn't quite so poor as I had been, so I could afford to buy everything free range and organic. I never buy meat from a supermarket, and apart from the occasional vice of a chinese meal I eat no fast food. I'm not uncomfortable with eating meat as long as the animal has had a good life and been humanely slaughtered.
I have to say I feel much better for it.0 -
I am vegetarian and get plenty of protein. I lift heavy weights and getting stronger.
I use protein powder to help supplement but some days I don't even need it.0 -
Eat what you want to eat and what makes you feel good.
I was a 'vegetarian' for about 3 years. I tried it from the age of 16 to 19. However, there came a time when I just started to crave meat again and so I started to eat it. While I don't eat a lot of meat and mainly eat chicken I do feel much better then I did then...0 -
I was vegetarian for ethical reasons, but then I when I was moving to Africa, I realized it wasn't realistic to continue, and ate meat again (also I put in a lot of thought to my reasons, and realized not all were valid, but that's away from the point). I was ready to eat meat again, so it was fine.
If you're not ready, see if protein powder gets you the amount you need. If it's not enough, you can try adding in meat (free range, if it makes you feel better).0 -
I was vegetarian for 17 years - it started out for ethical reasons and then after so many years I completely lost the taste for meat and didn't like it when I tried it. There were a few occasions when I thought about going back, but just didn't find meat appetising.
But then in January I completely went back to eating meat, after a number of attempts at only trying things that looked appetising (only chicken and pork initially) and only eating small amounts that were cooked at home, because I didn't want to order something in a restaurant and get a large amount and not like it or have it make me feel sick. Gradually, I found my taste for meat again and now I love it, I think there is a novelty in now going to a restaurant and feeling so unrestricted, and trying loads of things I haven't eaten in 17 years. I am also enjoying learning to cook meat for the first time in my life. And I know I get loads more protein than I did before, and meal planning is a lot easier.
That said, if you don't like the taste, don't feel like you need to force yourself. If you want to try it, have it in small amounts and only if it seems appetising. You don't need to eat meat for weight loss, and you can get plenty of protein from non-meat sources.
I started this process in October and lost 5-6lbs a month whilst I was still vegetarian, and then when I started eating meat I continued to lose 5-6lbs a month.0
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