Any vegetarians started eating meat again??
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If the thought of eating meat makes you want to vomit....... don't. Their are no health or aesthetic reasons to feel compelled to eat flesh. Put in a Google search for Vegetarian, or even Vegan, body builders. You'll find plenty of photos of well built, muscular, healthy people. You'll also find sites that share their strategies for achieving their physiques the 'veggie way'0
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Yes... I was a vegetarian for three years in my late teens/early twenties. I had some strange health problems during that time - horrible eczema and anemia.
It turned out that I am allergic to soy, so a lot of the soy foods I was eating as a vegetarian were at the root of the eczema. As soon as I quit eating all unfermented soy, the eczema almost immediately went away.
The anemia was a bit more problematic. Bloodwork showed that I was severely lacking iron, even though I supplemented and ate vegetarian foods rich in iron. After a lot of trial and error, my doctor determined that my body just didn't absorb iron that well from plant-based and supplement sources. Evidently, for some people heme-based iron (from meat) is more readily absorbed.
I went back to eating meat and felt fine again. I was mainly a vegetarian for health/weight reasons, rather than ethical reasons. So, it was easy for me to accept going back to eating meat. I always liked meat, I just thought I'd be thinner and healthier without it. Turned out to not be true for me. :-)0 -
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.
I know we don't always hit our goals right on the money but consistently consuming more than 35% of calories from protein (from any source) can damage your liver. If you're working out your body will need more carbs for energy anyway.0 -
Any evidence to back up your claim?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.
I know we don't always hit our goals right on the money but consistently consuming more than 35% of calories from protein (from any source) can damage your liver. If you're working out your body will need more carbs for energy anyway.0 -
I was vegetarian for a little while, then added fish back in my diet (for lean protein), and just two weeks ago I've started eating meat again.
I thought my body would go through hell reintroducing chicken, steak, etc but I feel fine. In fact, I feel stronger than ever. I'm eliminating the processed garbage I'd eat (faux meats) and opting for whole foods and my body is responding very well to it.
I change my diet often as I adapt to a new lifestyle and am still finding something that makes my body thrive.. so far I'm doing great! Best of luck to you and I say if you do eat meat again, look for organic chicken, grass-fed beef, etc...0 -
I was also vegetarian for a really long time, but found out I had celiac disease and when I stopped eating gluten, I gradually added some fish to my diet. I have no problem getting plenty of protein. Greek yogurt, lentils, eggs, protein shakes (I recommend "vega" and even whole grains like oatmeal and quinoa have protein. I am at a healthy weight and have been for over a year now following this-- and don't feel hungry either!0
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Eating beans, hummus, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, tofu pups, nuts, etc gives you plenty of protein. The list really goes on and on.0
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It is more than possible to get the adequate amount of protein for muscle-building on a vegetarian or vegan diet. If you are vegetarian and not vegan, look into eggs, seitan, protein powder and lentils - they pack great protein per calorie.0
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Any evidence to back up your claim?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.
I know we don't always hit our goals right on the money but consistently consuming more than 35% of calories from protein (from any source) can damage your liver. If you're working out your body will need more carbs for energy anyway.
Mostly evidence based on rodents, but yes, there's a reasonable evidence base for the health risks of over-doing it on protein. As there is for overdoing it on pretty much any macro or micronutrient.0 -
It's not the fact that your proteins aren't meat based that's making vegetarians/vegans have issues. It's almost always the lack of healthy fats (even lean cuts of meat still have some fat) that's causing problems. Your liver does not run on glycogen (carbs), it runs on fatty acids. Your skeletal muscles and heart can run on either, but they prefer fatty acids as well over glycogen. Everything else prefers glycogen over fatty acids. Your brain will only use glycogen with the exception of a fatty acid chain produced by the liver when you're in ketogenesis, that is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, and since ketogenesis requires extremely low carb intake to induce, I doubt there are many vegetarians/vegans inducing ketogenesis in their bodies.
Many vegetarian/vegan diets are dangerously low in healthy fats, and in order for you to avoid health issues need to be supplemented with sources of fat that don't violate your dietary code. For vegans, that means eating nuts (also high in protein!), avocados, olives. Vegetarians that are okay with dairy/eggs can add whole milk and whole eggs to that (the fat is in the yolk). It would also be wise as a vegan/vegetarian to take the full dosage per day of an omega-3/6 supplement.0 -
It can be done - you just need to plan; quorn, tofu, nuts, seeds, cheese, eggs and milk - I've been a veg all my life (48 years) and the insufficient protein / high carb habit was what made me pile on the lbs - now I focus on getting enough protein and eating little and often to fuel my exercise regime, and it's working!0
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Any evidence to back up your claim?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.
I know we don't always hit our goals right on the money but consistently consuming more than 35% of calories from protein (from any source) can damage your liver. If you're working out your body will need more carbs for energy anyway.
Mostly evidence based on rodents, but yes, there's a reasonable evidence base for the health risks of over-doing it on protein. As there is for overdoing it on pretty much any macro or micronutrient.
I wouldn't call "mostly evidence based on rodents" reasonable.0 -
You want them to force feed protein to humans to give you an evidence base you'd be better satisfied with? I think that kind of medical research went out with the nazis....0
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I eat plant based/vegan, whatever you want to call it. The only thing I eat from animals is honey since it has more health benefits than sugar, however I make sure to know where I get it from and ensure the bees are well taken care of, no chemicals, traveling, killing, or impregnating. I also don't eat soy when I can help it. I get plenty of protein and feel better than I ever have, I have been doing this for about 5-6 months now. My main reasons are for my health, treatment of the animals, and environmental. I never really liked meat before, always had to have it cooked super well done, and was never a big fan of dairy or eggs. So I almost think I was made to eat plant based.
Obviously I know what meat tastes like and I wonder if I had never tasted bacon before would I still want to eat some when I smelled it? lol I do a lot of research and found plenty of people and whole families that are vegan and striving, some children never had animal products their whole life and are doing great. It does take work and you do have to make sure you are getting all your nutrients and most people even meat eaters are low in b12, omega 3, and vitamin d, and get too much protein. I also stay away from a lot of processed foods. I supplement with half a dose of calcium, b12, vitD, and omega 3 epa/dha. I can get all my other nutrients from food, and myfitnesspal helps me keep track for sure. Some of it is learning the right way to cook certain foods that make them easier to digest, there is a lot to learn that most people aren't aware of. Either way do what you think is right for your body, like the one person said she couldn't absorb iron from plants, some things you just can't help. I would see a dietitian/doctor and check your blood etc. and see how your doing.
-Becky, Girlwholovestheworld.blogspot.com0 -
Forgot to mention this website- http://www.healthaliciousness.com/most-nutritious-foods-lists.php , it tells you the top foods that contain certain vitamins etc.0
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You want them to force feed protein to humans to give you an evidence base you'd be better satisfied with? I think that kind of medical research went out with the nazis....
I don't believe that's what I said, but nice strawman.
You claim that there is a lack of human data on the topic, therefore the rodent data must be relied upon? Sorry, that's not reasonable.
A rat metabolism and a human metabolism are vastly different.
You want to know why the "you must eat every 3 hours so your metabolism doesn't slow down" dogma spread for so long? Because it was proven to be the case in rat data. Turns out that it makes zero difference in humans, as studies have shown. That's just one of many examples.0 -
Actually, it wasn't my original claim, it was another posters'. I was just suggesting that the best evidence we have available does indicate that too much protein might not be a great plan either.
You seem tense, by the way. Try yoga or something. Not tested on rats.0 -
i'm a recovering vegan, the hardest part is the fact that almost all non-vegan protein sources are disgusting.
Chicken? can't take the texture.
pork and beef? tastes disgusting
wild game? oh GROSS
i find some fish edible, and therefore sushi and sashimi have become regular staples of my diet. i like raw ahi tuna, so i bought a bunch of cans of tuna (it's cheap!) thinking i'd like that too. i don't. i feel like i'm eating cat food.
eggs are tasty, if cooked right. and cottage cheese is suprisingly good, despite the rotten-milk texture.
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good luck to you.
meat's nasty, but protein is important.0 -
I was vegetarian for a while, then went vegan. When I lost muscle I went back to meat but I struggle when I eat it to be honest. I want to vomit halfway through. The consistency and parts just yuck me out. Never been a huge meat eater.0
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I was vegetarian for a couple years because of a meat allergy. I eat meat now, and despite what you hear from many vegetarians and vegants, it really is the most complete, rich source of protein there is.
If hormones bother you, buy organic. If ethical treatment is a problem then look into buying meat from animals that led healthy, natural lives like free-range chickens. But if you're looking to build muscle, you need meat.
Plus...meat is yummy.
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i couldnt be a vegetarian but much respect to those who are i however think i would starve with out meat in my life
to each their own!!0 -
Yeah I started eating meat again after being veg for 3 years. I ran into an iron deficiency issue and it was reccommended by my doctor to eat more meat to up the iron content in my diet. I'm still finding it hard to incorporate it into every meal, but I am trying! It's easiest (in my opinion) to ease yourself back in with chicken and fish, and then pork, and then "heavier" meats like roast beef or steak.0
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also, if you want to spy my diary, it's open
and it's pretty much a testement to the struggle to eat non-vegan after a lifetime of it
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why am i moving away from non vegan?
because i was an overweight carb-addicted vegan. i'm trying something different. veganism can be supremely healthy: but i wasn't very healthy at it.
(and i never did manage to give up milk chocolate anyways)
i started with raw milk, honey, and eggs from local farms and have been working my way towards a more omnivore diet from there.0 -
I was brought up a demi-vegetarian (so i only ate chicken & fish), 7 years ago I completely cut out meat and ate more carbs which was not doing my body any good. 2 years ago I started eating white mean again and have never looked back. I have tried steak and bacon but didn't like the taste of it. So for me chicken and fish are the only meats I will eat and I feel a lot better for it.0
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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!?!?
Hi, I have been a veggie for around 15 years (not very balanced diet veggie!) as you say my diet was quite high in carbs and extremely low in protein. I became a veggie for two reasons one ethical and the other the texture of meat. My opinions have changed slighlty over the years but my diet never has! When I started MFP last Jan I was finding it a real struggle to meet my protein needs (I know you can be a sensible veggie but I was not one of them!) and decided that if I was going to do this I was going to change my diet completley. I now eat a little bacon, a little chicken and a little ham, that's about it really because like you I struggle with the mindset having not eaten it for so many years. I study every bit of meat before I eat it, I will not cook it from raw and I will not discuss it whilst eating! so I have a little bit of work to do. I feel that my energy levels have increased I have had struggled with my meanstural cycle for years, been at the doctors time and time again and now I watch what I eat it's all sorted itself out, may be coincidence?? I would like to eat more meat but I think I will have to take it very slowly. Some things I see no point in changing I LOVE cauldron sausages, quorn mince and veggie haggis and I have no intentions to change this.
I think its a personal decision but I would stick with it for a while don't force it find something you like and work on it, eg I examine cold meat in the store but I have stopped putting myself off it by continuously staring and examining it while I eat it :sick: I also can not do back bacon as it's too pink but although not good for you I can so streaky. Good luck whatever you decide. My diary is open to friends so you can add me if you like but it's far from saintly :laugh:
Should also add if I am buying eggs then its free range eggs, Farm Assurance Schemes and RSPCA Freedom food stamps etc I have no problems with anyone eating meat but I do think they should look into where its came from etc. My husband eats only meat NO FRUIT OR VEG!!!0 -
Actually, it wasn't my original claim, it was another posters'. I was just suggesting that the best evidence we have available does indicate that too much protein might not be a great plan either.
You seem tense, by the way. Try yoga or something. Not tested on rats.
It's not the "best evidence we have available".
You are backtracking from your original statement where you said most of the data is on rodents, which is considered by you to be a "reasonable evidence base" for the conclusion that too much protein can damage the liver in humans. Do some reading and you'll see countless conclusions extrapolated from rats that have never panned out in humans, or have even found to be the opposite in humans. Because as I said, the physiology isn't even remotely comparable. Man, it's too bad we aren't rats.
To quote Lyle McDonald:Oh...I wish I were a rat
Then I wouldn't be fat
Because all the stuff I see
Would work so well on me
But since I am a man
I'll have to make a plan
That doesn't involve these studies
Because they just don't apply to me0 -
funny, i plan to go back to vegetarianism. don't have a desire to be vegan again. we're already what i call 'pescatarian' in our house. once i introduced meat back into my diet, i felt sluggish and bloated, etc. i plan to move back in that direction because my kids don't like meat either. my hubby is the only hold out and he's fine eating just fish.
my plan, to be just a veg-head this time around, means i can have whey protein which provides me plenty of protein for my needs. i believe it's a more ethical way to live - not only in terms of animal welfare, but in terms of our carbon footprint and the environmental degradation that factory farming causes. i live in iowa and the minute you hit the rural areas, you are overwhelmed with the stench of hog **** - thousands of hogs confined in a few building and their liquid manure stored in open pits that look like swimming pools of shiz from the air. they leak into the groundwater, etc. chickens and eggs are no better. and neither are the giant colorado-esque feed lots.
i don't hate on those who do eat it. and i'm not saying i haven't had my fair share of steak in my life. i'm just saying if you are already living a really very healthy lifestyle that the American Heart Association now recommends and Dr's tout as a prevention against disease - why change it? there are other ways to increase your protein intake without needing to eat animal protein. Or at least not flesh...0 -
I tried going veg about 10 years ago, but I couldn't do it. I became very tired and lethargic and it turned out I was not getting enough iron or protein at all. Even with supplimenting, eating plenty of legumes and cheese, leafy greens, I just couldn't maintain. I went veg for ethical reasons, so my focus now is buying as local as possible for my meats, and if I can't afford it, they need to be grass-fed or responsibly raised. I don't eat as much meat as it might sound...eating ethically is expensive. I think it's about once per day that I have any, or I eat less meat than 6 oz a day (not including special occasions). I'm a type "0+" as well. If you ascribe to the blood-type diet...I should eat fresh veggies, lean protein and very little grains. Oddly...I am gluten sensetive, too.
I digress
It was hard, but I had to go back to meat. :-(0 -
Bump, considering Pescetarianism.0
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I'm not technically a vegetarian, but my meat intake is very low compared to the "average" person. I don't like the thought of having to kill an animal to eat. This does not stop me from eating small amounts of meat from time to time though, as it is impractical for me to be militantly vegetarian all the time. According to MFP, I always get at least 85% of my daily protein needs, and sometimes waaay more. People have all mentioned dairy, nuts, legumes, eggs, etc... The one thing that I have not seen mentioned is TVP (textured vegetable protein), a soy-based product that comes in a variety of flavors and sizes that resembles the texture of meat. I use it as a meat substitute so that I can still enjoy all my meat-based meals, maintaining the texture and protein content I need, without the need to kill an animal, or deal with preparing and cleaning up after cooking raw meat. A little hot water poured over the TVP, and in 10 minutes I have a re-hydrated, ready-to-eat meat substitute that I can add to pastas, casseroles, tacos; you name it, you can make it. It's high in protein and low in fat. Works great for me. You can usually find TVP at health food stores like Whole Foods, but I just order mine online in bulk. TVP is about 50% the cost of hamburger meat, so it is both economically and ethically great.0
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