Why did you become vegetarian/vegan?

I am a good vegetarian and a sloopy vegan - I have not had meat, fish, and chicken for more than 3 years now. i struggle as I shove the donut in my moouth that i know it has eggs and probably dairy. The sugar calls my name but now onmfp i log what goes inmy mouth. i look to live as simply as possible which benefits me and the animals in the world!

I love animals and they way they are treated is disgusting! The guilt of eating an animal itself was the main reason. My second reason was I wasn't keen on meat anyway, before I went veggie all I ate was chicken that I couldn't even prepare myself so I just gave it up!
Feel much happier and healthier for it!

Reducing meat gradually is the easiest way, i just dived straight in and it was kinda hard at first because I didn't give myself time to plan what I would replace meat with in my meals! :-)

It is pretty difficult to get adequate levels of protein eating a vegetarian diet. You have to be very well educated on it, and very careful, and eat a LOT of beans, quinoa, and other protein-containing grains. I eat vegetarian for lent, and its really tough to eat a healthy vegetarian diet, it gives you a lot of respect for the vegetarians that are actually healthy, and gives you a lot of insight into why so many vegetarians are skinny fat. One year we may try going vegan, but I think that will be even harder!

For those of you from the "guilt" school of vegetarianism, or from the anti-meat industry school, this may seem a little counter-intuitive, but look into buying some local venison, turkey, or squirrel meat. These animals are 100% free range, eat completely organic, and the process used to harvest them is far more humane than commercial slaughterhouses. No hunter wants to chase a deer, so we all ensure they are killed instantly with as little pain as possible, since pain=adrenaline=running=chasing. They are also cheap and leaner than store bought meat, and you can make sure that 100% of the animal is used. Hunting also takes the place of natural predators in the ecosystem and prevents unecessary amounts of roadkill and other accidental animal deaths which are in almost every case more painful ways to die for a deer than a bullet.

I'm veg*n because I think it's the kindest way to feed myself. It doesn't require someone else to kill an animal for my sustenance. And plants make for some mighty good eating!

I have been veg*n since 1973. Back then, I was a meat-eater who fussed about the aesthetics of certain types of meat--like steak, whole chickens with bones, etc. At a work-related BBQ, I said 'Ewwww' when I saw the rare sirloin steak. My boss said, "You are such a hypocrite, sitting there eating a hamburger and being so sensitive about this steak." The truth of this statement hit me immediately, and from that moment on, I have not eaten meat.

It is pretty difficult to get adequate levels of protein eating a vegetarian diet.

I have never once had a problem getting enough protein as a vegetarian.

I have had issues, but that was due to me not eating right, not due to me being a vegetarian. If you eat a reasonable variety of vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, protein will not be an issue.

As for why I'm vegetarian (actually I'm about 99% vegan), I don't like the idea of an animal suffering and being killed so I can eat it. There are also a plethora of health, environmental, and humanitarian arguments for being veg*n--even the World Health Organization has made arguments for plant based diets.

Maybe I'm just ignorant, but do vegetarians eat eggs?

Maybe I'm just ignorant, but do vegetarians eat eggs?

Vegans don't. Some vegetarians do, some don't. I do - since I started working out more and lifting heavier weights, I NEED the protein and eggs are just easy. *shrugs