Has anyone else here tried to go vegetarian but failed?

I tried going vegetarian once, but I failed because I missed fish too much! It's just so hard to say no to, I could give up any meat EXCEPT fish! I don't know how my sister does it, I really don't!

You know, there's virtue in eating vegetarian 90% of the time, or even half the time.  Any time you cut out meat, you're making an impact on your health, the environment, and animal welfare.

Personally, I try to avoid meat.  I don't cook it at home, I don't order it in restaurants.  The only times I have it are when someone else makes it for me.  So, this week I had some chicken at a meeting where dinner was provided and there was no veggie option, and I'm going to have a burger tonight at a friend's barbecue.

Anyways, it doesn't have to be all or nothing.  I don't call myself a vegetarian (since clearly I'm not) but I'm happy with my diet.

I had tried in the past but my body just feels healthier eating poultry/fish at times. Especially the fish. I feel vegetarianism is not everyone or body but that is just my 2 cents. If one does do it a key thing I think is to make sure you are balanced with things like nuts,lentils,so on. Are you sure you want to be a vegetarian and you are not just feeling you have to because of your sis?Sometimes slow transition is better anyhow. Like my step sister went from eating fish to then eating no animal and now is a vegan

I had to break my no-meat streak at seaworld because they pretty much serve meat for all the meals and I had a meal pass that I didn't want to go to waste. It did make me...very sick the next day, heh. But I haven't had meat since.

I'm a huuuuge tuna fan and I crave it a lot (I actually have cans of tuna sitting in my cabinet in case of an emergency) but all I have to do to remind myself not to eat it is imagine myself eating tuna-helper nonstop (which I've done in the past) and how bad it can be for the body. Don't get me wrong, tuna itself is wonderful, but I tend to go for the creamy tuna meals and it just becomes an unhealthy habit at that point.

Other than that, I didn't usually eat meat too often before going vegetarian. I would cook beef and spaghetti a lot when I was in a relationship (since he loved it!), but again...I got hooked and always ate too much, which just left me bloated, depressed and angry at myself. I'm not overweight at all but I hate feeling sluggish and tired. That's my drive being vegetarian, more energy and a sense of well being.

I agree with a slow transition! :} I was raised without red meat, the hardest thing for me to give up was chicken (I ate chicken at every resturant), then fish because I'm a cheap college student and tuna is cheap cheap cheap! But I'm learning that making bean soups and vegetable meals in bulk can be just as cheap since there are plenty of leftovers. When you have different options waiting in the fridge, it's easier to overlook a craving for meat.

I failed too don't worry

I actually started it when my friend's pet bunny had been killed and eaten by an angry neighbour. It kind of was a 'omg what have I been doing? I'm just like him' thing.

I lasted almost 2 months before breaking down and having chicken.

I try to avoid eatting pork or bacon because of the fact pigs are intelligent, but from the way I look at it, fish are pretty stupid creatures so its not that bad eating them. I mean, humans are omnivores so although I personally support people going vegetarian, I believe we are designed to want to eat meat because it usually is the easiest way to get a lot of nutrients our body needs.

Also many benefical things (like fish oil) can only be obtained from the death of an animal.

The way I see it is: IF the animal did not go through pain, and the animal wasn't intelligent then you are justified in eating it. Bunnies are the exception though. They are too cute to eat.

I'm sorry if I offended anyone with that last paragraph.

I didn't exactly fail, because I was a vegetarian for several years.  But I had to go back to eating meat because my doctor found that I'd developed some vitamin deficiencies and I can't take supplements because they interfere with an important medicine I have to take.  So now I try for 9 vegetarian meals a week.  Mostly it's a vegan breakfast or lunch, but I do have some great recipes for dinner entrees.

Why not be "pescatarian"? Where you eat fish but no meat? Or eat fish once or twice a month or something? Fish is extremely healthy and if you crave it it's probably because you need it.

Everything in moderation!

I don't eat meat at all, not even fish. Except for when I eat at the parental-unit's house... they don't believe in not eating meat and get insanely offended. Thank god I rarely eat there because sometimes it makes me feel ill.

I don't label myself.

I failed twice before, but I haven't had any meat this month. I'm hoping the third times the charm! I have found that if you don't really want it, you're not going to succeed. You have to want it to succeed and since I've decided that I really do (for the poor, suffering animals in factory farms) I've been able to stay away from it! If you do it, try to set small goals for yourself (1 week, 2 weeks, then a month) and it will be easier to accomplish the main goal. Good luck!

I've been a vegetarian for thirteen years, and I suspect that part of what might be making the shift difficult for you is a shortage of protein in the vegetarian diet you are pursuing. Many new vegetarians replace animal products with simple carbohydrates instead of additional proteins.

Could I suggest that you compare the protein intake in your daily, regular food log to those periods when you have explored vegetarianism? You'll probably notice a significant difference. I maintain a relatively high protein diet, which includes, among other things: egg whites, legumes, sprouts, almonds, soy milk, seitan, tempeh, nonfat yogurt and cottage cheese, part skim mozzarella, and some meat alternatives (think Boca, Gardenburger and Morningstar). I also recommend taking a daily multivitamin, if you do not already.

Many people also find it easier to transition slowly - reducing their consumption of animal flesh over time. Usually, this begins by eliminating red meat and pork, then poultry, then fish. Whether you are pursuing a change for your health or for your ethics, be assured that each step makes a difference and perfection is not required.

Enjoy exploring the diet. My favorite vegetarian cookbooks are: Vegan Planet, The Vegan Gourmet, The Vegetarian Epicure (I and II), and The Best of Lord Krishna's Kitchen. There are also thousands of free vegetarian recipes available online at http://vegweb.com/index.php?action=recipecate gories - some better and some healthier than others, so use your judgement. The site has been around for awhile and was a great resource for me when I first became a vegetarian.

I hope this helps!

Ah ha ha! I never tried before BUT I KNOW IF I DID I WOULD FAIL WITHIN THE FIRST 10 minutes! I LOVE MEAT, FISH, POULTRY, EGGS... and they are all such a huge part of my diet - If I didn't have them in there - yea, I'd only be eating non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats.. I'd probably die because I was deficient in all nutrients & protein! ha ha! You don't have to go vegetarian - each to their own, ya know?