Thinking of becoming a vegetarian.

Hey.

Now this may be more of a rant/thinking out loud than anything but, I was wondering if some people could shore up my questions.  I've been thinking about becoming a vegetarian a long time ago and now that i have been doing lots of research and reading peoples stories as well as reading about animal cruelty, the hormones/drugs given to the animals and in-humane ways of slaughter, I know I want to become one.  

For vegetarians do you find it hard to get enough protein?

I am trying to gain muscle and yes, I do use whey for my main protein source but, I cant always have access to whey and other sources of low calorie/high amounts of protein.

I constantly crave meat.  This will be the hardest for me to get over.  I do love nuts and peanuts especially but, I do love my chicken and turkey.  I do not eat pork and I rarely eat beef.  I can survive without red meat, no problems.  It's the foul that will be the hardest. 

Meal choices.  Do you find it very difficult to eat out and have some variety other than salads or potatoes?

Any other thoughts that you could also share with me would be great.

Thanks

- Scott 

I havent eaten meat in almost 2 years, and there are alot of fake meats out there that taste like the real thing.

I never personally liked meat but you could try it, also beans and nuts. You can take protein supplements and alot of protein shakes are vegetarian.

It all depends on how hardcore youre thinking about going. If you want to be lacto-ovo then youd just be cutting out the meat, not the by-products like cheese and eggs and chocolate. But there are many different types. Theres also Pescatarian I dont know if thats spelt right but thats when you dont eat any meat except fish.

So it all depends on what kind of vegetarian you plan on being.

Good luck!!!

DO IT!!!

I am a happy healthy vegetarian. You can do it.

Try cutting back to just fish. Baked yellowfin tuna is so much like pork it'll satisfy your meat cravings i bet. Even if you always eat fish it's way way better for you. There's a lot of support for vegetarians on this site. Give it a try and keep us posted.

Rayn

Getting enough protein as a vegetarian is never a problem unless all you eat are refined, unhealthy foods.  Vegetables, and especially legumes are great sources of protein contrary to what the public has been fed by the FDA.  The transition to becoming a vegetarian can be difficult but it seems like the longer you go without meat the less you want it.  I've been veggie for one year and you couldn't pay me to eat meat, even though I initially became vegetarian for environmental sustainability.  It takes a full six weeks to change our nutritional tastes.  I think the meat substitutes are not the healthiest thing but that can be really helpful when you are switching over.  Eating out is easy they always have something vegetarian or you can ask them to make you what you want, substitute things, its really easy if you just ask.  

 

If you are seriously considering it and are interested in the health benefits and nutritional info check out "The China Study" by Dr. Campbell.  It's really great, both motivating and informative. 

I wouldn't worry about getting enough protein to build muscle. The Ultimate Fighting Champ is a vegan! lol.

i was a meat lover all my life. very big into red meat and pork! then i read the book skinny bitch (blah blah blah... i write that alot and have read it alot online from others) and it totally changed me. i too, was wondering if i could possibly stay away from meat but it hasnt been that hard. as far as DIRECTY...i havnt had any but indirectly i am sure i have (hidden animal products like gelatin, 'natural flavors', etc). i still hafta work on that...

where i live, theres at least 3 whole foods, shaws (which has a natural section), and tons of vegetarian restaraunts. maybe do a google search for veg. where you live.
i have been to other places as well and it hasnt been that hard. i just eat pizza without the meat, eat side dishes, salads, etc.
as far as being vegan, that will be far off for me. im still trying to master the vegetarian thing and i really love cheese but i know in my head its still bad. i know that as long as im at least trying then its all good =]


i find that by watching slaughter videos of all the animals....helps as well. i  know its sad and disgusting to watch but im the type to fall of the wagon quickly. this has been easy for me though. now, only if i can do this with smoking heh.  *does a search of videos on lung cancer*.

If you're supplementing with whey protein, I don't think you would have any problem getting enough.  Make beans your friend ... eat lots of chili, hummus, bean salads, curries, beans and rice ... plus lots of eggs and yogurt if you are planning to eat ovo-lacto.  I generally don't have any difficulty finding variety in my meals, but in part that's because I love to cook and am always trying new things ... plus variety is in the eye of the beholder (chickpeas one night, lentils the next is plenty of variety for me!).  Just don't make the common mistake of carb-loading to replace meat ... lots of people will just increase the amount of breads, pastas, crackers and such that they eat instead of meat.  Bad idea!  It takes a little planning at first, but I got used to it pretty fast.

Thanks for all of your advice...

Im still pondering though about kicking the fowl...it is my ulitmate weekness...it really is.  I know its no excuse but at least I only eat free-range organic. 

And as for beans, I have a really, really hard time eating them.  But like jb723 said, it takes abit of time to change our nutritional choices.

- Scott

Why not take it one step at a time? For example, I started by eliminating processed meats such as pepperoni. I eventually gave up pork, then beef, and then a few years later I gave up poultry. I never did give up seafood though. I stuck with eating just seafood for about 15 years and just recently started eating poultry again for a variety of reasons. I'm still struggeling with the guilt factor though. I don't eat it very often.

hello!

i've been a vegetarian for something close to 15 years now so hopefully i can provide some information of use to you :)

when i went veggie i did it  in steps, i stopped eating red meat but i kept eating turkey and chicken.... like you i loved it!  however, i must say after a while i just got sick of eating it! i also felt quilty still continueing to eat animals so i finally stopped eating all meat altogether.  in the beginning it was really hard. but it gets much much much easier!!

now i know some people don't like the "fake" meats but i looove them.  the closer they taste to meat, the better for me!  i would check it out, i know i can take pretty much any meal i ate with meat and sub in a fake version!  i've found that the fake chicken is very good, i think every meat eater i know that's tried them actually liked them too so it's not just my taste buds gone bad :P  my other favorite meat was hot dogs. i loved hot dogs!  but morningstart makes what i consider a great imitation of hot dogs.  load them up with the usual toppings and i'm not missing a thing!  i put the fake ground meat in pasta sauce, or buy fake meatballs, and it's all the same. i put the chicken strips in a wrap with salsa and cheese and i'm good to go.  i'm also a fan of veggie chili.  i think the morningstar grillers burgers taste the most like burgers.  i could go on, but if you like the taste of meat and think you'll miss that, i think you should check out these options.  buy a few different things and play around til you find the brands/types that you like.

other alternatives from the fake meats are beans and tofu.  i'm not a tofu expert and rarely eat it but i know it can be used in a lot. beans too. for breakfast i made potatos, tofu, fake ground sausage, peppers, onions, and cheese and it was a great protein packed breakfast!  the chili is of course loaded with beans (i also add the fake ground meat but you could skip that). 

i dont' have any problem getting enough protein.  and i'm completely veggie- no fish either- and i don't eat eggs or milk (but i eat products made with them and i do love cheese)  load up on veggies too as tehy contain protein and you should be fine.  peanut butter, nuts, hummus, babaghaugh (i'm sure i spelt that wrong) are all great with veggies/fruits as a snack too.

as for going out to eat... it can get annoying.  most places nowadays carry veggie burgers though.  i went to an irish pub yesterday and was thrilled to find a veggie burger and fries on the menu.  other places should at least have a pasta dish.  or something with portabella mushrooms.  at asian places their is always some form of stir fry veggies and noodles.  not sure how strict your looking to be (i think you said vegetarian not vegan) so you shouldn't have a problem at most places. i rarely get stuck with a soup and salad- that's usually when i'm dragged to a steak house.

 

good luck!

 

Original Post by raynsong:

DO IT!!!

I am a happy healthy vegetarian. You can do it.

Try cutting back to just fish. Baked yellowfin tuna is so much like pork it'll satisfy your meat cravings i bet. Even if you always eat fish it's way way better for you. There's a lot of support for vegetarians on this site. Give it a try and keep us posted.

Rayn

I so agree with Rayn.  And, since Rayn's not about to tell you how great she looks (I can, I have her newest musical CD), you might end up even being able to SING as great as she does (smile - maybe you already sing terrific).

I follow the same type of diet Rayn does - I'm going on 66, and never been over-weight or 'sickly'.  After you stick with just cottage cheese; eggs, and fish as your main source of protein, the rest is so easy because fruit and vegetables comprise the majority of you menu, and you end up with better skin color; your eyes 'sparkle', and you have at last 40% more energy.

I do hope you make the change.  Diane

I was a vegetarian for 8 years and have been vegan for the past month. I didn't have any issues getting enough protien (and I still don't). When I first went vegetarian I ate a lot of the mock meats. I never realyl cared for beef or pork, but I enjoyed chicken pre-veggie days. After I switched I became a faithful morningstar farms consumer. It really helped me with my transition and made for quick meals (since I was in college). After a few years I started makign more of my own food and have now decided to be vegan. I do a lot fo cooking on the weekend to make my food for the week.

I'd say slowly work to cut out the poultry from your diet. It can be hard if you eat it often, but start testing out mock meats and see what ones you like. Expand from their into making foods with beans or tofu even.

Getting enough protien from a veg*n diet is not an issue if you eat well rounded meals. I use calorie count to make sure I'm getting enough protien and carbs for my day. Especially since I workout and train for mountain bike races year round.

Original Post by skinnyogi:

I wouldn't worry about getting enough protein to build muscle. The Ultimate Fighting Champ is a vegan! lol.

I read that in VegNews! Thought it was cool.

I feel so awful, I don't even know why I used the heading..."Thinking of becoming a vegetarian".  What's there to think about??  I am clearly a pescatarian in transition to vegan now...

Thanks for all your advice, tips and pointers...and thanks for steering me in the right way and opening my eyes.

 - Scott

Original Post by smaxted:

I feel so awful, I don't even know why I used the heading..."Thinking of becoming a vegetarian".  What's there to think about??  I am clearly a pescatarian in transition to vegan now...

Thanks for all your advice, tips and pointers...and thanks for steering me in the right way and opening my eyes.

 - Scott

Awesome! Good luck with transitioning to veganism. Do you take a multivitamin? You might want to consider one while you're getting used to being vegan and balancing your new diet. :)

Edited to add: A vegan vitamin, of course! DEVA is a good company, despite the name.

 

You may want to check out this thread called Vegetarian 101:

http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/post/807 73.html

 

i have turned myself into vegan too.. been 3 weeks... hopefully i'll stick by it...

lmfao!  oh oh the protein myth worked this person over.

how can a planet with protein based everything not have protein enough to carry you?

sorry..    not falling for it.

i've been a vegetarian all my damned life,  no issues with proteins, fats, carbs... any of that junk.

no, i don't eat processed vegan pretend junk.    most of that has animal product in it.

i like to know how a vegetarian is going to die just eating vegetables and fruits yet...  they better not eat too much of one particular say:  carrots...   because they'll get toxic levels of certain minerals.

hummm.. rubs chin.

so we are starving how?