I stopped eating meat.

I decided to go vegan for 3 days, to see how it would feel. Unsurprisingly, I felt great and it wasn't very hard. What did surprise me is how I've looked at meat since. All I see is animal flesh. Like I can't even imagining eating it again. My vegan friend described it well, it's like an optical illusion that can be seen both ways. You see it one way, then it flips, then you can't go back. It can't be unseen.

Before, I was all about meat. No problems at all, delicious and guilt free. It's a big change for me to stop.

So, here's my problem. Everyone knows friends can be resistant to you changing. I'm trying to figure out how to fit this in my life without being a dick about the situation. I'd rather not even bring it up, which is why I'm talking about it here instead. Anyone have experience?

 

I had several periods when I did not eat meat at all for several weeks, or only small portions of meat every other day.

Of course I got asked by close friends, but I did not try to convert them, so they were cool with my decision.

Just don't go around yelling "You bloody murderers!!" and you should be fine. Respect the decision of others to eat meat, and they will respect your decision not to.

 

I went vegitarian a handful of months ago after realizing that I was eating complete shit (as in, fast food/burgers/pizza for both meals of my day) and justifying it because of my thin body that seems to be fat-proof.
At the same time, I lost my job and didn't feel like I had control over my life anymore, and it seemed like an easy and satisfying change.
I'm still fucking depressed, but at least I know I'm not going fill my already crumby heart with gunk just because I felt I was invinsible.

I... definitely don't want to say "yeah, I eat ANIMALS" but at the same time I'm not any sort of environmentalist or animal rights president or anything of the sort. I'm not really attached to animals in a general sense, but I am attached to specific animals (I guess the same goes for people? I'd rather not give the time of day to almost anyone but would take a bullet for the remaining bunch) and I suppose that's what crosses my mind when I think about it. That and trying to not fail, because as soon as I give in and start eating meat again, that means I didn't succeed.

My brother is a vegitarian, and he was always very nice about it and we were always very accomidating when he lived with the family (or nowadays, when we all eat dinner together).
I haven't had much human contact since becoming vegitarian that would bring about any sort of negative situation based on me staying away from meat. I don't know if that's because of the people I hang out with, or if it's that most people aren't going to be bothered by that little... "speedbump" if you will when a bunch of people are having dinner.

I chose to be vegitarian on my own accord. Almost on a whim. Didn't even tell anyone, and was even a little pissed when I told my parents and their responce was "oh, did Andrew (brother) convince you, then?" No, he had nothing to do with it, I couldn't care less about something than what my brother eats. I just want to coast through life without snags, and if I happen to eat a bunch of leaves and rice and shit exclusively, then so be it. Unfortunately there will always be opposition and cracks in the sidewalk and detours. Dodge and weave, but take some punches as well.

I totally agree with alphagamer. As long as you don't push yourself on others, they won't push their values on you. And if they do anyway, then maybe it's time to rethink who that person is and what they mean to you.
And don't get outraged when you find out that something you ate had beef or chicken stock in it or trace ammounts of whatever. I hate it when people do that. You might have ate a spider or inhaled a small fly last night while sleeping. Pooey!

Anyways.
Cheers!

 

I've had a similar experience over this last year while trying to eat healthy. I haven't gone vegetarian, but I have significantly cut down my meat intake alot (by I'd say 75%) plus I've been eating a lot of vegetables, fruit, quit smoking, stopped eating junk food, crap like that. I feel a hundred percent better as well - used to wake up and just feel like shit, now I actually have energy, I'm sleeping better, etc. It's to the point that if I actually do eat fast food for instance I'll get indigestion/diarrhea/or some other freaky gastro-intestinal thing.

The problem comes when you go out to lunch with your friends and they all want to go to Taco Bell or some BBQ place or something. There really is no soultion, if you're committed to this change then you have to stop going out with people, or insist you eat at a place that actually has real food. Most sit down resturants will have something you can get - salad, baked potatoes, etc. The problem comes when you find yourself at Burger King.

 

Thanks for all the great responses. I do have a few things going for me, like a bunch of my friends are vegetarian. I also live in Northern California, it's not like I'm out in rural kansas, where your only hope at a restaurant become mashed potatoes and string beans. Also, Hawanja, I don't eat junk food much in the first place, so I'm used to suggesting something else or sitting hungry.

 

I will never understand the "lifestyle choice" of a vegan/vegetarian. The human body was not designed for such a diet.

 

There's a lot of things we weren't designed for and yet still do :110:.

Think it's been almost 4 years since I've eaten meat and can't see myself ever doing it again.

Oh, should mention, I still "eat" Barc0de's "meat" :love2:.

 

Here's how I felt about it before, and still do now: the health benefits are up for debate. There's evidence on both sides. No one can honestly deny that. The morality of the situation is not debatable, it's personal. If you feel that eating meat is wrong, don't. If you think it's fine, do.

 

Going without meat is like trying to quit smoking. You can for a while but the cravings get so strong you can't. Maybe if all your friends were vegans it would be different but all my friends smoke and eat meat and I cannot quit either as long as they are doing both those things around me. Call it weak will if you must.

 

I was vegetarian for about a year and a half, and I lost some weight as an unintended consequence. Stopped it as its just so inconvenient for me. If you can manage it without it getting in your way, then hats off to you.

 

I can agree with that, when it comes to it being a will-power thing.

Like me, I have no connection with meat other than it tastes pretty good, and I don't feel like I am missing out on anything by not eating it (except some nutrition that I have to suppliment elsewhere).

I'm a little afraid of full vegan.

 

Man was not designed to only eat Vegetables....

 

You're right in that having social support is a big part of making long standing changes.


You guys describe it as such a hard thing, the thing I've talked to in person don't seem to have such a problem. I really think a big part of it is where you live. That decides so much of the culture and food available.

 

I live in the biggest city in Kansas, and we still have a decently crumby selection of places with proper meat-free menus, but it isn't hard to go to the Japanese grill and order fried rice with mushrooms (or whatever you fancy), or get a veggie burger at Burger King (when they're not "all out"/too lazy to make one), or buy a bunch of frozen meals (my favorite being the shitty $1.50 four-cheese manicotti or lasagnas, which obviously have cheese in them so that would have to not be a problem).

I would say most places would have people being the weakest link as opposed to location, except the previously mentioned small little towns and such that may only have a few different places to eat without a bit of an excoursion.

One time I had a guy (I would guess Hindu, but since I have no idea I won't assume) order a cheeseburger with no meat when I worked at the county Zoo's restaurant. I was like... "so... just bread and cheese?" "Yeah, that's fine." "Do you want... a lot of cheese? I mean, hell, you can have as much cheese as you want." "Sure, pile it on". So I have him something like 3/4 inch of cheese slices between two pieces of bread, and tossed in a side of vegetable toppings that normally cost extra. He seemed satisfied, and I was satisfied, though my manager was like "why'd you give that guy THAT much cheese? he would have been fine with half that." "Because... FUCK YOU THAT'S WHY" no no no more like "Because it made him happy?"

 

vegan is no animal anything at all.

We call people that eat like that...douchebags.

 

Wichita? You worked at sedgwick county zoo? I need to go back there since we are showing signs of snow and its about to freeze over. I suppose they have all the animals inside now... So let me get this straight some hindu guy at a zoo bought those over priced hamburgers without the meat? The fuck is wrong with him. That guy just bought buns!

Its a lifestyle choice don't judge others seriously what is with this forum lately and all these hateful people showing up saying disrespectful things?

 

My sister became a vegan a few years ago, but she had to quit, she got extremely thin, lacked of proteins, and was underweight, she was always feeling tired. So she started to eat meat again, she regained some weight but she still isn't in perfect conditions.

If you want to be a vegan do it, but be sure that you'll suffer a lot from it, both physically and psicologically.

 

I don't think I made it clear, I don't plan on going vegan. Just not eating meat. I also plan to not sweat it to much, like having things with gelatin (more stuff than you'd expect) and fish oil. I figure as long as I don't have a vegetarian shirt, I can do whatever I want.

 

Its a choice you made man if thats what you wan't to do best of luck to you but people talking bad about what you eat is just inmature and I would ignore them if I were you. If you were me though you would probably punch them. People need to be more open and if it isn't harming you or anyone else around you then it shouldn't be up for debate with anything. Keep truckin'.