Really Thinkin 'bout Vegetarianism...

So I've been thinking, and I'd really like to try and be a vegetarian.
For two reasons:
1. It's Healthier, and more natural.
2. It could help me loose weight (right?). Which would be great.
But the only problem is my mom is completely against it, we don't have many foods in the house that aren't meat, and almost every meal we have has meat, Sometimes only meat.
Any advise?
Thanks Guys!

 

It may not help with losing weight because you can overdo the carbs quite easily. Vegetarianism is a bit of work to do right. You will learn to cook and create differently than what you are used to. Vegetarian prepared food is expensive to be buying just to slap a sandwich together. Get yourself a good book on vegetarian nutrition and a simple cookbook. Even a sub to Vegetarian Times. It is a wonderful way to eat and much more diverse than any diet based around a lump of carcass. Good luck with your journey.

 

thanks. Ive been reading other posts.
Ill probably take your advise and go out and buy me some books.
And since my mom is big on canned veggies ill prolly start growin some in pots.
: )
I've also been browsing the Deadbear's Gym forum for my weight loss help.
This sight is great!

 

I'm another person that thought going veggie would help me lose weight. Yeah, not so much.

Is your mom willing to let you switch, if you help out more in the kitchen? Is she worried about something like proper nutrition, that you could talk about with her? It seems that most moms are just afraid their kids are gonna waste away from a lack of protein if they go veggie, and if you can SHOW them that's not gonna happen in whatever way she'll understand best, (medical charts & reviews, protein-counts for specific foods, talking to your doctor or a nutritionist...) they seem to feel better about things.

Now I'm the mama in this house, so whatever I cook (unless my DH takes over the kitchen) is what's for dinner so my situation is quite different. But what we do here, is make a lot meals where the meat can sit on the side, (think meat 'n potatoes - or grilling) be added in last-minute, (think spaghetti sauce or stir-fry... just cook the meat in a separate pan from the veggies) or we all eat veggie. (yep, my family eats veggie with me most of the week) Still, it didn't take huge changes or tons of extra work to make all sorts of meals vegetarian-friendly. Just one extra pot/pan on the stove was all it took in most cases. And for those meals where it ISN'T easy to do this... I tend to have leftovers, or a giant salad with a handful of sunflower seeds, or just the side-dishes along with a serving of shelled soybeans... or chocolate-tofu mousse for dessert. (doesn't that sound like a FUN way to get your daily protein?)

One really helpful website I found when first starting out, is meatless mondays. If you sign up, they'll send you one email per week, usually on friday, focused on a single vegetable or vegetarian food with a couple recipes to try. Maybe your mom would be willing to make (or let YOU make) one vegetarian dinner for the entire family each week?

Good luck! I think that getting started, getting everyone in your life satisfied that you're not going to waste away from malnutrition and figuring out how to handle eating out is SO tough. But it's worth it, truly.
love,
mom

 

Coming from someone who was a vegetarian.

I don't think it is necessarily more healthy or natural. Most vegetarians have diets that are even more unhealthy than meat eaters.

Think things through, ween yourself off of meat slowly, and make sure you eat a lot of fruits, veggies and grains. A LOT. For starters. Limit your intake of BS food such as fake meats or even tofu. Tofu, if it is certified organic with out any additives or GMO is okay, otherwise it is crap.

Realize that many countries still eat meat quite a bit. If you travel, it will be extremely difficult to find veggie friendly places because some cultures still consider meat to be an important part of the meal. it is just that instead of Americans with the huge slab of meat dominating 95% of the plate, other places serve meat as a complimentary dish. Though sometimes there is that meat heavy dish.

 

i have been vegatarian for about a year ad a half now and it happened almost by accident it was so easy for me...i however did not lose much weight becoming vegitarian (although that was not my intended purpose either) ...recently though i have become vegan and that has helped it become a little easier for me lose some weight...and i feel much heathier than i ever have but if you do decide to completely eliminate animal products from your diet make sure that you are getting the proper vitamins and minerals and if you find it difficult to get them through foods you should take vitamins...vegatarianism is great for not only you but for animals and our environment as well...good luck

 

Arguments against that notion are aplenty, but we won't get into that, as to not derail the thread.

Also consider your body type. Some people NEED meat. So depending on your build and type, it may be unwise to forgo meat.

For the amount of healthy vegetarians, myself included, there are just as many unhealthy vegetarians. It is even easier to stray into a diet of processed junk and fake "??".

Just be aware of how your body is reacting.

 

1. Humans are omnivorous. It is more unnatural for humans to be vegetarian than not. And it is not necessarily more healthy. Different people absorb different nutrients differently.
2. No. Whether you gain or lose weight is based on a very simple formula: Calories in vs calories out. If your calorie intake exceeds your outlet, then you will gain weight, basically regardless of what you eat. (Yes, there are many nuances to this.)

It is important to have a varied diet and ideally, one adapted to your body and blood type. It is important to get your nutrients from different sources, this means you should eat fruit, veggies, fish, meat, et cetera.

I can understand people wanting to be vegetarian because they are not comfortable feeding off of other living creatures. But to claim a vegetarian lifestyle is more healthy and natural than a meat-eating one is just plain nonsense.

 

Oh.Thanks for telling me about the place in Fayetteville. I live in Sheridan, I usually try and get my mom to go to the river market, where we buy fresh veggies/fruits, but she usually jus heads over to wal mart and buys stuff (not fresh at all). I can probably convince her to buy me some stuff, but I might have to buy some other stuff.

 

Hey guys guess what!!
I told my mom i wanted to try a vegetarian lifestyle to see how it would affect my life!
i was expecting some negative comment, instead i got a "go for it"
It was cool.
We jus went to the store and i convinced her to buy a lot of fresh stuff and hardly anything w/ preservetives! this gonna go pretty well

 

Nice, it was fun for me...(3.5 years) but now I eat meat, mainly cause I eat when I can...I'm poor! haha... so yeah.. but I liked it best when I coupled vegetarianism, with a one day a week juice fast(I know drinking juice isn't truly fasting, but whatever thats not the point) and yoga 5x's a week, talk about a transformation... let us know how it turns out!
=)