questions for experienced vegetarians....

hey i am 17 and have always wanted to refrain from eating animals. i was wondering if any of you went from eating meat to eating veggies...and if there were any side effects i should know about. i mean did you get weaker or did you lose weight or anything like that? i have heard that vegetarians are not as healthy as meat-eaters...do you believe it is true? please respond and let me know. i am very interested i just wondered what i should expect. i mean i rarely eat meat anyway so i guess it really wouldnt matter, but give me some pointers...was it hard for you? thanks i appreciate your time.

 

Yessirree, I did, and so did many others on these boards. ^_^

Not side-effects, but there are things that are important to know.

Vegetables have a very low amount of protein as well as low amounts of vitamin B12. For this reason, it is necessary for vegetarians and vegans to consume products that do have these. Most of us supplement vitamin B-12 (that is, we take B-vitamin pills), and you can get protein by eating mostly any kind of soy product, including soy milk, soy cheese, tofu, soy ice cream (yum!), and many other soy products!

I encourage you to search websites to find out more!

Some people find that they lose weight; all it means is that you have to eat more food in order to not lose weight. Vegetables do not have many calories, certainly not as much as meat, so you can kind of pig out and not feel as bad. I personally never had any problems, though.

Also, protein is essential for muscle development and maintainance. You will get weaker if you don't get enough protein, and if you have a protein deficiency you can body-build as much as you want, but you won't gain much muscle.

That is about as far from the truth as it gets! Vegetarians, statistically, are healthier, live longer, and are at a great deal less risk for most diseases, especially heart diseases.

If you don't make sure that you get enough protein and vitamin B12, then the diet CAN be unhealthy; don't be fooled, you can't just eat vegetables and not care about anything else, it isn't that simple.

But, a quintessential herbivorous diet is (according to various sources) healthier than a quintessential omnivorous diet. Some people will disagree with me on this point, but even so, I have noticed a significant change in my personal health since I became vegan.

Some people have a hard time becoming vegetarian. Sometimes, it is too hard on the body. If you're 17 and you're in pretty good health, you shouldn't have a problem with it.

I'm vegan; that means, in addition to being vegetarian, I don't consume any animal products at all. That includes milk, eggs, cheese, milk ice cream, and milk chocolate. That also means, you're reading ingredient labels a lot more often, and it's also harder on the body. Many people find that it is even more difficult or even impossible to go straight to vegan.

Myself, I'm 18 years old, and in fairly good health. I didn't notice any problems at all, and I went straight from omnivore to vegan. However, some people don't have that luxury.

Don't let anyone pressure you into becoming a vegetarian or vegan right away. If it is tough on the body for you, gradually wean meat out of your diet; eat less of it every day, kind of like quitting smoking.

Good luck, friend!

 

I agree. About the health thing- I actually was WAY more healthy after being Vegetarian. I've been sick ONCE since I've refrained from animal products.

The only reason most people get weaker is because of the 'lack' of protein.
But there are SOOO many sorces: Grain products ( More than most people give credit too,), Legumes, mushrooms, milk products and eggs.

I DID lose weight! (just what I wanted!), but didn't get weaker-I still kick butt!
If you eat enough, of coarse, you won't lose weight.

 

have a go sickcharlie! try it out, doesn't have to be a permanent state if you find it too difficult to eat a balanced diet. I figure that if you aren't a healthy eating omnivore you probaly wouldn't be a healthy eating bveggie but you can only see what it does for you. I went off slowly, first I grossed out at chicken (ergh to gristle), then I went off fish (having to clean guts out can help ya there) and finally off red meat cause I just couldn't eat my pets mates!! anyway it has lasted for a long while and I am probaly the opposite of many onivores in that I can't imagine eating it at all now. One thing though...I have put weight on in the last few years...think I was being a little bi of a piggy!!! So I think that probaly depends a bit more on the amount you eat and how much exercise that you do that wether you are veggie or omni!
give it a go for a week and see how you like it!

 

Side effects...
Discovering interesting new foods
Feeling healthier
Clearer concience (sp) [could morph into moral superiority, which is not so good]

Didn't loose weight as I was and still am a healthy weight and eat sensibly. Strength doesn't seem to have changed either.

Totally agree with Hikaru Zero

 

haha, that's so true!

 

At the age of fifteen I started smoking weed and stopped eating meat.

At that time I stopped pissing the bed and lost 30 excess pounds.

I'll tell you right now that I'm healthier than most people I see around me. (Even though I do use nicotine).

Hell, I'm not even into it for the health benefits. Simply because I feel better about myself personally for doing so. I credit my brother for suggesting it in the first place.

Any bullshit you hear about health problems resulting from abstaining from meat as far as I'm concerned is not only nonsense but outright lies.

I also avoid fish and poultry as well.

Not a strict vegetarian by a long shot for I occasionally do the junk food thing.

Hell I'm feeling pretty good about it!

 

I went from eating meat to eating veggies and their was no side effects for me....

 

Yes, vitamins are a good idea, but be careful - a lot of vitamins have gelatin in them. That means you are eating anything from pig intestines to fish guts. Not vegetarian!

Other foods that have gelatin:
-Marshmallows (and therefore Lucky Charms, etc.)
-Frosted Mini Wheats
-Pop Tarts
-Yogurt
-Skittles
-Starburst

 

Let's not foget gummie bears.
And not all Yoghurt has Gelatin in it, but most of it...Check the back!

Frosted miniwheats? NO WAY! *checks*

 

aw man, weak.
i thought cereal was vegan-proof, and just had a mini box of lucky charms the other day, so long mini-cereal packets....

 

Maybe mini-cereal packets, but there are PLENTY of cereals that are vegan. Buy the cheaper, higher quality store brand ones (you know, the kind that aren't there until you go looking). A good number of them are vegan (save the imitation Lucky Charms and crap). Also, Cheerios is a great cereal for vegans. =)

Get some of the odd cereals they have at Wegmans, like Zen Cereal. =P They're seriously mad good.

 

hey i have not eaten meat for a week things are going good. thanks for the advice. keep it coming please

 

pigs intestines and fish guts? i thought gelatin was derived from the marrow of the bones?


eta: ok, so i was partially right. "Gelatin, or animal jelly, foodstuff obtained from connective tissue (found in hoofs, bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage) of vertebrate animals by the action of boiling water or dilute acid...."

blech.

 

after quitting . . . cold turkey . .. i would suggest you phase meat out slowly, while you learn more about diet, health and cooking. first stop eating any pig imediately, as this is physically devestating to the body. also stop drinking milk and eating creams, like sour cream, cottage chees, yogurt. i still eat cheese though . . . then as you learn more about how to get all your vitamins and protein from the vegetable kingdom, you can slowly phase out red meat and birds then fish. definately stop eating fast food, pigs, and drinking milk, as these three are real bad for you imediately, the rest you can take your time with as you learn how to feed yourself. after about a year of bein veggie, i suggest a good detox program.