I am a total wimp & a question for vegetarians.

[Gypsy Jazmine]

K...so we have this family run meat locker here in town...My MIL gave me a $200.00 gift certificate to the locker for X-mas...Today I go to pick up some steak & roast & I pull up with Sammy because it is his turn for a special alone ride with Mommy in the truck...There is a small building next to the store & today the door was opened...What did I see but a cow standing in there...I said "Sammy I can't do this" & we put it in reverse, backed out of the drive & drove away...I had mac & cheese with a salad for supper...Every time I see a semi with a cargo of pigs or cows it breaks my heart...Once I stood at a truckstop when my hubby stopped for fuel & talked soothingly to a trailer full of pigs who were obviously terrified with what was happening to them...I would LOVE to be a vegetarian but every attempt I've made has failed...I once went 3 months without eating meat though...Any vegetarians here? & how did you break the meat habit?

[Kermit]

I was vegetarian for about 7 years, and I will be again
in a few months. (I started eating meat recently because I didn't have much energy... thought meat would help... it didn't... I'm going veggie again!)

What made it easy for me to quit meat in the first place was the fact that I lived in a town where there were a ton of vegetarians. So there were specialized restaurants and grocery stores a-plenty. Also I was dating a vegetarian chef! Aw yeah! That made it especially easy and very enjoyable!!! Honestly, I just made the decision and stopped cold turkey (...or... cold tofurkey?). Since I made a decision and a commitment, that's all I needed as motivation. There are some delicious yummies out there in the veggie world... some amazing recipes.

Best of luck to you if you decide to go for it! I think my sister has a million websites about going vegetarian and I'm SURE she would be willing to give them up if you'd like me to send you some links!

[doggylover]

I was a vegetarian for 3 years and I think deep down I've been one my whole life, and always will be...however I eat meat. 
I found that I was run down, my hair wasn't growing normally, my nails were ridged, and my overall health was not great.  I did the whole food combining thing and that didn't help much. 
I don't have a solution for you, I hate eating meat because it's repulsive to me so it was easy easy easy for me to give it up.  Now ironically, I am feeding my dog raw meat/vege diet so I'm prolly personally responsible for the deaths of more farm animals than I want to think about.   

[Gypsy Jazmine]

Thanks guys...I am glad that someone understands my dilemma...The time I stood & talked to the trailer full of pigs my hubby came out after paying for his fuel & watched the tears stream down my face & he said he's support me totally if I decided to never eat meat again BUT I don't think he'd quit & I am pretty sure it would be bad for my young children not to eat meat...So, I wonder how to do this?

[Senghe]

I was a vegetarian for about 5 years, but I ended up feeling hypocritical as I was feeding the dogs meat. Plus, I do like meat and I just spent 5 years feeling very virtuous, but depreived!

I have absolutely no problem with eating meat, but I do feel very strongly that modern intensive farming methods are unnaceptably cruel. Luckily, it's now very easy in the UK to get meat that has been humanely produced - it's more expensive but I'd rather pay the little extra and know the animal has been treated with respect and compassion before it ends up on my plate. Plus I still eat quite a few 'vegetarian' meals without giving it much thought.

It's not going to be easy if you're cooking meat for your family and not eating it yourself, but you've got to do what you think is right.

[Gypsy Jazmine]

Ty Senghe!...It helped me alot just to talk about this...I am still trying to decide what to do & how to do it...This has been bothering me for a very long time.

[EllieAndBlu]

I went cold turkey when I gave up meat....I was a vegetarian for nine years.... until my mom and friend told me my hair was falling out... that was all I needed to hear.... lol

I figured it was because I wasn't getting enough protein so I started eating meat again.

I've recently been considering a return to meat-free eating cause I do think it is healthier for me.  When I first became a veggie I was 22 years old... I did it for personal reasons (disgust w/factory farming, etc.)not so much for health reasons. I wasn't smart in the way I did it.... I cut out meat and increased my dairy intake (basically because I LOVE butter)....and not in the best of ways... I ingested WAY to much fat (hence the hair loss)... and didn't balance the protein/grains/veggies.

If/when I return to a vegetarian diet, I will be much smarter this time around... And now there are so many vegetarian options availabe in the regular grocery stores and tons of info available.... there are some excellent meat substitutes available... many made from vegetable proteins.... I also found "Vegetarian Times" magazine to be full of good info.

I hope this info helps in some way...

[newflvr]

I can totally sympathize!  I am so conflicted about this...and I give the dogs their meat twice a day....and my husband is in the restaurant business.  Every time I drive past the feed lot in Central Calif, I send out prayers and calming thoughts to all those cows....and everytime I go past one of the huge cattle trucks...I can't stand it!  If it was JUST me, I would be vegetarian...n o question.  But, as a wife and mother, I just can't impose my will on the family.  My daughter would happily be vegetarian...b ut the boys and hubby is another story.  And what do I do about Chester and Cowboy?  Another frozen carrot is just not going to cut it.

SHEESH!!!  I'm rambling here...I don't know what to tell you except follow your heart....

[longshadowfarms]

I'll preface this by saying I'm not a vegetarian.  We raise our own beef, pork and poultry here on our small farm.  I will point out that it is possible to have a dog on a vegetarian diet and have them do well on it.  At one time I saw an article about a vegetarian dog who I believe at that time was the world's oldest documented dog.  Not saying I agree with it, just trying to say that it is possible and can be done in a way that is healthy for the dog.  I WOULD say that if you want to do it, that you do a LOT of research first.  Just google vegetarian dog and you'll come up with tons of information.  Good luck with your decision!  I do understand why you feel this way.  I have seen many of the circumstances farm animals live in and find it terrible. 

[Kermit]

My sister is a strict vegan (no meat, dairy, honey, or anything else made from animals) and she still feeds her dogs meat. She understands that they are carnivores and their bodies need it. But for herself, she says "no thank you".

[hairprincessnyu]

Ok, where do I start?! Hmm, I think I stopped eating red meat around 17 years old. My cousin, who was also my best friend didn't eat it, so I stopped too. Then my mom's oncologist told her red meat has been linked to breast cancer, so I was glad I had stopped eating it. At 18, I had my first lumpectomy. So, not exactly sure about that research. But, anyway, for me I think it is the whole texture and color of red meat, and knowing where it comes from. I honestly can get sick thinking about it. Now, I grew up in NY, where there were TONS of vegetarian friendly restaurants and grocery stores. Jumping to the present, at 22 years old and living in the south, it is not so easy. Meat is everywhere. When people find out I don't eat meat, I am dismissed as a "yankee." Apparently it is not as popular here as it is up North. Still, that doesn't make me want meat. When my bf and I go out to eat, he always gets steak, and I always get pasta. And that's just how it is. When people here ask me why, usually I just shrug because my answer never seems to satisfy them anyways. Once in a while I can eat pork, but very rarely. When I think of the old meat factory movies, and about how the sausage is made, it just repulses me. My iron levels are fine, but maybe that is because I do eat chicken and turkey. Not really sure. I have gained weight since the diet change at 17, but that is because I have a MAJOR sweet tooth, and can't live without chocolate, and I LOVE dairy products. Kind of a Catch 22. Well, I hope this helps you out a little bit. Having said all this though, whenever I have Cesco with me, he gets a cheeseburger from whichever fast food joint I stop at, I just can't help it, and he loves them!!   

[Gypsy Jazmine]

Great input, advise & ideas everyone!...Thank you!...I am going to start researching this & decide where to go from there...I am not sure if I want to go total veggie or still eat fish, chicken & turkey...Then I think about the conditions that factory farmed chickens are kept in. I'll have to see if any stores around here carry free range chicken.

[Newf Lover]

Gypsy, I totally understand what you're talking about.  You suffer from what most people in industrialized countries suffer from.  We are so removed from what we eat, especially our meat.  You'd think it grew on trees, all nicely butchered and in packages.  Most people have no idea where their meat comes from, how it was raised and how it was slaughtered.  The conditions that animals live in in the meat industry is horrible and the way they are treated is much worse.  If this bothers you, you have basically three choices.  First, you can go vegetarian.  The problem with this is we are Omnivores and we need certain amino acids and proteins that are only found in the flesh of animals.  That is why many vegetarians are anemic and their hair falls out. Second, you can be a smart shopper and only buy private rancher meats and poultry or shop at Eco friendly stores like Whole Foods, who only sell organic, humanely raised and slaughtered meats and poultry(that's what I do).  Or Third, you can slaughter your own animals.  That is pretty hard and most people aren't really able to do it.  I'm glad you have a conscience and want to be more involved in what you eat. It's what I do and I feel better about my eating habits.  I still don't eat Veal and Lamb, I don't like eating baby animals.  If you're interested, check out  www.meetyourme at.com  Although it's really pro-vegetarian, it's pretty interesting and informative about the evils of the meat industry, the Meatrix is kinda funny.  Good luck with your decision! 

[Jason]

I second alot of the stuff Newf Lover just said. I went mostly vegetarian (no animals except fish) in 1998 around the same time I adopted Oreo. My main reason was the inhumane conditions of the meat industry and the hormones and antibiotics I was feeding into my system. Stack on top of that the fact that it takes 17 lbs of grain to raise 1 lb of beef and you realize the trade off we make of feeding the world or having our own juicy steak.

But let's be realistic. We live in a meat eating society and it is difficult to not eat meat. Just alter your diet and do what you feel comfortable doing. Eat less meat. Or only eat non-hormone, free range meat. Drink soy milk, but eat regular cheese. Eat only poultry or only fish. Make small adjustments at first and see what feels right for your guilt system and your health. Vegetarianism isn't right for everyone.

By the way, I was one of those people who actually gained weight and became healthier with a pseudo-vegetarian lifestyle.

Jason

[macybean]

Ah, I can contribute to this. I recently (6 weeks ago) started eating chicken (free range), turkey, and fish again after being vegetarian for 9 years. I was vegan for 4 of those years. I still buy free-range, vegetarian-fed eggs and what I call "happy cow" milk.

I believe that a vegetarian lifestyle is a very healthy lifestyle. My non-veg father, a doctor and somewhat conservative (I'm also the child of an ex-hippie so just trying to say that he's not one to jump on a "liberal trend"), believes that people will eventually move to a vegetarian diet because of this.

Dogs can do very well on a vegetarian diet; for cats, it's different. They do need meat, though I believe there are now supplements that you can use... I would personally never put my cats on a veg diet, though I would consider putting a dog on one.

To cut this short, I think you have to find something that is a good balance for you. I found I wasn't eating much variety as a vegan and then later even as a vegetarian. That is *not* to say that there isn't variety in either diet. There is. But you have to be willing to experiment and cook. I can't stand the kitchen. I tend to eat crackers and wine for dinner if left to fend for my own in the kitchen. I tried (9 years, like I said), but I wasn't going to change myself. I now am left in the awkward situation of feeling guilty about eating some kinds of meat but feeling like I'm better off physically for doing it... at least for now.

I can say that I believe I will never eat pork or beef again (or deer, rabbit, or anything I didn't eat before being veg either). I may buy the occasional pair of leather shoes (I didn't buy any animal products while vegetarian or vegan (vegans abstain from all animal products-honey, gelatin (still don't eat that), leather, down, etc.)). If I go back to being veg because the ethical issues are too much to reconcile with the diet issues, then I will stop buying animal products again.

Okay, so not so short... I recommend the veggie lifestyle though. I didn't find it difficult. Sure, there are not as many choices at traditional restaurants, but I could always find *something*. I lived in San Antonio when I became a veg and Austin for most of it. Austin is veg-friendly, so I was lucky with that. But I've done it in Germany, DC, rural Tennessee, on the Navajo Reservation... basically, it's possible anywhere-from rural areas to big cities.