Re:Question of the Week - How long have you been a vegetarian or moving

[Guest guest]

> How long have you been a vegetarian and if you aren't one yet, tell

> us if

> you are getting closer since being in the group?

>

 

I haven't had any meat or fish for thirty years.

 

My first experience with vegetarianism was back in 1968. I'd been told

by numerous sources how much better one might feel if one gave up meat.

My inner skeptic suggested I give it a try and see for myself.

 

So I gave up meat (but not fish) for six months. What I discovered was

that I felt exactly the same -- with one exception. The feeling of

heaviness, slowness, and tiredness that comes right after eating a meat

meal was missing.

 

After my little experiment I went back to eating whatever I felt like,

but I had occasional bouts of meatlessness, some lasting longer than

others. Finally, in 1976, after a visit to a meat market in Athens, in

which the meat wasn't displayed in nice little cellophane-wrapped

styrofoam packages the way it is here in the local supermarket but was

hanging up on hooks in its entire animalian form surrounded by flies, I

came to the conclusion that this wasn't something I really needed to

eat any more.

 

So I didn't.

 

I still eat eggs and cheese.

 

Alex

[Guest guest]

I've just joined the group. I have wanted in various ways and for many

different reasons wanted to become a vegetarian. For most for me is the

health reasons and the fact I don't believe we were meant to eat meat. I

am at the stage of educating myself, collecting recipes and planning. I

have my parents coming on sunday and they will be staying with us for

6mos. They are interested in cutting down on their meat eating (but they

and my husband arn't interested in eliminating it completely as I am) my

other big motivation is I have a 22 month old little girl and I would

like her to start out her life on the right foot. Soon she will be old

enough to recognize the cute animals she loves as what she is being

served and I don't want to have to explain why it's 'ok' when really it

isn't 'ok' we have plenty of other foods to eat and there is no excuse

to eat meat. I also dislike handling raw meat and dislike the smell of

most meat cooking.

 

I am so thankful to having the internet with the wide variety of recipes

available as well as the support of others who are of like mind!

 

kind regard,

shanan

[Guest guest]

Alex, I was just talking to my father this evening about that heavy feeling

after a meal. My dad has always been overweight and struggled with it. He

plays raquetball and works out at the gym, yet his body makes extra cholesterol

and at age 42 had 2 heart attacks and a stroke. That was 13+ years ago, and he

still battles with his weight. He always tried to instill in my sister and I

the benefits of eating healthy, watching what we eat, and exercise. I had

called him to brag about my 12 pound weightloss and gave all of the credit to

being a vegetarian.

I kept repeating how I do not feel stuffed at the end of a meal, and the full

feeling does not last all day It really is great and I truly believe my body

was created to eat fruits and veggies.

My mother raised my sister and I as shoppers, and we would always complain about

going shopping at meal time. If we ate before we shopped, then we couldn't try

any clothes on, as our tummies would be distended and nothing would fit. I know

it sounds funny and petty, but it is true. I do not have that issue any more

Growing up I battled dairy allergies and did not end up being a 'milk-drinker'

like many of my friends. Thank goodness. I have had a long standing case of

IBS and things have gotten 20 times better since becoming a vegetarian in

October. It was the worst time of year, as there as my birthday, Thanksgiving,

Christmas, and New Years but I felt that if I made it through those 'meaty'

holidays, the everyday would be easy. So far, it has been.

Thanks to all of you for your insight and wealth of knowledge.

Cassie

 

Alexandra Soltow <pamra wrote: > How

long have you been a vegetarian and if you aren't one yet, tell

> us if

> you are getting closer since being in the group?

>

 

I haven't had any meat or fish for thirty years.

 

My first experience with vegetarianism was back in 1968. I'd been told

by numerous sources how much better one might feel if one gave up meat.

My inner skeptic suggested I give it a try and see for myself.

 

So I gave up meat (but not fish) for six months. What I discovered was

that I felt exactly the same -- with one exception. The feeling of

heaviness, slowness, and tiredness that comes right after eating a meat

meal was missing.

 

After my little experiment I went back to eating whatever I felt like,

but I had occasional bouts of meatlessness, some lasting longer than

others. Finally, in 1976, after a visit to a meat market in Athens, in

which the meat wasn't displayed in nice little cellophane-wrapped

styrofoam packages the way it is here in the local supermarket but was

hanging up on hooks in its entire animalian form surrounded by flies, I

came to the conclusion that this wasn't something I really needed to

eat any more.

 

So I didn't.

 

I still eat eggs and cheese.

 

Alex

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

It looks like I started to transition about July 2005, though it took

me a few months to give up meat when eating out. My husband went

vegetarian about then and it was just easier to cook one meal for the

two of us instead of having each fend for her/himself. Wow, almost

three years of vegetarian life for an avowed vegetable-hater! Go,

me! :-)

 

-ginger