Decision To Become A Vegetarian

[tater03]

So what was the number one reason you decided to become a vegetarian? I am thinking about it but mainly because I just don't feel very healthy and want to live a better lifestyle and am hoping that this might help. Thanks

[tony taylor]

This is the same thing for me. I need a life style change including my eating habits.

[Ralph J]

When all you do is sit all day and have no energy and you begin to spread you know something must be done. Especially with all the meat scares that are going on. I knew that I needed to make a big change and there are so many food choices out there it would not be as hard as 20 years ago.

[hadisentosa]

imagine the animals slaughtering. that would do.

[tater03]

Well I think if I pictured animals being slaughtered I wouldn't want to eat not just meat but really anything. But I could see how it would help some people.

[tater03]

Just thinking about the number is overwhelming. Never thought about it in that light. I would much rather think of them alive.

[ammulu]

I just don't like anything other than vegetarian and may be that is the only thing that made me take up this decision of becoming a vegetarian. Nothing else really strikes me other than this one reason.

[RFL1986]

The way that animals are treated and the bureaucratization of animal farming makes vegetarianism really the only ethical solution for humans in my opinion so I went with that. Other than that there are definitely good reasons to cut out or cut down meat for your health, especially with the frequent meat scares as noted before.

[sacback]

So what was the number one reason you decided to become a vegetarian? I am thinking about it but mainly because I just don't feel very healthy and want to live a better lifestyle and am hoping that this might help. Thanks

I personally felt as if meat wa smaking me feel heavy as well as sick so I decided to go ahead and let it go. I tried eating everything other than met for a week and I felt like a totally different person.

[ACCER]

To quote a bumpersticker: I am not a vegetarian because I love animals, I just really hate plants!

While I love some animals (puppies and kitties) I don't really care much about cattle, pigs and chickens. I figure that they would eat me if they could. I just got tired of worrying aobut all the toxins and hormones in my food. Well that and the fact that i stopped being able to digest meat. Yeah, I'd have to say it was the last one that did it!

[angel]

Animal welfare had a big part to play in my decision. Also I had never liked the texture of meat etc or seeing blood when you were cooking it. Then I was living in Japan for a while and there you saw people eating live fish or taking prawns out of a tank and putting them on a grill to cook, with a net over them so they didn't scuttle out of the way :mad: That was the end for me and I have never regretted it.

[mbtaluka]

I only like vegetarian food and dislike anything other than vegetarian apart from eggs or dairy products. This personally made me vegetarian.

[Green-Moo]

I eat vegetarian allot of the time for the benefit of vegetarian guests and because I don't have the facilities to store meat safely (no freezer, a long way from town).

There are animal welfare issues as well, but I don't have a problem with eating ethically raised meat.

Green-Moo

[gyspydi]

I married into it, and have found it to be a healthier way to live,.. although it does sometimes make it hard to lose weight.

[RFL1986]

See, I've found my weight has stayed pretty much the same but I have heard of many people who actually gained weight when becoming vegetarians. Most of it seems to come from eating more starches in order to fill yourself up. Even good foods like bread or potatoes can add weight quickly.

[k1129]

Hello all!

Well my first reason is to become healthier. Another is when I was pregnant with my daughter 8 years ago, during my entire pregnancy I could rarely eat meat, without being ill, I honestly couldn't even tolerate the smell of meat cooking. Since then, I only eat chicken. My daughter does not like meat and it is difficult for us to find healthy recipes not involving meat. I want to make a change for her and I. I just feel like I need support to make this transition. I really want to make a change, I just need the proper resources to be successful. :)

[vegetarianrules546]

I became a vegetarian because of the "Meet Your Meat" video on youtube.

[KyleMyers]

I turned to the Vegetarian lifestyle purely for health reasons. I wasn't getting all the nutrients and vitamins I needed and I wanted to try and see how much healthier I could live as a Vegetarian.

[cassie]

I was a vegetarian a few years back. I was only a vegetarian for a few years, but now that I look back I had a lot of energy. Plus I could actually fill good about not killing animals to eat. Today I feel guilty.

[jenns1125]

I've been toying around with the idea of becoming a vegetarian. I really need to eat better. Not only that, it is costing so much to eat meat. It isn't healthy. I get sick of the smell.

I'm just having a difficult time convincing my spouse and my hollow legged boys! They eat so much meat. I am slowly brining my husband over to my side. I remind him of the health benefits.

:)

[jwilks]

My faith. I'm a Christian Anarchist and I'm extending the compassionate teachings of Jesus to all living beings. I can live a healthy life without killing an animal. Therefore if I choose to kill an animal for food then I'd be taking the life of a living being for the sake of taste.

PS I'm a newly converted vegetarian. I'm actually surfing the web for recipes at this very moment. Wish me luck.

[McKamish]

so easy: i have been a runner throughout high school (graduated this year.) last summer, i was diagnosed with some random heart problem that nobody seems to care about. they said, basically, stop running or die. i had some unpleasant symptoms: heart would race toward 90% of my max heartrate while i was sitting (as a runner, i monitor my heartrate often) and i had this habit of passing out for no reason. (not that great when u are on a date...... she didnt know what to think.....) so anyways, spring came around, running and wrestling season completely shot, and Lent started (im catholic, kinda....) so, i gave up meat. guess what?? a week later, i hadnt passed out once!! and, random heart races when waaaay down. So, even though they ruled out a dietary problem, i kind of assume i was passing out because of that. i couldnt stay vegetarian...... but minimized meat consumption. when i turned 18, i went vegetarian all the way, and have had no problems. :)
(and i started running again, until i messed up my knee..... lolz.)

[st_hart]

I attended a yoga class years ago and most my classmates are vegetarian. They inpired me to follow their healthy eating habits. Then I came accross a book titled "Food for Thought, the Vegetarian Philosophy". The books is really inspiring, excellently explaining about vegetarian from scientific and yogic concepts. From that I decided to be vegetarian.

[beckyrussell]

My husband Mathew and I have decided to try something new, Were going to become Vegetarians. Were not doing this because everyone wants us to were doing it for our own good.Because of the cuelty to animals,But also for our Heath. WE figured that If we become vegetarians that our lifes will be a lot more better as in a healthy way. So this means no absoulutly No meat at all.. But we are still going to have things like cheese and soy milk. I also think it would help me with loosing weight and feeling better about my self as dose Mathew. If any of you have sugestions or questions or anything like that just ask us.. We honestly think this is going to be a good and better life style for us.. Thank you for reading and ur support.
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[lilbit]

I have often thought of being a vegetarian. I do love animals, but my reason is health wise. I might do a half and half. Just cut way back on red meat. Eat lots more veggies.

[frankie1]

Sounds like pretty good reasons to me Becky. Congrats on being able to do it WITH your ffamily instead of against them. It would be tought to live with two such very different eating styles under one roof!

[urs1]

lilbit,
It started with me when I was a kid and saw an ad about veal. I showed it to my parents. For the rest of their lives they never again would touch veal. Their view was that you didn't have to torture your food before you ate it.
For many it's progressive. One thing leads to another. But it shouldn't feel like a punishment. You shouldn't not eat meat because I say so. It should be because you don't want to.

[frankie1]

Urs said a lot in the last two sentences. What you eat should be your choice as an adult. It's one of the perks.

[ACCER]

Not only should you eat what you want but you don't have to explain that choice. if someone asks you about it, look at them and ask why they are eating a big mac, fries and a weeks worth of calories in one sitting.....

It's your life. Enjoy it!

[AutomaticToast]

I want to be vegetarian because it just seems so much healthier. I'm just starting off though, I think my biggest influences are my friends who are already vegetarians.

[liza123]

I would say it is for health reason. The other thing is that eating vege food sort of tempers down your emotions(you do not lose your temper so fast, etc). Meat has effects on your tempers due to the reactions that take place in your body. :)

[atula]

Start enjoying vegetarian meals....the decision to leave something can be made in a day but the actual process takes time....if you know that veg food is actually better.....start treating the food with respect and see how wonderful it tastes and feels....there will come a time when you will not even consider opting for the meat lunch when you have such an array of wonderful veg dishes to eat....

[enna]

My reason for switching was a health reason. Everytime I ate one of those ninety-nine cent burgers, I felt bad--not for the animal it used to be, but for my health. Now that I've cut out red meat, I feel pretty healthy now. Of course, there's still a lot I can do to get healthier.

[frankie1]

Anytime we eat something that makes us feel bad we should stop. I don't care what that item is.

I'm much healthier since I quit eating meat. I feel better as well. To me that is what is important.

[justontime]

It started with me when I was a kid and saw an ad about veal. I showed it to my parents. For the rest of their lives they never again would touch veal. Their view was that you didn't have to torture your food before you ate it.
For many it's progressive. One thing leads to another. But it shouldn't feel like a punishment. You shouldn't not eat meat because I say so. It should be because you don't want to.


That sums up my experience more or less exactly, first a reaction to veal production, then a school project on factory farming, then a gradual progression as I matured and worked things out for myself. Urs is absolutely right you make your choices for your reasons, not because they are imposed on you.

[frankie1]

My family all gave up veal back in the late 1970's after those first ads about the production came out. It was just gross. After that it was one thing after another.

[jimmysdevoted]

years ago i kissed a baby deer that we rescued from apck of dogs. I wold not eat venison. then I kissed a moobilah ( cow) and i refused to eat them anymore. We have the neighbors chickens and rooster that come over to eat, i wont eat them anymore.
It began as a mental decision. then screwed up medical care made it a necessity.

julie

[enna]

Another reason I decided to become a vegetarian is because both sides of my family (both mom and dad's side) have histories of high blood pressure. I decided that the same thing wasn't going to happen to me. Giving up red meat was the best thing I did for my health. I drink more water, and that has helped a lot, too.

[Bluemoongoddess]

My reason for becoming a vegetarian has a lot to do with animal cruelty. I have been a partial vegetarian all my life, but do eat meat a couple times a week. After watching a movie called Fast Food Nation in which the movie depicts a slaughterhouse scene near the end of the movie that shows how the animals are processed for meat, I would never want to eat meat again after watching that. I was vaguely aware of what goes on, but to see it being done is something else.

I mostly eat veggies and salads a lot because I like them and have a hard time eating meat. But I do love a good hamburger or chicken sandwich sometimes. That's why it's been hard to give up meat entirely in the past. But I'm finding out that there are a lot of good meat substitutes that taste just as good.

[anee]

if u want to be a vegetarian and u dont know wat to eat, then u obviously dont want to be one. dont give in to peer pressure. if ur friends really wants to be a vegetarian then she wont care if no one else does. and y do we care tht she gets belted? wat was evn the point of adding tht in?

[mj123]

i think that being a vegetarian is healthier . there are religious reasons as well

[eniyan]

The first reason would be due to diet control, and to be in safer side..

Vegetarian foods serve a proper diet and be safe of infections..

[frankensteins]

Yeah! I decided to become a vegetarian

[walkslikeapenguin]

I've never really cared for meat. And i always felt more healthy whenever I went without it. My parents are both big on meat eating, so as a child I didnt really have a say in what was cooked for dinner. But my mom did cook healthy meals for us. And as goofy as it sounds, I have always liked cows in particular and could never stand the thought of eating them. They're sweet animals :) And all other animals don't even deserve what they get in slaughter houses. :mad: So I don't know if it was a guilty conscience, or physical comfort that lead me to my decision, but I'm definitely happy with it :D