When you first became vegetarian

ivy tilsley

Hi all,

I'm in the process of converting to vegetarian. I'm in a transitional phase, gradually having less and less meat over the past three months, and as yet I haven't told anyone, but apparently no one's noticed.

I think telling people will probably be the worst part of it. I'd love to hear other people's experiences of going veggie, what was the hardest part for you and how did you deal with it? (of course that's not to discount all the positive things about going veggie, I'm already noticing health benefits, just interested in war stories I guess).

Nature Boy

First of all, well done on making a great decision and I hope it works out well for you.
I say that because when you do tell people, they won't be supportive and will take the p1ss for a while (well, at least in my experience anyway).

After a while, people will get bored of taking the p1ss and will just accept it. I think there was a thread a while ago about what sarcastic responses you can give to the stupid questions and comments you get as a veggie, maybe it would be worthwhile to root that out.

Silent Partner

Myself and my girlfriend decided to go vegetarian at the same time. She had previously been a veggie but had lapsed. Both her parents are veggies and they were a bit of an inspiration for us. I made the choice to go vegetarian for a lot of reasons; health, animal cruelty, the degradation of the quality of meat being sold today (so processed with additives, salt and water) etc.
The way I did was simple. I just thought to myself, I will try not to eat meat or meat products. I gave myself an out in that if I really really badly wanted to eat a burger or a steak or something, I'd let myself. However, once I stopped eating meat, I never got the urge to start again. Sometimes I do get the idea of something like a burger or that coming into my head but I remind myself that the "idea" of the burger in my head will not even closely compare with the actual rubbish burger that I would eat. So I just never bothered.
After I stopped, we did our first veggie shop. We just made a concious decision to watch our shopping. I was amazed at how much money we saved. I had never realised that meat was so expensive. So that was another pro for vegetarianism to throw on the list.
As for telling people, this is your choice and your choice alone. My advice would be that you don't just announce it but slowly let word filter through friends and family. You'll only come up against it at your first social outing with meat eaters. You will get all the questions like the old chestnut, "Well if you are vegetarian, why don't you eat chicken or fish?" My girlfriend usually answers that with, "Are either chicken or fish vegetables? No food with a face". Slowly word will creep around and people will get bored asking questions.
Just remember that you are doing a great thing that will benefit you and your planet in so many ways! Good luck and we're all here for support if you need it!

Peanut

Silent Partner wrote: »

... "Well if you are vegetarian, why don't you eat chicken or fish?"

Chicken... lol :rolleyes:

ivy tilsley

Thanks for the support and friendly replies.

I went out for dinner with friends a few months ago, and choosing a restaurant was a nightmare because everyone had a list of foods they strictly wouldn't eat. One won't eat tomatos or broccoli! One is aceliac (sp), health-related, fair enough. And one guy won't eat anything if it has no meat (I asked him what kind of dessert his mother makes him...:rolleyes:). Anyway, of everyone's foibles, the vegetarian in the group was the one who got the hardest time for being difficult.

It's so strange how defensive people get. I'm being a bit of a wuss and pretending to be a fussy eater, because if I get into ethics I'll be in for an argument.

Nature Boy

You're friends are insane!
I dunno, some people just can't get their heads around it and get all worked up about it.
I don't blame you for avoiding not telling people cos usually people try to start a big debate with you when really all you want to do is have a casual drink with your mates.
I don't know what it is but it seems that vegetarians have to defend their beliefs everyewhere they go and I'm getting sick of it.
Why don't meat eaters have to explain why they think it's ok to eat meat? Why don't catholics have to defend their beliefs? It drives me nuts!

I don't think my expierance can help you much.
I was in fourth class when I became a vegetarian, and I was the weird independant dreamy kid anyway, so nobody was particularly fussed.

Vegetarianism is so much more socially acceptable now...It won't be so bad telling people.

Tar.Aldarion

The hardest part was the not eating meat. :P
I didn't tell anybody, no deed to. I suppose most found out after a year or two.

Tar.Aldarion

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

The hardest part was the not eating meat. :P

That was the easiest part for me....no more inventive means of sneaking it to the dog!

tricky D

I usually give one of two answers: I hate plants and want to kill and eat them all or I just am, since half a lifetime ago, so long ago that I don't really remember why, but probably for the usual reasons (I might list a few things like ethics, hygiene, cost, health, environment, politics but never expand on those points. Any questions are greeted with trademark Gallic shrug and 'I just am').

On rare occasions I'll talk about fish as I grew up within a stone's throw of the sea and I do sometimes really miss it, so much so that I have gone fishing a couple times for an hourish in the last 5 years. Quite nostaglic and relaxing though we didn't catch anything.

Imo the trick is not to make a big issue about it or go on some crusade, just get your preferences noted where required.

Good luck and enjoy your choice.

\r

BurnsCarpenter

Nature Boy wrote: »

You're friends are insane!
I dunno, some people just can't get their heads around it and get all worked up about it.
I don't blame you for avoiding not telling people cos usually people try to start a big debate with you when really all you want to do is have a casual drink with your mates.
I don't know what it is but it seems that vegetarians have to defend their beliefs everyewhere they go and I'm getting sick of it.
Why don't meat eaters have to explain why they think it's ok to eat meat? Why don't catholics have to defend their beliefs? It drives me nuts!

I suppose there is an implicit criticism of meat eating even if we don't actively lambast carnivores.

It does get pretty wearying having to defend yourself though, but once you've had the argument with everyone you know it's plain sailing.

Tar.Aldarion

You just get better and better at answering too.

ivy tilsley

You're a hardy bunch.

I feel better about it today. My bf said he wanted to quit booze for a month. I said that was a great idea, I'm going to quit meat. Everyone's happy.

A work colleague told me once his little girl (6) was eating a sausage sandwich, and suddenly burst into tears, saying 'Daddy, I don't want to eat any more pigs'. Completely melts everyone's heart when I tell them that. Wish I wasn't so old and uncute.

biZrb

I used to get strange looks for being vegetarian, now get even stranger looks for being vegan!

Most people are just curious as what to what I eat, they probably think I gnaw on a head of lettuce when Im hungry!

Its just about educating the uneducated and ignoring the rest. Worry about eating the correct food for you and not what people think and say.

lolli

Hi Op

I became a vegetarian at the age of 10. I'm now 23. People have strange reactions mostly OMG YOU DONT EAT SO WHAT DO YOU EAT? Like there isnt anything else in the world that we can eat like vegetables fruit etc. I became a vegetarian because I could not stomach the thought of eating an animal. When i was 6/7 I would eat any kind of meat, liver, chicken etc but i gradually stopped eating certain things. By the time I was 10 i was only eating rashers until i seen a programme about slaughtering pigs, that was 2 months after i turned 10. My parents werent pleased but accepted my decision.

I dreaded going to friends house. Mothers often said stuff like "we're having chicken curry tonight, i'll pick out the chicken for you" ahaha I dont think so.

People tend to blame it on health matters too!! Two years after I became vegetarian I got bacterial meningitis and almost died. the nurses in the hospital were trying to force dinners with meat down my neck which i refused. I got loads of comments like Ahh you have a weaker immune system because you dont eat meat. BULL!!! It look me about a year to get right afterwards. My parents had to bring me food to the hospital.

Best of luck, you will get stupid ignorant comments from people who just dont understand. Its your choice and thankfully the world is becoming more vegetarian friendly

Bottle_of_Smoke

You'll get sh*t from people. Don't tell them you're doing it because you think eating meat is morally wrong, as it's a hypocritical statement & people will think you're a lunatic.

I went vegetarian as meat was giving me a lot of heartburn, people accepted that 99% of the time.

Why are you "converting" as you put it?

Tar.Aldarion

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

as it's a hypocritical statement & people will think you're a lunatic.

How is that a hypocritical statement?

Bottle_of_Smoke

you're saying it's wrong & then go and eat your cheese & mayo sandwich which was made from the imprisonment of animals, wash your hair with shampoo & conditioner that was tested on animals, i could go on.

Tar.Aldarion

That is only hypocritical if they think those things are wrong. Some people may think killing an animal is wrong but using one for our benefit is ok. They would use shampoo etc that is not tested on animals.

Thereare other opinions, I could go on...
Saying you think eating meat is morally wrong is not in and of itself a hypocritical statement.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

That is only hypocritical if they think those things are wrong. Some people may think killing an animal is wrong but using one for our benefit is ok. They would use shampoo etc that is not tested on animals.

You'd have to be pretty ignorant to think that way.

Thereare other opinions, I could go on...
Saying you think eating meat is morally wrong is not in and of itself a hypocritical statement.

For the vast majority of people it tends to be.

Peanut

Tar.Aldarion

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

You'd have to be pretty ignorant to think that way.

Do you have a pet? Ever go horseriding? Go to the zoo?
I would say most people are like this.

For the vast majority of people it tends to be.

Depends on their beliefs, I wouldn't agree.


Anyway, best we get back on topic.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Do you have a pet? Ever go horseriding? Go to the zoo?
I would say most people are like this.

Yes, and I agree it is morally wrong to a certain extent. Therefore it would be hypocritical of me to condemn people who eat meat. This is on topic. These are the types of conversations the OP is likely to get into if he tells people eating meat is morally wrong.

adamao

tricky D wrote: »

I hate plants and want to kill and eat them all

Nice Whitney Brown quote Haven't used that in a while!

I think it's important to have plenty of answers in your arsenal, I mean, 95% of people (even others veggies) will ask about why once you say that you are so, if you're like me and get bored of having the same conversations over and over, it's best you have a few answers.

My "I can't be arsed to have this discussion" answer is "oh, was a new year's resolution gone wrong..".

As time goes by, you'll have your own reasons as you start to feel infinitely more healthy as you go on and you see people around you getting food poisoning from undercooked meat while your undercooked carrots are just a little bit more crunchy than you expected!

And well, unless you want an argument, maybe best to keep the "ethical" answers to a minimum else you'll end up having arguments like the one going on in this thread while I'm replying.

And just for the record, I share the opinion of "Bottle_of_Smoke", being a veggie for ethical reasons will always lead to arguments (even with Omni's) leading to "well if it's ethics, you should be a vegan" and then you will have the argument that "well, aren't plants living things?" which leads you to either the Whitney Brown quote above or Jainism where certain areas don't eat any animal product or root vegetable, only eat things that can be harvested without killing the living thing.. Which is what I guess I'll ultimately strive for but ****, I still wear leather shoes and a leather belt..

Gah, long post, I apologise.

sweet-rasmus

ivy tilsley wrote: »

My bf said he wanted to quit booze for a month. I said that was a great idea, I'm going to quit meat. Everyone's happy.

that's a great idea to get you started

it is true that plenty of people will slag you for being veggie, light heartedly of course, but people are willing to slag anyone who is different. it won't bother you unless you let it.

don't forget to come back to us here in the forum with your experiences/questions as time goes on. always here to help

Jack Vegas

lolli wrote: »

I dreaded going to friends house. Mothers often said stuff like "we're having chicken curry tonight, i'll pick out the chicken for you" ahaha I dont think so.

What exactly is so wrong with that? Explain yourself.

Replace the word chicken with dog sh-ite.....then imagine how you would feel eating (Assuming you find the thought of eating dog sh-ite disgusting) what was left after the lumps were picked out.

Jack Vegas

Moonbaby wrote: »

Replace the word chicken with dog sh-ite.....then imagine how you would feel eating (Assuming you find the thought of eating dog sh-ite disgusting) what was left after the lumps were picked out.

Ah fair point, I don't find meat disgusting, but choose not to eat it based on moral grounds. Apologies.

ivy tilsley

Let's not start bickering! Yes it is a good point to avoid the ethical argument, it's clearly really fraught even for people who agree more or less.

I'm converting because I've gone off meat. Over the last few months the idea of eating it has made me feel increasingly ill.

I certainly think the ethical reasons are all really persuasive too and that's what recently cinched it for me, but I'm not wading into all of that.

Eddie108

http://choices.cs.uiuc.edu/~f-kon/vegetarian.html

Jack Vegas

Moonbaby wrote: »

Replace the word chicken with dog sh-ite.....then imagine how you would feel eating (Assuming you find the thought of eating dog sh-ite disgusting) what was left after the lumps were picked out.

I appreciate your reason, but I would have liked to hear the person i quoted's take on it, which may not have been the same as yours. I know vegitarians (mostly younger ones) who wouldn't eat say a chicken pizza if he chicken was picked off it because "There'll still be tiny bits of chicken on it and then I wouldn't be a vegitarian anymore". Ridiculous logic, following vegitarianism solely to say they are.

ztoical

Jack Vegas wrote: »

I know vegitarians (mostly younger ones) who wouldn't eat say a chicken pizza if he chicken was picked off it because "There'll still be tiny bits of chicken on it and then I wouldn't be a vegitarian anymore". Ridiculous logic, following vegitarianism solely to say they are.

I don't get your analogy at all - if I go into a deli and theres bits of chicken on the counter and tuna on the knife from the last sandwhich made I would make sure everything was cleaned off before my sandwhich was made as I don't want bits of chicken or tuna on my food. I have had the situation were a burger was given to me and I explained I didn't eat meat and the reaction was to just remove the meat part - I still wouldn't eat that as the juice from the meat would have soaked into the rest of the burger. I don't see this following vegitarianism solely to say I am one, I am a veggie ergo I don't want meat, even just bits of it, on my food. I do know a few veggies and vegans who are a bit high all mighty about it but it still doesn't change the fact that they don't eat meat and just "picking chicken" off something thats been cooked wouldn't be an option. If someone has an allergy to peanuts and you gave them something topped with peanuts you wouldn't say just pick them off would you?

To the OP I became a veggie at the age of 14, just went cold turkey [no pun intended] one day and never went back. I've never really had any issue with it over the years. It use to be more difficult going out to eat but nearly every place has a veggie option today and if they don't have one officially I've never had one refuse to just do me up a plate of veg.

Jack Vegas

whoops

Jack Vegas

ztoical wrote: »

I don't get your analogy at all - if I go into a deli and theres bits of chicken on the counter and tuna on the knife from the last sandwhich made I would make sure everything was cleaned off before my sandwhich was made as I don't want bits of chicken or tuna on my food. I have had the situation were a burger was given to me and I explained I didn't eat meat and the reaction was to just remove the meat part - I still wouldn't eat that as the juice from the meat would have soaked into the rest of the burger. I don't see this following vegitarianism solely to say I am one, I am a veggie ergo I don't want meat, even just bits of it, on my food. I do know a few veggies and vegans who are a bit high all mighty about it but it still doesn't change the fact that they don't eat meat and just "picking chicken" off something thats been cooked wouldn't be an option. If someone has an allergy to peanuts and you gave them something topped with peanuts you wouldn't say just pick them off would you?

That's fair enough, you are not a 16 year old with no legitimate beleifs who is following vegitarianism solely to tell their friends that they are. The people I was reffering to do, I wasn't referring to you.

Jack you have a bit of a chip. Why are so you interested in judgeing people.

It seems to me that if someone was being a veggie for the sake of other people and appearances wouldn't they be more likely to not mind chicken grease on their pizza?

Myself and Ztocial have been 16 year old veggies....I know we aren't alone.

As far as I am concerned anyone eating less meat is a good thing.

ztoical

Jack Vegas wrote: »

That's fair enough, you are not a 16 year old with no legitimate beleifs who is following vegitarianism solely to tell their friends that they are.

As Moonbaby said I was a 16 year old vegetarian, at what age did my choice become legitimate?

I honestly never have had much issue with my choice to be a veggie, the only worry was from my mum who thought I wouldn't eat enough iron, but she's a doctor so she would focus on something like that. Half the time I forget to tell people and I have known people ages before they even noticed. I certainly don't preach to any of my friends about their choice to eat meat and none of my friends have ever given me stick about my choice not to.

Jack Vegas

Moonbaby wrote: »

Jack you have a bit of a chip. Why are so you interested in judgeing people.

(1) It seems to me that if someone was being a veggie for the sake of other people and appearances wouldn't they be more likely to not mind chicken grease on their pizza?

Myself and Ztocial have been 16 year old veggies....I know we aren't alone.

(2) As far as I am concerned anyone eating less meat is a good thing.

(1) I see where you're coming from, but what irritated me about these people was they had no reason for refusing to eat something with chicken grease on it other than to make the point that they were vegitarians, not for a valid reason, such as that eating the pizza,regardless of the meat being picked off would still be consuming a product which animals died in the production process.

(2) True..much in the same way that I thought less people voting for George Bush would have been a good thing, but I'd rather they voted for someone else based on thought out political beleifs rather than to jump on the trendy anti-Bush campaign.

I'm not attacking either of you here, I was just waxing about a few people I knew.

Jack Vegas

ztoical wrote: »

As Moonbaby said I was a 16 year old vegetarian, at what age did my choice become legitimate?

If you made your decision based on a legitimate reason rather than following celebrities or friends, then instantly.

Mentalmiss

I went vegetarian in the early seventies and you can imagine just what people then thought. At least these days everyone knows what it is but then some people had never heard of it.
People's reactions never bothered me. The only time that I ever actually had someone get cross with me was when I went with a group on a skiing trip and included was a mideaval style banquet. The host was very cross that I would not eat the food and he spoke no english so nobody could fully explain it.