Being vegetarian to eating meat?

[Raised on prisoner's aid]

Hey guys,

I was just wondering how many people have actually gone from being a vegetarian to eating meat, and what your reasons were? Was it worth it?

I am a vegetarian currently (have been so for basically my entire life), but am seriously considering starting to eat meat. My reasons are that I feel incredibly weak nowadays, more so than usual, and I'm pretty underweight when my BMI is calculated. I don't really get much protein in my diet too, and my diet is hence pretty unbalanced.

Another reason is really selfish. Basically I feel that I'm missing out on a lot of textures and tastes in life, and we only have one so might as well live it to the full and experience everything we can. Also, whenever I go out with friends, I am so so limited by what I can eat at restaurants. Even buying a sandwich is a real struggle sometimes. I however understand this is a horribly selfish and despicable reason.

Can anybody offer any advice/experience, I'm finding this pretty hard right now?

 

[MuteWitness616]

eat NUTS!
it's probably a lack of protein.

goveg.com

go there, they got info on everything.

whatever you do, don't go back to eating meat.

 

[*EqualOpportunityHater*]

Yeah.
Stay away from the meat, be strong and hold true to your principles.

 

[Jukebox Jury]

To say ''you feel weak'' is fine..... but tell us what you ARE eating..... that is the clue........

Please tell us what your average daily diet is..... then I / we can help you.

I was veggie in the 80's but gave up after 4 years..... there were very few health food shops.... the supermarkets didn't bother as there was no profit in it for them..... it was cheese and beans for me all the way..... I went to 8 stone..... and went back to meat..... gave it up again in 1999 and not had it since..... being veggie has never been easier eating in or out........the veggie choice is everywhere now

Jukebox Jury

 

[MuteWitness616]

soy milk has plenty of protein
Beans, Tofu, Lentils, and other Legumes along with nuts and seeds

 

[Raised on prisoner's aid]

Thanks for the responses so far guys :]

That goveg.com website is pretty good actually- really reminds me why I didn't eat meat. Cheers.

In terms of what I eat currently, I eat quite a lot of fruit and veg (roughly 4 portions a day). For breakfast I usually have Bran flakes/corn flakes. Lunch usually consists of a sandwich with basic fillings like jam/peanut butter (I'm a student, so don't get much time to prepare lunch before I head off to Uni). Dinner is usually rice/lentils/boiled vegetables/pasta (which I know is quite a good source of protein).

My BMI is roughly 17, which is 3 points lower than "normal range".

 

[Uncleskinny]

Thanks for the responses so far guys :]

That goveg.com website is pretty good actually- really reminds me why I didn't eat meat. Cheers.

In terms of what I eat currently, I eat quite a lot of fruit and veg (roughly 4 portions a day). For breakfast I usually have Bran flakes/corn flakes. Lunch usually consists of a sandwich with basic fillings like jam/peanut butter (I'm a student, so don't get much time to prepare lunch before I head off to Uni). Dinner is usually rice/lentils/boiled vegetables/pasta (which I know is quite a good source of protein).

My BMI is roughly 17, which is 3 points lower than "normal range".

You're doing fine. No need to eat meat.

Peter

 

[MuteWitness616]

 

[Flax]

it's probably a lack of protein.

Technically, we don't need protein in our diet.
The term "protein" is very generic.

We need amino acids. And we need 20 different types of amino acids. Animal products have only 12, while vegetables have 20.

So basically if a person eats a whole truck of dead cow with some delicious deep fried coagulated blood, yeah, there is "protein" there, but still lacking what we actually need.

 

[MuteWitness616]

Technically, we don't need protein in our diet.
The term "protein" is very generic.

We need amino acids. And we need 20 different types of amino acids. Animal products have only 12, while vegetables have 20.

So basically if a person eats a whole truck of dead cow with some delicious deep fried coagulated blood, yeah, there is "protein" there, but still lacking what we actually need.

I should of paid attention in class

 

[Flax]

I should of paid attention in class

oh, I'm not criticizing you no no... The "protein" thing is a common misconception.

Proteins are combinations of amino acids. If you combine just 2 of the 20, that's already a protein. And if we eat hundreds of pounds of that, even though it's protein, our diet will still suck.

That's why when people say "I need protein therefore I'm gonna eat meat" they fail miserably.

They can eat meat for whatever reason. But if they use the protein argument with me, they'll be ripped apart... gently.

 

[Uncleskinny]

oh, I'm not criticizing you no no... The "protein" thing is a common misconception.

Proteins are combinations of amino acids. If you combine just 2 of the 20, that's already a protein. And if we eat hundreds of pounds of that, even though it's protein, our diet will still suck.

That's why when people say "I need protein therefore I'm gonna eat meat" they fail miserably.

They can eat meat for whatever reason. But if they use the protein argument with me, they'll be ripped apart... gently.

I hate to disagree (I do, really), but you're missing the bit about specific amino acids, especially the sulphur-containing ones. There are certain foods, like Quinoa and Flax (ha!) that contain the good amino acids that vegetarians miss, as well as the C18:2 and C18:3 fatty acids. I'm not as militant as others - we have teeth designed to rip meat. However, we are very clever nowadays, and we have Soya Schnitzel and Quorn. Eat beans, you'll be fine.

Peter

 

[Flax]

I hate to disagree (I do, really), but you're missing the bit about specific amino acids, especially the sulphur-containing ones. There are certain foods, like Quinoa and Flax (ha!) that contain the good amino acids that vegetarians miss, as well as the C18:2 and C18:3 fatty acids. I'm not as militant as others - we have teeth designed to rip meat. However, we are very clever nowadays, and we have Soya Schnitzel and Quorn. Eat beans, you'll be fine.

Peter

I don't know these details about quinoa and flax (I eat quinoa once in a while), but my point is that whatever animal product people eat will only have 12 amino acids. And we need 20. So in order to get the 20, a rich vegetarian diet is more appropriate.

I know nothing about fatty acids though. I just eat a bunch of different things so I hope I got that covered.

Now... I disagree that we have teeth designed to rip meat though. All carnivores can only move their jaws vertically. Herbivores can move their jaws vertically and horizontally, just like we do.

 

[Hellie]

You can get protein from so many things other than meat.So you must be doing something wrong.

Rice is full of it as are nuts.

 

[Dave2006]

I hate to disagree (I do, really), but you're missing the bit about specific amino acids, especially the sulphur-containing ones. There are certain foods, like Quinoa and Flax (ha!) that contain the good amino acids that vegetarians miss, as well as the C18:2 and C18:3 fatty acids. I'm not as militant as others - we have teeth designed to rip meat. However, we are very clever nowadays, and we have Soya Schnitzel and Quorn. Eat beans, you'll be fine.

Peter

Pete

What do you do for a living???

Do you teach chemistry? Make drugs? Work in a veggie sausage factory?

Or do you earn a living as a mad professor / evil genius?

Dave

 

[Anaesthesine]

Just a word about your BMI; it's a complex equation having to do with metabolic functions, hormonal levels and inherited genetic propensities. The correlation between a meat vs. a vegetarian diet and body mass is not so clear-cut.

I know a devout meat-eater who is rail thin and cannot keep his BMI up at a healthy level, and a strict vegan raw-food fanatic who has trouble keeping her weight down.

if you are feeling very weak you should have a check-up, maybe some blood work. You may be low in iron - it's a not-uncommon complaint with many vegetarians, and it's easy to fix with a little dietary adjustment.

Good luck keeping vegetarian - it's worth the effort.

 

[Emotional Guide Dog]

soy milk has plenty of protein
Beans, Tofu, Lentils, and other Legumes along with nuts and seeds

Are you kidding? There's a list of five things that would drive anyone to meat.

 

[MindlessRuffian]

I quit. I realized that as a family we could not support my diet financially, so I quit. I wasn't going to be selfish. Plus my doctor told me to eat meat because I have low iron (My body doesn't process supplements) and since that's already around and my family can't afford to buy a shit ton of leafy vegetables with iron in them, I quit.

I'm not ashamed of this either. I feel much stronger these days and more satisfied after meals.

 

[Uncleskinny]

Pete

What do you do for a living???

Do you teach chemistry? Make drugs? Work in a veggie sausage factory?

Or do you earn a living as a mad professor / evil genius?

Dave

Stuff with chemical thingies, but it changes from time to time.

Peter

 

[Dave2006]

Stuff with chemical thingies, but it changes from time to time.

Peter

Gun for hire. Thought so

Dave