I feel so guilty everytime I eat meat, but can't seem to Adapt to vegetarianism?!
any advice on how to become a vegetarian/
Answers:
I'm a vegetarian and I used to love meat! LOVE IT! But I felt like it was wrong to eat too much meat. So I slowly took it out of my diet.
I would suggest just eat less meat and maybe eat your burgers and steaks well done. Try to make the vegetable the main part of the meal and the meat as a side dish.
Eventually take more and more away. If you don't want to give up meat in total, it's okay to have only a small amount, in fact it's healthy.
If you feel guilty about it, try getting your meat from local, organic, free range sources. That way, you know that the animals are being treated more humanely.
I hope that helps! And good luck!
Maybe you can try cutting down on meat first so you have fewer chances to feel guilty and use meat substitute whenever you have craving for meat. Do it for a while to see if it helps you to reduce the crave of having meat and maybe you could fit into vegetarianism without knowing it.
Otherwise you will have to stop thinking so much and feel guilty every time as its not healthy for you.
What most important is that you are enjoying your food and not feeling guilty or bad eating it.
You could try getting some of the fake meats on the market, to ease the transition. Think up dishes you like that are vegetarian, or where the meat is easily replaced, and eat those.
For example, if you like sausage and peppers on your pizza, try getting the pizza with just peppers.
If you like chicken parmigiana, try eggplant parmigiana.
If you like general tso's chicken, try general tso's tofu.
You get the idea.
Hello Saya, you didn't say why you can't afapt to vegetarian diet.
I;m a vegan now but I started as a vegetarian over 19 years ago. I started thinking: "from tomorrow I'm not going to eat meat" and since that moment I didn't eat meat. Never looked back. It was the best decision of my life, maybe except the one to become a vegan.
If you feel guilty eating meat it means you shouldn't eat it. Your guilt is the first step to vegetarianism, the second step is to stop eating meat.
Make your food from fresh vegetables, full of nutritions and you will love it.
It's willpower. That's it. Either you care more about animals than you do about your dining pleasure or you don't. Is that piece of animal flesh that you are about to consume worth more to you than it did to the animal that it came from?
You also have to view it as a lifestyle change. If you slip up, you dno't throw the towel in, you start over at the next meal and try to not to make the same mistake again. Everyone has their cravings and weaknesses but trust me, they do go away as you stick with being a vegetarian.
I am not a vegetarian myself, but I totally applaude anyone who can accomplish the lifestyle. My suggestion is to do a lot of research on how to ensure that you get all the nutrients found in meat without actually eating meat. It is very easy for a vegetarian to become under-nutritioned if they do not plan accordingly. After eating properly without meat for a while, you may gain the confidence you need to continue, but always try to find something with rich nutrients to replace the ones you used to get from meat, especially when you get cravings for meat- there is a reason your body tell syou to eat certain things but it will learn to associate with new things over time.
I used to feel the same way that you do. I wasn't a vegetarian but I really wanted to be. It took me 3 tried before I actually became a vegetarian. The first time I stopped after a few days, the second time I stopped after about a week. The third time is when I officially became a vegetarian! It probably will take you more then one try. If you really wanna do it, keep trying and if you try your hardest and you believe that you can do it, then you will be able to accomplish vegetarianism. I did. Chicken went from being my favorite food to my favorite animals (really, they're SO cute!!). I used to say "I can't go like a day without meat" and that was a total lie because I have been doing this for a year now and you wanna know what my new years goal is? To be a vegan! You can do this, I believe in you! There are plenty of other things you can eat to substitute meat. Tofu is good. I always buy frozen vegetarian meals that you can get at any grocery store. Look up vegetarian recipes on google and you'll find a lot of really good ones. One way to really push yourself into being a vegetarian is to think about the faces of those poor, innocent, helpless, defenseless animals that were slaughtered to feed us humans. It's sick! I can't sit at the same table and eat dinner with someone who eats meat because it completely ruins my apatite. Go on PETA's website and watch some videos of how the animals are slaughtered (Watch the PETA "Meet Your Meat" video. You'll never eat meat again!). That's what I did. I know you can do this! Try your hardest and don't give up.
Good Luck!
Hope I helped!
Here is a link and there's all you need:
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Vegetarianism
Just think logically, use your intelligence and common sense and you will see that for human vegetarianism, and even veganism is natural. If we should eat meat, than we should eat it raw ( and not seasoned and cooked till you can't feel the disgusting smell of decaying dead flesh; You should kill the animal with your own teeth and hands);
I cannot listen to someone who tells us that we should eat meat, when they eat a young innocent lamb or calf... And I think, personally, that if nature gave us a choice (cause we can survive without meat, and it's more healthy-speaking also about energy) I choose not to harm what I don't have to harm, and that doesn't harm me and can be my friend. Be grateful to nature for all the goods that it provides us with.
LIVE AND LET LIVE! That's my devise. Cheers! :D
Don't go "Cold Turkey". I suggest you slowly take out meat out of your diet and replace it with fake meats and things that would feed your cravings. You must make sure you maintain a healthy diet, because you could easily get sick if you don't watch what you're eating. Eat foods that are rich with various nutrients to feed the cravings.
Good luck x
Cynical_Student: How many cows would there be if we didn't force-breed them? How many cows would there be if we stopped demanding them? If we all stopped buying meat, would it just keep reappearing on the store shelves magically?
I'm a vegan, and volunteering for animals rescue groups was my gateway drug. If you're looking for motivation, really investigate the cruelty that goes with factory farming. There are numerous books and video documentaries on the subject. After you read about the realities of animal farming, you'll have all the motivation you need.
Being vegetarian is a choice only to make that person happy, to make them feel guilt free!! If you want to help animals it is a long road to follow where you choose not to shop in supermarkets, even for your vegetables. Eat local and seasonal, you can ask local butchers where the meat was from and it will likely be slaughtered in small family ran abattoirs!!
Personally I feel it is a cop out when so called animal lovers choose to be vegetarian but nothing changes for the animals all your doing is personal. Not one animal is less culled because you do not eat meat!!
Animals suffer due to greed and demand of an over populating world, that is the root cause to all animal suffering even to the animals we do not eat!!
Choose wise and have a balanced meal, its not all about meat. I religiously have weekly vegetarian meals, to be honest more than I eat meat!! As Organic/free range stuff is so expensive at the moment I can not afford it!! I would rather not eat meat than buy the cheap alternative!!
EDIT
You will get many like Trey above saying to "read" about farming and you will get the point to be vegetarian, thats the point they READ BOOKS!! I am sure you can find books stating that Hitler was a great and pionering man only becasue people choose to be single minded, while the rest of us know different!!
As someone who has worked on many many farms I know the good and bad so experience it from first hand what happens. Yes some places are terrible but their is always personal issues behind that, that effects performance!! However I have been to places where they treat there animals like king, they pick the sheep or cows that need attention and keep them warm and seen at all times. Going out in all weather to bring in a lambing ewe!!
Country Girl!!
You don't need meat,whatever other people or doctors might tell you.YOU DON'T NEED MEAT.
There's plenty of protein,vitamins and minerals in the vegetable world.
But if you like meat so much that it would be such a sacrifice to go without it,then eat it.
You can't have your cake and eat it.
Or:you can't have your meat AND feel for the animals at the same time.Stop grizzling and make up your mind.
I used to feel like you about eating meats, as I loved animals.
but i haven't stopped at all, because it's too delicious
What I suggest is ....... Don't feel too guilty on it, If u can't adapt to vegetarianism, then Don't
I wish you feel comfortable whatever you'll decide to do.
Start slowly. Drink GREEN SMOOTHIES. (google it). You can do it, because a whole lot of people have done it before. Start making recipes before you decide on going vegetarian. Choose your favourite ones, and eat them frequently.
i think you should stop eating meat,....and everytime you feel like,...just remembr those lively animals,...feel happy that you did not eat an animal..,...well...ou should try some indian cuisines,....i do not think after trying those you will ever remembr the meat you crave for now....
You don't need to quit eating meat.You need to quit feeling guilty.
try... eating vegetables
I suggest watching this ;
http://veg-tv.info/Earthlings
Just think that if we didn't eat meat, then there would so so many cows and sheep, the grass supplies wouldn't be enough to support them all and a lot would starve to death.
i eat dog.. somtimes..