I am also a pescatarian… or sort of version of that. Its the closest thing to describe my diet. I think the journal is a good idea. I also quit cold turkey (which is a pretty ironic expression considering the topic) and I had the same problem with the weight gain. I started writing down everything I ate and realized that I was eating more junk food and snacks between meals. I didn’t realize how much I was eating when I felt like I was actually eating less. When you write down EVERYTHING, you can really see how different it is. Also, write down the exact times of when you eat. You can see patterns of when you start to feel hungry and reach for a snack. I was able to plan out my meals and snacks each day or know when to carry somethng around in case I do get hungy, so I was able to replace a candy bar from the vending machine with a clementine or something. I also spend a lot less on eating out since I planned out my meals and snacks.

I am also quite curious as to why everyone became a vegan/vegetarian/pescatarian….

I did because I visited my uncle at work. He works in a slaughterhouse. It really wasn’t how the animals are killed… it was how they were treated their entire lives before they were killed. Imagine being tortured your entire life just because you’re gonna die anyway (well, that’s the quick explanation anyway). I don’t have a problem with eating meat… I think its part of the food chain, but I won’t eat anything that was bred for slaughter. I will only eat what has led a natural life and caught or captured. Nothing that spent its life in a cage or pen. That is why I say I’m a version of a pescatarian… because it is the closest. I, for the most part don’t eat pig, cow, or chicken or basically any meat that can be bought in a store. I do however eat venison when my dad goes hunting and stuff. There’s more to it, but that’s the best way I can explain it without writing a book. This post was longer than I expected it to be.

Pesco-vegitarian, Meaning I eat seafood.

I’m vegetarian-ish. I eat a primarily vegetarian diet, but sometimes travel and whatnot makes avoiding meat impossible if you’d like to eat at all (or not look like an asshole to the people providing you food).

As for the gaining weight: When you stop eating meat, although your levels of fat and cholesterol likely decrease, you also probably start eating a diet that contains a lot more energy in the form of straight-up carbohydrates (like considerably more than your body, built to be an omnivore and intake calories in a variety of ways, can use). Watch how much you’re eating things with complex carbs in them (like pasta) and you should be alright.

That wasn’t terribly scientific, but that’s the gist.

I’m a vegetarian for a combination of environmental and animal rights reasons. I don’t think that the idea of eating meat is inherently immoral, but I dislike the current rate of consumption of meat in western society (and what it means for people in less fortunate parts of the world) and am repulsed by factory farming and the like. So I decided I personally don’t really want to be a part of these things anymore, even if it doesn’t help in the long run.

Thanks everyone for replying with such long detailed descriptions! I didn’t expect this to get even 2 or 3 replies! I forgot to put in the description why I became vegetarian. I became vegetarian because around the 7th grade (I am in 9th grade now) I started feeling really guilty that a living, breathing, FEELING animal had to die just so I could enjoy a couple chicken nuggets. I did my research and found that if everyone (around the world) was a just a vegetarian no one would be starving. My favorite cook book is a (forgot the name) Teens Vegan Cookbook. It has some pretty fantastic basic recipes that give you a lot of room to add or subtract ingredients.

Hi! I’m vegetarian. I stopped eating meat partially for the animal loving, torture hating part of myself, partially because I didn’t really like much meat anyway, and partially because I wanted to prove that I could. It’s been about five years now. I must admit, I don’t eat the way I should. I’m much better than when I started though. I eat way too many grains and too few veggies, but I’m gradually improving over time. I’m going to partially blame it on my dining hall at college. I think everyone, not just the vegetarians, winds up eating too many grains and too few veggies.
I have a lot of trouble when I go places with a group. I can usually find a way to feed myself, but if it’s a big catered meal for my honors program, or my choral group, then things get interesting.

I’ve recently been thinking about doing the whole vegan thing because of some research I’ve heard about linking proteins in foods derived from animals with cancer, but (because I’m a thick male type) I don’t know what to cook. I really want to eat healthy and get all the nutrients humans need, but it’s just very difficult to figure it all out!

Do you guys know any good resources for someone in that situation?

I’m mostly a vegetarian. I’ve never really eaten beef or pork and about three years ago I gave up chicken and fish. I eventually went back to eating fish/seafood occasionally because I could never find good vegetarian options in restaurants. I also will eat organic free-range chicken broth (only because veggie broth doesn’t taste like anything). I gave up chicken because I don’t like the taste or texture. I realized I was eating chicken and really hating it, so I stopped. I’d like to give up dairy (because I don’t like the way it makes me feel sometimes) but because my mom buys cheese and stuff, I eat it every now and then. I don’t drink milk.
I don’t like vegetarians who push it in your face. I don’t like it when vegetarians/vegans make fun of/lecture people for having a hamburger. There are some environmentally sound/humane reasons for going veggie; but it’s a personal choice, not a mandate. It’s fine to talk about it and explain your reasons, but I think it’s rude to push it in people’s faces. I don’t eat meat, but if I’m served spaghetti with meatballs I won’t demand another meal. I’ll just eat bread and salad or something. I don’t like making a big deal about it, really.

I’m a Vegetarian – have been all my life, since my parents are. I’m perfectly happy to stay this way and maybe when I’m older even become a Vegan…probably not though. My reasons are – anti-animal cruelty, unsustainability in the future, the environment and health benefits.

I was a vegetarian for 4 years and just very recently went pescetarian, which means I eat fish, even though I feel really sad and guilty about it. I’m probably going to switch back to vegetarianism eventually then (hopefully!) on to veganism!

When I was around eleven/twelve I cut out beef because I liked cows. I’d always through meat was kind of gross, but that excuse didn’t fly with my parents. I cut out pork next and just kind of slowly cut the rest out over a few years. I didn’t quit anything after the beef cold turkey, and generally considered myself a “meat reductionist” but usually checked vegetarian when filling out any sort of meal form to make life easier. By my senior year of high school I was eating chicken occasionally and sushi, and only at dinner, and by the end of the year it was only raw tuna about once every couple of weeks.
I started college in a land-locked state that Summer, so I ate fully vegetarian. That only lasted about a year because health issues demanded a reintroduction of the tuna. By this point my stance on my vegetarianism was the idea of meat was really gross to me- I couldn’t eat it without thinking about what it actually was, but for some reason I was okay with raw tuna. I did -and do- have a lot of issues with the meat industry, but there are better ways to change it then not eating it and those issues weren’t my reasons for doing so.
Further health issues this past Summer (age twenty) lead me to reintroduce chicken and some other raw-fish options. Texture is a big thing for me which is why I stick with raw fish, and so far I can only deal with chicken that’s shredded or cut up into small pieces.

Also, for about six weeks following the reintroduction of chicken, I ate gluten-free, but it didn’t seem to make a difference in how I felt.

So now I guess I’m a meat reductionist again.

• This reply was modified 116 days ago by  christina.

I was considering becoming a vegetarian for a while, but then last month I tried beef tenderloin for the first time. I could never go back after that. I’m also a sucker for peaking ravioli, which are chinese pork dumplings. I don’t actually have that much of a problem with ethics involving meat eating, but I don’t think I could ever eat veal or duck (I’m extremely fond of ducks)

It’s been nearly a year since I decided to become vegetarian (which is way less time than anyone else on here) and I haven’t found that I really miss anything. I didn’t eat that much meat before, but to me meat substitutes and just meat-free food is pretty nice. I’d thought about not eating meat for ages before I stopped, thinking it was something that I’d do when I was older, but I’m really glad I’ve done it. Also, in TFIOS Hazel has the best reply for why she’s vegetarian, which I’ve decided I’m going to steal and use myself now

• This reply was modified 111 days ago by  Lucy.

@thewindsofsong yes, honey is on the excluded list for vegans, as it comes from a living creature.