i've been a vegetarian for only about a week and i havn't had any trouble... have i passed the hardest stage?

Question

or will it get harder?

i dont really like meat to begin with just chicken strips and shrimp

Answer 1

Don't know. How much meat were you accustomed to eating? How much did you depend on it for your protein? Did you like it a lot? All of those factors play a part in how quickly you and your body adjusts.

Answer 2

Well done! Becoming a vegetarian isn't the same as quitting smoking...there is no cold turkey. I assume that even before you took that decision, you were fond of several meat-free dishes.
You will find out sooner or later, that your habits change. In the beginning, leaving out meat leaves a blank on the plate, but after some time you will realize, that all the things you ate as site dishes eventually become the main dish. Make sure you get all the minerals and proteins you need, which is actually very easy. If you still miss the meat, there are so many meat substitutes available, and eventually you'll try out new recipes with soy and tofu. Treat yourself to a new cookbook with pictures in it, try Mediterranean recipes, Indian and Japanese recipes..you'll be amazed how good a meat-free life can taste. Good luck!

And something that might sound a bit weird: I often heard new vegetarians saying: Ah, that meat smells so good, how can I resist? True maybe (also I can't agree), but there are many things that apparently smell good, and still you don't want to eat them.
;)

Answer 3

You may have "passed" the hard stage, but the craving for meats may still come and go. However, make sure you are not only eating fruits and vegetables, but make sure that you have an adequate substitute for the proteins that you no longer eat. The best protein substitutes are in beans and legumes, wheat flour and bread flour that is made into a dough (left overnight immersed in water) and then washed until all that is left is the gluten. Other high protein sources are milk, cheese and eggs, but if you are a vegan, you will not eat these. Only lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat these dairy sources.

You see, if you strictly eat only fruits and vegetables without making sure you have an adequate protein source, you can be sick from lack of proteins after several months.

Answer 4

I think I spent my first two or three weeks as a vegetarian in a honeymoon period - I was just enjoying the change in my diet. Then I got cravings - when I absolutely craved meat, I would have a black bean burger. Now after 4 months, I am at a point where eating meat is simply unthinkable.

Answer 5

If you are committed enough you shouldn't even be thinking of eating meat! I have been veg for a year now and I have had no problem. It actually really depends on your reasoning for becoming vegetarian. I made the decision for becoming vegetarian because of the cruelty animals undergo. So whenever I make a decision to eat, I am reminded of the innocent animals being killed for humans and I easily say no to meat...There are so many veggie options around you! Keep it up.



Animal Liberation is Human Liberation.

Answer 6

It'll get harder. There will be times you will go out to dinner with your friends, and you will need to find an item on the menu that matches your vegetarian diet specifications. You may visit someone who serves meat as the main course. You need to be aware of your vitamin intake. And there are other little road bumps along the way. Nothing too dramatic unless your vegetarian diet doesn't allow for all the proper nutrients.

But getting through a week is definitely a good start :-)

Answer 7

Vegetarianism is only as hard as you make it out to be. If you think that you can't live without meat or don't have the will power to do so, then, of course it will get harder for you.

Answer 8

i have been a vegetarian for about 6 months now and it has gotten easier for me.

the first few weeks i hate to say it but i was tempted to eat chicken, but thinking about the animal before it became food made me lose my appetite. now that i am used to not eating meat just the smell alone turns my stomach. i have also been able to do more research since i began and i found great new foods and ways to get enough protein in my diet.

Answer 9

depends on you, if you truly want to be a vegg, then it's easy
if you only want to do it half @ss then it'll be hard

it took people long time to get used to it, took me 6month to 1 year to forget about meat, and so sooner you stop thinking about eating meat the better

the best thing you can do is make vegg friends and eat in their house, and go to resturants that serves vegg only, and find resturants that's vegetarian friendly, and learn to cook the food resturants make, eat lots of real fresh fruits and veggs

good luck

Answer 10

It depends on your level of commitment, when I quit I experienced no cravings or adverse effects.