What was people's reaction when you told them you were changing to vegetarian/vegan?

Question

My brother said "That's a big difference. She never ate meat anyway." I never liked pork, steak, or any red meat when I was little. All I would eat was chicken or crab. But that changed.

Answer 1

I became vegan and received different reactions from different people.

Friends:
"You're just going through a phase, you'll get over this in a month"....Six months later and they still say it's just a phase I'll get over.

Mom:
"You'll get sick. This is weird. You're not normal. You're starving yourself."...She now eats all my vegan meals and says I'm a better cook than she is. She doesn't even buy meat anymore, but she still uses real butter on toast and honey in her tea though.

Boyfriend:
"OMG, LOL! PETA has gotten to you. You're going to turn in to one of those crazy people who plans to break in to an animal testing lab to free the animals."...He became vegan too after a few months lol.

That's about how the closest people to me reacted.

Answer 2

I just came home to my dad one night and told him i was a vegetarian. He was more than happy to tell me there was nothing in our house that i could eat then, but i just went into the cupboard and had some pasta! :) Then about 2/3 years later, on christmas day, i announced to my family that i was going vegan. That didn't really go down so well, and my dad was not happy at all. My mum even put cheese in my soup! But after about 4 months, and my mum saw i was being serious she was more than helpful and researched it all with me. She loves the fact that i eat so much vegetables :) My dad on the other hand, like 3/4 years later still tries to make me eat meat again, he hates the fact i'm vegan.

Answer 3

Mostly negative. My friends thought it was a very weird & dangerous thing to do although they've changed their opinions over time. My brother called me a "fanatic" & ridiculed me for years (he still doesn't fully understand). Other relatives were less hostile but most didn't really take me seriously for quite awhile & were probably concerned about my health @ first. The guy I was seeing @ the time wouldn't eat meat when we were together but frequently told me "that's what animals are for." Of course, I got the "protein question" all the time, too.

Answer 4

well my sister makes fun of me my dad is like "god put animals on this earth to eat" and my mom always cough cough forgets that i am veggie and say try this (and its got meat in it) are u going to eat a hamburger and i am like NO for the last time i am vegetarian my grandmother tells me i look anorexic and my grandfather is ok with and just so u know we are a kinda close family lol

Answer 5

My mother cried and told me I was going to kill myself or make myself sick like those 'crazy' vegans. She also told me I was 'breaking her heart'.

She still is not used to the idea.

If I give her information on how a veg*n diet can be healthy and provide all the necessary nutrients, she just believes it is 'vegan propaganda'.

Oh well, what can I do... :-/

Answer 6

Most people did not support me and thought it was a phase but five years later I'm going strong and feel much healthier and happier.

Answer 7

are you crazy?!
thats what most people said, then i explained why i was changing and they said: oh i feel the same way, i just love meat too much.

Answer 8

they were really shocked because I was eating steak at the time. So rather then shock them further I decided to just keep eating meat

Answer 9

I was told "god put animals on this planet to eat. " Hmm so I have to put my foot down and explain. everything .

Answer 10

haha Elizabeth G! a couple of years ago, i was sucked in by a PETA magazine, so my dad used to say that what i believed in was "PETA propaganda"!