:cry:

My tummy belongs to a carnivore, but my heart and mind know that vegetarianism is the right choice for the world and my health. Unfortunately, I fell off the wagon (actually, I threw myself off the wagon and proceeded to get rolled over by it). I can't believe I ate a stupid, gross, disgusting hamburger today. I mean, I'd feel bad enough if it were a nice burger at a bbq in a friend's backyard, but this was actually McDonalds! I hate McD. I've ALWAYS hated McD. I can't believe that after nearly a month without any meat I crashed on a burger that wasn't even real food.

I've been getting hives for the past 2 weeks. I don't know what it could be, except perhaps a food allergy. The only food that I've added to my diet is soy (soymilk every day, tofu and TVP occasionally). So maybe I'm allergic to soy? If I am, that will make things that much harder... Anyway, I went to the clinic because it got pretty bad today. The wait was over an hour. I was starving. McD's was right next door (does anyone else see the irony here?!?). I thought to myself "I'll just eat some fries or a salad", but when I got to the counter I completely caved and ordered a Big Mac. Ugh. Even if I ate meat with a side of meat for dinner every day, a Big Mac would still gross me out. The ultimate irony was that I had brought a book to read in the waiting room. The title? Food Revolution by John Robbins. I actually hid it inside my jacket because I couldn't bear the hypocrisy of anyone in McD's actually seeing it. Then I read chapter 3...as I stuffed my mouth.

Ugh. I feel gross and embarassed and horribly disappointed in myself.

And I'm so itchy. My ankles, chest and hip are covered in itchy bumps. I might be allergic to the thing that seems to make up most vegetarian meat/dairy replacements. And I'm seeing my boyfriend this weekend for the first time in a month and I'm covered in blotchy red spots.

I am not feeling very good about myself right now. :(

It's okay. Take a deep breath. People stumble all the time. It's nothing to beat yourself up over. :hug: You just need to get back up, brush yourself off and look forward to tomorrow!

Have you thought about bringing food along with you when you're out? Some fruit or a pack of crackers. Just stuff it in your purse or backpack that way you'll have something to hold you over until you can get somewhere that has veg*n food?

As far as the soy causing the hives. That's a definite possibility. Try taking out of your diet for a while and see how the hives react. If they go away, it was the soy. If not, you can try eliminating something else until you find the culprit.

Hope you feel better! :)

Going veggie is a transition like most things in life. It takes time. People have slip ups all the time for different things. Just acknowledge what happened and move on.

I am sorry you are having a bad day :( It sounds like soy may be an issue for you...maybe you can eliminate it completely and then (after your symptoms go away) reintroduce it in small, fermented amounts (tempeh, miso) to see if that is easier on your body?

Best of luck to you and I hope that you feel better and can enjoy the visit with your sweetie :hug:

The only food that I've added to my diet is soy (soymilk every day, tofu and TVP occasionally). This jumped out at me like you wouldn't believe. Anything can do anything and some people really are more sensitive to soy than others.

Try removing all soy from your diet for 2-3 weeks then introduce ONE of those soy products back for a week or two to see if you react. If you don't react, then stay off all soy another 2-3 weeks to give your body a rest, and try something else soy-based. Keep going until you have exhausted the soy products that you've added in your diet. That will tell you if you're allergic to a "whole form" of soy (tofu, tempeh) or a processed form (tvp).

If nothing changes either way during the soy test, then keep a food log for 3 weeks to see if you can find something else that might be causing problems. Often times, people think one thing is causing their problems when really it's something else they wouldn't have thought of if not for the food journal.

As for the McD thing, well.... don't beat yourself up too badly (sometimes it takes a while for that carnivoire stomach to go away ;) ) and definately keep a stash of snacks with you to fend off temptations.

Hope you feel better soon. :)

Oh you're horrible!

..Just kidding. :) Don't beat yourself up over it. Alot of people fall off the wagon. The first month or so I had cravings too, but now they are completely gone. Like other people said, keep snacks in the purse for next time.
AND..not to make you feel worse :( but I am pretty positive McDonalds fries are not vegetarian either.

:hug:

Honestly, as gross as eating a burger at McD's is, I'm still not sure they are actually made of beef. I think it may just be a patty of pressed cardboard with some grease and beef flavoring. And brown food coloring.

But seriously, just take this as a learning experience and the next time you feel tempted to eat some meat, just remember how you felt after eating the burger. Treat yourself to some wonderful veg foods, and if you have to do fast food, think pitas, burritos, falafel, even veggie burgers (BK has a great one). If there are ethnic places around, even better- hummus and pita or babaganoush at a meditteranean place, or a vietnamese sub with tofu!
Experiment with new and delicious foods to increase the feeling of abundance and stave off feelings of deprivation which IMHO can lead to meat cravings.

Good luck!

Like others have said, don't beat yourself up over this. Take strength from how bad you felt afterwards-its a good indication that you really want to stop eating meat. If you just thought, oh well, then you'll probably not stick to vegetarianism. It shows how much you care. Plus there arn't that many new vegetarian's who didn't slip up or had cravings earlier on. You're not the first and your post will probably give comfort to other's that do the same.

Like Grimble said - it's significant that you're on here "confessing" and feeling bad about eating meet - instead of on some omni board saying "man, I was a vegetarian for a month, but I just couldn't give up McDonalds."

So there's hope for you yet. :D

Like others said, don't feel too bad about eating the burger; I have nothing new to offer in light of that.

Regarding soy, though, don't fret too much. There are many vegetarians that don't eat soy. If you are actually allergic, you may have to avoid most of the imitation meat and dairy products, but in that light, you'll also be avoiding a lot of processed junk that's high in sodium, difficult for many to digest, and in the middle of a controversy regarding it (soy protein isolate) being linked to cancer and alzheimer's.
You can find a zillion yummy non-soy recipes that are very nutritious, particularly in ethinic cuisines, such as Indian food. Check out Madhur Jaffery's cookbook "World Vegetarian". The recipes are mostly not very difficult, and she discusses the different ingredients you might not be familiar with. If there's an ingredient that may be hard to find, she lists suggestions on where to find it, and also lists substitutions.

Think of this as a challenge and a kick in the right direction to discover healthier, delicious food.

Its very possible its soy, but don't rule out other forms of urticaria. My husband developed urticaria around the age of 18, before we went vegetarian. His triggers are usually rapid temperature changes - some people react to water, others, to pressure, others, to food. Read up on the causes of urticaria and hopefully you will find what is causing your hives. Here is a link that might be useful (I know it helped us get on track to figure out what was happening to my husband):

http://www.drgreene.com/21_1117.html

Good luck!

If you are allergic to soy, this won't help at all, but I always keep a Luna Bar stashed in my purse in case of a food emergency. I think there are other granola bar type things you could use, too.

It sounds as if your heart is in the right place. Your mind might not be there yet, though.

I think of becoming a veg in the same way I do about quitting smoking. People who eventually do quit are usually successful only after several tries.

I tried several times to become a veg before I ultimately succeeded. But when I tried (and failed) in the past it was ultimately about me. My health, my thinness, etc.

It wasn't until I thought about the suffering of the animals that I finally was able to get off the meat (and eventually all the animals.)

If you're thinking about health issues, (hives from soy) your mind may not be in the right place. For me, once I made it about the animals, it was no sacrifice. Once my mind shifted, I never wanted another piece of meat again and I actually resented the dairy and eggs until I gave them up too.

You MAY be allergic to soy, but depending on how much processed food you eat currently, you may not. If you check the labels of the snacks, baked goods and other processed foods you currently eat I think you'll be surprised to find how much soy flour is added to those items. It could also be that you've added a new cosmetic to your routine that you're reacting to. Or, are you on a new prescription?

If you determine your mind isn't in quite the right place, I suggest you inundate yourself with material on the animal processing industry. I haven't watched it myself, but have hear the Meet Your Meat is especially effective. Also, READ, READ, READ all those articles. I never could handle watching the videos but I read a lot of articles and was INFURIATED--at the industry and myself for participating.

If you find you are allergic to soy, don't fret. It can be done. You just have to be creative. I've known several veggies who were allergic to soy and managed just fine.

Good luck!

I find that allergy to food may be due to a combination of food. So it might not be just soy but soy and something else interacting or something totally different.

Since your heart is in the right place - that's where it's most important. cheer up.

I never slipped up and ate meat, but I for sure messed up with the dairy thing a few times. once I ate a huge bowl of real ice cream. I hadn't had dairy in a week! let me tell you, not only was my conscience sick, but my body was too! ick! I had an upset stomach for an entire day. every time I think "just a little cheese is okay" or "I really feel like yogurt" (I live in a house of omnis so that food is everywhere) I remember how I felt that day. sometimes it's helpful in your journey to have days where you really screw up, because you know what it feels like to eat that stuff again, and you remember it's not worth it.

oh and I don't know if anyone has mentioned this but the fries at McDonalds are NOT vegetarian! just a heads up!

good luck with everything, you're doing the right thing :bobo:

Random:

:hug: Like the others said, veg*anism can be a difficult journey... A lot of us have fallen off the wagon, too.

A couple of years ago, after years of not eating fish in any form, I found myself with a can of tuna in my pantry, because I'd been buying canned tuna for the woman who was cleaning my apt. When she quit, I had one can left. Instead of throwing it out or giving it to my mother or somebody else, I decided to get rid of it by opening it and making myself a tuna salad, just like I used to.

I took two bites, and I couldn't believe I used to eat canned tuna, and love it. I thought it was the most disgusting thing... :spew: If I ever find myself with canned tuna again (which I plan not to), I will NOT do the same thing. Call it a lesson learned the hard way, which is what you should do with that Big Mac craving. I agree with Jenna. One of the primary rules of veg*anism is, like the Boy Scout motto, Be Prepared. Make sure you have something edible with you whenever possible. Hopefully, if you ever find yourself in McD's again (which I hope you never do), you will have some nuts or a Luna bar or something else with you, and you won't be tempted by a Bic Mac again, and you WILL get that salad! :up: :bobo:

If you are allergic to soy, this won't help at all, but I always keep a Luna Bar stashed in my purse in case of a food emergency. I think there are other granola bar type things you could use, too.My preference is Clif bars, but only because they're a bit heartier.

Also (in US) there are packages of nuts you can get that are good for a hearty "hold me over". Blue Diamond Almonds in the green package (the naturals) are vegan, salt free and yummy.

Boo! No fight..

*stomps off


jk

Want to know a secret? One burger doesn't undo the month of vegtarianism.

Just look at it as a learning experience and move on. You're doing great!

Want to know a secret? One burger doesn't undo the month of vegtarianism.

Just look at it as a learning experience and move on. You're doing great!

That's what I tried to say in my post, but of course I had to ramble on... :o

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

I'm feeling much better today than I was yesterday. Anyway, I realize that eating a burger isn't the end of the world...I'd just kinda hoped that I'd have more taste than to fall off the wagon and land on a Big Mac. Those things are so gross.

Anyway, I think that last night's panic session was, in part, brought on by how miserable I feel with these horrible hives. They're so itchy! I keep waking up mid-scratch in the middle of the night and then reminding myself that I can't scratch...which of course requires concentration...which of course keeps me up...which of course results in less sleep...which of course results in a crankier me. Meh.

I'm pretty sure it's the soymilk that's bugging me. I eat a pretty unprocessed diet. I cook almost everything I eat and lately a lot of it has been raw. The only processed foods that I've been eating have been tofu and soy milk (except for all of those easter treats that I ate in the staff room today!). Other than soy, the only thing that's changed in my diet is that I've also started taking a tbsp of flax seed with breakfast every morning. From research I've done online, a soy allergy is much likelier than a flax allergy.

Anyway, thanks for the kind words. They really are appreciated and mean a lot.

Cheers,
R

Was the soy and flax introduced around the same time? It might be a combination of the two, too or a reaction to flax seed (remember, anything can do anything). If your soy test turns up with nothing, then repeat the diet elimination with flax. If that turns up null, then try the two together and see what happens (don't forget to run the tests for 2-3 weeks with a 2-3 rest between tests).

I hope you find the cause of your hives. They're certainly no fun at all. :no:

oh, here's some links that might help you in meanwhile:

http://health.yahoo.com/ency/healthwise/rsh11/hw80544
http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068988/
http://www.richters.com/newdisplay.cgi?page=./QandA/Medicinal/19981117-6.html&cart_id=14660.523
http://www.bchealthguide.org/kbase/as/ue4861/how.htm (it deals with chicken pox, but hives are just as itchy so I thought I'd include this link, too)

OOH OOH OOH! I just thought of something else that might be causing the allergic reaction. Most soymilks have carageenen in them, which is a seaweed derivative, and some folks are allergic to that.

I think you've heard all you need to on the falling-off-the-wagon issue; I have nothing to add to that.

If it turns out you are allergic to soy, there are a few meat analog products that are soy-free. Seitan is one of them (vegan) and Quorn is another (not vegan). And there are several alternatives to soy milk, including rice milk, almond milk, oat milk, and other nut milks. Some of the people here prefer them to soy milk purely on taste. Larabars are vegan and soy-free and make great purse/backpack snacks. And eating tofu certainly isn't a requirement.

So you definitely don't need soy to be vegetarian-- it just makes it somewhat easier.

Dont feel bad, everyone makes mistakes. At least you feel bad about it. Move on and just try to be careful next time. Good luck