What would you give up to have your sweetie go veg?

[Skylark]

Because I may be giving up alcohol. :lol: He wants me to be a teetotaller, and I'd like him to go veg, so we might arrange a trade. I think at least at first it would be on a trial basis. Get back to you on that later.

In general, though, if your sweetie was willing to go veg if you would do something similar for him/her, would you do it? And what all would you be willing to give up? Is that a decent reason to go veg, especially if you plan to expose your sweetie to other reasons to stay veg, like ethical, environmental and health if your sweetie seems to enjoy life as a non-meat-eater?

[Beachbnny]

Because I may be giving up alcohol. :lol: He wants me to be a teetotaller, and I'd like him to go veg, so we might arrange a trade. I think at least at first it would be on a trial basis. Get back to you on that later.

In general, though, if your sweetie was willing to go veg if you would do something similar for him/her, would you do it? And what all would you be willing to give up? Is that a decent reason to go veg, especially if you plan to expose your sweetie to other reasons to stay veg, like ethical, environmental and health if your sweetie seems to enjoy life as a non-meat-eater?

Honestly, I'd hope he would make that choice for himself. That's the only way I think he'd stick with it. He's come a long way and does quite a bit of educating people about veg*ism. But he still eats meat :stinkeye:

I'd have a hard time giving up alcohol, lol, but I'd be more than willing to work something out. I once asked my Husband to eat vegetarian for one day- just one day. (He does this all the time now because he has changed on his own) He didn't make it past breakfast with his sausage, bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit.

Try it! If it works for you two then great. I'd be afraid of resentment from both sides. I'd give anything to have him go veg all by himself. Anything!

[sybaritik]

I wouldn't give up anything that I enjoyed if it wasn't causing any harm to me or anyone else.

I expect an SO to accept me as I am, so if they decide they're not comfortable with something I enjoy doing, they'd have to find a way to deal with it or move on, because I'm not changing.

I would never ask a partner of mine to become veggie either. They'd have to do it of their own volition.

[Sevenseas]

My left kidney. She could eat that, but it would be the last omni meal she would have.

[zoebird]

there's really nothing "analogous" to give up, even if i would give something up, if this situation mattered to me.

i don't mind that my husband is omnivorous. i'd prefer if he were more timely about his dishes (that is, cleaning them), but otherwise, i don't think about it much at all.

[Blobbenstein]

I'd give up putting arsenic in her coffee.........j/k i don't have a sweety.

[neut]

caffinated beverages?

[rabid_child]

I'm rather with Beachbnny on this one. I'd rather it be a decision he reached on his own, though obviously living with me would be an influence! He did spontaneously decide to be meat-free for a week, and I supported him in that and bought him tofurkey slices for his lunch and fruit-gel cups instead of his usual jell-o (all his meals at home are already vegetarian.. usually vegan), and he lasted about 3 days when they had a work luncheon and he didn't see any cheese pizza so he ate chicken pizza. He didn't think to ask.

As it stands now, he's gone from being a complete take out and junk food eater to eating a largely vegetarian diet and I'm proud of him for that. He defends my veg*nism to people, and also defends the decision to eat vegetarian at home to other people who accuse him of being "whipped" or whatever. He's agreed that our children will be raised vegetarian. I'd love it if one day he came to the decision to be vegetarian, but if I think he needs to come to that decision himself without any sort of "deal" to make it happen.

[Brandon]

Having dated a few people in the past that converted "for me" (I never asked them to, ftr) I can tell you that none of the people ever stuck with it even one meal past when our relationship ended.
It's definitely more meaningful and more likely to be a lasting, successful decision if it's one the person makes for themselves.

However, this may/may not be the case for you and your guy, Skylark.
Each situation is different.

[kpickell]

Nothing. I would feel really guilty if I somehow pressured a boyfriend into going vegetarian.

[isowish]

my girlfriend is veg and that's great :D
I would absoloutely only want her to go vegan if her reasons were strong enough that she would have gone vegan even if I wasn't an additional reason. If that makes any sense at all.

[karenlovessnow]

Are we talking giving up some other kind of food substance? I can't think of anything offhand, but I imagine I could give up just about anything since I've already given up so many things that I used to love in order to go veg. Hmmm...wait...I'm not so sure now because sugar just came to mind....I don't know if I could actually give up sugar....

[Fona]

my girlfriend is veg and that's great :D
I would absoloutely only want her to go vegan if her reasons were strong enough that she would have gone vegan even if I wasn't an additional reason. If that makes any sense at all.

She's only saying that because I'm here :p

I know she would never pressure me into going vegan but I think I will get a lot closer to it when we live together because I'd feel mean bringing cake, pizza or whatever into the house when I can just as easily make one that we can both eat.
Hopefully any omni would think the same after a while and there wouldn't be any need for forcing him to go veg.
Also I wouldn't give up something I liked to make someone else go veggie because I'd feel really guilty if I gave in and ate whatever I gave up before them.

[slimlife]

Because I may be giving up alcohol. :lol: He wants me to be a teetotaller, and I'd like him to go veg, so we might arrange a trade. I think at least at first it would be on a trial basis. Get back to you on that later.



If the boyfriend is teetotal, then conversation would be easy.
Teetotaler knows what controlling themselves is.

Good luck!


btw, you must know that some vegetarian products also contain wine stuff, i think you also have to ask him about it.

[Libellula]

ya know, I honestly would have him come to his decision on his own. yes, alcohol is a moral issue for him and meat is a moral issue for you, but i foresee a lot of resentment by one or both parties.

[Thalia]

Well, I can see this as a situation as both parties really want something and they both think they'd be better off making the change for themselves and the other, so they both support each other in making those changes. Perhaps if my boyfriend were really into running, I would try taking that up or if he were a morning person, I think it would really benefit both of us if we spent the morning together. I think people often learn good habits from partners, but there shouldn't be a "Well if you cheat, then I'll cheat" mentality, or doing it *only* to get the other person to do something.

So things I would change- trying to be more morning, exercising even more, going out more, being cleanlier, following a tighter budget, all good things to change, but they would be difficult and annoying at first. I wouldn't give up anything very important, but I may decrease it if it bothered them, like drinking.

[jeff_veg]

I'm firmly in the 'accept each other as is' camp. Changing for each other is dangerous because you probably won't really change inside.

[Bof]

I'd be prepared to give up celibacy. :yes:

[Vegreenmom]

Honestly even if I didn't feel as if I was forcing him into being veg*n...which I probably would [feel bad]...

I don't think there's anything I do that would compare. Maybe I could stop telling him to shutup? lol

But as of now we make things work and we're happily married so I'm not big on changing him!

[kpickell]

I'd be prepared to give up celibacy. :yes:

hahaha

[isowish]

I'd be prepared to give up celibacy. :yes:

:lol: :wayne:

[Skylark]

So far so good. I don't really miss the alcohol, and he's been enthusiastic about all the vegetarian food we've eaten while together. He had last week off work, so he spent a lot of time at my place watching me cook for him. :lol: I'm typing up my easiest recipes for him so he can make them at home while I'm in Bolivia.

No resentment so far. He explained to me more of his reasons for not drinking, and they make a lot of sense to me. I doubt I'll ever preach the "all drinking is bad" line, but I can definitely understand why he wouldn't support alcohol consumption.

[Lucious]

I don't think there's much I could give up, I don't drink, smoke, do drugs... I could give up skiing? LOL... no way!

I'm sure if there was a reasonable offer, I would do most anything. I'd rather live with a veg*an than a meat eater.

[sunrisesunset]

honestly... most things. if my boyfriend wanted to make a deal that i had to give something up and he would go veg, i would. he'd be saving animal lives and if he's willing to do so for whatever the reason i'm all for that. anything i have to give up is worth saving animals lives.

[veg_blondie]

I would.
Although Im not sure what I could give up;
Ive already given up meat (duh!), refined sugar, simple carbs, and alcohol.
I mean I could give up my Gwen Stefani obsession, but I would be really resentful for that!

I guess my bf could do a budget for me and I'd have to stick to it, haha :P