This is long, I'm very sorry, I guess I had stuff to get off my chest. I hope you'll stick with me.
I've dabbled in vegetarianism for a long time. Went through a vegan phase in my 20's. (I'm now in my 40's) I have a fierce love for animals and hate for how they are treated. I've educated myself some on it, binged the documentaries, etc. I'd say I comfortably became about 90% vegetarian and cut out milk for several years now. My hold out was that I didn't mind eating meat if I knew it came from a source that didn't torture their animals. I know there are also health benefits but that hadn't been a major factor for me. I started getting especially bothered about chickens and eggs, I saw the videos/footage, cut out chicken all together & if I bought eggs I made sure they came from the super expensive brands that guarantee happy free hens laid them. This was working ok for me, I called myself a "picky meat-arian" for my eating choices as a joke but discovered there is a legit term "flexitarian: a person who has a primarily vegetarian diet but occasionally eats meat or fish." It basically goes on to mean that a flexitarian eats or does not eat according to what they are compelled to.
The turning point came when I was with my mother and she was buying milk. I offhandedly remarked "Milk is bad for you" she says, why? I was a little taken aback, surely that can't be a complete surprise. I told her I'd put together some information for her and get back to her. As I was researching how to support my statement to persuade my mother I started persuading myself instead. Why was I still eating other dairy when it's all bad for you and comes from tortured cows? That's when I decided to make a better effort and wanted to try eating vegan for one week. I figured that was a short attainable goal. Maybe I'd feel better physically, maybe I'd lose some weight and definitely I'd feel better about not eating suffering animals & their products. If it went well I'd continue with it. I planned out some meals, bought groceries & told people of my plan.
I found out I have no support whatsoever. Ironically the person who is the least supportive, my mother, is the one who unknowingly started me doing this. She thinks meat and dairy is healthy, a necessity(her Dad was a butcher), tells me I won't get my nutrients but I've challenged her on that, she keeps calling my food "vay-gun" on purpose she even told me so. My Dad, shortly after being told, offered me some chicken salad stating I could just pick the chicken out. My best friend who's obsessed with cheese and bacon un-invited me to dinner after I told her b/c she said she wouldn't be able to deal with that. My other best friend who's a vegetarian, the one person I thought would understand and support me, has said absolutely nothing after several of my texts about what I was doing.
So I'm doing this alone. It's a struggle as it is, I have so many questions and doubts so I hope to get the support I need here instead.
I've dabbled in vegetarianism for a long time. Went through a vegan phase in my 20's. (I'm now in my 40's) I have a fierce love for animals and hate for how they are treated. I've educated myself some on it, binged the documentaries, etc. I'd say I comfortably became about 90% vegetarian and cut out milk for several years now. My hold out was that I didn't mind eating meat if I knew it came from a source that didn't torture their animals. I know there are also health benefits but that hadn't been a major factor for me. I started getting especially bothered about chickens and eggs, I saw the videos/footage, cut out chicken all together & if I bought eggs I made sure they came from the super expensive brands that guarantee happy free hens laid them. This was working ok for me, I called myself a "picky meat-arian" for my eating choices as a joke but discovered there is a legit term "flexitarian: a person who has a primarily vegetarian diet but occasionally eats meat or fish." It basically goes on to mean that a flexitarian eats or does not eat according to what they are compelled to.
The turning point came when I was with my mother and she was buying milk. I offhandedly remarked "Milk is bad for you" she says, why? I was a little taken aback, surely that can't be a complete surprise. I told her I'd put together some information for her and get back to her. As I was researching how to support my statement to persuade my mother I started persuading myself instead. Why was I still eating other dairy when it's all bad for you and comes from tortured cows? That's when I decided to make a better effort and wanted to try eating vegan for one week. I figured that was a short attainable goal. Maybe I'd feel better physically, maybe I'd lose some weight and definitely I'd feel better about not eating suffering animals & their products. If it went well I'd continue with it. I planned out some meals, bought groceries & told people of my plan.
I found out I have no support whatsoever. Ironically the person who is the least supportive, my mother, is the one who unknowingly started me doing this. She thinks meat and dairy is healthy, a necessity(her Dad was a butcher), tells me I won't get my nutrients but I've challenged her on that, she keeps calling my food "vay-gun" on purpose she even told me so. My Dad, shortly after being told, offered me some chicken salad stating I could just pick the chicken out. My best friend who's obsessed with cheese and bacon un-invited me to dinner after I told her b/c she said she wouldn't be able to deal with that. My other best friend who's a vegetarian, the one person I thought would understand and support me, has said absolutely nothing after several of my texts about what I was doing.
So I'm doing this alone. It's a struggle as it is, I have so many questions and doubts so I hope to get the support I need here instead.