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addicted to meat

post #1 of 19
4/27/12 at 11:29pm
Thread Starter 
Is this possible? I dont want to harm animals, I dont want to eat stinky meat anymore, it really does make me sick to small it, but I still crave it at times. I went 4 days with a vegan diet, but then i crave this meat and after I eat it I cant figure out why i ate it because it wasn't good?
Any ideas?
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post #2 of 19
4/27/12 at 11:56pm
meat is portrayed as the blockbuster entertainment of the food world, but when it comes down to it maybe it is just a bunch of boring car chases, tacky explosions, and clichéd dialogue...........


I'm not sure; I never ate much meat.
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post #3 of 19
4/28/12 at 12:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by irenemary View Post

Is this possible? I dont want to harm animals, I dont want to eat stinky meat anymore, it really does make me sick to small it, but I still crave it at times. I went 4 days with a vegan diet, but then i crave this meat and after I eat it I cant figure out why i ate it because it wasn't good?
Any ideas?

If you're making a big change in your diet, a little bit of back and forth until you get it figured out is pretty normal, so don't worry. I don't personally believe that meat is addictive. What did you replace the meat with when you went vegan? It's a good idea to use an online calorie counter like cronometer.com or fitday.com. First of all calculate how many calories you were eating before you went vegan, then calculate the caloric intake for your vegan days. If on the days you were vegan you were eating less calories, there is your answer! Eat more ;-) Hungry people will eat anything!

Hi-carb, lo-fat, hi-raw Vegan - Look me up on YouTube!

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Hi-carb, lo-fat, hi-raw Vegan - Look me up on YouTube!

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post #4 of 19
4/28/12 at 2:28am
I don't think it's an addiction. And when you internalize that it isn't an addiction, you'll feel better able to make the choice to eat in a responsible and conscientious way (i.e. give up meat, since even the "family farms" slaughter animals for trivial reasons).

"and I stand

upon a mountain

made of weak and useless men"

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"and I stand

upon a mountain

made of weak and useless men"

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post #5 of 19
4/28/12 at 5:59am
There is no such thing as being addicted to meat. From what you're saying, I would gather that you're not eating the rights foods and that you're feeling hungary.

There is really a minimum of research that must be done before going on a vegan nutrionnal plan. I would suggest that you do some reading and ask for help on this forum.
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post #6 of 19
4/28/12 at 7:09am
Although some of us are still tempted by the smell of cooked meat at times after we have gone vegetarian, I don't think this is what you're going through- you say specifically that it smells bad to you. I think RichieFruitbat nailed it: you might not be eating enough.

EDITED TO ADD: I found the two other threads you posted. You like hummus, and don't think too much processed food is good to eat. So you're probably not trying to live on salads of lettuce and tomato, and have started exploring other things to eat besides meat. Could you post an example of what you were typically eating in the course of a day when you first went vegan?

"The man bent closer to Vinculus' corpse. He plucked something out of his own mouth- a tiny pearl of light... The corpse shivered. It was not like the shudder of a sick man...; it was like the shiver of a bare birch wood as spring breathes upon it."   Susanna Clarke- "Jonathan Strange and Mr....

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"The man bent closer to Vinculus' corpse. He plucked something out of his own mouth- a tiny pearl of light... The corpse shivered. It was not like the shudder of a sick man...; it was like the shiver of a bare birch wood as spring breathes upon it."   Susanna Clarke- "Jonathan Strange and Mr....

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post #7 of 19
4/28/12 at 1:56pm
Like anything, meat addiction is possible. Food is an addiction. That's why we have cravings for chocolate and such. You may even be addicted to the feeling food gives you. Just stay strong and resist. Find substitues.
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post #8 of 19
4/28/12 at 2:41pm
Food is a big deal. For some people it's not much of a deal, but for others it's a huge thing.

I used to cringe everytime I'd read "I never did like meat or cheese anyway, raw kale is sooooo much yummier!"

You want food you crave, and it's probably going to take a good bit before that food is vegan. I vividly recall the day I thought about what to eat, and realized all the food I thought about having was automatically vegan! Finally, veg*n was my normal

Find go-to foods you really like. A cheddar grilled Daiya. Portabellos anyway. At first the food that kept me from things I didn't want to eat was Top Ramen oriental flavor. I didn't worry about healthy in the beginning.

Get into finding recipes, exploring new combos. Beans can replace meat in thousands of ways.
Don't give up, it does become easier with time, and yes, tastes do change!
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post #9 of 19
4/28/12 at 5:06pm
Meat can be an addiction. Maybe not in the sense of cocaine but food addiction is very real and meat addiction isn't too far off. IMO it's more of an emotional and mental thing, though. How does eating meat make you feel? That's more likely than not what you are craving.

However in your case it may not be meat addiction as much as making a big change. Making such a big change is prone to make one anxious and want to revert to their old ways.
~~ Maggie
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~~ Maggie
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post #10 of 19
4/28/12 at 11:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrsmagnacarta View Post

Meat can be an addiction. Maybe not in the sense of cocaine but food addiction is very real and meat addiction isn't too far off. IMO it's more of an emotional and mental thing, though. How does eating meat make you feel? That's more likely than not what you are craving.

However in your case it may not be meat addiction as much as making a big change. Making such a big change is prone to make one anxious and want to revert to their old ways.

I totally agree with this statement. Anxiety (of the unknown) is more often the problem when making changes to our set ways. Cravings often arise to mask anxiety issues.
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post #11 of 19
5/1/12 at 4:48pm
I've spoken to too many people who go back to eating meat after a period of abstinence, who describe an instant state of euphoria after consuming their first slab of flesh in years, which they interpret as a return to health and vitality - but sounds a lot more to me like they've just smoked a crack pipe - to deny that it is possible to become addicted to foodstuffs. I also think that understanding that you may be addicted to meat will enable you to overcome it with greater ease. Once you realize you may have an addiction you need to commit to never consuming the thing you are addicted to, or you will never get over it. It works for alcoholics and smokers.
www.thesaucyvegan.com
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www.thesaucyvegan.com
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post #12 of 19
5/1/12 at 9:50pm
I dont know if I believe in an addiction of it. I think when a person goes back to meat it is because they are getting a huge hit of fat and salty/umami flavour... that can give you quite an endorphin high...

I find that if you have enough meat substitutes it can help. I always find a place in my budget for a chickpea burger at the burger bar, it doesnt taste that different to meat, and it looks very similar too.

You should also try: lentil bolognaise, mock tuna (chickpea), snobby joes, eggplant parmiagana etc...

And if you are really serious about it and are struggling, dont go straight to vegan, keep the eggs and dairy in for a while until you start to really get used to the vegetarian flavours and it gets easier to eat less of them.
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post #13 of 19
5/2/12 at 1:27pm
Have you tried any meat substitutes? There are some really really tasty good ones out there. And some you may even think are really meat. Your not addicted to meat. Your probably just used to eating it because its probably been bred into you. You need to replace the meat that your eating with something else to satisfy you
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post #14 of 19
5/2/12 at 2:03pm
nothing else needs
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post #15 of 19
5/4/12 at 4:40pm
I had that issue with cheese. I thought I couldn't live without dairy and cheese (I've always hated eggs). I found out that not only can I, but it's not hard once you get the hang of it. It takes some getting used to when you give up something you like, but it can be done. My guess is that you are having a feeling of deprivation more than an addiction. Make sure you are getting enough calories and nutrients. And, if all else fails, grab something made by Gardien or Field Roast. They make great meat substitutes. Field Roast frankfurters are so hot dog like it freaks me out.
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post #16 of 19
5/7/12 at 3:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shyvas View Post

.. I would gather that you're not eating the rights foods and that you're feeling hungary.

A bit of Turkey dipped in Greece should fix that.
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post #17 of 19
5/7/12 at 3:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by irenemary View Post

Is this possible? I dont want to harm animals, I dont want to eat stinky meat anymore, it really does make me sick to small it, but I still crave it at times. I went 4 days with a vegan diet, but then i crave this meat and after I eat it I cant figure out why i ate it because it wasn't good?
Any ideas?

I think it migh be a bit like this ..

When the body needs certain nutrients it triggers a craving for foods which it 'knows' contains them.

My suspicion would be that you haven't yet formulated a diet that contains the correct nutrition.

Protein and fats would be the obvious suspects.

Mebbe you should binge on high protein and fat rich foods (nuts and advocado's spring to mind) and see if that reduces your corpsie-cravings?
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post #18 of 19
5/7/12 at 4:31am
When you are giving up something that your body and mind are used to having for all that time, it is quite a chore. In a sense, you need to know that you want it, and find various motivational things that keep your spirits up so you can continue on with your journey. It takes about 3 weeks to totally change your taste-buds. It could take up to a year or two to stop having occasional cravings. That's why they make fake "meat". Seriously, if you are going veg, then when you get meat cravings, having a soy burger, or gimme-lean is how to get back on track. I am a total gimme-lean addict. I love their sausage flavored mix. Fake meats come in many shapes and sizes. They come in bratwurst like sausages, to ground beef type crumbles. Using tofu is also a good deal. I like to mush it up and add flavorings and make tofu scramble. There is also seitan, tempeh, various pressed type tofus, and probably many more things you can eat that are not meat.

So I don't know your age, or how familiar you are with the grocery store, but you can find some of these brands, like gimme lean, and tofurky, and tofu in the produce section, near the polenta (which is also yummy), and you can find chicken and ground beef type patties in the frozen foods cases. They are at Wal-mart and other food stores. You have more variety if you go to a food store like Whole Foods or Wild Oats.
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post #19 of 19
5/20/12 at 5:24am
I remember when I did eat meat, and enjoyed it, I think it was other things that I really liked about it. Certain spices or seasonings, or even salt. So I add these things to beans, vegetables, whole grain bread, tempeh, or whatever I am eating now. I have tried veggie burgers like boca and morningstar farms and I just don't like the stuff. I try to aviod isolated soy protein. I actually don't eat alot of soy, maybe one or two servings a week.

It may not be the healthiest thing to do, but I love to eat an avocado with a ton of salt on it. YUM. This is as good and enjoyable as any meat I ever ate.
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