I am nearing 13 months as a vegetarian with only 2 slip ups. one bite of steak during the whole time, and then that accidental pierogi on Thanksgiving that I bit and then ate so as not to waste it.



Now I am having serious cravings. Some days it's very hard for me to defeat them. I am having crazy cravings for tuna, of all things. I was never even a tuna lover really. I was lucky if I ate it 6 or so times per year! It's all I think about, that and hamburgers. Nothing I do can combat the feelings, even if I eat high protein stuff, or even eat real cheese.



I am not sure what the problem is. On 11/24 I started a new job with odd hours and now my lunch and dinner has been serious changed. I try to snack healthy between meals drinking juice or having Kashi bars or fruit. The cravings for meat have been out of control for about 6 days now. So far I have not eaten any meat.



I've always done well and never had a problem and always trying to give advice to others about how to hang tight. Now it's me who's a loose cannon. I feel like I am losing control. My mom thinks I am missing something due to my eating times being changed and my meals are not as high in calories as they used to be and I am not eating very nutriously right now. A friend told me to just eat tuna or a hamburger and then maybe the cravings would go away.



BTW, I am quite afraid to eat a hamburger for fear I might get sick. Sometimes I think it's because of that pierogi I bit into that contained ground beef on Thanksgiving. I ate it not to throw it away. I think maybe that bite awakened some taste buds or something maybe? Not sure.



But, I am having serious difficulties here. Seriously!!! I am thinking it might be a new "monthly" thing, although praying that if it is, it won't be an every month thing. I will know soon.



Well, i know there's nothing you all can really do for me, but I just needed to tell someone.

Do some push-ups.

Well, if you aren't eating as many calories, or very nutritious food, like you said, your body is probably just craving more nutrition. Does it help if you eat something really rounded and eat more calories than you have been? What about adding a multivitamin, is that something you've tried?

I seriously doubt you'll get sick if you eat a hamburger.



But you have to continually remind yourself why you're a vegetarian.



And make sure you plan meals with enough fat and sodium enough to curb the appeal of meat. If you're hungry all the time the smell of wafting meat will continue to be a problem.

I'm sorry you're having a hard time right now. As someone who recently started a new job and has had a serious increase in working hours, I do relate to the fact that planning meals is a huge issue. I find it nearly impossible and I used to be so good at it and I love to cook. However, it hasn't caused me to want meat at all.



I do remember having some wicked strong tuna cravings awhile back after being vegetarian for years. It was weird but I just made the mock-tuna salad recipe of Michael's from our recipe section and it fixed that. I take a multi when I remember and get my blood tested. You might want to get a blood test too though I really think it's stress that's making it difficult for you right now.



Give yourself some time to settle into your new job while just sticking to your (awesome!) decision to be vegetarian. It will get easier. You won't feel good about it if you go back now. You know too much about the suffering, the health effects, and the environmental damage eating meat causes so just stick with it. Maybe do some research and re-read some things to commit yourself to it again. Hang close to VB too



You can do this. It's worth it.

Ooh! Do you have the option of taking a frozen lunch to work with you? Amy's makes frozen meals that are usually pretty good (I've only had 1 or 2 that I didn't like), and you just need a freezer and a microwave. They're pretty filling, too. And what about some of the Boca burgers and other "fake-meat" things? If you're needing some kind of "transitional meat" type substance, those might help curb your cravings?



You've made a great decision, and you just need to stick with it. If it helps, write down the reasons you went veg in the first place and look at it when you feel your determination start to wane. Does this help?

Thanks, friends, for chiming in and trying to help out. I appreciate your time to do so.



Oh heck no, I don't want to eat a hamburger, or tuna!



I have been taking vegetarian vitamins for several months so I am good with that. I used to eat lunch between 12 - 1p, and then dinner was done by 6pm. I've been eating this way for years, always lucky to have a job where I got off early enough at night to eat by usually 6:15p or so. But, with this new job, I don't get off until 7pm usually, and don't get home until 7:30. Right now I am staying with my mother and she tries to have something for me to eat usually. But when she can't, I don't waste time cooking and end up with soup a lot - since it's winter especially, and I am not eating till nearly 8pm.



I feel cold sometimes throughout the day. I thought maybe it was, well, because it is cold here in Chicago, and I work in a lab now and the floors are tiled concrete of course and i sit by the door. But I think it's more than that.



At my job I do work 8 1/2 hrs, and I get a lunch and 2 paid breaks. Plus, they're real lenient, and they let us snack and chatter away when there's no work to do, regardless if it's break time or not. Also, they know I battle low blood sugar and they let me take time to snack or drink juice when I have to.



I guess I am just going to have to work this out somehow. Maybe eat more sugary fruits too like oranges, bananas, and stuff like that and add protein maybe. Yep, been craving way more carbs than usual come to think of it. Things like potatoe chips, bread, etc. What do you think? Another problem is I don't want to come home and eat a huge meal at 8pm and then go to bed less than 3 hours later on a bunch of food (yep, me one of those that must have nearly 8 hrs sleep!). I've been thinking of trying to eat larger lunches instead - which now my lunch is at 2 - 2:30pm instead of Noonish, and maybe have a smaller dinner when I get home of mostly veggies and a lighter protein.



Maybe I am just in a panic because I have been lucky thus far and never really had a lot of meat cravings or rather nothing ever so bad it made me feel ashamed as it does now.



Lucky for me, my insurance kicks in after 30 days, so January 1. If the cravings and the feeling of being cold doesn't subside by then, I am going to the doc for one of those blood tests to check vitamins and minerals. It might be a good idea. In the meantime, I will continue to fight off meat cravings and eat peanut or something instead! LOL!



Yeah, the Amy's is a good idea. I love their lasagnas and stuff too. I had been taking some micowavable stuff, but it's been things more off the shelf and full of carbs instead, like noodles items.



Thanks for posting!!

Excellent post Beachbnny!

Well, you have two choices:

eat the tuna, you'll likely be horrified with yourself after and never do it again.

or try a new food and see if that satisfies your craving for something different.

Yeah after the 1st I would definitely go get your blood checked! Have them check your iron and B vitamins. That's what we veg*ns have the biggest issues with sometimes. Nuts are a great snack, because they're filling, have lots of protein, will perk you up, and best of all - are very portable! I read that almonds are one of the best for that. I usually eat a PB&J sandwich in the morning (I can eat it while I drive to work), a frozen meal at lunch (unless I have leftovers), and something really small for dinner. I get to eat at 6-6:30. I also take a baggie to work with some chips or pretzels or something in case I need a snack.

Thanks



TigerLover- if you're getting home late (as am I), eating a sufficient meal is going to be important if you're not eating a hardy lunch. You'll adjust to the new hours and likely get through this patch of cravings and feel fine again soon. I think that being cold is likely a sign of not eating enough- at least it is for me. So try and take some nuts with you. They're almost the perfect fill you up, keep you going food. I eat them on my long days when I'm up at 5am and not home till after 7pm. Relax and just take it one day at a time. Cut yourself some slack, eat whatever you want and can manage to make/buy/order in.



BTW- Congrats on the new job! That's fantastic!

My mom bought some faux chikn patties by Morningstar for me to take to work. So i can have that for a change too. I can make them at home and warm them up in the microwave, or cook them there in a toaster oven we have. Yes, I keep almonds around the house, I am going to bring a bag to work.



I am actually going to call on Friday to try to make a doc appt scheduled for right after the new year, either the 2nd, 3rd or 5th - whichever is available. Lucky for me I don't have to be at work until 10:30 so there's plenty of time for morning appts. Even if I start to feel better by then, I'll still just go for a check up and the blood work.



I work in a cancer-testing lab myself (no, not with animals) we test human biopsies, marrow, etc., for cancers and some other things. But, my job requires a bit of concentration and I can't afford to be distracted by bad physical feelings, light headedness or that cold feeling I've been having. I am hoping when my monthly friend comes and goes, it might get help get me back to normal, as this is the time also when I crave sweets, carbs, and yes, if there's a slight usual meat craving it happens then, but never have things been so bad.



Thanks beachbnny for the congrats. Yes, I was unemployed for over a year and never found a job. So I am glad and I don't want to mess up.

I used to have that tuna craving too. I started taking an omega 3 suppliment and the cravings went away. I've been a vegetarian for 19 years and would not go back to eating meat for anything. When you have meat cravings try to eat something with alot of protein such as a bean burrito. Complex carbohydrates also combat cravings such as sugar. I once bought a big mac many years ago, took one bite and threw it away. It was REALLY bad food. Good luck in the future - you will never regret your decision.

Good for you TL! The job market is rough for everyone right now. You're doing everything right and are gonna be fine. Stress can be brutal and can make weird things happen to ya. I'm sure you're fine but a little blood test is always a good idea. Almonds during the day will help a lot. I take a mix of walnuts, cashews, almonds, and various dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, and blueberries. Gives me a sugar, iron, and omega boost in the middle of the day and really helps I've gotten everyone at work doing it too so it's not just a vegetarian thing.

This is the same thing that sparked me to fall of the veggie wagon years ago. I'm just starting out again and aware that I may come across this again.



I agree with Amira, I think that you may need to eat more protein. Balance out the sugary snacks like fruit with protein or eat soybeans or a bean salad instead.

I went through something similar myself about a year ago.

Now that I'm retransitioning back into vegetarianism, I've realized a couple things that got me off track.



Stress was the #1 contributor to my failure. Like you I went through some life changing events and during that time I went back to eating what I had grown up eating (comfort food) and cooking.

I think because my life was in upheaval at that time, the one thing that I felt like I could control was my diet.



I don't want this to sound like a cop-out, but for me when you are the only vegetarian you know and you don't have anyone to talk to about it, when you are transitioning, no matter what anyone else tells you, it makes it hard.

When we begin changing things within our lives that are completely different than anything we've ever known, we need support in doing that.

While I realize that you've been veg. for 13 months, you still need to feel that support from somewhere.



I want to commend you on how you are dealing with it though.

You've recognized something is going on and are looking for answers to figure out the problem.

So kudos to you for that!



But the short answer is that I think it has more to do with your life/new job, new schedule thing than anything.



As for the burger. I know this seems to simplistic, but have you tried a veggie burger? This might be all you need to quelch that craving. It might be worth it to try. If you don't want to deal with making one from scratch, there are several out there that really tasty.

Morningstar makes a spicy black bean burger that is really good. So good in fact that I have my omni friend eating them now.



I completely agree with the others. You might just need to up your calorie intake as well.

It's wintertime now, and with the stress your dealing with right now, you'll need to adjust your needs to those changes.

Don't forget to take some time for yourself as well.

Stress has a bad way of worming itself into our lives if we allow it and you surely don't want your immune system to take a hit, on top of everything else.



Good Luck to you!

I've determined I like mock-tuna salad better than the real thing, and I was always a big tuna salad lover.

Do you have an asian grocery store near you? Get some fake tuna and make a tuna salad or tuna mornay or whatever floats your boat.





EDIT: I should read replies before repeating them. he he

Just remember, if you give into your cravings, you will go from a tiger lover, to a "tiger-petter" \t

Yeah....food is a social thing for me..and I like the faux meats if I'm out with my bf, or whatever, and I want to have something similar to what he gets. Veggie burgers from MorningStar are good...but I haven't really tried anything from others.



I definitely recommend the one for mushroom lover's though. It's great!

I agree that shes probably lacking something in her diet. Eating meat will not make the cravings go away. It will most likely just make you want more.