Ignore them, and prove them wrong.

 

i can imagine how frustrated you might feel about this lack of support and understanding. i can also understand that your friends might not understand, and might think you're being a bit radical, crazy, or that its some kind of a phaze.

they'll probably get over it when they see that you're serious about it. for the meanwhile, i'd probably just nod, smile, and carry on, i'd change the subject or wander off, if they start being irritating, and try and not get drawn into any silly discussions, and try and not get in a mood if they tease me, you know?

the less you mention it, the less they'll notice it and be stupid about it, and the less of a big deal you make it, over time, the more normal it'll become for them to associate you with vegetarianism, and vegetarianism with 'not weird'.

i also think its great that you're not pushing your choices on them, that kinda thing can make people get their backs up and act defensively. they might also be questioning their own choices to eat meat now that you aren't, or feeling slightly guilty or judged, (even though you're not doing anything to them) which could explain why they're being silly.

i hope things get better soon- i bet they will in a few days!

 

There's a thread around here called Stupid Things Omnivores Say - actually there are two threads - in which people sometimes post the replies they gave to people who say the same things your friends say. There's another thread called Witty Responses. And there's a book called Being Vegetarian For Dummies, that has three chapters on dealing with omnis. I found this book and these threads very helpful when I was first starting out.

 

I agree with everyone. If you have the motivation, and you stay with it, you will prove them wrong. Then after you've been with it for awhile, you can criticize their eating habits!

 

Criticism and general mickey-taking is usually worse at the beginning and eventually your friends will get bored of it once the novelty wears off. Like others have said, just stick with it, prove them wrong and once you're an 'established' vegetarian people probably won't even mention it any more!

 

My friends were much the same way when I first went veg. Little did they know that their belief that I wouldn't stick with it was what gave me the extra oomph when I felt a meat attack. After the novelty wore off, they backed down. As long as you don't make a big deal of it, eventually they won't.

 

thanks so much everybody, i'm definately sticking with it. i have 2 friends that are veg already, but the majority that are around aren't. so i'll stick with thos two more often and ignore what everyone else says. they'll get over it eventually. if not, it's their loss.. not mine

 

I tend to find when "Friends" say obnoxious disrespectful things about your lifestyle, they are not really your friends. Friends respect your truth and you respect theirs. A real friend appreciates your differences and does not try to bully you into being the same as he/she is. To ask you to live someone elses life is unreasonable. My only advise is to take a leap and change your lifestyle and stop relying on these friends. For instance, see if you can join a vegetarian group, and hang out with them. If you are in High School or College that is better because you can get help starting a student organization. If you really need these friends for some reason, then I guess the only thing you can do is tell them that you dont appreciate how disrespectful they are and that you are serious.

 

When choosing an alternate point of view, it helps to find a community to lean on. VB can be good for that, along with your two veg friends. The most important thing you can do is be true to yourself, and late haters sort their own crap out.

 

I think alot of us here have had 'friends' or family that are unsupportive of our choices, but like Epski said, having a community like this can be a real help. Having actual veg friends in RL is an extra added bonus

Please just try to remember that you are not doing this for popularity or to fit in, but because you know it is the right thing to do.

I personally think, although not everyone would agree with me, that when omnis make fun of veg*n's, it's because they are uncomfortable, because on some level, they know slaughtering animals and eating their flesh for their selfish gastronomic pleasures is wrong.

Maybe that's not true at all, but the thought sometimes helps me get through the day.

 

Quote:

I personally think, although not everyone would agree with me, that when omnis make fun of veg*n's, it's because they are uncomfortable, because on some level, they know slaughtering animals and eating their flesh for their selfish gastronomic pleasures is wrong.

Maybe that's not true at all, but the thought sometimes helps me get through the day.

It may be true, but I bet that thought has entered a lot of people's minds when comparing their vegetarian selves with omni's.

The reason why I'm veggie is not because for any kind of 'special diet' (although it does help!), I simply believe that killing animals in any way for food is wrong.

I only have one vegetarian friend who happens to live 5000 miles away, so I often don't get support when I most need it. Talking about things here helps, or you could start a vegetarian club at your school. Don't feel like you're the only one. Only 3% of the population may be vegetarian, but that equals to around:

180000000 veg*ns.

 

hi, and welcome. who gives a crap what they think.

 

Yeah I have a girl at work who keeps waving things like cakes under my nose, and saying stuff like 'I could just do with a nice juicy steak' really childish. I've found that the smell of dairy and meat makes me feel sick, but the smell of dairy is enough to make me sick because of my allergy. So waving cakes under my nose is really bad for my health, but she still does it all the time.

I found at the start that thinking about being a vegan made me focus on what I couldn't eat, instead my label is 'me' I choose not to use animal products, but I am still just me.

Oh and not telling people helped as well, I just told them I was on a diet and they left me alone.

 

Yeah, a lot of my friends reacted similarly when I went vegetarian a year and a half ago, but after a while they all just accepted it. Lots of my friends are now happy to cook with me and I have had people turn to me when they're out of eggs to find out how to replace them! (I do eat free-range eggs occasionally, but my baking is all vegan.)

On a different note, I thought you were my friend... I have a friend named Amber who's gone vegetarian for New Years, whose friends other than me and our other vegetarian friend don't support her! But we're both Canadian, so apparently not. Weird though.

 

being a vegan sounds like it would be very hard

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by synergy

I personally think, although not everyone would agree with me, that when omnis make fun of veg*n's, it's because they are uncomfortable, because on some level, they know slaughtering animals and eating their flesh for their selfish gastronomic pleasures is wrong.

Maybe that's not true at all, but the thought sometimes helps me get through the day.

Hey, that's what I was going to say.

OP: being vegan isn't that hard at all but it does help sometimes to take your time and get really familiar with the different food options. The only big vegan issue is making sure you get your b12. A lot of vegans take a supplement. If the rest of your diet includes a good variety of vegan foods the rest of the nutrients will be supplied in plenty. Some hardcore athletes are even switching:

Quote:

Brendan Brazier is a professional Ironman triathlete, the 2003 and 2006 Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion, a bestselling author on performance nutrition and the creator of an award-winning meal replacement and energy bar formula called Vega.

I had the luck of meeting Brendan at the ING New York City Marathon Health & Wellness expo this past November. I later had the opportunity to speak with him about his life, career, Vega and about being the world's premier vegan athlete.

1. When did you decide to be a vegan and why?

I wanted to help improve my athletic performance. I don't remember where I got the idea, except that I was running track and I just wanted to get better. I was trying different training principles and I was looking at diet as one way to improve my performance and a plant-based diet came up as something that seemed interesting to me. People seemed so certain it wouldn't work that it motivated me even more. This was about 16 years ago.

http://www.thefinalsprint.com/2006/1...endan-brazier/

 

my parents acting like your friends are is what helped me be so adamant with vegetarianism and later veganism. so i say, use them as a motivator.