[Kelly_Turtle]

I'm new to this board, but I'm not new to vegetarianism. I'm 23 and I've been a vegetarian for almost 7 years. In the beginning, I could always eat meat as long as I didin't really think about what it was. My family pushed me too far. They would moo when we ate hamburgers. They pushed me too far. I think it was just a sort of a rebillion against them though. I like to be different. My family isn't very supportive. My dad and brother are big hunters. All I ask of them is to respect my feelings, but they always talk about it around me. I don't take very good care of myself though. I don't eat all the things that I should. I try to research it, but I get so confused at what I should be getting. I'm really concerned now though because my husband and I are wanting to start a family soon and I am really worried about this. I'm scared that I may have hurt my body and I won't be able to have kids for some reason or that I'll lose the baby. I'm almost to the point where I wish I could just eat meat, but it's been too long and I'm too grossed out about it. Everytime I seriously think about eating meat, I almost throw-up. (My husband is a meat eater.) I just really don't know what to do. I have no one to talk to and I'm concerned about my health. I have friends who tell me that I'm not getting the right nutrients and I know they are right. I really don't eat what I should. You would think that being a vegetarian for 7 years, I would be healthy and thin, but I'm slightly overweight. I would never read labels so I could pretend that certain foods aren't made by animal products and that was okay. I don't really know why I'm posting. I guess I just needed to vent. If you have any advice for me, you can send it my way. I'm losing hope and I don't know what to do.

Sorry this is long.

 

[GhostUser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kelly_Turtle

I'm new to this board, but I'm not new to vegetarianism. I'm 23 and I've been a vegetarian for almost 7 years. In the beginning, I could always eat meat as long as I didin't really think about what it was. My family pushed me too far. They would moo when we ate hamburgers. They pushed me too far. I think it was just a sort of a rebillion against them though. I like to be different. My family isn't very supportive. My dad and brother are big hunters. All I ask of them is to respect my feelings, but they always talk about it around me. I don't take very good care of myself though. I don't eat all the things that I should. I try to research it, but I get so confused at what I should be getting. I'm really concerned now though because my husband and I are wanting to start a family soon and I am really worried about this. I'm scared that I may have hurt my body and I won't be able to have kids for some reason or that I'll lose the baby. I'm almost to the point where I wish I could just eat meat, but it's been too long and I'm too grossed out about it. Everytime I seriously think about eating meat, I almost throw-up. (My husband is a meat eater.) I just really don't know what to do. I have no one to talk to and I'm concerned about my health. I have friends who tell me that I'm not getting the right nutrients and I know they are right. I really don't eat what I should. You would think that being a vegetarian for 7 years, I would be healthy and thin, but I'm slightly overweight. I would never read labels so I could pretend that certain foods aren't made by animal products and that was okay. I don't really know why I'm posting. I guess I just needed to vent. If you have any advice for me, you can send it my way. I'm losing hope and I don't know what to do.

Sorry this is long.

Hello there..

first of all - don't be sorry for 'venting'. We all have been there adn we are still there.

It is a shame that 'family' is the ones to really make us feel like S%#t wiht this lifestyle. The problem is when they act the way they do it is their defensive mechanism shining through. They know damn well they are wrong, they just act this way to get around it.

What I will bever get is if these are the people that love us so much, how cna they treat us like this and not support us.

You have come to the right place. There is tons of info here for you. You will find out the right foods to eat.

You will do fine. Just stick it out in here and you will be a vegan pro in no time!

Oh.,.show this to your family and friends who think it is a crazy lifestyle and think you can't survive http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/s...ad.php?t=62891

good luck!

 

[GhostUser]

Hi Kelly-Turtle

I just want to let you know that I am a mother of 2 and I did not have any trouble conceiving, I had problem-free pregnancies, and I have very healthy children. When I became pregnant my family freaked and almost stopped talking to me unless I ate meat - of course I refused as I knew I was feeding myself well and I showed em! But it's hard I know - when I went veggie at 15 my mum still put meat on my plate every day and said if I didn't want it I would have to cook for myself - so I did!

If you haven't already done so, I would really recommend buying a good vegetarian cook book which provides daily guidelines and sample menus so you know you're getting everything you need. It's really easy - and delicious!

I would also urge you to start taking Folic Acid as soon as you start trying for a baby.

Anyway, you've come to the right place for support and ideas on how to eat - there's loads of great recipes and the people here have a LOT of knowledge about this subject.

Take care now, vegmumma xxx

 

[veggielove]

Kelly, I am currently pregnant - my husband and I are both vegetarian, have been 6 years, and we got pregnant the first month we tried to conceive. So being vegetarian shouldn't affect your fertility at all (who knows, maybe it will help!!) My doctor was very pleased to hear I was following a healthy vegetarian diet, and said that she wished all of her patients would eat as many vegetables during pregnancy as I do!

If you eat a healthy diet you will get all the nutrients you need for your baby. Like ANY mother, vegetarian or meat eating, make sure you are taking FOLIC ACID before you start to try to conceive, and then take a nice prenatal vitamin during your pregnancy. The prenatal vitamins contain all the vitamins you might "miss out" on from meat (B12 being the major one, but if you eat dairy and eggs, you're getting that anyway!) Being SLIGHTLY overweight is also not unhealthy at all - it shouldn't affect your fertility.

Get the book "what to expect when you are expecting" - its one of the most popular pregnancy books in the world, and it has a section on nutrition - and it agrees that being vegetarian is perfectly fine!!!! It even has vegan food ideas in it. It has been WONDERFUL and has really helped reassure my husband and I during this process - i cannot more strongly recommend it.

Also, since you are specifically worried about being vegetarian during pregnancy , i have a book about vegetarian pregnancy, which asks a lot of questions like yours. I can't find it right now, but seriously, i think the only book you need is "What to expect when you are expecting", it is awesome.

Being afraid of losing a baby is totally normal - trust me, I'm scared to death too - but I know my vegetarian diet is HEALTHY for my baby, and is one of the ways I am caring for the baby better than most!!! So take a deep breath, learn everything you can about nutrition from the book i mentioned, and don't worry!!! You will be fine!!!

 

[Aimra]

I know a lot of people can get hung-up on that you have to eat meat to have all of your nutrients. But seriously I am eating so much better now then I ever did when I ate meat. Seriously, how is going out and having a hamburger going to suddenly make someone healthier? It just doens't make sense when you really think about it. You can be unhealthy while eating meat and while being a vegetarian.

I would reccomend going to see a nutritionist who knows about a vegetarian diet. You can get blood tests done to check your nutrients as well. I'm still learning how to eat well (on any type of diet) and so I take a multi-vitamin to be sure I'm getting everything I need while I'm still learning.

Eating meat will not magically make you more nutritionally complete.

I hope you find the answers you need to put your mind at ease. One thing that can stop you from conceiving is lots of stress! Just do your homework, talk to a doctor/nutritionist and hopefully it will all come together for you soon. Good luck!