[jason1977]

Hello all! I'm not a "strict" vegetarian yet, but I'm on my way. Doing it for the healthful benefits & nothing really politically motivated. I'm 33 & have had high blood pressure but refused to go on meds, so I took fish oil & I've gone from being checked in December being 145/95 to 122/82 a week ago. The meals here are MEAT and STARCH! THat's IT! SO, I'm trying to lose 20 pounds. I'm not obese or visibly overweight, but the measurements the navy uses for body fat %age puts me 3% over the limit & 21 lbs overweight. I have an athletic build, but them'z the standards...

For health purposes I'm slowly going veg. I've cut meat DRASTICALLY, and I'm increasing leafy greens & fruit intake as well as whole grain. Just shopped at Whole Foods today, spent $150 and I didn't get too much! This veg. thing is going to hurt the wallet I think, but I think organic is the way to go because I heard that Strict vegetarians are affected MORE by pesticides & chemicals used in veggie farming. Meat somehow offsets that. I dunno, I'm no Phd in veggie matters yet, but I've cracked the books open & I'm spongeing up good info, so I'm off to a good start.

Things I've started off with are bok choy, kale salad greens, buckwheat noodles, beans, nuts, etc. I DO have fish, (giving up seafood is asking the impossible, LOL!) I can give up the grill & BBQ, that's alright because there's substitutes. Anyhow, I'm going to be checking out the bells & whistles of this forum & engage in as many conversations as I can due to being extremely inquisitive as to how people do it without feeling the pinch. Glad to be aboard! Right now I'm not STRICTLY veg, but pretty soon, I'll be on my way to being corn-fed & chowdah bred....lol

 

[KrisMTL]

Not sure what to say.... can I vote thumbs down?

If you are doing it for health reasons, might as well go all the way, no? Just drop the meat at least, and then work your way to veganism IMHO.

 

[Back-Space]

Agreed. There is no healthy intake of meat. Even small amounts are damaging, no matter how little the damage.

But welcome to the forums, and hopefully we can enlighten you on some of the things we do to animals. There's really no argument to remain an omnivore.

 

[Semicharmed]

I clicked here and was like, OMG, my post was EATEN!

But it wasn't. There are just two of these threads, and I posted in the one in the other subforum.

Rather than judge someone's reasons or how far they go into the vegetarian world (which apparently we're not here to do, as I've personally been told before in the vegetarian forums

), I'll repost what I said in the other thread:

Quote:

Congratulations! And welcome to VB.

Oh, and just so you know, while this board is totally open to people who are working on becoming vegetarian, if you plan to continue to eat animals no-matter-what, this isn't going to be the place for you. Whether they make their homes on land or in the sea, animals are animals. And vegetarians don't eat animals. So if you do plan to become a vegetarian, rock on! But if you plan to continue to eat animals, and thus plan to remain an omnivore, well... Fair warning - the mods will hafta boot you.

Btw... you get a thumbs up for saying "chowdah" simply because I'm from Massachusetts and you bet your ass that's how we say it!

 

[jason1977]

There's no vegan in me, lol.... I respect your right to your beliefs, opinions, views, etc., I'll just say "rain-check..." Not sure there's damage caused by eating seafood other than eating it raw & getting food poisoning... Even monks who live on a vegetarian diet have seafood twice or 3 times a week. Saw no signs of damage, though, I'm not a doctor, LOL! At any rate, thank you for the warm welcome! I look forward to asking many questions, exchanging recipes, & being recruited.......LOL!!!

 

[jason1977]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Semicharmed

I clicked here and was like, OMG, my post was EATEN!

But it wasn't. There are just two of these threads, and I posted in the one in the other subforum.

Rather than judge someone's reasons or how far they go into the vegetarian world (which apparently we're not here to do, as I've personally been told before in the vegetarian forums

), I'll repost what I said in the other thread:

Like I said, I'm pursuing it (just began) for the health benefits & not for any political reason or another. So far I've been recruited to be vegan & getting told I'll be booted.....& here I was waiting to ask questions & maybe get support from the more practiced veterans out there....I respect your beliefs, world view, etc. I don't share it to the degree you do. It's not even that I disagree, it's just not my lifestyle..LOL....how I eat isn't going to define me or validate/ invalidate me as a person, LMAO!!!

I'm from Connecticut, but now in South Carolina in the Smoky Mountains...Cherokee Country, (essentially where Last of the Mohicans was filmed).

 

[jason1977]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KrisMTL

Not sure what to say.... can I vote thumbs down?

If you are doing it for health reasons, might as well go all the way, no? Just drop the meat at least, and then work your way to veganism IMHO.

Vote all you wish, though I didn't come here to be judged.....not that I mind, I don't care one way or the other, except maybe I'm thinking seeking a forum to ask questions will yield judgement before response & I think I made a mistake in thinking this was a good idea....... kinda like 2 answers for the price of one question.

 

[zirpkatze]

i'm confused. are you planning on becoming vegetarian or are you still going to eat fish?

 

[jason1977]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zirpkatze

i'm confused. are you planning on becoming vegetarian or are you still going to eat fish?

yes. There are Pesce-vegetarians out there. I'm slowly discovering that definitions create division here.....so there it is. Didn't think a shift in diet would put me on the defensive, from the fold I'm looking into no less. Yes, I'm going to on occasion still eat seafood. And eggs & milk, & cheese....... so if I were to categorize myself, which seems to matter here, I'd say lacto-ovo-pesce-vegetarian. Coined a new term. (I think).

http://www.passionatevegetarian.com/...rian_types.htm

There's an interesting link. Shouldn't be something nobody's never seen before... Everything is pretty much in my very first post. (now that I've read it again, I sounded hopeful.....I thought changing my diet would be frustrating......LOL!!!)

 

[zirpkatze]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason1977

yes. There are Pesce-vegetarians out there. I'm slowly discovering that definitions create division here.....so there it is. Didn't think a shift in diet would put me on the defensive, from the fold I'm looking into no less. Yes, I'm going to on occasion still eat seafood. And eggs & milk, & cheese....... so if I were to categorize myself, which seems to matter here, I'd say lacto-ovo-pesce-vegetarian. Coined a new term. (I think).

http://www.passionatevegetarian.com/...rian_types.htm

There's an interesting link. Shouldn't be something nobody's never seen before... Everything is pretty much in my very first post. (now that I've read it again, I sounded hopeful.....I thought changing my diet would be frustrating......LOL!!!)

while there may be people out there who call themselves vegetarian while eating fish, a vegetarian does not eat animals of any kind including sea animals like fish

 

[jason1977]

I never called myself anything really......I'm not changing my diet or trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy blood pressure because I need an identifying social title...LOL. There are what are called pesce-vegetarians. So I'm doing that for now. Who knows what the future may hold. I already know I'll get more flak from vegetarians & vegans than my family...LOL...I see it as a shift in diet & not so much a major identity decision... It's not like I'm converting to catholicism or calvinism here where you have to take a doctrine pill & swallow it. I'm changing my diet. That means I can modify it the way that makes the most sense to me at the time perhaps. Maybe checking out a forum was a bad idea I think. I wasn't really seeking indoctrination into anything, I just simply wanted to ask a ton of questions and get recipies. Do vegetarians do that? LOL!!!

 

[Kjesta]

I already posted in the other thread, but reading your posts here, you need to take a chill pill. If you intend to remain eating animals, you're not a vegetarian in any way, shape or form - you're violating the board rules, which is a perfectly acceptable thing to point out. You shouldn't believe everything you're told on the internet. If you eat animals, you're not vegetarian. It's a very simple mistake that was pointed out to you.

Sheesh.

 

[jason1977]

Is it a violation to be intersted in becoming a vegetarian? Is it a violation to be new? Is it a violation to be interested in easing the transistion? Is it too much to ask to make a diet shift without seeking validation or title? I've been nothing but judged since I set foot in this forum. I'd like you to go back to my original post. See that I'm new to this. See that I'm "ON MY WAY" to becoming a vegetarian.... My thermostat is just fine. My suggestion would be maybe to focus on the fact that I'm NEW, INTERESTED, and GOING THRU A TRANSITION, and perhaps here for ADVICE & to maybe learn something. If I'm not to believe everything on the internet, the first data dump would be "there's only one type of vegetarian". There are lacto-ovo vegetarians. THere are pesce-vegetarians. Maybe not PURIST to your satisfaction, but they exist none the less. I'm not here for any political reasons, but a diet shift for health benefits. THis is a vegetarian forum. THere a few different shapes & sizes. Just like there's many denominations in Christianity. There's many ethnicities in the human race. Essentially what you're telling me is I can chat in a christian chat room, but only if I'm catholic, or I can be american, but I have to be of "X" color in order to be at the forum. Zero animal products would be vegan, but I didn't google VEGAN forums when looking for a VEGETARIAN forum to maybe ask questions and get recipes. I'm also not making an identity shift, simply diet only. I respect your views, but you come off as a sort of purist perhaps & I couldn't help but read other threads about people being bothered by friends & family for their decision. I came here hopeful & ready to ask questions about furthering my transition & I've gotten nothing but judged right off the bat & basically taught that definitions cause division. (IS THERE A MODERATOR IN THE HOUSE?????) If I am in violation, then by all means, report me. I'm interested in speaking to a moderator. I'm not here to offend anyone, but I'm also not here because I'm changing who I am. I'm changing my diet. I just started this week. Instead of maybe pointing definitions in titles, maybe an approach of perhaps, "It wasn't easy for me, it took time & discipline, but over maybe 2 or 3 months, I'm very pleased to say I'm no longer eating meat & am the healthiest I've ever been." I think maybe a less judgemental aire in the place & a more supportive thought process towards new people who are hopeful would be in order. Not sure I need a chill pill, I could do with less judgement & more objective & productive conversation.....which is what I thought I'd find here in the first place.

 

[zirpkatze]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason1977

Is it a violation to be intersted in becoming a vegetarian? Is it a violation to be new? Is it a violation to be interested in easing the transistion? Is it too much to ask to make a diet shift without seeking validation or title? I've been nothing but judged since I set foot in this forum. I'd like you to go back to my original post. See that I'm new to this. See that I'm "ON MY WAY" to becoming a vegetarian.... My thermostat is just fine. My suggestion would be maybe to focus on the fact that I'm NEW, INTERESTED, and GOING THRU A TRANSITION, and perhaps here for ADVICE & to maybe learn something. If I'm not to believe everything on the internet, the first data dump would be "there's only one type of vegetarian". There are lacto-ovo vegetarians. THere are pesce-vegetarians. Maybe not PURIST to your satisfaction, but they exist none the less. I'm not here for any political reasons, but a diet shift for health benefits. THis is a vegetarian forum. THere a few different shapes & sizes. Just like there's many denominations in Christianity. There's many ethnicities in the human race. Essentially what you're telling me is I can chat in a christian chat room, but only if I'm catholic, or I can be american, but I have to be of "X" color in order to be at the forum. Zero animal products would be vegan, but I didn't google VEGAN forums when looking for a VEGETARIAN forum to maybe ask questions and get recipes. I'm also not making an identity shift, simply diet only. I respect your views, but you come off as a sort of purist perhaps & I couldn't help but read other threads about people being bothered by friends & family for their decision. I came here hopeful & ready to ask questions about furthering my transition & I've gotten nothing but judged right off the bat & basically taught that definitions cause division. (IS THERE A MODERATOR IN THE HOUSE?????) If I am in violation, then by all means, report me. I'm interested in speaking to a moderator. I'm not here to offend anyone, but I'm also not here because I'm changing who I am. I'm changing my diet. I just started this week. Instead of maybe pointing definitions in titles, maybe an approach of perhaps, "It wasn't easy for me, it took time & discipline, but over maybe 2 or 3 months, I'm very pleased to say I'm no longer eating meat & am the healthiest I've ever been." I think maybe a less judgemental aire in the place & a more supportive thought process towards new people who are hopeful would be in order. Not sure I need a chill pill, I could do with less judgement & more objective & productive conversation.....which is what I thought I'd find here in the first place.

i did ask if you plan on eating fish and you said yes. the mods will make the decision in the end and they are being made aware. did you read the rules? the first thing it says is that if you eat fish you're not a vegetarian. that's not something that's debatable. fish is not vegetarian. period.
if you'd like help in eliminating fish from your diet you've come to the right place and people will be more than happy to offer suggestions.

 

[jason1977]

THIS is the FIRST post that extends SOME help of any kind! YES, I read the rules. I would think the "powers that be" are interested in the best interests of vegetarians here, & perhaps the interests of those trying to make the transition? That's why I'm here! After my original post, I get ka-ka'd more or less & nothing really helpful but definitions, thumbs down, being threatened w. being booted because I've not gotten my 100% vegetarian card in the mail yet....I'm in the process of doing that now & it seems like I've been on the defensive. If that's how it is here, then I'm perfectly ok with just saying perhaps this forum wasn't a good idea. I thought there would be a bit of advice & encouragement. Essentially I thought there would be more like me. More people becoming vegetarian......kinda like people quitting smoking? Sometimes it helps when a smoker talks to someone who has quit & not smoked for 20+years but smoked 2 packs a day.....see what I mean? I'm not here to cause trouble, but I can't help but be taken aback at the reception....you should be vegan.....thumbs down....you'll be booted.....you're not a true vegetarian....(I'm thinking....wow....) I used an example in another thread....it's like going to a church looking to change your ways & people tell you, well, do x,y,z, then get back to me....you're not a true "Christian" just as an example. I've made an attempt to talk to a moderator.....Like I said, if this is how it is, more for vegetarians & not so much encouragement, tips, recipes, etc for people interested or becoming vegetarian, then maybe this isn't for me. I'm ok with that. YES I'd like to ultimately eliminate fish from my diet, as it is now, I haven't really figured out how to get a solid source of protein. I know there's nuts & beans, etc, but I'm trying to learn how to do it in a way that's not austere. I HAVE eliminated pork, chicken, beef, etc. It's gone. I have a pack of tuna burgers, & fish sticks & that's it. My fridge is LOADED with veggies, ruit, my pantry is LOADED with omega 3, whole grain dry stuffs, beans, etc...I just am going thru the "how do I make it all work" part. I know it can be tastey, THIS is one of the hot ticket items I came here for is to ask how others obtain protein from various sources & not exclude flavor altogether.

 

[SomebodyElse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason1977

THIS is the FIRST post that extends SOME help of any kind! YES, I read the rules. I would think the "powers that be" are interested in the best interests of vegetarians here, & perhaps the interests of those trying to make the transition? That's why I'm here! After my original post, I get ka-ka'd more or less & nothing really helpful but definitions, thumbs down, being threatened w. being booted because I've not gotten my 100% vegetarian card in the mail yet....I'm in the process of doing that now & it seems like I've been on the defensive. If that's how it is here, then I'm perfectly ok with just saying perhaps this forum wasn't a good idea. I thought there would be a bit of advice & encouragement. Essentially I thought there would be more like me. More people becoming vegetarian......kinda like people quitting smoking? Sometimes it helps when a smoker talks to someone who has quit & not smoked for 20+years but smoked 2 packs a day.....see what I mean? I'm not here to cause trouble, but I can't help but be taken aback at the reception....you should be vegan.....thumbs down....you'll be booted.....you're not a true vegetarian....(I'm thinking....wow....) I used an example in another thread....it's like going to a church looking to change your ways & people tell you, well, do x,y,z, then get back to me....you're not a true "Christian" just as an example. I've made an attempt to talk to a moderator.....Like I said, if this is how it is, more for vegetarians & not so much encouragement, tips, recipes, etc for people interested or becoming vegetarian, then maybe this isn't for me. I'm ok with that. YES I'd like to ultimately eliminate fish from my diet, as it is now, I haven't really figured out how to get a solid source of protein. I know there's nuts & beans, etc, but I'm trying to learn how to do it in a way that's not austere. I HAVE eliminated pork, chicken, beef, etc. It's gone. I have a pack of tuna burgers, & fish sticks & that's it. My fridge is LOADED with veggies, ruit, my pantry is LOADED with omega 3, whole grain dry stuffs, beans, etc...I just am going thru the "how do I make it all work" part. I know it can be tastey, THIS is one of the hot ticket items I came here for is to ask how others obtain protein from various sources & not exclude flavor altogether.

Well you got people's attention when you made it look like you think vegetarians eat fish, you know, by mentioning those monks and that website, etc. The main problem with people who call themselves vegetarian, but will eat fish, is that vegetarians end up getting served fish because "well all the other vegetarians who come here eat it!". I don't know if you are doing that. But that's one of the reason's we don't like it.

If you really want to transition away from all animal flesh, including sea animals like fish, crustaceans, molluscs, etc., I think you need to make that pretty clear. If you need a mod's attention, you usually have to either PM them, or report a post you find problematic.

You don't have to submit to vegan "brainwashing". There are plenty of people here who abstain from all animal flesh for their health. But you do need to clearly state that it is your intention to quit eating fish. Because this is not a forum for people who think it is ok to eat any kind of animal, for whatever reason they have for not wanting to.

 

[Irizary]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason1977

My fridge is LOADED with veggies, ruit, my pantry is LOADED with omega 3, whole grain dry stuffs, beans, etc...I just am going thru the "how do I make it all work" part. I know it can be tastey, THIS is one of the hot ticket items I came here for is to ask how others obtain protein from various sources & not exclude flavor altogether.

When I said focus on specific issues in the other thread, instead of announcing you plan to continue to eat animals (which is against the terms of service!), this is what I mean. I think there are threads called "what did you eat vegan/vegetarian today" in the appropriate forums that might give ideas of what other people are eating too.

 

[nuddle]

welcome, I am new to the whole vegan thing too, I thought it odd that you are finding it more expensive though, having cut meat from my weekly shopping bill has reduced it by a fair bit.

 

[izzytheterrible]

Hi Jason, welcome to VB and congratulations on working your way to becoming a vegetarian.

When I got the "stop eating all animal fats" lecture I decided to take things a step further and stop eating all animals whatsoever. Since fish also has a lot of toxins I decided to cut those out too.

My grocery bill was instantly cut in half. Beans replaces meat and can be purchased dried for $1 a pound at walmart. Its time to learn a whole new way of living, not just replacing your old foods with soy versions. Try new recipes!

Good luck on your journey.

 

[Semicharmed]

You have my apologies if you felt I was threatening to boot you. I don't have that power, I assure you! It was just a friendly heads up that you sounded like you were breaking the first rule of the forums.

I'm happier if someone will point out to me, "Hey, that's now allowed" or "Heads up, that is not what this board is for" rather than just watch me break rules and wait for the mods to get me. Thought you might appreciate the same advance notice.

And... Man, if you are interested in becoming a vegetarian, this place IS for you! We welcome people who are interested in becoming vegetarian, even if you aren't already! As long as your intention is to pursue a vegetarian life, come on in and pull up a seat!

It was just that you SEEMED (to me) to be saying that becoming vegetarian was "asking the impossible." So I thought you were saying, "I intend to stay an omnivore, no matter what, because to be vegetarian is impossible." If I misinterpreted, I apologize. If you are open to becoming vegetarian, even if you aren't now, then WELCOME!