As of today I am one week shy of having been meatless for an entire year.
For 51 weeks I have eaten no beef, pork, poultry, seafood/fish or whole eggs.
It went by so fast, didn’t it? I am still in disbelief that I stayed meatless for almost a whole calendar year, met my weight loss goal, gained the energy of my youth back and overall changed my health for the better.
Many of you have asked if I am going to quit vegetarianism after November 2nd. My answer to that question has been, “If you were doing something that made you feel great and was good for you with no side effects, why would would you stop doing it?” I will admit, this was initially going to be just a year long experiment, but I just don’t feel the urge to go back to the lethargic way things were before November 2nd of last year.
However, I am wrestling with the idea of going back to eating whole eggs and seafood. One of the factors keeping me from consuming the latter again is the pollutants that some experts claim to have contaminated the fish and seafood—before or after the Gulf oil spill earlier this year.
Of course, there is also the matter of how sea life and egg laying hens are treated. There are more humane ways to get eggs so maybe I will only consume them from free range chickens.
Speaking of poultry, the smell of turkey on Thanksgiving and Christmas is tempting. These are the only times I would ever be tempted to partake in poultry. But should I? Starting my meatless year in November wasn’t an arbitrary decision. I started that particular month as to get the hardest part of being meatless, the holidays, out of the way within the first two months.
There is the social aspect to consider as well. Over the course of the past year I have also received funny looks from people when I ask if a dish is meat free—so imagine how it would look to others refusing turkey on the holiday in front of a friend’s family or my own. If I just eat turkey on the holidays would it make me a bad person? Would it make me a hypocrite?
What do you all think?
One week to go.
Talk to you soon!
All writing, videos and pictures copyright the author of this blog unless otherwise noted or, if really darn obvious.
I think eating meat so infrequently would make you physically ill. You've now gotten used to not having any meat in your system
ReplyDeleteI have heard that too. But, is that for all types of meat? I think it is true of beef and pork but what about poultry, eggs or fish/seafood?
ReplyDelete-Jason, AKA MM
I know when I go meatless for any length of time and try to eat some meat, any meat I get a little ill. The longer I go with out, the sicker I get when I reintroduce it to my diet. Why do I do this to myself? I'm not sure. Seafood isn't too bad, but if you do decide to occasionally eat it I see nothing wrong with it. Its like with soda. I only have 1 when I fly and its the only time I let myself drink it. Otherwise I never would, so a little turkey on Thanksgiving is not a big deal.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of people who, after a longer meat abstinence, went back to eat meat again and their libido (sexual desire) disappeared and it never came back. ;-))) Congrats to you, I am very happy that you made it.
ReplyDeleteYour body is now free of certain enzymes that aid in the breakdown of flesh foods - if you decide to partake at T-day, I would check with your local health food store and see if they can recommend a supplement. First consider the Turkey farms and the horrific conditions in which these highly socialized animals are forced to endure. Also keep in mind that "free range" does not necessarily equal "cruelty free." Good job on the one year and happy vegetarian anniversary.
ReplyDelete~Chris C. - Chino Hills, CA
Okay, healthwise poultry or seafood may be easier to try again than beef or pork. Any other arguments for or against?
ReplyDelete-Jason, AKA MM
VegTVision, LOL!
ReplyDelete-Jason, AKA MM
Chris C,
ReplyDeleteI keep on having to remind myself of what most of our poultry has to go through in order to make it to our meal plates. It gets harder to obey the commanding smell of roasted turkey when one thinks of the overcrowding, beak snipping and other conditions these birds have to go endure.
-Jason, AKA MM
Jason,
ReplyDeleteI was eating seafood for awhile, but my consumption dropped considerably. The last time I tried to eat it, I got terribly sick. So, I think it's any meat at all.
I've heard the same thing about enzymes.
FFG,
ReplyDeleteMaybe not eating it for awhile and getting sick from when we do try it again is nature's way of saying, "You really shouldn't be eating this."
Thoughts on this?
Jason
Hi Jason,
ReplyDeleteI just came across your blog today. i am a full time vegetarian (never eaten meat). It is soo admirable to see someone who could give it up for a whole year AND surviving the holiday season! Congrats!! :)
Thanks Satya!
ReplyDelete- Animal protiens deplete your bones of calcium
ReplyDelete- We are fishing the LAST 10% os seafood stocks since the 1970's, that is a 90% lose(According to a recent documentary on CBC, based on Japan's commercial fishing statistics)
- TOFURKEY Makes a fake Vegan "stuffed turkey". Products like this may be available at health food stores
- For holidays, maybe you can negotiate simple changes in the menu to insure you have options for eating and in return you bring a vegetarian dish to share
A year? I've been A vegetarian for 4 years...my family? about 7 years...Without trying..its A life style not A goal. LMAO!
ReplyDeleteSo true. Healthy eating should not be looked at as a short term fix for health problems. Even though it helped me meet a weight loss goal, a vegetarian diet is, along with exercise, a way of life--not a quick fix. I think that is the major problem with the term "diet" as people "diet" to lose weight and when (or if) they meet their weight loss goal they just slide into the old, unhealthy habits.
ReplyDelete-Jason A.K.A. MM