misslady66

wanted to and handled being veg just fine
took daily vitamins, protein bars, sometimes protein shakes or peanut butter
but
after 1 1/2 months I started losing my appetite.. it became optional to eat and I mean I could eat I just was never hungry
this might have been the vitamins but I would mix it up and not always take the daily vitamin so it was just the no meat thing
I started eating meat again and I'm eating 3 meals now and I get hungry for even more so is that the reason?
the meat brings appetite?

CHANDLERS WISH

I think being a Vegetarian should be a choice, because you like it and you don't like meat..

I think if you do it for weight situations, your depriving yourself and as such, when you go back and eat meat, your hungry for it as a result, you missed it.

A good balance is all that is required, 200grms of meat is suficient and good in the non putting on weight department with loads of vegetarian style topped on the plate, to fill you up.

I think Meat is healthy for you, unless you don't like it...

CW

__________________
Do we not realise that in order to find a soul
It doesn't happen over night
if truth were to be told

Like everything in life that's hard to achieve
you must believe!

Register! | Rules/FAQ | Contact Mod

rosalee

that depends on what you were eating. if your were eating healthy, the recomended whole grains,fruits,veggies and soy based products , you body is not craving the food because it is getting what it needs. but if you were eating an unhealthy diet,I'm not really sure.
I'm vegan but I eat all the time just cuz i love fruit so much lol.
also, alot of meat contains chemicals that are actually addictive making your body feel that it needs it.

WildChild

Was a vegetarian for quite a few years and know people who've done it for well over 30 years. You really have to understand diet and healthy eating. Multi vitamins have been found to cause a host of problems, there were studies released on this in just the past year. It isn't enough to just not eat meat, most people don't really eat a healthy diet with or without it. There are number of good books on the subject, Food and Mood, is one. Foods are chemicals and affect every aspect of your health, emotions and functionality.

A host of things affect your appetite. Did you know that the size and color of your dishes will affect how much you eat? People with large plates eat more, the colors red or yellow stimulate appetite, while blue curbs it? Your emotional state is a huge factor too. A lot of us eat under stress, others quit eating. Timing is important, several small meals is healthier than a couple of large ones. Dim lighting will cause you to eat more as well.

Eating should be a sensory experience. Take time to prepare something well and make it attractive. Smaller servings on smaller, attractive dishes, maybe a few flowers on the table. Take time to really taste and experience your food; the smell, the flavors, the texture, should all combine to make a sensual experience of pleasure. When you just shovel it in you don't taste it and you eat more. You shouldn't eat in front of the TV or on the run, although sometimes therejust ins't time. That's when you should grab a nice crisp organic apple or other fruit or some cheese and whole grain crackers or bread or maybe a cup of yogurt. Letting yourself go hungry very often will put your body into a conservation mode to deal with the famine, you'll feel sluggish and gain weight.

Right now sounds like emotional eating, you were feeling virtuous and deprived. So you're making up for it. Protein shakes and such are for people trying to gain weight or doing heavy workouts, I never knew a vegetarian who used them. My neighbor is a veg, bikes over 30 miles a day, is 78 and doesn't eat like that. So calm down, cut your portions and take time to enjoy your food.

Aithneu

When I first turned vegitarian i also lost my appetite. honestly though, it was because my parents weren't down with it so they weren't very supportive. i mean they bought me stuff, but it was the same foods every day and eventually i quit eating altogether. It's easy to just eat cheese pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches and mac n cheese as meals instead of ensuring you get the whole food spectrum (a healthy diet) in, especially when you haven't been vegitarian over a year. for extra protein try refried beans- they're versatile, lol. and vegitarian baked beans, lentil soup. those are all actually vegan, but they're good for protein purposes and they don't taste too bad.

echoskybound

I've always had a very low appetite, so I'm not sure if my choice to be vegetarian has had any affect on my appetite. It varies from person to person. Meat made me sick when I was younger, so it made me lose my appetite because I associate it with getting sick. I think vegetarian diets do tend to cause a little weight loss, I'm not sure why. But some people may need that, lol.

If you want to continue being vegetarian because you are trying to maintain your cholesterol, it might be worth it to keep it up. I had VERY high cholesterol even when I was young, so I'm really concerned about it. I read a statistic saying that the average omnivore's cholesterol level in the U.S. is 210, and the average vegetarian’s cholesterol level is 161 and the average vegan’s cholesterol level is 133, and apparently people with cholesterol levels below 150 are virtually assured of never having a heart attack. I think I'll go the safe route.... lol.

I bake bread for myself all the time because it's high in carbs and very filling (pasta's a decently "heavy" food too.) I drink a ton of fruit/veggie smoothies like Bolthouse, Odwalla, or Naked which are GREAT sources of veggie proteins, omega-3, etc. There's a wheat gluten meat substitute I like called sei-tan that's very high in protein and has a pork-like texture, and brands like Lightlife Smart Deli make AMAZING turkey, bologna, and peperoni substitutes that taste JUST like the real thing, but with 0 cholesterol. They're a little pricey, but good for your heart :]


I encourage you not to give up :] But you should just do whatever makes you feel the best.

reilu

just my opinion......you dont need all of the vitamins and supplements. you can get the nutrition you need by eating the right foods. you are probably like me, and not eating meat, but not eating good foods either......i just posted a thread about it...haha. i was asking for advice on what are really good foods to eat cuz ive really been slipping as of late. honestly though, when i became a vegetarian, it took me about two years to really become one. i would say i was, but every once in a while, like once maybe twice a month, i would eat meat.....but its been nearly three years that ive officially not eaten meat. the first months are the hardest. keep at it a little longer if its what you really want.

WildChild

Educate yourself, carefully. There are some excellent books and magazines (I like Veggie Times). Reilu is right vegetarians can have poor diets just as easily as meat eaters.

reilu

EXACTLY!! im gonna work on mine though!! lol

Ana Bread

i grew up in a house where my mom was vegetarian, and my dad was not... i was never forced to have meat as the main dish at dinner. because my mom didn't eat it, there were always a great amount of vegetables to choose from in my home. now that i'm grown, i don't follow either of their ways religiously, i eat meat and vegetables but i can have a meal that is only meat, or only vegetables instead of feeling like i'm supposed to have a certain kind of dinner. (i make spaghetti with spaghetti sauce, and meat sauce so i can have the option, fettuccine alfredo with chicken on the side...)