How do I stay committed to being a vegetarian?

I wanna be vegan so bad, and I have tried to stop eating meat, but no matter what, I manage to give in and have some, and it makes me feel guilty. is there a way to stay away from meat? Is there any other foods that provde iron and protein besides meat? plz help!

Trust me, I've seen what they've done to the animals, that's why i feel so guilty when eating meat.

here's what i did (i had the hardest time before this):
I made goals. for one week, i marked on a calendar the days i ate meat. i would try to eliminate meat (just the meat, though, not the dairy and eggs) three days per week. if i didn't meet the goal, i repeated until i made the goal two weeks straight. once i was successful, i tried eliminating meat 4 days per week. then, just tried to meet the goal, and once i did for two weeks straight, i moved on to eliminating meat five days every week. i did it for two weeks straight, then went to six days, did the same thing, then finally it was seven. just be gradual and honest with yourself. if you make a mistake it's okay. being vegan, vegetarian, whatever is not about being perfect, but doing the best you can to help animals (which should be your reason). don't be too hard on yourself, and good luck! just be strict about writing it down. when you're doing the gradual calendar thing, just mark m if you ate meat, v if you didn't (or use other code). you can also write next to each week what your goal number is.

also, about the protein thing; i read an article about that. getting enough protein is not always about meat, it's about getting enough nutritious calories and eating well. just have variety (other than meat) in your diet, and you should be just fine. for iron, you can take multivitamins with extra iron in them, but plain multivitamins will work if you eat your green veggies! good luck!

Excellent sources of protein are: Rice w/Beans, Pasta w/Beans, Soy Products, Yogurt & Cheese. Men require less Iron than women.

haha........i tried this too, haven't suceeded though, yea there r lots stuff that provides iron, iron tablets for instance, and protien bars....buh anyways good luck.....

ok I am getting the impresson you have not done your research. Firstly you need to read, readand read some more and thatway you will avoid getting sick Log on toa website called vegan wolf - www.veganwolf.com and the vegetarian society uk - www.vegsoc.org and the vegetarian society qld - www.vegsoc.org.au these web sites will show you how to become a healthy vegetarian without eating meat. the fact is you cannot live on vegetables alone you must eat a balanced diet which includes protein found in nuts, beans and peas so eat lots of lentils and beans, mushrroms and nuts. If you like savoury mince, meat pies, spaghetti sauce, meat balls go and by a product called textured vegetable protien its absolutely gtreat and its meatless - it makes fabulous meals and you cant tell the difference.Good luck.

Psst...meat is gross.
I believe broccoli is high in iron. A tofu stir fry with some broccoli, almonds and water chestnuts would give you iron and protein.

at first try to eliminate red meat, and after a few months stop eating land animals(birds ect.) and the eliminate seafood and than egg and than milk and honey

just keep reminding yourself why you want to be a vegan that should help you stay focused, you might wannna see a dietitian about your diet

First of all, tell your family and friends of your decision. It's much harder to "cheat" when everyone is watching you.

Set up a schedule of some sort. For example, you will drop beef by this date, pork and chicken by this date, and fish by this date. Also, you could phase it out gradually, like for the first month you are allowed to eat meat two days a week, then one day a week for the second month, etc.

Also, don't worry too much if you give in and have some. If you reduce your meat consumption by 80%, you get 80% of the health benefits, and you can still eat what you enjoy on occasion.

Im a vegetarian too and it took me a while to get rid of meat but after I stopped eating meat for I while, I didnt like it. Like I hate meat, I find it disgusting. A good way is to go to vegetarian restuarant because they make food like their is meat but there really isnt.

Stay committed:
I don't. <grin>

But, when I was more interested I found having a circle of friends who are also vegetarian helps. A local church had vegi lunches. There one could meet others.

You can and should learn about how to combine starches and vegies to get complete protein (like eating the classic rice and beans) and you need to look at peanut butter, soy: in the forms of cooked bean, tofu, miso soup, and also look into sweet sake.

Buy a rice cooker. Buy a bread machine (these can often can be had for $10 from a thrift store in usa)
Learn about making potato dumplings, soups, etc.

My downfall that I don't care now about is I found that if I did not eat at least 2oz of an animal protein a day .. like cheese .. fish .. egg...or meat .. that I just got to feeling very strange after about a week (like chicken little and the sky was falling in) .. so I do recommend researching how to get good complete proteins into your body.

blessings.

hmm.. ok think of this .. ground beef and then if its made into meatballs and you take a bite .. and its rolling in your mouth as you chew it and you think of : a seasoned ground beef that has just been in the barbecue and its kinda like cooking meat from an animal and its rotating in your mouth as you eat it. I am not a vegetarian but I do recall remembering when this thought came into my head as i ate a hamburger the size of a meatball. I was a little buzzed and I thought of this. For me it was a stage.. but sometimes i think about things too much into it when i really shouldnt and just enjoy whats in front of me. I would suggest tofu, greens, mashed potatoes, lettuce and tomatos with mozzarella, pastas, lasagnas, soups, fruits and veggies, broccoli and cheese soup =P sooo many different things =P Enjoy!

veggie burgers broccoli tofu but tofu is expensive you could make vegetable stews casaroles rice dishes anything like that

You should feel GUILTY shame on you,
No Honey NEVER, no meat,no milk,noeggs,
Only eat plants that die of natural causes,
Bath without soap you kill bacteria a form of life and one cell animals. do it for mother Gia

I am a vegetarian && i belive there is only one way to do it.
&& that is if you actually feel for the animals.
it pointless doing it as a fad or like attention.
cos that aint gonna work.
But beans provide alot of proeteing. vegetarians are advised to eat beans.
They do taste yummy && there is lots of different kinds.
But if you are serious about it, research about factory farming && what the poor animals go through.
it discraceful.!!

You should try out a flexetarian diet. It allows for a limited amount of meat to be eaten.



http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/health...

tofu, its great because it takes on the flavor you cook it in. It has the same qualities of meat. They even sell ones that taste like beef, fish, chicken...its easy to cook and you can make a million things with it. also you give in because you aren't getting the vitamins like you did when you ate meat, try a multi vitamin.

I have been vegetarian for a while, one 'sure way' is to have a look on You -Tube at some of the slaughterhouse sites, some photographed by P.E.T.A and you will never eat meat again believe me! (warning very sick and discusting). One other thing is 'always' read the labels on the foods you are buying. To my horror some things that I had purchased had animal products in them, which I did not know about. I eat lots of greens like spinach and silverbeet and take an iron supplement as well.

Im no vegetarian, but what tempts me to meat is the smell! So cook up some great vegetables that will have a better look and smell than meat. That way, instead of u being tempted, the members of your household will be! Try getting pets, that way you will understand much more strongly why you became a vegan in the first place. your cute pet will make you not want to eat meat ever again simply because it is meat! And u dont wanna eat it!

Eat some junior bacon cheeseburgers at Wendy's. That will convince you to not be a vegan.

just go slow. i am a vegetarian and i never ate much meat, so i went into it right away. but for you, start just by eating a little less. sometimes tell urself that u wont eat meat for 3 days, or a week, or 2. keep going and you'll get there. peanut butter, eggs, milk, cheese, and special drinks are good for covering meat stuff that u need, good luck!!

every thing comes in time. keep trying and u will learn to control ur cravings

Search your heart and ask yourself why you want to make a change; write out these reasons so that you can see them when you feel inclined to waffle. Research meals to find foods that you will enjoy, but especially research vegan and vegetarian. I suggest that you try vegetarian first, since it may be hard to change too much at once (vegetarian doesn't eat meat, vegan doesn't eat any animal products including dairy). I believe spinach provides iron, but what you may be craving is protein. Whatever you decide, understand that you will need to start reading labels and planning your meals. Best of luck!

P.S. If you find that you can't stop eating meat, research and find companies that are certified humane in their handling of the animals. I don't know that I could ever commit to giving up meat, but I have made a commitment to companies that allow the animal to live better. If you look for Kosher meats, they are supposed to require that the animal not suffer when it is killed.

I am a vegitarian...although very few times i have failed and ate meat, afterwards i make myself feel so guilty, i literally puke. :C I always think that I ate something that once had a family, eyes, beating heart and a brain...sounds crazy...but that is how i think. As for the foods....cottage cheese, peanut butter, beans!!! contain more protein than any other vegetable protein. Plus, they're loaded with fiber that helps you feel full for hours.
Nuts: One ounce of almonds gives you 6 grams of protein, nearly as much protein as one ounce of broiled rib eye steak.
Whole grains: A slice of whole-wheat bread gives you 3 grams of protein, plus valuable fiber.

good luck!

Put pictures of the animals on your refrigerator and hang them inside too.

Sources of Iron:

Soybeans, lentils, blackstrap molasses, kidney beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, seitan, Swiss chard, tempeh, black beans, prune juice, beet greens, tahini, peas, figs, bulghur, bok choy, raisins, watermelon, millet,

Protein

It is very easy for a vegan diet to meet the recommendations for protein as long as calorie intake is adequate. Strict protein planning or combining is not necessary. The key is to eat a varied diet.

Almost all foods except for alcohol, sugar, and fats are good sources of protein. Vegan sources include: potatoes, whole wheat bread, rice, broccoli, spinach, almonds, peas, chickpeas, peanut butter, tofu, soy milk, lentils, kale

Great info from this site:
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm#so...

dont worry about becoming vegan right now if you havent stopped eatting meat, worrying about that before hand can frustrate you.
Vitamins, peanuts, peanut butter are really good sources of protein, but its most important to take vitamins or you'll get sick, im anemic so I take iron pills, you might be able to do that, i know its hard, but the first three times your offered meat and your able to deny it, after that you'll probably be fine,

meat.....is not the answer/

you need SOY! SOY BEANS n carrots, and BEANS BEANS BEANS, AND YOGURT, AND CHEESSE, N PEENUT BUTTA, AND BOCA BERGERS. N SOY SOY SOY, N TOFU AU GRATIN, HOW ABOUT AN APPLE PIE, TWO RASPERRY SCONES, A LEMON TART, FIVE EGGCLAIRE PARFAITS, A DOZEN WHOLE WHEAT ROLLS, N A STRAWBWERRY PIE...WITHOUT SUGAR, PLEAES, THENX

go kill a pig with aknive and whatch him sqeele while he slowly dies yum