Three Years A Vegetarian-The Good, Bad, and Ugly of it All!

Honey, I loved beef burgers with sweet caramelized onions and an extra sharp pillow of cheddar cheese. I adored fried chicken seasoned with lemon pepper and a hint of jerk seasoning. I downright lived for a medium steak with a pink buttery center, served with a spicy side of fresh horseradish. I once tasted a brown-sugar marinated bacon slice so delicious that it was sold as its own award-winning entree at a grand restaurant. My fellow bacon-lovers know what I mean. But I digress…. the point I’m trying to make is that I used to LOVE meat with my whole heart!

But deep down I knew this lifestyle drenched in grease, calories and fat would catch up with me. I was in my late 30’s and didn’t want to eat this way forever. I wanted to avoid high cholesterol, diabetes and heart problems down the road. I yearned to detox my body and replace the bad stuff with good eating on a permanent basis. In October of 2017, I began my countdown to my new life. For 3 months, I enjoyed all the wonderful meat I could find, knowing my days were numbered.

I began my vegetarian journey January 1st of 2018. To be clear, this was not a New Year’s resolution, this was an arbitrary date that made sense to me. Plus, most resolutions I see fall flat because they lack the preparation to uphold them and are meant to be temporary. I was more than prepared to convert to vegetarianism both mentally and emotionally (yes the decision, like any huge lifestyle change, takes A LOT of soul-searching and emotional preparedness).

The conversion wasn’t bad! In fact, it was much easier than I ever imagined. Week 1 was a breeze! I had a rush of adrenaline and was so hyped up to be a vegetarian that I floated right through. Little did I know, reality set in by the second week and I found myself feeling blue. The adrenaline was gone and I started questioning my decision. I really missed meat and my crankiness set in. Although I felt full after every meal, I was having serious withdrawals as I tried to ignore the void left by the absence of meat.

But I never gave up! I once read that 75% of newly-converted vegetarians relapse and end their journey within a few weeks. My competitive nature gave me the discipline I needed to NOT become a part of that statistic. The sadness and void disappeared quickly and I don’t even remember weeks 3 and 4. In fact, after I passed the second week I was GOOD.

Three years in, I am so proud of my journey. It hasn’t always been perfect or easy. But it was doable and worth it. And since there are both wins and bumps down every road, I want to share the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all!

The Good

Now that I rarely eat fried and greasy foods, I know my body is healthier. Becoming a vegetarian has forced me to appreciate and love vegetables like never before. They taste so much better now! Without having meat as the center of a meal, I now experiment with different vegetables I never noticed before (peppers, zuchinni, and eggplant), healthy herbs, spices and sauces that kick up my food several levels. Who knew veggies could be so yummy? My skin is clearer, my energy is better, and my thoughts are more focused. Most importantly, I know that I can do any hard feat I put my mind to. Becoming a vegetarian and seeing it through increased my self-confidence.

The Bad

First off, have you ever heard of “meat-envy?” I may have just made it up, but it’s real! In the beginning I sometimes found myself staring lovingly at someone else’s steak dinner while I munched on my veggies, secretly green with envy and daydreaming about snatching the meat off of their plate and inhaling it in one swift motion. Luckily this only lasted a couple months and faded over time. Now that I have no desire for meat, I’m pretty sure my meal is the most amazing dish in the room! No cobbs.

Second, in the beginning I struggled to eat out at restaurants. It just wasn’t the same. I missed looking over menus full of the best meat entrees one could imagine (fried, smothered, pan seared…) excited to narrow down my choice. But as a vegetarian, my options were drastically reduced and I found myself annoyed to only have a couple things to choose from.

This frustration faded with time. I got really creative going through a menu, adding this, taking out that, and sometimes making my own delicious creation as I worked with my server to accommodate me. For example, I can order the chicken sandwich (minus the chicken) with avocado and peppercorn cheese as the substitute on a brioche bun. My my my. Now I can work with almost any menu and people look over at my dish with envy! Again, no cobbs.

Finally, get-togethers and potlucks did me in child! I never realized that so many homemade vegetables, side dishes and casseroles were cooked with meat! There’s nothing like eyeing an amazing pot of greens that smell like the Gods, only to see a huge turkey thigh floating in the middle. Why do you all do this to me? Womp Womp! In many cases there are only a few things I can eat, so I learned to not go to events starving. Eating a bit beforehand saved me from epic meat-envy, pouting and disappointment!

The Ugly (Beware…)

There’s only one ugly I can think of: the initial weight gain. Because BABY! I assumed that becoming a vegetarian meant I had a free-access pass to eat whatever I wanted and that I would lose weight just off of GP. Well, the survey determined that pass was a LIE! In the beginning, I replaced meat with tons of pizza, pasta and carbs. In fact, I gained about 10 pounds during the first month. Naive and shocked, I quickly realized I needed to be more of a true vegetarian, and less of a Carb Monster. Don’t laugh, no one told me this wasn’t how it worked! Don’t fall for the okey doke like me! Although I still love my pizzas and pastas, I have learned to lean more towards the veggie medleys, veggie sandwiches and healthier combinations in general.

You Can Do It!

So why not try it? You, too, can become a vegetarian. All you need is a plan, discipline and commitment. Don’t just become a statistic, see it through!