Some Trouble Here PLEASE help!!?

Question

Okay- yesterday I swore off meat for weight reasons, but also animal cruelty reasons...After watching the Meet Your Meat video on goveg.com, I was crying and felt so bad for the animals. I completely swore off meat, and havent eaten any since 2 days ago. (Hey its a start!) I dont eat eggs or drink milk, but i LOVE cheese!!

For example- I made a veggie burger on what bread for dinner tonight with soycrisps, but I put a slice of cheese on it.

Also- what happens when I make a cake and need a few eggs or if I go to a restaurant, and get pasta? I know they use eggs (at least I think they do) to make the pasta.

Im just so confused!!!

Does this make me a semi-vegan? I dont eat meat, but like I said, I need the cheese to stay sane. But like I said about the eggs in pasta and the eggs needed for cake...what do I do??

PS- maybe once a month I would like to treat myself to an order of sour beef and dumplings. Thats been my favorite meal since I was like 10.

But other than that, I am REALLY trying!!!

Answer 1

A vegan is defined as someone who does not eat or use animal products, but how you define or label yourself is not as important as simply doing the best that you are able to do ethically and for your health.  You've already taken great strides!  I've been a vegan for over four years and I feel great; every doctor who has seen me says I am "perfect."  But bear in mind that it is very important to do a lot of research to keep a well balanced diet, keep up your calcium and B vitamins.  If you can afford to, meeting with a nutritionist who has experience working with vegans would be ideal.  Being vegan has made me a good cook through trial and error, but eating out will always have its challenges.  Some restaurants are not good about disclosing what they use.  So if you want to be a strict vegan, you've really got to do some careful background checks on places you want to eat.  vegan.com and other websites sometimes list dishes that can be ordered safely at some chain restaurants.  And when it comes to baking at home, there are a couple of good techniques.  One is Energy brand egg replacer.  But I have had the best textural results with flax instead of eggs.  You just take a tablespoon of ground flax and whip it into an egg's worth of warm water.  You really have to whip the heck out of it, but if you work at it for a while it actually develops a very viscous, egg-like consistency.  And flax is so good for you, and an ideal vegan source of omega 3!  The most important thing is to be proud of what you have done so far, be patient with yourself and do lots and lots of research from as many sources as possible.  

Answer 2

You are called a lacto-ovo vegetarian. lacto-ovo vegetarians don't eat meat but eat eggs and milk.

That is a good thing you're doing because i myself will never ever swore off meat, no matter what i watch.

Answer 3

That is great you are switching. To answer questions...

cheese is highly addictive. Why? it has morphine in it. Do a google search on "is cheese addictive". You can find out all the horrible things that make cheese addictive and cheese is the worse food you can possibly put in your body. They say if you can remove one item from the American diet and save the most lives, it would be cheese.

When you make cake and need eggs, you can use a little bit of silken tofu. Just search for your cake in good with +vegan... that + sign is needed or else you just get vegetarian. Its a google thing.

Pasta is normally good, it is only a few types of noodles that are bad. Ask them if it is wheat noodles instead of egg noodles.

The once a month thing is fine. Meat is "okay" to eat once a month, while fish is okay to eat once a week. I understand what diet you are going for and i am on that too. Trying to become vegan, it will come in time. I used to eat meat every weekend, now i eat it once a month. It gets easier. Check sources for ideas.

I realize some people will say, you aren't vegan, well they can blow it out their tush. You are trying to become one, and most people can't change overnight and even more can't change 100%, but changing even 1% is better than 0% change. I would say i'm about 85% vegan at this point. I am healthier and doing well.

Also, make sure you get a multivitamin. They are needed because we normally get b12 from meat. Well you get it from plants if they aren't sprayed, which all of our veggies are sprayed so you dont get it anymore. So multivitamin is the best way to get it.

Answer 4

If you're eating beef, and intend to keep eating it... well, you're still an omnivore.  One who's trying to avoid meat, and eating healthily, but not a vegetarian.  

Eating eggs and milk makes you a vegetarian, not a vegan.  You don't need eggs to make pasta - most pasta is just made with semolina flour and water.  You can get good cheese replacers, if you really crave cheese.  

Edit: I think, what would be the appropriate analogy, would be 'if you have s*x once a month, you can't say you are celibate.'  Nymphomania is a mental disorder; I don't really think it's comparable to meat-eating.

Answer 5

If you plan on eating meat, no matter if its once a year, you arent considered a vegetarian. But yes, vegetarians do eat cheese and eggs and milk but its vegans who dont eat any animal products at all. Im glad that you want to help but even if you RARELY eat meat, to be a vegetarian you must refrain from meat at ALL times. Do whatever works for you though, the word vegetarian is nothing but a label, right? I am a vegetarian because i just dont feel comfortable knowing that i am involvedor even supporting the killing of animals in any way. I wouldnt pressure you to be one but honestly, once you are one for a month or two, your body wont even want meat. The only reason you crave meat because of the additives and addictive products put and fed to the animals. It isnthealthy and clogs your arteries, i personally felt much healthier and better about myself after going veg. It isnt a choice that everyone can make and nobody has the right to judge you for that, just ignore the people being mean. As longas you TRY to save out planet and those who inhabit it, the rest is only labels and words. I have nothing against those who eat meat and whoever is being mean is just plain, well.....mean! LOL! Good luck!

Hope that helped!!! :D

Answer 6

Give yourself some room. no need to take away all of your comfort foods. Yes, cheese is milk, squared. But you're still ahead of where you would be if you were drinking milk and eating cheese and ranch dressing and sour cream and meat. Eventually, you may find that it "tastes funny" and you don't miss it. But you can phase it out later, after you have adjusted to all the other diet changes and realize there really are sanity options that don't require animal products!

Boil a teaspoon of flax seed in some water for the egg in cake batter. It gets slimy just like an egg, and holds your food together when baked.

Almost all whole grain pasta contains only one ingredient- whole grain. Look for the boxes with the short ingredient list.

Do what it takes to compromise your sanity and your beliefs- then you won't burn out either one.

Here's what I say. "I'm vegan for the most part, but there are times when it is simply impossible to eat that way. In those times, I chose not to make an issue of it." i have never gotten a negative response to that, even from my "meatatarian" friends.

Answer 7

I just watched the video.  It is truly horrible, but I still will not be a be a vegetarian. I do understand how you feel.  I can't tell you how to feel.  Life is a food chain, we are, the human race, meat eaters, and I think that is how God made it.  The cruelty that the video showed is unbelievable.  I'm not saying not true, but why do they have to do it that way?  You don't have to answer to anyone except yourself about how you feel about anything.  Eat what you want, believe what you want.  You only have one life, you and God will decide if it is right for you - nobody else.  Your compassion is admirable, but the video is reality, you have to decide for yourself what is right and what is wrong. Do what you want - eat what you want - it really is your choice - no body has the right to judge you.