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There are tons of topics that are bound to get people all fired up because they care so much about the issues. However, there are very few things as controversial as judging someone else’s eating habits. Whether you’re an omnivore, a vegetarian, or a vegan, imagine for a moment if someone came up to you and told you that you’ve got it all backward.

However, people do change their diets all the time. You often hear about people ‘quitting’ meat, but you rarely read about the reverse happening. Redditor u/Seyli04 sparked a very interesting discussion after asking former vegans and vegetarians about what finally made them stop and embrace meat again. They spilled the beans in the comments. Scroll down for their stories.

#1

“What Made You Stop?”: 35 Former Vegans And Vegetarians Share Their Stories Of Going Back To Meat I was a vegetarian for 1,5 years. I came home to care for my grandfather, last stages cancer. Upon my arrival he made a lot of meat food that i used to love. (Gołąbki, he made the best i ever ate). He forgot I don't eat meat. I told him that and I watched his face became so sad... f**k it, I'm going to eat it. He was so happy to cook for me while he still could.

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Satan Laughs
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Polish-American here: never saw the name of a Galunkie in print before. Mind blown. What is that new letter!? LOVE those. I give every one of you Pandas full authority to laugh at my stupid pronunciation.

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    #2

    “What Made You Stop?”: 35 Former Vegans And Vegetarians Share Their Stories Of Going Back To Meat I was a vegetarian because I thought I hated meat. Turns out my mom couldn't cook, she never used seasoning. So once I got out on my own, and started cooking for myself, I learned I actually do like meat.

    Catlover5566 , Edson Saldaña Report

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    Puddletown
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This was me! My mum beef can only be compared to old boot leather. I'm still fussy over meats but i now eat more than i ever did.

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    #3

    “What Made You Stop?”: 35 Former Vegans And Vegetarians Share Their Stories Of Going Back To Meat Had absolutely no energy. Couldn't work out, which is something I do to help with my disability, so I was essentially bed bound during my vegan year. I will never ever do that to myself again.

    I love animals, but I'm not crippling myself more than I already am over them. I simply need meat to gather the energy to do the daily tasks able-bodied folks take for granted. I tried, but it actively worsened my life, so I stopped.

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    Lakota Wolf
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sometimes, vitamin supplements just do not make up for the nutrients we get from eating meat. We're omnivores. We are NOT meant to be herbivores.

    Libstak
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Commercial vitamin supplements are not what they seem, there is no regulation to ensure that there is quality and that they are digestible at the levels your body requires, I don't trust them as a replacement for anything but will take some magnesium, iron and vitamin c if I am run down despite eating properly. I still think the best comes from natural sources and we are omnivores, need our protein and iron.

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    Diolla
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Vegetarianism isn't for everyone. I once had a boyfreind who tried it but he became so weak he had to eat meat again. Me, I get health problems when I eat meat, have been veg for 30+ years. We are all different.

    madbakes
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Here's what aggravates me about these comments: none of us know what OP actually ate. It takes planning and knowledge to have a balanced diet, and that is multiplied when cutting out meat. OP could have eaten french fries and oreos every day. Don't trash vegan and vegetarian diets when you don't know what OP's diet actually was.

    Brian Michael
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Do we know that they didn't eat the correct foods in the correct amounts? So by your logic it goes both ways.

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    Talitha Jansen
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You have to eat different when vegan, and have to make sure you substitute enough. Plenty of athletes are vegetarian without a problem

    Brian Michael
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So what you are saying is if it works for some it must work for all correct? We are all just the same and they must have been doing it wrong? Sounds stupid when it's written out like that correct?

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    Sue Bradley
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I realise that different diets suit different people and everyone must do the best for them. I have been vegan for over 6 years and it has never caused me any issues. I could not eat a non vegan diet ever again though because the thought of it makes me feel ill :(

    DC
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Couldn't go back either. After two weeks of being a vegetarian, in 1997, I had planned to eat some meat and then decide. I missed the two weeks by another two weeks because I didn't miss meat. I took a bit and once that typical meat taste hit my tastebuds, I almost threw up, handed my plate over to a friend who was with me, and let him enjoy it, and whenever, by accident or sneaky ässhölery, I got to bite into any meat again, it made me react the same. But it took longer to not like the smell of it anymore, that took about a year.

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    Björn Krämer
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Obviously there are plenty of very active vegans out there, so it seems the author missed the chance to actually make a blood test to figure out what's wrong. At the end french fries and cola is also vegan... Anyway, done correctly you only need to take B12, but that might be necessary even with a regular meat consumption if you become older.

    Madison Motta
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ngl op sounds like cola and French fries was all they were eating and they use their disability aa a crutch. Studies have shown plant based diets give you 5× the endurance of meat eaters.

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    Paola Martz
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think that depends on how committed you are on keeping that lifestyle. It's harder to properly balance a vegetarian/vegan diet than an omnivore one, but you definitely can. I've been vegetarian for over 15 years and I work out intently 2+ hours a day everyday, plus my regular job and activities and whenever I feel tired is just from a bad night of sleep and I can fix it with a quick nap or coffee. But there where times in my life when I was indeed anemic and feeling exhausted all the time, because I neglected my proper diet. So, yes. You can feel pretty bad so easily but you can also definitely keep a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle and being all good. But hear me out, if you're not prepare to properly commit to it, I applaud the fact that you reconsidered it switch to a omnivore diet , prioritizing your health.

    XYZ
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Interesting. I’ve never had as much energy as the 18 months I spent eating low fat vegan. I ate the John McDougall very low fat version of vegan and went back to eating everything because I craved fats (and the things I craved was the lemon butter sauce on calamari and the fatty skin of a rotisserie chicken - should just have added avo and peanutbutter back lol). It worked that way for me because the vegan diet seriously reduced inflammation and fatigue caused by rheumatoid arthritis. I’ve tried to get back on the wagon numerous times but no matter how stiff my joints and how tired I am, the willpower is just not there to go without cheese and calamari again).

    Maltaros
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am not trying to fault anybody or anything though I am sure there will be those who hate me for saying this. The notion that we can anthropomorphize animals, whether it's dressing pets in clothes or not eating meat because of the "poor" animals, is a very modern luxury. We can spend a lot of time navel gazing and contemplating all these notion because we have the food, time and lack of really important worries. There isn't a right answer for me but it does seem like if we had to worry about where our next meal was coming from we would spend less time on this kind of thing. I am glad we can have the luxury to think about these things.

    Fantastic Mr Fox
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I want to make one important point about nutrition. In India the religion Jainism has existed for hundreds of years. Actually it originated 2500 years ago. They are committed to non-violence which is the same motivation as going vegan: don't hurt and don't cause suffering, not in humans not in animals. Can't everybody agree suffering is wrong? Everyone who has had a pet know that animals have feelings too. In Jainism they eat no eggs but they do use milk products. This is known as lacto-vegetarism. Obviously they have existed for centuries. Their women give birth to children and to me that has to settle once and for all the discussion if humans *need* meat or not. A woman creating a new human being from scratch so to say, from a microscopic fertilized human egg to a baby in 9 months. Still I hear people claiming you can't live without meat, but yes you absolutely can. Do you see the point? - we don't need to endlessly discuss nutritional science, it's an observed fact.

    Brian Michael
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So your argument is that bc one sect of people are vegetarian that it shows we all can? People are different and the fact some want to impose their views on others is sad, just let people do and be who they want.

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    CHRIS DOMRES
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I had hypoglycemia when I was 26 and adopted a began diet. My health rapidly got worse. The alternative doctor I went to told me there are genetic meat eaters and genetic vegetarians. Depends on your personal genetic predisposition as to how well you do on a vegan diet. He put me on a diet of 1 part animal protein to 5 parts vegetables. Within a month I felt like a million bucks again! The key to eliminating hypoglycemia was no sugar, no fruit, no grains.

    RedMarbles
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This wouldn't surprise me at all. It annoys me to no end when meat-eaters belittle vegans for being dumb when they may be doing much better on a vegan diet and when vegans demonize anyone who eats meat when it may be necessary for that person to feel ok. I get the part about loving animals so much it hurts, but if someone needs animal protein to not feel like sh*t during their one life on this earth, it seems pretty cruel to pile on.

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    𝓚𝓮𝓲𝓽𝓱
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’m vegetarian, but only because it makes me feel like I’m making a difference and I don’t feel guilty (I know I shouldn’t) for my carbon footprint

    Id row
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We are biologically designed to eat meat. There's a reason vegans get/look sickly.

    Madison Motta
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They don't. Vegan men look so much more radiant and secure with them selves than the incels.

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    CatWoman1014
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well considering we were bred to eat both plants and animals it’s not surprise that lacking yourself in one or the other is going to cause malnutrition

    apfelkuchen1900
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    1st: eating plants doesn't make you vegan. 2nd: don't blame your incapability of making up sufficient meals on them. There's barely any medical condition which really needs you to consume other than plant derived foods.

    RedMarbles
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Honestly I wouldn't even trust a doctor who confidently made such a claim. The interplay of diet with the wide range of human physiologies is clearly not even remotely close to being fully understood.

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    RoanTheMad
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is what happened when I tried to go vegan. I don't eat a lot of meat, and eat plenty of vegan or vegetarian food too, but i guess a part of me does sometimes need meat. My sister however, is vegan and she even gained weight with a vegan diet. Amazing how differently our bodies may react.

    Disinforminationalisticalities
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't EVER feel guilty about eating meat. Humans eat meat, and it is readily available. Besides, it's none of "their" business. If lettuce could scream, vegans would starve to death.🤣🤣

    Madison Motta
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Definitely shouldn't feel guilty about the eugenics in factories or the PTSD slaughter house employees suffer. Definitely not.

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    deanna woods
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have low iron and have been instructed by my doctor to eat more red meat to get my iron levels up.

    Dian Reaves
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm a pescetarian..... Sometimes I have fish .... But mostly vegetarian. I find I have to supplement B12 or I will run out of energy.

    Best Behave
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Marmite’s a good source, although admittedly it is, well, a bit Marmite…..

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    Best Behave
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes there is. It’s an evolutionary trait that when time are hard we can survive as we have a greater range of food that we can survive on. As we have a plentiful supply of food in modern times, it’s perfectly possible to thrive without supplementing our diet with animals

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    My O My
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I tried to go vegeterian once during catholic fasting "season". Didn't feel good at all after 3 weeks I started feeling weak. I eat meat but only 2- 3 days a week. Mostly because I'm too lazy to cook

    Heather Talma
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    THIS is why we cannot stop animal agriculture. There are SO many people like this.

    Arun Kyss
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I agree we are omnivores, but even bear largest omnivores on land eat 80% of their diet as vegetables. If you change to vegetarian and face an issue of lack of energy, it might be what you eating. Like negative calorie celery.e.i. there lots of vegetarian option, like rice, corn, wheat, etc. thousands of variety of vegetables and fruits that can make up the protein, vitamins and minerals you require. Like the dispute about vegetable protein vs animal protein, most animals get their protein from vegetables. Carnivores get their protein from herbivores.

    Madison Motta
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Weird because scientifically plant based diets have 5× the endurance of a meat diet.....

    Jane Cortez
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was vegetarian for a number of years, ( cannot digest legumes, soy, nuts), was frequently ill despite eating a ton of fresh fruits and vegetables. When I began eating meat again it was because I was extremely anemic. The difference in energy was incredible! I now eat a Mediterranean diet and have never felt better. I do believe quite strongly that for some, a diet based on genetics is logical…. Humans are omnivores.

    Jennie Brown
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is an excellent example of why meat is needed. For me, I medically need it as well.

    Tami Bogatiuk
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Your blood type is a big part of whether your body can be totally vegan or vegetarian. I tried it once, and for three months I was miserable. I had no energy and I felt horribly sick all the time. Turns out I was denying my body critical nutrients provided by beef, specifically. I'm type O+. Once I included meat again there was an immediate change in how I felt.

    Anett Szondra
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It just shows you did it wrong. If you make sure you give your body all it needs, you should be all right. Blood test checks, and ask for professional help for a meal plan.

    Max Fox
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There is a genetic variation of people who are really bad at absorbing iron from plant-based heme. Both my wife and daughter have it. My daughter became a vegetarian and no matter how she set up her diet, she would go and stay anemic. She still avoids all meat from mammals. Only fish, seafood and other invertebrates, poultry and reptiles. We started to eat that way too. I sometimes do eat some red meat, but I've cut more than 95% of my red meat consumption.

    Brian Droste
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Continue my comment. And every tree bearing food. There was no provision for meat to be eaten at that Time. Of course they were perfect humans being a at that time.

    Brian Droste
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Due to being imperfect human beings we crave meat. Some people their bodies can not tolerate with out meat. Adam and Eve were told that they only food they were require to beat were seed bearing plantvand

    Tunk
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This old clanger. If you want to eat meat, eat it. Has nothing to do with no energy.

    Jackie Lulu
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Vitamins do not contain protein, which is what's missing here. There are ways to combine vegetables to get a complete protein, for example beans and rice, but not all vegans know how to do that . I'd like to be vegan, too, but it just doesn't work for me.

    Rens
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have a lot of food intolerances, and I also have IBS which means I can't eat anything that's overly processed. I will say I have cut down on red meat surely because I don't really like the taste of it anymore. Although every now and then I will treat myself to a lovely ribeye steak. I mus

    Kimba
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Aren't there other protein substitutes that you can substitute? Or is the main course usually food like beans and tofu?

    Greenmantle
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes but they need to be combined more mindfully to ensure a complete protein. It's do-able, but honestly I think vegetarian is a better option over vegan. Even if people don't want dairy because of animal welfare reasons... eggs provided by free range chooks is not cruel IMO

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    Most people you speak to are likely to have wildly different understandings of what we should eat and what we should avoid like the plague.

    Speak to a bodybuilder or someone living in the countryside and they’ll probably tell you all about the benefits of meat, fish, and eggs. Meanwhile, talk to someone who has embraced veganism or vegetarianism and they’ll regale you with tales about the health benefits and moral reasons behind switching to a plant-based diet. Like most things in life, finding a balance between extremes is what’s important.

    We all have different experiences with food and our bodies have varying needs. What works for some of us might not work for others. Someone might see huge benefits from switching to a fully-vegan lifestyle. Others might find such a diet completely impractical for their local area, far too expensive, and might not find the dishes as tasty as those using animal products.

    #5

    “What Made You Stop?”: 35 Former Vegans And Vegetarians Share Their Stories Of Going Back To Meat Becoming a mother. If I don’t eat leftover chicken nuggets I don’t eat.

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    StrangeOne
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is almost sad and in some points of my parenting life I can relate to this.

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    #6

    I was à vegetarian for 23 years. I was 39 and pregnant. I wanted to make sure my baby had everything she needed. It was already a high risk pregnancy. When I craved meat for the first time in 23 years I started eating it.

    snaploveszen Report

    Vegan dishes can be delicious, we know that for a fact. But it would be naive to think that everyone would enjoy them. Or that everyone has the time and resources to cook delicious vegan meals from scratch. Especially if your other family members are fans of dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and spaghetti bolognese and think that potatoes are the equivalent of green and leafy veggies. Eating healthy is absolutely essential! Sometimes, however, you have to make compromises.

    However, if you want to live a long and happy life, one of the main things you can do is change your eating habits. You can copy what the Japanese and Sardinians do!

    #7

    “What Made You Stop?”: 35 Former Vegans And Vegetarians Share Their Stories Of Going Back To Meat I was vegetarian for over a decade but was constantly having to take iron supplements. To make matters worse my body was not absorbing the vegetarian sources of iron including loads of leafy greens or even vegetarian iron supplements at all (no change after 6months) and I had to use the ones from animal sources anyway. I felt i gave it a good hot go! Once I started exercising i was always tired and hungry too. I don't eat all meats, I eat kangaroo (it's over populated here and culled) and fish but I'm actually making progress in fitness and no longer exhausted.

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    BenyA.
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm stuck at kangaroo. Hippitty-hoppitty, choppitty-choppity, in to the frying pan

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    #8

    “What Made You Stop?”: 35 Former Vegans And Vegetarians Share Their Stories Of Going Back To Meat I got pregnant and all I could think about was eating meet. I had no issues being vegan, had energy and everything but during my pregnancy I felt like if I really crave it that much there must be a reason, so included it in my diet again. After that I still have plenty of plant based meals but I also eat meat and eggs when I feel like..

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    Satan Laughs
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Before I even knew I was pregnant I had a very sudden, persistent need to eat red meat. I remember offering to take my husband out to Outback (steakhouse) and proceeded to decline drinks and ordered a bigass steak rare as rare could be. On a side note, my dad grew up on a farm and had let me know the bunnies would need to be given some raw bacon after giving birth. I get it now- sometimes mama rodents n critters desire meat- blood-iron-whatever and if they don’t get it will resort to eating their babies. I witnessed this with my “2 female” mice: she went absolutely La Lorona on her offspring and may have eaten a head or two. Long story short: mammals be cray cray.

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    #9

    My ex forced me to be a vegan, and when she cheated on me the first thing i did was ordering 3 triple cheese burgers at mccdonalds, damn did that meat taste good.

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    The authors of ‘Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life’ took a look at the diets of some of the most long-lived people around the globe. They found that centenarians in Japan usually eat rice, miso soup, pickles, boiled or seasoned vegetables, fish, and soybean-based foods (e.g. tofu or natto).

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    The food that they eat is grown locally. Moreover, they avoid junk food and processed food, as well as sugary snacks and drinks. Their portions are also smaller. 

    Meanwhile, Sardinia, in Italy, is also full of very long-lived people. Their diets are mostly low-fat and plant-based. They eat wholemeal bread, beans, garden vegetables, fruit, cheese, but they also eat meat sparingly.

    #10

    I was training for an Ironman triathlon. I know there are loads of vegan distance athletes out there killin it, but on my budget/lack of creativity I found myself eating spoonfuls of coconut oil to get calories. Then I read coconut oil production is also super destructive and just got so frustrated and angry. Shortly after I got dizzy and fell off my bike, nearly skidding down a steep hill into the Yarra river, and that night I ate a whole rotisserie chicken.

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    Brooke Weber
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I never understood the hype about coconut oil. It's objectively worse than olive oil and meat both health-wise and environmentally

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    #11

    “What Made You Stop?”: 35 Former Vegans And Vegetarians Share Their Stories Of Going Back To Meat I was vegetarian for over 20 years. While having chemotherapy I was craving protein so went back to meat.
    Later lived off grid and ate our own chickens, pigs and goats.

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    Astrius
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hope you’re good now (also, living off grid kinda seems fun.)

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    #12

    Realized I was using being vegan as an excuse to enable my eating disorder. Less options for me to eat, almost never had to eat out with friends/family or on the holidays. I do love animals/Earth and told myself that’s why I was vegan but….. I don’t fully know.

    I couldn’t fully recover until I had a less restrictive diet.

    hell-is-in-your-mind Report

    Living a quality life means finding balance in what you eat, having an active social life, and getting plenty of movement. Stay away from sugary and processed foods as much as possible, remember to stay hydrated, and you should be fine!

    According to BBC Future, research has shown that people generally find vegans incredibly annoying. “Though it’s natural for people to disagree, the passionate rage—and even mild irritation—that veganism stirs up seems to defy rational sense,” Zaria Gorvett writes.

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    Many people (aka ‘veganophobes’) think that vegans are overly smug, judgmental, over-zealous, and hypocritical. Another part of the equation is that people tend to ignore unpleasant realities, incompatibilities, and paradoxes (e.g. eating fish and chips even though you keep a pet fish at home). So when someone forces us to face our cognitive dissonance, we’re likely to get all defensive and lash out. 

    #13

    Traveled and lived in places where there truly was not adequate nutrition available as a vegan - true malnutrition is awful. Plus, cultural expectations in those areas around entertaining guests, hospitality, celebrations, and rituals don’t always leave the option open to refuse a specific food without offending or hurting the host or community, which meant that I needed to consider balancing my preferences with the needs and practices of the communities I was living in.

    Today, I’m primarily plant-based in practice but don’t call myself vegetarian or vegan. I learned a lot about how I think about food, food culture, and the privilege of choice from those experiences.

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    Diolla
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I hear you! It.s very difficut to be veggie in many countries. I always lose a lot of weight whenever I am in African countries because of this.

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    #14

    “What Made You Stop?”: 35 Former Vegans And Vegetarians Share Their Stories Of Going Back To Meat I almost died from malnutrition two weeks ago. I’m literally 120 pounds at my best and couldn’t think or get out of bed anymore. I realized that I cannot live a restrictive lifestyle while simultaneously dealing with a “abnormal” ED

    SeparateProtection71 , AnnaStills Report

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    rob
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sounds like the ED is more of a problem than being vegetarian.

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    #15

    A change in health circumstances led to a (doctor-recommended) restrictive diet which meant cutting out a number of fruits and vegetables. Couple that with gluten intolerance and veganism and I could barely eat anything. I had to prioritise my health.

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    Somebodys grandmother
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thats me... No fruits, no nuts, no grains, no beans, no lactose, a very very very very sorted amount of vegetables, no soy.... etc.

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    #16

    I was a pescatarian for 20 years so I ate fish, but no meat. Developed Graves’ disease and have to avoid all iodine (in anything from the sea). I went into remission after reintroducing meat.

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    #17

    “What Made You Stop?”: 35 Former Vegans And Vegetarians Share Their Stories Of Going Back To Meat Way too many of the vegetarian/vegan substitutes rely on tree nuts/peanuts/soy, which I'm severely allergic to. As it is, I follow a mostly pescatarian diet, unless someone else wants to do the cooking for me!

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    #18

    Realized I would rather eat meat than eat like 15 different supplements and vitamins every morning

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    Diolla
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't understand this one. I've been veg for 30+ years and the only supplement I need to take is vitamin D due to being an old woman. Have been a blood donor for many years.

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    #19

    Found out my body just trends towards anaemia. I was vegetarian for 5 years as a teenager and just dealt with it but then I got really ill and my doctor basically told me I would need monthly iron infusions or I could eat meat again. I chose meat. Tried to go back to vegetarianism recently but felt such an enormous drop in energy levels I just couldn’t maintain it.

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    #20

    Because I actually like meat, but learned about the horrors of the meat industry. It also ended up playing into my disordered eating pretty bad, which got even worse when I tried to go vegan. Now I let myself enjoy meat, and just try to be better about where it comes from, and in general try advocate for local food.

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    Mia Black
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is a good one. If you are a responsible omnivore (or flexitarian), it is the best way to protect animals and nature. Reduce your animal product consume and try to just buy from good sources. Eat mostly vegetables and else. This way you get all you need and support animal rights. Don't forget: if we don't 'use' animals, there will be no place for them because we humans want so much! So we need to give them space and value in more than one way.

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    #21

    My mom went through all kinds of trendy diets while I was growing up. She started pescatarian, then vegetarian, then vegan, then raw vegan. She bounced around all of those for a while until the last 5 or so years when she got into crossfit and went Paleo and now Keto.

    I am moderate to severely anemic and have been my whole life. I only got meat when my stepdad wanted to grill or if we went out to eat. So I was involuntarily vegetarian/vegan. I'm much happier now and not constipated from having to take cheap iron supplements all the time.

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    #22

    “What Made You Stop?”: 35 Former Vegans And Vegetarians Share Their Stories Of Going Back To Meat A car crash. I was badly injured and lost a lot of blood. Afterwards I could barely eat but I kept craving a cheeseburger. My friend took me to Maccies and l got me one saying if my body needs it then it needs it. I was diagnosed with anaemia shortly after and told I can either take iron tablets, have shots once a month or just have meat occasionally. I took the fish, burger and occasional chicken breast route.

    Sometimes I try new meats (I was a veggie for 10+ years) and I still can’t cook meat apart from fish. But I tend to be curious and if there’s lamb to try I will. But I still hate processed meat, I won’t touch sausages or sandwich meat etc

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    #23

    Anemia and vitamin deficiencies. My spouse continued with his vegetarian diet and is now vegan. Both times I have attempted to re-join him I’ve either fainted, been admitted to the ER for falling down and finding out I’m hyper anemic, or one time started having vision problems due to a severe, vitamin K deficiency… Just doesn’t work for my body.

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    Seabeast
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Men need less iron than women of childbearing age, simply because they don't have periods. I had very heavy periods when I was teenage and early 20s. I needed extra iron.

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    #24

    Vegan for almost a decade. Conveniently was also a great way to hide my eating disorder.
    Additionally, IBS.

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    Irish woman abroad
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ah yes, IBS! Especially if you've got IBS D - I love eating fruit and veg, and try to eat more vegetarian meals per week, but it does involve a lot more trips to the loo! :(

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    #25

    I've tried to be a vegetarian two different times in my life. Both times I had to stop after a few months because I got tired of having no energy, feeling tired all the time and having problems concentrating.

    And yes, I *was* taking all the recommended supplements and vitamins at the times. As soon as I switched over to a more omnivorous diet, all the bad symptoms went away in a few days.

    Today I do eat meat, but I try to keep my consumption down and only do it about 2 times per week. This seems to be the best balance for me.

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    Jilltdcatlady
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What's the point of being vegan if you have to constantly take processed supplements?

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    #26

    Allergic to soy, but also very susceptible to low B12 and anemia. Not a great combo lol

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    Asphalt Bubblegum
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wrong, Best Behave. Animal meat is the most common bioavailable source of B12, because yes, it is produced by animals. Found in all meats and shellfish, eggs, and milk... Naturally. In really recent times, many cereals have been fortified with bioavailable B12. Make sure it is the bioavailable form though.

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    #27

    I was a decently strict vegan. I wasnt throwing fits over it or caused any problems when i attended social functions with food, but 100% of the food I cooked or bought myself was vegan.

    Basicly, I started working out. And i took the whole thing kinda seriously, since I was unhappy with my body. Turns out its real f*****g hard to hit protein goals with vegan food without either going over the calorie limit or having it taste like s**t.

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    Diolla
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes! I would love to go vegan but I need to be on a low carb scheme and that's also nearly impossible when eating vegan. So vegetarian it is.

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    #28

    I wanted to travel more, and it always sucked not being able to properly experience a kitchen of whatever country. Apart from that I just didn’t feel like it any more. No idea why, was very rigid with it for 7 years. Life is weird.

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    OMGhonestly
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You just got fed up with it and were ready for a reason to stop. Don't worry, I am not judging you.

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    #29

    I've been vegetarian for 9 years nearly 10. Recently started eating fish after a trip to Texas. Got tired of always being so limited on food options. Since eating fish again, I have much more energy and feel quite healthy. Cooking and meal planning is also significantly easier.

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    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I went to Texas once and tried eating fresh Texas Rattlesnake. Stone Cold kicked my a*s.

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    #30

    my hair started falling out, I got my first cavity in years and I just over all felt like s**t. Its a lot harder to get all the nutrients your body needs when you are not eating meat, for me it was anyways.

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    Karen Grace
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some people have a harder time absorbing and converting nutrients from plants, sometimes due to an enzyme deficiency. There are different causes of malabsorption. The animals body has already done the work so that vitamins are already in a bioavailable form. Some people need to eat meat for that reason.

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    #31

    I was both vegetarian and vegan(at different times), but each time I started to become extremely anemic, my skin was almost white, I had no energy, etc. I'm allergic to most fruits, tree nuts, etc. So I wasn't getting enough iron or protein in my diet because I couldn't eat most things needed.

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    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "I had to start eating more meat to stop myself going full Casper."

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    #32

    I moved to a new country and didn't want to have to deal with refusing food and missing out on culture and new experiences. I just told people I liked vegetables.

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    #33

    I was diagnosed celiac and all my safe foods became dangerous. But I’m healthy and alive. 1 year in and thinking of going back vegetarian now that I know what having celiac means.

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    LK
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you cook the majority of your own meals it's easy to be Coelic and veggie. If you eat out a lot, then it is going to be significantly harder.

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    #34

    I was a vegetarian for 10 years and honestly I just felt like it was too much of a pain. I still limit my meat, I won't prepare it for myself and if given a vegetarian option I will choose that. But if someone prepares meat for me or there aren't other options easily available I'll eat it.

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    #35

    I am still 99% veggie but after 8 years, I realized I really enjoy meat as one of the pleasures of life, and found it hard to deny myself completely. Especially living in France where the veggie options suck sometimes.

    So now, I try to only eat meat on special occasions and appreciate it and enjoy it to the max. I generally try to only eat it at good restaurants so it should be perfectly cooked and normally locally sourced.

    No one is perfect, and a strict diet is hard (for me) to keep to 100% being a bit of a rebel at heart so this is a great compromise.

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    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    France is one country where you don't turn away the food. Except the escargot. Sorry France.

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    #36

    A family friend went veggie and then vegan years back. He had to go back to being vegetarian because he was losing too much weight and went to the doctor complaining of being tired. He eventually went back to eating meat every now and again on the same basis.

    He's the kind of person that embarks on a new concept and throws himself into it, absolutely 100% dedicated until it fizzles out. I recall at the time he was drinking wheatgrass and avoiding alcohol and all sorts of other things not necessary for veganism, but he had bought into a whole "lifestyle" and ran with it. It was no wonder the weight was shedding off him.

    For reference, I've been vegetarian for over two decades, and I know lots and lots of veggies and vegans who've maintained it for years with no issues and no need for special supplements or doctors advice.

    This guy just has a personality that's somewhat incompatible with a highly prescriptive diet.

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    Oki
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There's no such thing as being vegetarian or vegan without taking any supplements. My son decided to be vegetarian when he was 8. We had every intention to support his choice and we still do (he's 11 now), but we consulted his doctor and a nutritionist. He eats a healthy, balanced legume-rich diet and gets regular checkups. But he also has to take b12 supplements regularly, as there is no plant-based source for it at all.

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