I’ve Been a Vegetarian for a Year!

I haven’t touched or even looked at meat for a full 365 days. That’s so crazy to me! I used to be the biggest meat eater (I blame my dad for cooking chicken for every meal), but then I decided to make a major life change. I stopped eating meat over a year ago and I haven’t looked back. I have stood by my decision and have liked the lifestyle I’ve had since making it. Being a vegetarian has really helped me in a lot of different ways.

Why I Did It

I went over all of the reasons that I made the change in my first blog post about Why I Became a Vegetarian, but to summarize, I did it for a few reasons. I saw a horribly graphic video about a dairy farm and how they collected milk from the cows (not all dairy farms are like this, it was just a viral video that I had found on Twitter) and felt sick to my stomach while watching it. I also wanted to lose weight for my senior season of collegiate volleyball. I had stopped eating red meat about six or seven months before I made the big switch to help clear up my skin. Since not eating meat, my skin has been the best it’s been in years (except for when I consume too much dairy, oops!). I also wanted to live a healthy lifestyle and focus more on putting the best fuel into my body. By being a vegetarian, I was more focused on eating right.

What It’s Been Like

It really hasn’t been that difficult, to be honest. I’ve gotten some jokes from friends about not eating meat, like “Why would you choose that horrible lifestyle? Meat is awesome!” but it doesn’t bother me. They always like to make jokes and use sarcasm. I know they never meant any harm by it, they were just joshing around. What was the most surprising, really, was how easy it was to find vegetarian meals and substitutes. Loads of restaurants have vegan meals (which is how I get my protein, aside from nuts and yogurt) or salads that I can snack on while out and about. After the first couple of weeks, I didn’t even have to think about what I was going to eat when I was going out.

Overview

Looking back at the year it’s been, I am happy with the decision that I made. I haven’t regretted it or wanted to change my mind, which is a nice surprise. I usually second-guess big decisions such as changing my entire dietary lifestyle once or twice throughout the amount of time, but that wasn’t the case with this! I have been very happy with being a vegetarian and I recommend it to those who can follow this lifestyle. If you are interested, you should try it! There are no hard rules that every single person must follow. If you try it for a week, go for it! If you only make it a few days, that’s more than okay. Everyone has different needs and it’s okay to make sure that you’re doing what you need!

If you have any questions or concerns about being a vegetarian, let me know! I would love to answer anything and give more of my experience. Let me know down in the comments if you’re a vegetarian or if you’re debating becoming one! And, as always, thank you so much for reading!

Love,