I'm thinking about dropping my vegetarianism....

[FDRrocks]

This is about the second time I've gone through this. The first came when I learned from Fast Food Nation that McDonalds french fries have beef enzymes in them. I've since dropped all fast food consumption.

I've been reading around and I feel its just hopeless in my area. They are putting crap into everything, and there are organic stores around here. I don't even know what I'm buying at the store or restaurant. I feel very conflicted and paranoid that I am consuming meat on a daily basis, and that to resist at this point is useless.

It's not that I condone the suffering of the victims of the homo sapian GI system, it's just that I feel like I am pretending sometimes.

Have any fellow DU'ers ever felt this way? Am I missing something? How'd you get over it?

[Swamp Rat]

1. Me too.

I took a class on cannibalism last Summer. Human is the only red meat I'll eat now. :D

[ProudToBeLiberal]

2. stop making me hungry

[FDRrocks]

4. I get chided constantly by co-workers

Who somehow think its funny to joke about how I'd love to eat humans for a living because I so openly discuss the suffering of animals.

Bastages! BASTAGES I SAY, EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM! Then can talk about thier surf and terf dinners all they want but anytime I talk about how good Boca Burgers can be, they feel as if I'm trying to force my beliefs on them. Whatever.

[Swamp Rat]

8. Now you can tell your co-workers that you know someone that PLANS to eat

them when the 'Rupture' comes. While the remaining X-tians hoard food and fatten themselves on wild game, I'll be huntin' them down, guttin' 'em and making people-jerky. For now, I'll stick to Boca Burgers, but the ones that are "Left Behind" will be food for me and my cannibal tribe. Wanna join? :D

[FDRrocks]

9. I'll pass...

Someone needs to do something about the resurgence of the immoral majority, though... just wish those kinds of fuckers were easier to educate.

[Swamp Rat]

13. They're IMPOSSIBLE to educate so I say eat 'em.

Don't worry though, I won't eat animals or vegetarians. They are my friends. :)

My diet will consist of republicans, x-tians, neocons/nazis, and animal hunters/murderers. Rednecks/trailer trash inbreds are too dirty and disgusting to eat, so I'll use them to bait bear and mountain lions, who will then draw the more palatable hunters into my lair. ;)

Since I am 'amoral' person, I will hold a little ritual when I eat them, kinda like the Tupinamba in Brazil... They were highly civilized about their cannibalism.

[MatrixEscape]

15. I like thighs and breasts myself.

Sure! count me in.

Now, what sauces go good with X-tians?

[Swamp Rat]

18. I use Cajun spices like Cayenne Pepper

We have pre-packaged crawfish and crab boil spices that are awesome. Breasts will make great sausages while thighs will best roasted and blackened like redfish. :9

[bloodyjack]

20. NO NO NO! Why do you think they call it LONG PIG

Human: the other other white meat

[Swamp Rat]

21. HAHA! I won't eat Limbaugh

Pigboy's not Kosher. :D

[alittlelark]

3. I was veg for 4 months.... I got listless and weak

I NEED red meat (lamb is best) at least 2 times a week. Diff diets for diff. folks.

I am a MORAL vegetarian, but I need meat to sustain my O- blood type physiology.

[FDRrocks]

7. It took me several tries to get settled

This past time I went full on vegan... then got bored with the options I had and just dropped the vegan. It made vegetarianism look easy. Strangely enough, the first try at vegetarianism was foiled by my desire for Taco Bell steak burritoes --- just about the worst meat you can find.

[alittlelark]

10. I understand and respect the concept

but I need meat, and get it ONLY from Trader Joes, Damacios, or that meat market 3 blocks from the office (the same farm supplier for 25 years!)

[FDRrocks]

11. That's real cool...

If I was to ever start consciously eating meat again, it would definately be free range and small-time. I realize that there are carnivores in the world and there always will be, but I just think the people that purchase thier food like you are alot more responsible. :)

[Mackenzie]

5. Maybe you could do what I do.

I don't eat MEAT.

But if something contains 0.000001% (or whatever) meat, I do eat it. So I do eat Jello, Stove Top Stuffing, McDonald's fries, Hostess Products, etc.

[FDRrocks]

6. My diet wouldn't change at all, really...

I just feel phony calling myself a Vegetarian sometimes, because I can't really be sure. In my sometimes no so humble opinion, if you wear makeup tested on animals, or eat any subversive item that you don't expect to contain meat, buy leather product etc... you might as well go grab a steak.

Maybe all the "if you gonna do something, do it perfect"'s I got from my Type-A grandfather have wrought this on me. I don't know.

[freeplessinseattle]

17. don't try to be perfect. there is no one judging or defining you

except for yourself. That all-or-nothing thinking can be more-self-defeating than motivating, I know how it is-and remember that's where anorexia and bulimia have their roots. I'd elaborate but am to sleepy to go into deep psychology right now.

One little thing that may help, ex and nonsmokers could very well figure what's the point, there's so much pollution anyway, but that wouldn't make sense would it?

I'll just say that I've been vegan for almost a year now, was vegetarian on and off before that. the reason I went vegan was not for ethical reasons, though, so it's different for me, my body just doesn't tolerate dairy anymore. I'm not technically 100% vegan though, as I eat baked goods with eggs and butter in them, and put actually use butter now and then on veggies and toast-Earth Balance just isn't the same. I'm also sensitive to soy, so have few options, but figure it keeps my weight down and I treat myself to more of things I really like. I don't beat up on myself (anymore) though for not being 100%, that was a catch-22 for me in school and with dieting, and amde my life hell. just do what feels right for you, listen to your body, we're all individual.

[K to the YLE]

12. I've been vegetarian for just over two months now

and having gotten through Thanksgiving with a very pro-meat family I think I've passed my first major test. I don't know if I am alone here, but my decision to stop eating meat has little to do with animal rights, my reasons are as follows:

1) Meat takes much more resource wise (land, water, grains) to produce than vegetables do and if the United States dedicated resources we use to produce meat to soy and other alternatives it would be much more practical.

2) Chemicals and growth hormones, et cetera. I don't want them, and although I know many vegetables are grown using artificial chemicals I buy organic, local vegetables, and most of the vegetarian frozen food and pre-made stuff is organic. Even if I can't avoid all artificial chemicals in my food, I can cut the amount drastically.

3) It's healthier, less cholesterol, and fat and I just have to make sure I get enough protein.

Like I said, I'm only 2 months into it, but I am happy with my decision and am worried that I will hit a point where my body REQUIRES meat...

but FDRrocks, my advice to you would be to not doubt yourself, if there is an occasional meat byproduct in a food you eat, well it is hard to avoid these days, but every bit of meat you do not eat you are doing your part, plus you shouldn't be eating Mickey D's anyway...they are evil and the foods gross...just my opinion...

[Swamp Rat]

14. Welcome to DU

Great post. Keep it up!

[soothsayer]

23. We don't have a food shortage in the US, do we?

I don't even think there's a food shortage on the whole planet. There's enuff food to feed the world---it's politics that cause hunger.

[K to the YLE]

24. true, there is enough food to feed everyone, but

it is used up by "first world" countries such as the U.S. The main reason behind this is because it cost money to produce meat and to buy meat.

"Much of the world's massive hunger problems could be solved by the reduction or elimination of meat-eating. The reasons: 1)livestock pasture needs cut drastically into land which could otherwise be used to grow food; 2) vast quantities of food which could feed humans is fed to livestock raised to produce meat.

This year alone, twenty million people worldwide will die as a result of malnutrition. One child dies of malnutrition every 2.3 seconds. One hundred million people could be adequately fed using the land freed if Americans reduced their intake of meat by a mere 10%.

Twenty percent of the corn grown in the U.S. is eaten by people. Eighty percent of the corn and 95% of the oats grown in the U.S. is eaten by livestock. The percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock is calculated by experts as 90%.

One acre of land can produce 40,000 pounds of potatoes, or 250 pounds of beef. Fifty-six percent of all U.S. farmland is devoted to beef production, and to produce each pound of beef requires 16 pounds of edible grain and soybeans, which could be used to feed the hungry." (from http://www.organichealthandbeauty.com/whyeatvegetarian.html)

Think, if you have an acre of land that cost you $1000 to maintain (for arguments sake) then you have to sell those 250 lbs. of meat for an average of $4/ lb. On the other hand you could sell the potatoes for 2.5 cents/ lb. I will admit this is a flawed argument though, meat cost more to produce than potatoes. I know man cannot survive on potatoes alone, but the same argument applies to any other vegetables.

Just some food for though (pun somewhat intended)

[UdoKier]

16. I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD

do whatever you feel is right at that stage of your life.

I'm well aware of the pros and cons of vegetarianism, and have yet to do it. I enjoy meat.

But I don't think a diet heavy in meat is very healthy, nor is a diet completely devoid of it, (IMO)

But I understand why many would not want to consume dead animal flesh, and that's cool, but it does make getting a balanced diet more difficult and expensive.

Even if I wanted to be a vegetarian, I couldn't afford to shop strictly at those "organic" stores.

[freeplessinseattle]

19. oh, regular stores are workable, to, but the delis at health-food stores

offer more variety for specialized diets. believe me, I know how expensive healthy eating can be (and being a veghead doesn't necessarily require all organic eating) but noodles and rice are cheap, so's spaghetti sauce, my most common meals with a wide variety of preparation choices.

I must admit, I sometimes buy the non-organic produce when the organic version is just too hard on my wallet, and feel bad not supporting organic farmers, but realistically not everyone can and they know that, no one chides me at the cash register for buying non-organic-that's why they offer both options.

[morillon]

22. I hear what you're saying, and here's my take on it.

I've been mostly vegetarian for the last 18 years, and I ate meat rarely in the years before that. I've never liked it very much. Since my 20's, I've been a vegetarian for health as well as philosophical reasons. I don't go around judging other vegetarians on how "pure" they are, and I don't do it to myself, either. I make the best effort I can to reduce -- and, ideally, eliminate -- the amount of meat in my diet, but I don't beat myself up if I can't get rid of it entirely. Being a vegetarian is just one part of who I am as a person and a progressive, and the amount of time and energy I devote to it has to be in line with its place in my list of priorities.

I buy organic whenever I can. When circumstances prevent me from getting to the natural foods store, I'll buy organic at a grocery store chain, or I'll go for the least harmful-looking variety of whatever I'm needing to get.

[SiouxJ]

25. Very good post

Doing what you can is always better than doing nothing at all. So, maybe you can't be a perfectly "pure" vegetarian without a great deal of effort, just do what you can. I'm sure I've saved hundreds of animals since I became a veggie 11 years ago. The fact that I may have inadvertently eaten something with oh, say chicken broth in it, does not change that.

[forgethell]

26. You can only do the best you can.

No one expects you to starve to death. At least, not me, but then I eata meat with relish. I have a lot of respect for people that go the other route, though, as long as they include me out.