any vegetarians on NT?

[handsome hustler]

Originally Posted by SHEED

BEEF ITS WHAT FOR DINNER

 

[Methodical Management]

I'm a vegan. The transition was actually quite easy, considering the scope of change. I try not to half-step in life, so once I'd researched thehealth and fitness implications thoroughly and chose to commit, I simply stopped consuming animal products "cold turkey," so to speak. The wholeprocess, going from eating animal products as the primary protein source in the overwhelming majority of my meals to abstaining from animal products entirely,only took about two weeks. I haven't looked back since.

I was motivated primarily by ethical concerns, but the health and environmental benefits are a huge plus. A number of longitudinal studies have found thatvegetarians and especially vegans live 5-10 years longer than their omnivorous counterparts and enjoy a dramatically reduced risk of cancer.

any good websites for starting vegetarians?
http://www.vrg.org/
http://www.veganhealth.org/
http://www.goveg.com/

I've tried it also, but it got to the point where I was eating too many carbs as a substitute for my chicken and beef, and not necessarily good carbs, just to stay full. I would def. get back on it but need to implement protein bars and/or shakes this time around.
There are a number of great vegan protein sources out there like nuts, lentils, tempeh, beans, and quinoa. Seitan, derived from wheat gluten, isa great meat substitute. It boasts a better protein:fat ratio than meat, yet offers a strikingly similar texture. You get about 10 grams of protein per ounceof seitan, 22 grams per 100 calories. I find it absolutely superior to meat. Imagine eating meat without ever biting into fat or bone - and it'shealthier for you.

As for supplements, you can get pea protein or hemp seed protein, which boasts a near ideal balance of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Vegan creatine is alsoavailable for weightlifters.
I had very low body fat to begin with - but it's even lower since I became vegan and I haven't lost a step in the weight room.

Anyone trying to feed you nonsense about how you'll become weak and emaciated is simply uninformed. Carl Lewis enjoyed his best performances as an athletewhile on a strict vegan diet.

BEEF ITS WHAT FOR DINNER
Angioplasty: it's what's for dessert.

 

[miketysonthekiller]

I don't know even know what kind of vegeterian I am, all I know is, I don't mess with red meat right now.

 

[khoanizi]

i'm a vegan... shoe game has gone down hill ever since

but i feel better for it. i share that compassion for our animal friends, and really if you think about it... we have the technology and ability to makesuperior materials for shoes other than use leather. i just think it's almost a dogma mentality that if it's not genuine leather then it is consideredan inferior product... i beg to differ considering shoes like the foams, shoes using flywire, and almost all running shoes are made with synthetic materials.

i hardly ever post on NT but this thread made got me a lil pumped to talk bout vegetarianism... GO VEG

 

[tkthegirl]

For any of those who want to try out some recipes here are some blogs
http://veganyumyum.com/
http://walkingtheveganline.blogspot.com/
http://veganmenu.blogspot.com/
http://vegancrunk.blogspot.com/
http://pescovegetarian.blogspot.com/
http://supervegan.com/
http://blog.vegcooking.com/

 

[miss kidd0]

I have another question: I heard tofu is good for women, but bad for men? (something related to estrogen) Is this true?

 

[josebronx]

carne ftw

 

[gordon gekko 979]

Method Man and fellow NTers, as guys, you don't feel odd or funny telling your friends you are a vegetarians? I know there's this notion that onlyfemales do it. I don't agree with but it appears that's how alot of people view it....And im going to sound dumb, but can you eat ice cream while beinga vegetarian? lol

 

[daytona 5000]

Originally Posted by Gordon Gekko 979

Method Man and fellow NTers, as guys, you don't feel odd or funny telling your friends you are a vegetarians? I know there's this notion that only females do it. I don't agree with but it appears that's how alot of people view it....And im going to sound dumb, but can you eat ice cream while being a vegetarian? lol

If you're a strict vegetarian who doesn't consume ANY animal products..than no, cuz it contains dairy.

 

[lalakerfan213]

I dont eat meat, chicken, or seafood. I eat/drink dairy products though.

Fasting is slightly easier for me than most, but its still hard without dairy products

 

[tkthegirl]

There's a lot of dairy free dessert brands out there.
Soy ice cream and ice cream sandwiches taste good to me.

 

[gordon gekko 979]

Originally Posted by TkTheGirl

There's a lot of dairy free dessert brands out there.
Soy ice cream and ice cream sandwiches taste good to me.

TK, how hard was the transition going from eating alot of meat to absolutely ending all sources from it? I can't lie, i love meat, but i knowthe amount i eat of it isn't any good. being a vegerarian is such a healthy alternative. i want to live a long healthy life.

 

[nealraj006]

Originally Posted by miss kidd0

Where do vegetarians get their essential amounts of fats and protein if they don't eat meat then?

Also, aren't artificial substitutes like imitation chicken, beef, crab, etc... bad for you?

Nuts, beans, dairy, etc. If you're a vegan, then the first two.
I'm a vegetarian, not a vegan. But it's not hard to get protein or fats in my diet at all, have a couple handfuls of nuts(almonds, cashews, peanuts,walnuts) and you get a good amount of protein and fat. Also, soy products such as tofu, tempeh, etc. are nutritious and tasty.
I've basically been vegetarian for my whole life, but I used to eat meat in my early childhood years.

Originally Posted by Gordon Gekko 979

Method Man and fellow NTers, as guys, you don't feel odd or funny telling your friends you are a vegetarians? I know there's this notion that only females do it. I don't agree with but it appears that's how alot of people view it....And im going to sound dumb, but can you eat ice cream while being a vegetarian? lol

I don't care what people think. This diet works for me and that's really all that matters. Whats the point of lying anyway, itwouldn't change the fact that you are or aren't a vegetarian.
Vegans choose not to eat animal products such as dairy, so they don't eat ice cream. However, vegetarians who choose to consume animal products such asdairy, do eat ice cream.

 

[zerogravity23]

I'm gradually making the transition but i doubt I'll ever be a true vegetarian, since eating fish and chicken is not considered vegetarian.

 

[tupac jordan]

I was vegan 3 out of 7 days last week. You get super drunk while drinking when you just eat vegetables the whole day.

 

[gordon gekko 979]

Originally Posted by nealraj006

Originally Posted by miss kidd0

Where do vegetarians get their essential amounts of fats and protein if they don't eat meat then?

Also, aren't artificial substitutes like imitation chicken, beef, crab, etc... bad for you?

Nuts, beans, dairy, etc. If you're a vegan, then the first two.
I'm a vegetarian, not a vegan. But it's not hard to get protein or fats in my diet at all, have a couple handfuls of nuts(almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts) and you get a good amount of protein and fat. Also, soy products such as tofu, tempeh, etc. are nutritious and tasty.
I've basically been vegetarian for my whole life, but I used to eat meat in my early childhood years.

Originally Posted by Gordon Gekko 979

Method Man and fellow NTers, as guys, you don't feel odd or funny telling your friends you are a vegetarians? I know there's this notion that only females do it. I don't agree with but it appears that's how alot of people view it....And im going to sound dumb, but can you eat ice cream while being a vegetarian? lol

I don't care what people think. This diet works for me and that's really all that matters. Whats the point of lying anyway, it wouldn't change the fact that you are or aren't a vegetarian.
Vegans choose not to eat animal products such as dairy, so they don't eat ice cream. However, vegetarians who choose to consume animal products such as dairy, do eat ice cream.

since you mentioned it being a diet, how much weight have you seen yourself lose? i'm a tad bit overweight, but i don't want to just usethis as a way to lose weight, i want this to be a life changing thing...

 

[tkthegirl]

Well see from the beginning my mom cut out pork and beef, because of her digestive system so all I had most of my life was Chicken, Turkey, Fish, and WildGame, which aren't so heavy on our stomachs.
I say take things very slow. My mom is going much slower than me. She set her goals to be a complete vegetarian within a years time.
I was able to transition to pesco-vegan within a month or less from a strictly vegetarian diet. It wasn't so hard for me to go vegetarian, because I foundrecipes that I really enjoyed and didn't make me really miss any meat.....except fish. I haven't ended all sources unfortunately I really, really,really, love fish.
I say go to a good book store. Look up some cookbooks or go to the blogs I posted and try out some of there recipes first. Not everyone can go cold turkey andI wouldn't suggest it either.

 

[Methodical Management]

i beg to differ considering shoes like the foams, shoes using flywire, and almost all running shoes are made with synthetic materials.
Exactly. People assume that synthetics are cheap substitutes for genuine leather but, in truth, cow leather is often cheaper than syntheticssince it's a byproduct of the beef industry. Synthetics tend to be lighter weight and retain their shape better than genuine leather, making them superiorfor performance footwear. I've always been a foamposite fan, and it's great to see more and more shoes using lightweight, breathable syntheticmaterials.

The catch is that these shoes are still manufactured using adhesives that contain animal products. That said - there's no reason why sneaker companiescan't go with non-toxic, animal-free adhesives IF the demand is there.

At this point, I don't know if Nike even makes footwear products that are truly "cruelty free." The "considered" line is the best bet,but I'm still waiting to hear back from Nike CS regarding the contents of the "water based" adhesives they've been touting in the Pegasus25+, for example. What I'd suggest is that anyone interested should contact Nike CS and express interest both in animal-free footwear products as well aseffective consumer labeling. Through labeling, we can determine the contents of the food we eat and even the t-shirts we wear - so why can't we easilyobtain the contents of footwear products?

Method Man and fellow NTers, as guys, you don't feel odd or funny telling your friends you are a vegetarians? I know there's this notion that only females do it. I don't agree with but it appears that's how alot of people view it....
There's no question that, at least in the US, being a male vegan, let alone a heterosexual male vegan athlete, is contrary to the norm. Growing up, I never even met a single vegetarian.

When you make that commitment, you have to make peace with the fact that you're going to be a de facto ambassador for that lifestyle. It means you have totry and summon the patience to explain to someone, on an 8 am flight on zero hours' sleep, why you don't eat honey and, therefore, are turning down thecomplimentary "honeymaid" snack - and do so without being short, confrontational, or judgmental. That can be viewed as a burden, but it's alsoan opportunity.

I'm a firm believer in Mohandas Gandhi's maxim, "You must be the change you wish to see in this world." By making a healthy change foryourself, your example can achieve a ripple effect on those you come in contact with. By identifying yourself as a vegan, you're 1) helping to inform and,hopefully, inspire others and 2) in the process, you're making it that much easier for other guys to become vegan. To be visibly healthy and athleticreally shatters a lot of the stereotypes people have about vegan diets and that, in and of itself, can be a very positive form of activism.

When I created the Dr. King tribute banner for NikeTalk, I selected the following quote: "People are often led to causes and often become committed togreat ideas through persons who personify those ideas. They have to find the embodiment of the idea in flesh and blood in order to commit themselves toit." Had I not met a vegan who so gently inspired and encouraged me, I'd probably still be eating Popeyes, taking whey protein, and rocking leatherJordans. I certainly have friends who'd prefer that, but I'm happier now than I was then and I've told her that, where words fail, every person Iencourage, everyone I help inspire, will serve as a living tribute to the gratitude I feel for her support.

I've always been a very independent person with a strong sense of self-discipline. Becoming vegan was probably much easier for me than most, with respectto "standing out," because my friends have always known me as someone principled. The fact that I'll be the only person at a party not eating,say, chicken wings or pizza, was really nothing new for me because I've been accustomed to being the only person who doesn't drink. I made acommitment at a very young age to abstain from smoking, drinking, or using any illicit drugs and I've honored that commitment completely. I'd seeneach cause too much harm to ever inflict it on myself and those I care about. So, when I did commit to veganism, I can't say it came as a total shock toanyone who's known me.

You'll run into some jerks, there's no doubt about that. I had to go to Kansas City last month for a friend's wedding and I couldn't eatanything but asparagus at the reception. The day before, everyone went out for barbeque and you can imagine the waiter's reaction when I asked if therewas anything at all on the menu that didn't contain animal products - in a restaurant whose walls are lined with cattle skulls. A few months after Ibecame vegan, someone who barely knew me greeted me with "hey, there's plenty of meat left" when I showed up at a Superbowl party, but, later inthe evening, they were curious and began asking questions to try and understand why I'd made the change. It was clear they associated vegan diets withPETA and PETA with judgmental, self-righteous hypocrites. They wanted to think that being a vegan is unhealthy, tried to argue that a relative who'dbecome vegetarian suffered illness as a result of that choice, and expressed mock concern for my own health, but people who take such a tack are clearlyuninformed on the subject. By the end of the evening, there was nothing negative they could say about my choice. I don't anticipate them becomingvegetarian or vegan themselves anytime soon, but when I see that person now they know better than to make any wisecracks about it.

In fact, I find that most people tend to respect it. The attitude I encounter most frequently is, essentially, "wow, I really respect that. I couldNEVER do that." Of course, you don't want to be elevated to a pedestal, either, so you have to take the time to explain that, really, this issomething that almost anyone can do and ENJOY. Even if they can't eliminate animal products from their diet and lifestyle entirely, they can certainlyreduce their intake, eat animal-free meals a few nights a week, and enjoy the health benefits of doing so while, at the same time, contributing to a reductionin the cruel and environmentally unsustainable production of meat and other animal products.

If you're in the right crowd, if you're among people who are mature, respectful, and understanding, there obviously won't be an issue. You mayeven find that this choice actually makes it easier for you to find others you can relate to. Being online, I've seen how much NikeTalk has meant topeople who felt they were the only ones in their schools or communities growing up who loved Air Jordans, basketball, and hip hop. Just finding a community ofpeople online who shared the same interests meant the world to them - and that's something many of us, who grew up in communities where basketball and hiphop were common interests among the majority of our friends and classmates, take for granted. For me, compassion for animals is not something most of my peersshared growing up, so becoming vegan actually helped steer me toward people who felt similarly. Not to be facetious, but I'm sure there are single veganguys out there who are quite happy that the male:female ratio is skewed decidedly in their favor at the moment.

Where support doesn't exist, that, to me, signals a responsibility to try and offer it. Normally I'm a very private person, but when it comes toactivism I've never been one to hold my tongue or, in this case, my typing, and I consider it important to try and use the power of online community toreach out to others. It's the least I can do to serve those causes I'm passionate about.

 

[nealraj006]

Originally Posted by Gordon Gekko 979

Originally Posted by nealraj006

Originally Posted by miss kidd0

Where do vegetarians get their essential amounts of fats and protein if they don't eat meat then?

Also, aren't artificial substitutes like imitation chicken, beef, crab, etc... bad for you?

Nuts, beans, dairy, etc. If you're a vegan, then the first two.
I'm a vegetarian, not a vegan. But it's not hard to get protein or fats in my diet at all, have a couple handfuls of nuts(almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts) and you get a good amount of protein and fat. Also, soy products such as tofu, tempeh, etc. are nutritious and tasty.
I've basically been vegetarian for my whole life, but I used to eat meat in my early childhood years.

Originally Posted by Gordon Gekko 979

Method Man and fellow NTers, as guys, you don't feel odd or funny telling your friends you are a vegetarians? I know there's this notion that only females do it. I don't agree with but it appears that's how alot of people view it....And im going to sound dumb, but can you eat ice cream while being a vegetarian? lol

I don't care what people think. This diet works for me and that's really all that matters. Whats the point of lying anyway, it wouldn't change the fact that you are or aren't a vegetarian.
Vegans choose not to eat animal products such as dairy, so they don't eat ice cream. However, vegetarians who choose to consume animal products such as dairy, do eat ice cream.

since you mentioned it being a diet, how much weight have you seen yourself lose? i'm a tad bit overweight, but i don't want to just use this as a way to lose weight, i want this to be a life changing thing...

I didn't exactly mean it in that sense, I just meant that as my eating style. But alot of people that switch over to a vegetarian/veganlifestyle realize that they have so many choices in fruits, vegetables, etc. that are low calorie and filling, so you end up eating fewer calories, but morenourishing food. This helps because it keeps you full for longer, especially with high fiber foods, and it basically leads to weight loss.
Also, as omnivores, many people tend to ignore their vegetable needs, and in a vegetarian diet, you are forced to meet those requirements.
I would suggest researching this lifestyle for methods and variations that suit your needs. You may not want to start this lifestyle without knowing anythingbecause you may just end up binging on unhealthy carbohydrates. Look up recipes and enjoy this change in pace.

 

[chi ill]

You feel maaaaaaaaaaaaaad healthy when you don't eat meat though .

I don't even notice it ... I don't eat seafood either .

 

[beermann2]

Nice info in here. Thanks.

I, myself decided that I want to eat more healthy. I've been eating healthy for a year or so, lots of lettuce, lots of fuits. I still eat meat but not likebefore, maybe 3 times a month. And I've been thinking of taking that jump to the next level because all you hear now a days about obesity, diabieties,colon cancer, etc. I don't want to suffer all that when I'm old. Thanks for the info fellow Nters.

 

[gordon gekko 979]

Originally Posted by Chi ILL

You feel maaaaaaaaaaaaaad healthy when you don't eat meat though .

I don't even notice it ... I don't eat seafood either .

How does this feeling feel? Can you be more specific. im starting to realize most of the food presented to young people is toxic to your body. ona daily basis i see FAT girls eating chips for breakfast

 

[dgk3188]

Meth-

thanks for those words. i think that you just really helped me make that decision.

i've seen videos of how they treat those animals. plus i really want to start taking care of my health. i'll check out some of those recipes and blogsposted.

Namaste!

 

[chi ill]

Originally Posted by Gordon Gekko 979

Originally Posted by Chi ILL

You feel maaaaaaaaaaaaaad healthy when you don't eat meat though .

I don't even notice it ... I don't eat seafood either .

How does this feeling feel? Can you be more specific. im starting to realize most of the food presented to young people is toxic to your body. on a daily basis i see FAT girls eating chips for breakfast

It's that feeling you have when you get out of the shower after you ran a couple of miles .

You just FEEL cleansed , free , healthy .

You don't feel as bloated , as tired , as clogged up .

 

[nealraj006]

Originally Posted by dgk3188

Meth-

thanks for those words. i think that you just really helped me make that decision.

i've seen videos of how they treat those animals. plus i really want to start taking care of my health. i'll check out some of those recipes and blogs posted.

Namaste!

I would recommend this lifestyle to anyone. It helps you put things in a moral perspective as well. If you start being vegetarian for the healthbenefits, you will soon realize that it also helps you not be apart of the cruelty towards animals.