It has been almost a year without eating meat for me, and I could not be any happier about it!
1. I eat healthier.
Before I became a vegetarian, I loved meat. Ribs, chicken nuggets, kielbasa—you name it. I ate meat at breakfast, lunch, and dinner usually. At college, it is so easy to grab a chicken patty for a quick lunch. Even worse, when late-night hunger struck, I was often tempted by Big Macs or chicken nuggets. Granted, these are the less healthy meat options, but by having them at my disposal, it made it much easier to eat poorly. Now that I no longer have those options, I find myself taking more time making my food. I spend more time making sure I have my daily fruits and veggies, along with enough calcium, protein, and all that good stuff. It helped me cut out junk foods like Doritos and gummies. I stopped craving such processed foods. I even started eating multigrain bread instead of white bread. Late night snacking now means pita chips and hummus. They are all little changes, but my body is thanking me, and I feel healthier than when I was eating meat.
2. I've become more educated on the food industry.
The day I stopped eating meat I knew almost nothing about the food industry. I had seen one disturbing video about chicken farming and that was that—no more meat for this girl. But of course, I needed more information to not only educate myself but also educate others when they ask about my vegetarianism. It was a whole other world that I had been blind to for 19 years. I watched documentaries, read articles, and asked my fellow "veggies" on campus questions about this new lifestyle. Although a lot of what I learned and am still learning is pretty upsetting, I am thankful for my newfound knowledge.
3. I feel empowered.
I always had felt like there was no way one small person like myself could make any big change. I felt as though my actions had very little effect on the rest of the world. But after learning so much about vegetarianism, I realized that cutting meat out of my diet is not only better for me and for the animals, but for the world. I realized that I actually could make a difference in this world and that my actions do have an impact. Although there are still countless animals being slaughtered, my actions, along with those of my fellow vegetarians and vegans, create a ripple effect. I feel as though I have the power to change the way our world exploits animals.
4. I've adopted better habits for myself, in general.
I figured that if I could stop eating an entire food group, I could start making myself work out more. I could get myself to stop biting my nails. I could get myself to practice yoga daily. I could get myself to the library to start studying early for a test rather than the night before. I had the willpower to do all these things before, but I often struggled with actually doing them. However, when I realized that I had the willpower to stop eating foods that I had been eating and enjoying my whole life, I could pretty much stop or start doing anything that I wanted. So I did. My skin is clearer, I've lost weight, and I'm doing better in school. This doesn't necessarily mean that just because you stop eating meat all of these things will magically happen, but it does show that we have the ability to do so much; we just have to gain the motivation to do so.
5. I just feel... better.
I know that there is not one person out there who could learn what I have learned about meat and still eat it. It's a gruesome and cruel industry, but I am not going to preach at you about it. I believe that everyone has the right to eat what they want; all I ask is that you educate yourself on what's on your plate. Obviously, I do not live a completely cruelty-free lifestyle now. But, I can have some relief in knowing that I am taking steps in this direction. I truly believe that becoming a vegetarian has helped me discover who I am. It sounds super cheesy, but I have never felt more like myself than I did when I stopped eating meat!
