I've been a vegetarian for almost eight months, and it is perhaps one of the best decisions that I've ever made before in my life. For one, I'm not sluggish after I eat anymore, I always seem to be energized, and so many more splendid benefits.
For some reason, though, my friends and family have a difficult time grasping my diet choice. From my grandmother always offering me meat because she doesn't think I eat anything at all to my coach who thinks I lack proper protein because I don't have any meat in my diet. And yet, these myths and accusations hardly scratch the surface, so I'm here to prove them wrong.
1. No, I am not losing weight rapidly.
For some reason, when I tell anyone that I'm a vegetarian, they think that I've lost this substantial amount of weight. False. Since I've become a vegetarian, I've actually gained about 10-15 pounds. This is primarily because of my athletic background; being a thrower requires that I eat and lift a lot to gain muscle. I've gained nothing but muscle. This brings me to my next point.
2. Yes, as an athlete I do receive all of my necessary protein.
As I stated before, being a thrower means that I have to lift frequently and heavily, so to get stronger and receive the proper nutrients needed to become a She-Hulk, I have to eat a lot of protein. Where am I getting my protein might you ask? Why, my lovely vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes of course. Bet you didn't know that broccoli has 4.7 more grams of protein per 100 calories than beef does.
I rest my case.
3. No, I don't eat a plate of vegetables everyday.
I cannot explain the reaction I get from people when they ask me if I eat a plate of vegetables every day. Essentially, yes, all of my meals have vegetables in them, but I don't just eat a plate of broccoli, spinach, carrots, and bell pepper and call it a wholesome meal. I make plenty of pasta and black bean burgers, and I incorporate some soy products in my diet, veggie tacos, and so many more delicious recipes that if you tried them, you might actually have some type of hope of becoming a vegetarian yourself.
4. Vegan and Vegetarian are two separate entities.
A vegan is someone who does not eat or use animal products. A vegetarian is someone who does not eat meat and sometimes other animal products. I am considered a vegetarian because I eat eggs and still consume some dairy products such as ice cream and butter.
The conflict comes into play when people say I am not a vegetarian because of my consumption of dairy products, which also brings me to my next point.
5. Me consuming dairy doesn't make me non-vegetarian.
For some reason, people think that eggs, butter and ice cream is considered meat because when I tell them that my vegetarianism has these exceptions, they try to tell me that I'm not a vegetarian. Yes, dairy comes from an animal, but the last time I checked, dairy, in its original liquid form, does not contain flesh from that animal.
6. Yes, fish is considered meat, and no, I do not eat it.
There is a word for a person that does not eat any form of meat but fish; that is called a pescetarian. I am not a pescetarian because I do not eat any kind of flesh from an animal. It's that simple. When people try to tell me that fish isn't meat, I get beside myself because fish are living, breathing, organisms.
Because of this, it correctly falls into the category of "things I can't eat because I'm vegetarian."
It's normal for people to be confused on this topic because it's quite taboo, but to pretend you know what you're talking about is quite embarrassing. Being a vegetarian isn't what people imagine it is, and the only way to become knowledgeable about it is to do your research, folks.
