Believe it or not, there are more reasons to become a vegetarian than just the usual claim of standing against the abuse of animals. I used to crave sugar like crazy, I would eat a disgusting amount of junk food on the daily, and dieting consisted of starving myself, losing five pounds, then gaining it all back. I realized that if I really wanted to lose weight and transform my body, I would need a different approach.
Why I started:
As I began my freshman year of college, I realized that being healthy is a necessity. I no longer had my mom to watch over me and lecture me on my health habits, or take care of me when I became sick. If I wanted to get through my long days and busy schedule at school, I would have to break my old habits. Think about it, eating healthy affects every aspect of your life; your sleep habits, energy, productivity, skin, hair, nails, immune system, the list can go on!
I guess I have to thank my freshman-year roommate for jumpstarting this intense change in diet. She started her freshman year as a vegan, and seeing how healthy she ate really persuaded me to jump on the bandwagon. When you’re eating meat it’s rarely grease-free, ground turkey, or plain grilled chicken. A lot of the time you’re eating meat with a lot of fat, bread, cheese, or extremely sugary and salty sauces.
Why I didn’t give up:
I think most could agree with me that sticking with a diet is part of the battle towards losing weight and staying healthy, that’s why I needed to find a diet that was possible. I’ve found that without meat it was easier for me to manage my food intake. If you’ve ever really looked into the calories that foods contain, you’ll realize how much more you can eat in your day when you eat mostly fruits and vegetables.
With eliminating meat, I was forced to be much more conscious about the foods I was actually eating, making sure I was getting all of the right nutrients and not eating the same thing every day. In result, eating healthy became fun. I began eating fruits and vegetables I never thought I would have liked, which broadened my taste buds tremendously. I found Pinterest to be my “go to” for vegetarian snacks and dishes and making new recipes was exciting for me. Instead of focusing on all of the foods I wasn’t allowed to eat (for weight loss purposes) I began to get excited about all of the healthy foods that I could eat.
I don’t even feel bad about getting fast food on occasion now, because with my diet change, my choice in junk food has even changed. Did you know that at Taco Bell you are able to substitute meat with beans? How life changing is that?? You’re welcome.
Why I continued:
The change didn’t happen over night, but let me tell you, when I saw the results from this diet, I couldn’t have been more satisfied. I don’t have an exact time to when I truly lost the weight, but I know that I am around ten pounds lighter than I was before I was vegetarian (which has been a little over a year since I began).
I feel better too. I survived last winter with one cold, I repeat, one cold. Not even a fever! That has been the sickest I have been since I started my vegetarian diet. It’s truly amazing how healthy eating transformed my immune system so tremendously.
My productivity level has increased as well; I can handle long weeks of early mornings without a struggle and find myself able to live a less stressful life. I can tell you that feeling better inside and out is definitely a stress reliever!
Furthermore, seeing that cutting out meat was truly possible, I slowly increased my healthy decision-making even more. I became more aware of the amount of sugar and salt I ate and made working out more of a priority. Even the nights where I now give in to junk food and “indulge” are not even close to what they used to be like. My “sweet tooth” has lessened and salty food is sometimes too overwhelming. These results are mind-blowing to me.
Men’s Health online revealed even more benefits to being vegetarian:
1. Low blood pressure
2. Lower risk of death (overall lower risk for chronic diseases)
3. Better moods
4. Less chance of heart disease
5. Lower risk of cancer
6. Lower risk of diabetes
7. Less likely to be overweight
Overall, everyone is different. Maintaining a healthy body will differ among all people. Don’t think that if you become vegetarian you will automatically drop pounds or never get sick again. This takes work and a lifestyle change, and the lifestyle change is extremely rewarding. This technique has, and still is working for me so maybe it can work for you too! But most of all, I hope that with reading this article, you can at least understand that there is a lot more to being a vegetarian than one would initially assume.
I have no idea how long I will maintain a vegetarian diet, but I can at least say for now that I have no intention of adding meat back into the picture!
