"Are you trying to starve yourself?"

Yes, I am from America where we are meat-eating lovers but, I'm ready to make a healthier change in my life. Yes, I love meat but I don't love the way it makes me feel. I feel sluggish after I eat meat. I have been considering going vegetarian for months but I wasn't ready. Now that I'm serious and have announced to my family, I feel like I'm being judged and not supported.

My mother even cracked a joke when I told her I was coming back home for a couple of days. "I don't make meatless meals!"

Yes, I felt some way about it but it also made me feel like I was different, like I wasn't welcome. I know my mom didn't mean it that way but I can just imagine how my family will react when we have a family gathering and I tell them I don't eat meat.

Most vegetarians stop eating meat for the concern of animal welfare and the environment. I'm doing this for the sake of my health. I come from a family of diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. I want to make a change in my diet for the next generations to come to my family. I also have gained more interest in the environment and hot to become more sustainable.

I want people to respect others life changes more than passing judgment without understanding why people do what they do. Not only is that sad but the same amount of vegetarian options at restaurants or even in the dining halls on campus.

No, we vegetarians don't just want to eat salads. There are so many recipes that are so flavorful and full of nutrients, which we need.

Vegetarianism is a choice, just like choosing to eat meat.