Yesterday marked my fourth week into vegetarianism. Also, I still can't spell vegetarianism without sounding it out slowly and narrowing my eyes at the screen while I type. Because, you know, making weird faces makes spelling easier.
So why did I cut meat out from my diet? Well, except for fish. I was raised Catholic, and joke that I'm too Catholic to give up fish. Plus I really like sushi. Not that this matters because I haven't had fish either. My reasons for going vegetarian have been slowly growing the longer I continue on this little journey.
It all started when my friend B gave up meat and dropped 5 pounds in, like, a week. Naturally, I jumped on this wagon for two reasons.
1) I wanted to lose 5 pounds.
2) I viewed it as a challenge. Psh, if B can give up meat for a week, so can I. I will totally win this contest that I created in my head.
A week went by and I didn't lose any weight. I summed up B's weight loss to the fact that he's a boy and they lose weight easier than girls. That, or he's the devil. It's definitely one of those two things. Regardless of not dropping a measly pound, I decided to keep it up because
3) B was still not eating meat, and I'll be damned if I let him win.
4) I wasn't missing chicken or beef or bacon or anything, so why not?
5) I was finding new foods I enjoyed (like artichoke hearts), and it was fun ordering new things from the same old restaurants.
Last week was my toughest week of this whole vegetarian thing, and I imagine that one week a month will go about the same way. I've been taking a multivitamin every day... okay, fine. I've been taking a multivitamin nearly every day; I keep forgetting. My body was craving protein and iron. So I went up to the food court on campus (I work on a college campus, so I always have plenty of food options), and got some veggie nachos with pinto beans and was good as new. Which brings me to reason
6) I'm learning how to listen to my body.
Which is so important, you know? And I know that that sounds kind of hippie-dippie, but it's something I've never really thought about before. I'm realizing now when I'm hungry versus when I'm thirsty, and when I need certain nutrients. And since I'm on my hippie eco-friendly, free-trade all-natural soap box (I'm not making fun, since I'm a huge fan of eco-friendly free trade all-natural soaps), here are my other reasons for going down the veggie path:
7) The treatment of animals can be horrible and cruel. Not all places treat the animals inhumanly. I've lived on a cattle farm, and the cows have plenty of room to roam and be free and all of that. But I hate thinking about the ways some animals are housed and killed. And if me not eating meat can help a chicken or pig, then I'm all for it.
8) All the crap they inject in animals - the hormones and all of that? Fuck that noise. I like not having chemicals go into my body. Well, except for Diet Coke. But you get my drift.
9) B is still going strong on the vegetarian front and, like I said, I'll be damned if I let him win this one.
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