Hi everyone!

This decision came as a surprise to me, but definitely a happy one. Although it has only been a week, I can already see some changes. If you would like to know what the first week is like, after deciding to cut out all meat, keep reading!

Why I Decided To Go Vegetarian:

There are a few reasons, but to keep it short and sweet, I have always hated the idea of any kind of animal abuse, and that includes people selling or using animals for profit, such as zoos, puppy farms and pet shops; so I figured, if I refused to support all of that, then why the hell was I still supporting the meat industry?

Although being vegetarian still isn't the best, since one can still eat products derived from animals, for example cheese and eggs, which also support the meat industry (however a bit more indirectly), I figured I would start off with baby steps.

I have always been fascinated by the idea, but I thought it would be too hard for me to do. Even though I don't really like meat, we are brought up to believe that is such an integral part of a diet, that it can be hard to stray from the conventional ideas. After years of having the idea sitting in the back of my mind, I eventually got to a stage where I said, fuck it, let's just do it; and as soon as i decided that in my mind, I began to realize how much I actually disliked meat. It was on a Sunday, over a week ago, that I said to myself, "This coming Monday, I will stop eating meat altogether." and that night my mother was making meatballs, which I had been looking forward to as my 'last meaty meal', but as the day went on I began to feel happier and happier about my choice, and by the time dinner came around, I could barely stomach even one meatball.

And that was how I kicked off the journey.

How Has The Week Been?

I can definitely say that it is a roller-coaster ride, and even though there are a lot of similarities among the different 'I went vegetarian/vegan' accounts, every body will have a slightly different reaction. The first day, I did A LOT of research, and found that the most common early effects that almost everyone experienced, were hunger, runny tummies, and a feeling of lightness.

In my case, I didn't have a very meat heavy diet to begin with, so my body didn't get as much of a shock as others may have had, and I didn't really start to feel anything up until day 6 and 7. Today I find myself incredibly hungry, and my tummy has not been the most steady either. (TMI, I know!)

The feeling of lightness has very slowly started to creep in, and I can tell that I am losing a tiny bit of weight.
I know that sounds crazy, since it has just been a week, but I lose weight incredibly easily. Don't say that I am lucky just yet though, because I put weight on just as easily as I lose it, so it is more of a curse than being able to maintain a normal weight balance.

Other than those effects, I have also noticed that, as much as I couldn't stomach the thought of even taking one bite of anything meaty at the beginning of the week, last night I found myself looking longingly at my partners chicken dinner; so don't expect to be completely in the same frame of mind for your whole journey. Some days you will cringe at the idea of getting anywhere near meat, and other days it will be difficult to drive past a KFC and not want to cry. It's normal!

Is it a Healthy Long Term Choice?

A lot of people are against the idea, and say that you can do a lot of damage to your body, and in extreme cases even become malnourished. I think it is easy to take it both ways, if you don't pay attention to your body, you can fall into some problems, such as deficiencies of certain micro and macro nutrients, but all you have to do to prevent that is keep yourself informed. Do your research, and keep track of your body, know what the signs are if you aren't getting enough of what you need, and know what to do to fix any problems you might incur. If you keep a balanced diet, and get in enough proteins and minerals such as iron and/or zinc, you will be fine.

Pay.Attention.To.Your.Body!

Everyone reacts differently, so don't just take the advice of others as law, and if you feel concerned make sure to check in with your doctor.

In Conclusion

I think a decision like this is not only a wonderful way to look out for the planet, and the creatures we share it with, but also a great way to get more in touch with yourself, and force yourself to experiment with new flavours and ways of living. Regardless of whether you think it is something that will stick or not, take a week or month to just try it out, and see how you react. If it ends up not being for you, then it' perfectly fine, at least you put yourself out there and tried something different!

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I hope you liked this post, I will have the next update up soon!

Have an awesome day!