Are you tempted to go vegetarian? For some time now, I’ve felt a certain discomfort with my meat consumption. To be exact, I’ve never really liked eating meat, but I did it because I was told to. Because I thought it was compulsory, at the risk of unbalancing my diet and exposing myself to deficiencies.

What could I do? For a long time, I gritted my teeth, I tried: cooking all meats thoroughly, eating only the parts without a single piece of fat, sinew or anything else that reminded me it was a dead animal, adding sauces and accompaniments to forget its original origin. Then, 2 years ago, I made up my mind to stop eating meat.

I held out for a few weeks, then started again. I couldn’t keep it up and decided to write this article that I wish I’d read back then, warning me of the 7 mistakes I made.

1ST MISTAKE: I JUMPED IN OVERNIGHT
I hadn’t fully appreciated the scale of the issue, and I’d drawn a definitive line under certain eating habits that I’d had and really enjoyed. As much as I didn’t really like red meat, so I didn’t feel any deprivation there, saying “goodbye” to scallops or fried noodles with shrimps was (is) much harder for me. So when the time came, faced with the restaurant menu or the dish served, I just couldn’t fight it.

2ND MISTAKE: I DIDN’T GIVE ENOUGH REASONS FOR MY DECISION
I knew that deep down I didn’t want to eat meat any more, partly out of taste, partly for the sake of those poor animals who hadn’t done anything to me, but I hadn’t looked beyond that. Knowing how these animals we eat are raised and killed, knowing the health risks involved in eating too much meat, knowing that maybe, deep down, we’re not omnivores, knowing that raising the beef we eat is an ecological disaster…

If I had been better informed about the countless reasons behind this choice, I would undoubtedly have been more motivated. But at the time, I was totally “disconnected” and didn’t even know that there were associations, websites, Facebook groups and blogs specializing in these issues.

THIRD MISTAKE: I JUST STOPPED EATING MEAT AND FISH
Eating vegetarian is an important decision… but contrary to what you might think, it doesn’t simply mean removing a piece of meat or fish from your plate. If you do, you’re likely to eat an unbalanced diet that lacks certain essential nutrients.

At this rate, my plates became very poor, very bland. I ate a little more side dish and bread to try and hold out until the next meal, but it wasn’t enough.

In reality, when you decide to eat vegetarian, you have to accept the idea that your whole diet is going to have to evolve by opening up to new foods and associations that until then, I-speak-for-myself, you’d been ignoring.

Eating vegetarian is an important decision… but contrary to what you might think, it doesn’t simply mean removing a piece of meat or fish from your plate.

FOURTH MISTAKE: I WAS ALONE AGAINST EVERYONE
I made and implemented this decision completely alone, in my circle of friends and family. I didn’t know anyone I could talk to about this decision, about what was or wasn’t in store for me, about my progress or my difficulties. I didn’t know that there was a real community of vegetarians going through the same ordeals. I was isolated in the middle of a group of confirmed carnivores! In those conditions, it was hard to stay motivated and sure of one’s choice.

FIFTH MISTAKE: I WASN’T INFORMED ENOUGH
When you start eating vegetarian, there are several stages to go through. Willpower, food balance, others. The others are a huge subject! When we announce such a decision, others are rarely enthusiastic, but are quick to find fault with our reasoning, which sometimes comes down to bad faith. To stay the course, it’s better to be armed and prepared!

“Because eating a vegetable isn’t killing it?” “Uh….”
“And isn’t growing soybeans an ecological massacre?” “Really?”
” You’re going to run out of iron, protein… ” ” You think so?… “

In short, before making and announcing such a decision, you need to be informed. To avoid making mistakes, to keep your head up when you’re bombarded with critical questions, and to remain confident in your decision.

SIXTH MISTAKE: I DIDN’T COOK
At the time, I was “feeding” myself, but I wasn’t really preparing food. I had totally outsourced that part of my daily routine, letting others do it for me without thinking (restaurants, ready-made meals, ready-made salads, frozen vegetables…).

I wasn’t interested in food at all, I didn’t take the time to cook, I didn’t feel strangely concerned. I hadn’t made the link between my food and my well-being (and I feel the difference today!). And I’m convinced that to succeed in eating vegetarian, you need to be informed and invest more time in preparing your plate. At least during the initial phase of this new diet.

SEVENTH REASON: I COULDN’T SAY NO
Social pressure, again! This was one of the big obstacles in this first failure. Invited to friends’ or family’s houses, I couldn’t say “no”. “No, I don’t want meat”. “No, I don’t want white meat either. “Yes, fish is meat.

I didn’t want to offend the hosts who had prepared this for me. Nor did I want to have to justify myself and answer the questions (and criticisms) that this would inevitably raise. So I soon gave in. First with the fish. Then with meat. And what about holiday meals when you live in a meat-loving family and don’t eat meat anymore? It’s not really a feast on the plate anymore:-)

There you have it, I think I’ve understood the main reasons for my first failure, and succeeded in my second attempt! I hope that this article will help vegetarian beginners to overcome these difficulties… because having exchanged a lot with other vegetarians, we’ve all encountered the same difficulties… But with the information sites, blogs, forums, communities and restaurants that are now passionate about our health, ecology and the animal cause, I’m confident. We’ll be increasingly well-informed, with less and less social pressure. Our choice will be more easily respected.

So good luck to you, if this is your decision!