26 replies to this topic

[Russ]

So I've been working at a job that has me driving 8-10 hours per day. My eating habits and physique have taken a beaten. But I'm starting a new job next week and I'm going vegetarian and cutting all dairy out of my diet. Is there any advice you could give me?

Oh, I'm not looking for imitation meals. I don't want to cook something that tastes "just like Mac n cheese" or anything like that. Just general advice and/or pitfalls.

[Oriole85]

So I've been working at a job that has me driving 8-10 hours per day. My eating habits and physique have taken a beaten. But I'm starting a new job next week and I'm going vegetarian and cutting all dairy out of my diet. Is there any advice you could give me?

Oh, I'm not looking for imitation meals. I don't want to cook something that tastes "just like Mac n cheese" or anything like that. Just general advice and/or pitfalls.

I don't think I could ever do it. My mom's a pesecatarian and my brother has become a veggie freak (although not a vegetarian). My dad goes through pesecatarian phases. My mom regrets not raising us as vegetarians but I'm happy as hell she didn't. I can't imagine cutting meat out of my diet.

[You Play to Win the Game]

I did a full vegan detox once. The biggest advice is just to completely plan and account for each meal. That kind of lifestyle just isn't compatible with being on the road a lot. Unless you're well prepared or cool with spending $10 on bland salads.

[RShack]

I was vegetarian for a year plus, back when... what did me in was moving into my van and spending a year driving all over creation... so, Rule #1:  stay out of fast food places... because one day you'll find yourself with a Big Mac in your hand, and you won't even know how it happened...  if not for that, if I had a more-or-less normal at-home schedule, I might have kept doing it forever...

 

But no dairy too?   You're a better man that I am... I couldn't have done it without any cheese... or milk... or milkshakes... or various stuff that has some dairy in it...  all I did was quit eating ex-critters...

[Mackus]

Eat a lot of Indian food.  I find that cuisine has better vegetarian dishes than any other.  Though they use dairy, so not sure that'd work as well for you.

 

Can't be very helpful otherwise.  Very few of my meals are without meat of some kind.  Good luck with the new diet, hope it helps you feel better.  Can't imagine how awful I'd have to be feeling in general to try that, hope I never have to find out.

[RShack]

For food to taste good, it's needs to have either fat or spices... and if you're removing the most blatant sources of fat, then either you need to lean on the spices or it's gonna be very boring, taste-wise....

[Russ]

For food to taste good, it's needs to have either fat or spices... and if you're removing the most blatant sources of fat, then either you need to lean on the spices or it's gonna be very boring, taste-wise....

Oh I can cook my ass off. I'll need to find some good recipes to try. I can't live on protein drinks and salads forever.

I feel pretty good really. But men in my family have a tendency to die young and I'm getting to the age where I got to take good care of myself and with the combination of my medical stuff last winter and this job, I've got some work to do.

[Cisc-O's]

Watch out!  I ruined myself (For a Year) by not being properly prepared in High school.  I was the Straightedge kid that went vegan as well.  I played Soccer, Track, and Football.  My biggest thing I could tell you is talk to a nutritionist because if you work out, my muscles started to literally breakdown during football preseason because of my diet.   You need an enzyme supplement and plenty of proteins you will lose.   No its not impossible just know you need to read up and know what to do first.

[RShack]

Oh I can cook my ass off.

 

Well, that's probably a good source of fat right there  

[Russ]

Watch out!  I ruined myself (For a Year) by not being properly prepared in High school.  I was the Straightedge kid that went vegan as well.  I played Soccer, Track, and Football.  My biggest thing I could tell you is talk to a nutritionist because if you work out, my muscles started to literally breakdown during football preseason because of my diet.   You need an enzyme supplement and plenty of proteins you will lose.   No its not impossible just know you need to read up and know what to do first.

I'm going to eat a lot of beans and other proteins. And take vitamins. This is the kind of stuff I was looking for. Thanks.

[Pedro Cerrano]

I don't understand people who don't eat meat but will eat seafood. 

[Mackus]

Oh I can cook my ass off. I'll need to find some good recipes to try. I can't live on protein drinks and salads forever.

I feel pretty good really. But men in my family have a tendency to die young and I'm getting to the age where I got to take good care of myself and with the combination of my medical stuff last winter and this job, I've got some work to do.

 

If it's not for any specific issue, such as headaches or stomach troubles or moral quandaries, and you just want to be healthier in general, then I don't think you need to go full vegan or vegetarian or specifically anything.  Unless the structure of any particular diet is the thing that you think will keep you in line overall in terms of being healthy. 

 

I'm not speaking from any experience, I've been fortunate that being heavy or unhealthy has never really been an issue (though I am at an all-time highest weight for myself, been living it up the last couple months since my wedding).  But I think in general more than any particular diet, an "everything in moderation" approach is really the best.  Don't find yourself eating burritos and pork belly and ice cream every day with tons of sugary drinks to wash it all down.  Stick to lean meats, veggies, fruits, whole grains for most meals, only splurge for a cheeseburger or piece of pie on rare occasions.  Similarly, get out and do some exercise most every day, occassionally going really hard after it, but also occassionally taking it easy.

[RShack]

I don't understand people who don't eat meat but will eat seafood. 

 

Possible reasons...

 

* We're more different from fish than we are from other mammals.

 

* If it's seafood from the sea, then it's not supporting the cruel bidness of meat-farms.

 

* If it's seafood from the sea, then it's not the huge cost, food-wise, of raising mammals for meat (some people are vegetarians because of the implications for the global food supply)

 

* It's avoids all the creepy hormone stuff we get from meat-farms that's bad for us... it's not the meat, it's what they feed them...

[Pedro Cerrano]

I always figured for most people it was a moral thing like "do you know how poorly these chickens are treated?"

 

To me, being steamed or boiled alive isn't a picnic.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Read the book The China Study... it outlines a compelling case to go vegan. But I just couldn't do it. I will admit that after about 2 weeks into, I felt exponentially better. It was the first time I really noticed the impact what you put in your body has.

... and then promptly proceeded to eat like shit for another 5 years. But I'm slowly climbing out of it finally. Good luck Russ.

[Russ]

My body can't handle dairy.  I'm not lactose intolerant or whatever technically, but getting a foot and a half of my colon removed has changed how my body handles food.

 

I'm not morally opposed to eating meat, but it makes up a huge portion of my current diet.  I need something that'll force me to plan my meals, to go to the grocery store, to take my lunch with me to work.  And now that I'll actually have time to cook a meal, I'm going to do it.

 

I used to be a huge workout guy but the last year I haven't had the energy.  It's pretty typical  (from what I've read) for it to be a year until you feel like your old self after the surgery I had.  I'm just coming up on a year and am feeling better and have started getting back in the gym (minus a couple days to nurse my back after falling through a deck).  Any way, it's time for a lifestyle change and I'm going in full force.  I don't half ass much.

[Mackus]

I'm not morally opposed to eating meat, but it makes up a huge portion of my current diet.  I need something that'll force me to plan my meals, to go to the grocery store, to take my lunch with me to work.  And now that I'll actually have time to cook a meal, I'm going to do it.

 

The best diet is one you'll stay on, so if the structure of a vegan/vegetarian/whatever diet means you're more likely to eat well than just having a general plan to eat well, definitely go for it.

 

Changing topics to some non-meat foods that are really tasty, the obvious one that jumps to my mind is pasta.  I've got a lot of Italian heritage, so pasta and homemade sauce has always been a huge staple both growing up and since I've been doing my own thing.  Most of those include meat and cheese, but you could easily cut those out and still have something delicious.

[Mike in STL]

Ive gotten some Morning Star black bean burgers. Dont put it on a bun with ketchup and mustard. But they taste exactly like taco meat. So ill cook one up, chop it up, and make a burrito with it. Not bad if your looking for an alternative to steak or chicken tacos/burritos.

[SportsGuy]

I thought about being a vegetarian once...but then I realized I didn't have a vagina.

[SportsGuy]

In all seriousness, kudos to anyone who can go from eating "normal" to eating like this. I could never do it. I wish I had that kind of will power.