Side Effects of Vegetarianism

I have been a vegetarian for almost two weeks and I have several observations to make about the experience:

1) You fart. A lot. This is a side effect of being a (new) healthy vegetarian and it is pretty much unavoidable until your stomch adjusts to your new diet.

2) I have gained weight. I have gained at least two pounds since turning vegetarian. I think my mind is secretly trying to compensate for my lack of eating meat by tricking me into believing that I can and should eat more of everything else. (Remember, I used to eat A LOT of meat every day of my life before deciding to reform.) Once I realized what was going on I started to manage this problem. No permanent damage has been done and I should return to normal by next week. However, also adding to my weight-gain is #3.

3) I am so excited about eating tasty vegetarian food!! There are so many great recipes out there. I’m only now starting to discover tofu… and I just want to eat everything. I have been cooking up a storm. I even subscribed to the magazine Vegetarian Times.

4) I do not miss meat as much as I thought I would. If fact, I do not think it would be a stretch to say that I do not miss meat at all! Can you believe it? I went from thinking that life without meat would be unbearable to not missing it at all between three and five times a day. Now when I think about eating meat I get a little grossed out. Like, I really, really do not want to put animal flesh inside of me. I do not know what to attribute this to, as I am a far cry from being an animal’s rights activist.

5) I am very happy with my decision to become a vegetarian. I feel healthier and lighter and I also feel great about my contribution to the environment.