[amy112]

I have vegetarian beliefs and want to start being a vegetarian again. I was a vegetarian for awaile and wouldn't eat any meat,but now,all I seem to be eating is flesh! I'm really scared I will lose my friend if I tell her if my vegetarian diet is an off and on habit and not an ongoing thing like she thinks I've been doing... can you help me? I haven't been meat free for at least maybe a year or even more.can you also tell me ways to start fast?

Thanks.

[southamerica]

I'm confused by your question. So you want to know

A) What to do about your friend who thinks you've been a vegetarian for an undisclosed period when in reality you've been eating meat

B) How to start eating a vegetarian diet quickly

Well, as far as A goes that's really up to you. You can let her know you're a phony and have a good chuckle over it, or you can keep it a secret. It's not really a big deal.

As far as B goes, just stop eating meat. Make sure you have a good plan of action as far as how you're going to meet nutritional requirements for protein, vitamin B, iron, etc (I eat a lot of eggs, nuts, quinoa, beans, tofu and I take a B12 and iron supplement). If you also wish to cut out dairy, also think about how you're going to get calcium in your system (I take a calcium supplement as well). It's important for people starting on a vegetarian diet to ensure they are getting all their nutrients. When I first went vegetarian at 14 I lost some hair and my nails got white spots under them because I was not very smart about substituting the nutrients you get from meat.

Good Luck!

[Theshadowguy3]

If this person can truly be considered a "friend" they will respect the fact that you occasionally have trouble sticking to your diet.