Hello, all!  I'm really wanting to stop eating meat altogether and become a vegetarian.  I'm not quite sure I can make it to vegan at this time, but hey, it's a start. 

Any suggestions on making the transition easier?  How long have you been a vegetarian?  Are you vegan as well?  What made you make the "switch?"  What has been the hardest thing about it?  Easiest? 

I'm listening.  Thank you all so much!

I've been a vegetarian since January of this year and have not yet achieved veganism (not sure I will). The most difficult part for me is that all of my family still eats meat and I have to deal with it in my home. It's been easy (most of the time) to stick to this because I feel so much better and I've lost some weight ... what's not to like? :)

One suggestion for your transition is to not be so hard on yourself. If you slip up, don't beat yourself up, just make better choices the next time.  I wish you the best.

I'm not a vegetarian myself, so I can't give much advice without looking like a hypocrite. I do look up to this lifestyle though!

Though I'm still omnivorous, I've definitely progressed to eat less meat than I did before my spiritual awareness. Admittedly, part of this probably comes from my experience with Mahayana Bodhisatvas and compassion to all beings.

Just take your time. Start off trying to eat less and less meat, probably with each couple of weeks, or even slower if you must. That's as far as I've been. Good luck and here's hoping for the best!

[QUOTE=Glory2Glory;11323]Hello, all!  I'm really wanting to stop eating meat altogether and become a vegetarian.  I'm not quite sure I can make it to vegan at this time, but hey, it's a start. 

Any suggestions on making the transition easier?  How long have you been a vegetarian?  Are you vegan as well?  What made you make the "switch?"  What has been the hardest thing about it?  Easiest? 

I'm listening.  Thank you all so much![/QUOTE]

Glory 2 Glory,

You have made my day. Excellent goal. You can have becoming vegan as a goal but you need not feel you need to get there all in one jump.

I have been a vegetarian since 1971 and am now a vegan. The mistakes I made you can learn to avoid. I had become aware of the cruelty to cows and other animals issue and that is why I stopped eating meat and eggs.I couldn't digest milk products so I was functionally a vegan although unaware of the term. It wasn't until some years later that I learned that the dairy industry was just another part of the cow slaughter industry.

At that time there was not so much support for a meatless lifestyle as there is today. I would say become familiar with all the positive alternatives there are to a meat based diet from the veggie kingdom. Dropping flesh is just a part of it. There is a whole positive side to good eating that you can explore. Indulge yourself in healthy compassionate eating. And take a b-12 tablet every once in a while.

Change is good especially when it involves the upward evolution of your consciousness as this one does.

Happy eating.

Ruminants produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas!