How I did it: I didn't like meat to begin with anyway — I find that it looks repulsive and tastes bad, so I just decided to stop eating meat one day and I've been vegetarian ever since.

Lessons & tips: A few days after I began, I started feeling really hungry. I thought it was a problem with nutrition, and it was, to some extent. It seems like a lot of people have this same problem.

The solution for most people: snack more, eat more beans and nuts, and drink plenty of water. In my case, I was already eating plenty of beans and nuts, so I just needed to snack more.

Eat fruits for snacks. They're healthy and relatively high in calories (as opposed to vegetables).

Also, remember to supplement with B12 (drink B12 fortified soymilk,
drink milk, or eat eggs). I've read a few articles about how it's
difficult to develop chronic B12 deficiencies, but many scientific
studies have proven their assumptions to be false. Either way, it's probably safer — and probably won't hurt — just to make sure you get B12.

Resources: Here's something that tells you in what ratios to eat certain food groups:
The New Four Food Groups (PCRM)
This link has similar recommendations:
Healthy eating for vegetarians (VegSoc)

Also, I'd highly recommend this book if you haven't read it yet (ignore all the stuff about meat):
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

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Oct 25, 2008, 10:40AM PDT | 2 comments | 9 cheers