Vegetarian Daily Diet

I'm going to go on a vegetarian diet for the one month. Is that long enough to see results?

I'll still allow myself to have eggs, milk, butter, cheese, etc, but no meat, including fish. I guess that's what vegetarian means... Haha. Anyway, would one month be long enough to see results in my body, my skin, and just my overall habits? Or would I need to keep going for longer? I plan to take daily vitamins as well, so I get the correct nutrients. Also, are there any side effects? Is there anything I should be aware of? Thanks everyone! Cheers, - Claire That's nice, but I didn't ask for your opinion. I asked you to answer my question. I'm doing this to change the way I feel about myself and the way I look at life, not about how I look. I feel fine about that, I just need a change in my life. Thanks for the tips guys!

Public Comments

1. If you eat too many dairy products, you probably won't notice any difference. The diet needs to be heavily plant-based before you'll notice health improvements. Many new vegetarians eat a lot of pizza, quesadillas, and macaroni and cheese. That kind of diet would make you gain weight. Also, most cheeses have animal rennet as a firming agent. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, limit your dairy, and don't overdo it with carbs. You'll look and feel better within a week or two.
2. Becoming a vegetarian takes a different toll on everyone, I felt better inside after a week, but it takes longer for some people. You SHOULD see results in everything you listed, but make sure you get the right amounts of protein, etc. B12 and Iron are lacking in many vegetarians' diets, but if you do have a good supplement you should be fine with those. Keep hydrated, as always, but this is especially important because you are taking something out of your body's diet and replacing it with something else. One last thing, if you're just looking to change your body for a month, this isn't the best idea. Being a vegetarian usually means something, not just that you want to look good. To keep the results, you'd have to be a vegetarian for a lot longer than just a month, but whatever your motives, stay healthy and congrats for being a veg!
3. I agree with poster 1. Cut out milk products and eggs if you want to reap the health benefits.
4. Depends on what excatley you want to change. One month won;t give a huge difference, and you should be looking at this not as a short-term thing, but a long term thing, a life-long commitment. I have been a vegetarian for 2 and a half years, before that I was on and off for 8 years and am now a Vegan, my skin still get break-outs around my period which is strange because I drink so much water and eat so much food with water in it (fruits for example) You should be feeling a change in your body. I noticed that when I first cut out meat completely, I felt tired for a fortnight or so. I take daily calcium, iron, B12 and E supplements as these are what you will miss out on most in a vegetarian/vegan diet. To get protein you need to eat meat substitutes such as sanitarium nut-meat. I think this is a fantastic step for a change in life-style and kudos to you for taking the first steps!
5. I'm not fully clear on what results you want to see, but you will definitely notice a difference. If you're doing it for weight-loss, it could take more than a month, depending on how many pounds you want to loose, but since your body is used to breaking down meat it will burn off what you eat faster than if you were still eating meat. If you're not trying to loose weight, that could be an unwanted side effect (after a year or so, the metabolism regulates itself to the new diet, so weight-loss is no longer a problem). Taking vegetarian vitamins is a good idea, and make sure you get a good variety of food; fruit, veggies, whole grains, beans/seeds/nuts. Try to eat more fresh food, not just processed vegetarian food. It's sounds like you're planning well and getting off to a good start. If you want to go back to eating meat after a month (you might not :) ), I would suggest you do it gradually, keeping a vegetarian diet a few days a week at first, then maybe reducing it to 1 day a week. Good luck. I hope you get the results you want and enjoy being a vegetarian!
6. vegetarianism is a way of life, and if you're a true vegetarian it will be difficult, or even impossible, for you to go back to murdering animals.