STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Tati · Chanel

Just curious....

Tati · Chanel

and have anyone of you ever fallen off the wagon before?

kmd · Kate Spade

Was a veggie for 10 years... I did not lose any weight at all, if anything I gained- this was my own fault though, you can still eat really unhealthy stuff and be a vegetarian, and that's what I did! Too much pasta, etc.
I wasn't so extreme that I didn't wear leather, wool, or anything like that--I kept everything I had that was made from wool, etc. but didn't buy anything new made with animal products...
Not a vegetarian for about 2 years now, and for me, it was the correct choice- I'm a lot healthier now. :) For some people it works and for others, it doesn't.

Elle · Hermes

I'm not a strict vegetarian, but I do try to limit my consumption of all animal products - for me that includes clothing items made from leather too. So, I guess that means that there isn't really a wagon to fall off of in my case? I don't really see vegetarianism as a decision that's made once - it's made everytime you eat. If your feelings about the way you're eating change, then I don't think there's anything wrong with reevaluating the decision to be vegetarian. After all, there are many reasons to do it and many reasons not to!

I started really cutting my meat/dairy consumption about 4 years ago, and while I don't think I've lost weight I do feel healthier. I try to base my meals on vegetables and whole grains to avoid the starch + cheese trap some vegetarians fall into. It was more difficult at first - now that I've got a large collection of veggie-friendly recipes it's a more normal amount of 'work' and I'm less tempted to veer from it for convenience sake or due to cravings.

Honestly, the thing I'm having the most trouble kicking is eating meat at restaurants. I'd rather not, because I prefer knowing where my meat came from, but sooooooo many places put meat in freakin' everything.

Suasoria · Chanel

People's individual preferences vary a lot based on why someone chooses to go veg. For someone who stops eating meat for their personal health or the environment, versus concern for animals, wearing animal products may not be an issue for them.

Just to clarify - vegetarians eat no meat, but will eat other animal products like dairy/egg/honey. Some are strict about personal care or clothing products, though some aren't. In a sense they still "use" animals for some things, so it isn't so much a political choice.

Vegans use no animals at all, either in their diet or their personal life/consumption practices. They will avoid meat, dairy, egg, honey, leather, fur, wool, cashmere, silk, circuses, bullfights, etc.

I was a vegetarian for a decade or so but did not lose noticeable weight. Like KMD said, what tends to happen is people replace the meat with things that aren't much better for you - like instead of a chicken salad sandwich, they have egg salad. BUT I lost about 20 pounds and several dress sizes when I became a vegan. Before, as a vegetarian, I generally avoided leather unless it was really cute and really cheap. It kinda creeps me out, to be honest. It's...someone else's skin! Then there are others who don't mind wearing leather etc. if it's from a thrift store or ebay or whatever, but won't buy it new, so it's more of an economic issue.

Falling off the wagon - food-wise, or clothing? I know I've bought non-leather shoes with glues probably made from horse parts (so they aren't totally vegan). I haven't backslid food-wise since my primary reason for going veg was concern for animals, not concern for myself (i.e. health/weight). That said, it's nigh on impossible to be an absolutist, since one has to be extremely familiar with food processing to avoid all animal ingredients - most sugar, salt, and wine is not vegan, for example.

Most just do the best they can, as consciously and mindfully as they can, every day. Don't we all, really?

Kitty · Hermes

I'm vegetarian but I do wear leather (and feel guilty about it).

I do it mostly because I don't like the idea of eating meat and because I think it's absolutely disgusting and unnecessary to eat meat all the time/at every meal. I've been vegetarian since I was around 8 years old, so I can't really say whether or not I've lost weight.

I have never fallen off the wagon, but then again, I have no desire to eat meat. I find it disgusting.

I've actually been considering becoming vegan. I've slowly stopped eating dairy/eggs/etc. but the products part of veganism will be very hard for me -- you have to be hyper-aware as a consumer, because animal products/testing are so prevalent.

kenzie · Chanel

I used to be a vegetarian as well, but never lost weight. I did the same thing other posters mentioned- eating too much of the wrong foods. Now I try to limit my meat consumption- I find it kind of gross as well, but my bf loves meat so it would be difficult to avoid it completely.

I do love fish and eat a lot of that. I took a nutrition class through work recently and really learned how to eat correctly and make veggies and whole foods the focus of my diet. I've lost about 5 pounds so far and I'm trying to lose about 15-20 more. My eating habits now are much better than they were when I was a vegetarian. I'm (mostly) what is referred to as a pesca-vegetarian now (no meat- mostly- but I eat fish).

In general, I try to avoid a lot of leather products although with shoes, many times leather is more comfortable and breathable, so I'll bend a little there. I don't think I actually own any leather bags, though.

clothes_horse · Dooney & Bourke

i went 100% vegetarian for a few months and i lost weight but went back to eating some meat because i felt i wasn't getting enough iron and protein and it was affecting me.
i'm now what is considered a flexitarian, i eat meat occasionally, but it's usually just turkey or chicken. i rarely eat any red meat and i rarely use red meat when cooking for my family.
i have a hard time going completely vegetarian because my husband likes meat and i have 2 young daughters, whom i think need the protein and iron.

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

I went vegetarian when I was 15. It wasn't to make a social statement as much as I never liked meat and decided I needed to call myself veggie to get my parent off my back about eating meat. I continued to wear leather. I can't really comment on weight loss since I was still growing, and didn't have any weight to lose.

In later years I have felt a little guilty about wearing leather, but have continued to buy it, but have tried to be more choosy and bought shoes/purses that would hold up for a long time. It wasn't until later years that I would cheat on vegetarianism with crabmeat. I love crab!

Last year around this time I started to follow a vegan diet. I specify vegan diet because I couldn't commit to a vegan lifestyle, like Sausoria pointed out, limits all products to nnon-animal sources. I fell off the wagon during the summer, and started the vegan diet in the fall. I continue to follow a vegan diet, but I do allow myself to cheat from time to time. When I do consume dairy, I feel icky. So, if I am really craving something cheesy (it's always cheese that I crave) I'll eat it, feel crappy, and be able to contine for several months without feeling like cheating. Then I get the urge again, cheat, feel crappy, and the circle continues. I did lose when when I went vegan the first time, gained it back when I went back to just vegetarianism, and began losing it again when I went back to being a vegan.

When I started veganism I also started looking into more organic and natural alternatives to many products I use, and I ahve continued to discover more products as time passes. I imagine in a few years I may be able to commit to a vegan lifestyle.

I will say that people understand what it means to be vegetarian, but a lot of people struggle with veganism. I have found it easy over the years to tell people serving me food that I cant't eat something because of it's meat content, however I haven't found myself able to decline from a vegan standpoint in many circles. When I am in that situation I just do the best I can. With family and close friends I can be a pain in the ass, but with others I just suck it up...

HTH

Hermes

Thanks for sharing your story about social situations, GD. That's good insight for me.

To answer the question, I do wear leather, and I guess it doesn't bother me as much as eating creatures. I don't know why, because it should. I think maybe because I've taken the vegetarian thing in small steps, and that is probably a step in my future.

Since I'm pescetarian (I eat seafood), I cannot comment on weight loss as a vegetarian. However, I am going to experience the vegan lifestyle for the next two weeks and see how I feel about it...

I honestly don't think it's natural for us to consume other animals like we do. Our closest relatives, Chimpanzees, do not experience social influence on their food choices. They eat mostly fruit and insects. I consider crustations "insects of the sea" so that's why I have been eating pescetarian. However, fish do not fit in that category, and even thought I've eaten fish lately, I am conflicted by it. Anyway, it is mostly male chimps that eat other animals, but when they do, it's an extremely small amount of their diet.

From the web (so it must be true!):

"Chimpanzee diets are composed mainly of ripe fruits but vary according to the time of the year and abundance of specific food items. They will spend many hours a day eating about 20 different species of plants and up to about 300 different species during a one year period. They do not store food and will eat it at the place they find it. They also enjoy eating young leaves particularly in the afternoon. In long dry seasons when fruit is scarce, tree seeds, flowers, soft pith, galls, resin and bark become an important part of their diet.

They also eat many different types of insects, however termites are the most nutritionally important. Termites are collected either by hand or with tools which are modified by the chimp and specifically used for this purpose. Many zoos, including the Honolulu Zoo, have built termite mounds to simulate this natural behavior of feeding. See our termite mound enrichment Females spend twice as much time eating insects as males do. Birds are occasionally eaten. Mammals such as monkeys, pigs and antelope are also eaten, particularly by males, but along with termites only account for about 5% of their diet."

I draw the line at termites, though... I also love animals. A lot. Maybe more than most people. It's hard in good conscience for me to support an industry that tortuously mutilates animals. Now I'm feeling bad about my shoes and purses cry

-- Edited by D at 10:41, 2009-01-26

Suasoria · Chanel

Aww, it's good to feel bad sometimes. Some measure of 'feeling bad' is essential to change, growth, evolution. Feeling bad is an indication of who we are as a person - naturally compassionate, merciful, loving. Feeling bad speaks well of who we are.

Of course, it's entirely possible to go along ignoring who we are. I think most of us do, just to survive, at least from time to time. In the long run it becomes uncomfortable to ignore who we are, but sometimes it seems it's the only available option.