Almost a full year ago I took the leap and became a vegetarian. I had wanted to go vegetarian for quite some time but never found myself actually doing it. There was always a fear that it would make me sick from lack of nutrients or simply become too difficult to stick to. I didn’t even know what I would eat once I became a vegetarian. Once I finally made the decision, I was able to learn a lot about what goes into being a vegetarian and the best ways to eat.

Even if you don’t rely too much on meat for your diet, it’s still something big to adapt to.

The first few days being a vegetarian were easy. I ate just about the same things and only stayed away from actual meat. Everything was pretty easy until I realized how much meat I was still eating. Once you make a conscious decision to stop eating meat, you realize that it’s everywhere. It comes in most spaghetti sauces, many marinades, just about all soup, and is the entrée at almost any restaurant. At this point, when I was still new to the diet, it was easy to get overwhelmed. A lot of my favorite foods couldn’t be eaten any more. It was hard to say goodbye to them, but I found alternatives in the end.

Everything changes, including restaurants.

The summer after I adopted the vegetarian diet, I went on a trip to California. I was very excited and felt like there would be a ton of vegetarian options. After all, it was California. Once I arrived, however, I found it incredibly difficult. Before the trip, I hadn’t really gone to many restaurants since changing my diet. The ones I did go to had vegetarian options that I tried prior to changing my diet. Going to a new place where I didn’t know any of the restaurants was a nightmare. I’ve always been a picky eater and finding anywhere to eat was nearly impossible. Before going out to eat I would research the restaurants around my hotel, hoping to find one with a good veggie option. For a while, I would order straight off of the vegetarian menu. This was alright, but I didn’t always find myself enjoying it. Many restaurants don’t try as hard on their vegetarian options, and they’re often a little bland. Later I had the idea of ordering off of the normal menu and asking them to hold the meat. For example, if I wanted an order of chicken parmesan, I might ask for them to hold the chicken or get eggplant parmesan instead. This proved to be a lot better because it opened up a new world of possibilities. I could eat exactly what I had before excluding the meat. This was the perfect solution, and one I still use today.

In the beginning, you may crave meat, but not for too long.

The first few weeks after I went vegetarian, I never craved meat. Nothing was screaming at me to have a burger or some chicken tenders. It was a piece of cake until I hit a wall. While I was in California, I went to a Padres baseball game in San Diego. A few rows in front of me a kid had these amazing looking ballpark chicken tenders. I found my mouth watering and all I could think about were those chicken tenders. When I got back to the hotel I saw that room service delivered chicken tenders. I picked up the phone, then immediately dropped it. Luckily I didn’t break my diet, but I sure wanted to. I’ve had a few cravings since, but I find the best way to deal with them is to eat something with peanut butter (for the protein) or just to distract yourself. I haven’t really dealt with any awful cravings, but if I were to get them that would be my solution.

While there are many foods targeted for vegetarians, it is important to find what suits you.

Previous to starting my new diet I did some research to see what the best vegetarian options were. I found Morning Star products to be my ultimate savior. Morning Star is a vegetarian frozen food brand. Their spicy black bean veggie burger was my favorite. It had become my perfect fix considering that I didn’t really cook a lot at that time. I ate Morning Star products just about every day. That is until they grew incredibly boring. It was about that time I realized that I could not survive off of frozen foods and would have to find a new solution. This required more research and time put into food. I tried tons of recipes in order to find a few that I liked. By doing this I adopted a much healthier diet than I had at first. Not only was it healthier, but more delicious as well. Now I’ve gotten pretty good at cooking and always look forward to it by the end of the day.

You will have more energy.

A month into my diet I had already noticed a huge spike in energy. I found myself feeling more awake and aware. This helped a ton with my everyday activities and with my mood. I found myself a lot happier and more active. It might not happen with everyone, but this was definitely one of my favorite parts of becoming a vegetarian. I just felt better overall, and it allowed me to do so much more. Along with more energy, it also helped to keep my weight down. Before changing my diet, I would gain a small bit of weight if I didn’t work out for a while. Now that my diet has changed, I’ve noticed that I gain weight a lot slower. I will only see a little, if any, weight gain if I stop working out for a period of time. I’ve even noticed myself losing a bit of weight since going vegetarian.

Going vegetarian is your choice, and it is a big commitment.

When I chose to go vegetarian, it was because I truly did not feel comfortable eating meat. While it wasn’t easy to completely change my diet, I haven’t regretted it for a single moment. Choosing this diet changes a lot of things, and you will have to make some sacrifices. Going out to lunch with friends or even holiday dinners can become difficult, so it is important to work around those situations. While you have to give a lot up, it is definitely worth it in the end.