June 29, 2007
Before you “go veggie” (or try to), get rid of the junk
Maybe you’ve put on a few pounds and want to see if going vegetarian part time will help you pare down a bit, or have just decided that you want to be healthier.
Whatever your reason, you might want to take this in stages and get rid of the junk food first, before you go veggie. Why? In my opinion, if veganism isn’t quite for you and you’re one of those folks who needs “just a little meat” to feel satisfied, you might end up reaching for the chips to help take care of increased hunger pangs. And it’s also often true (as it was in my case) that even if being vegetarian *is* for you, you’ll feel “hungrier” at first on a vegetarian diet than you do on one with some meat in it. In that case, it’s not really true that you feel “hungrier,” only that it’s a lighter way of eating and that feeling full feels different as a veggie than it does as a meat eater. Until you get used to it, though, you’ll likely be eating more, so it should be healthy food and not junk.
Finally, junk just isn’t good for anyone no matter how you slice it, whether you’re a veggie or a meat eater. Occasional sweets, or chips and soda, are fine as treats once in awhile, but more and more Americans are eating them in vast quantities. (And yep, veggies, that goes for soy ice cream, too. It’s as “bad” for you and as high in sugar/refined carbs and fat as the real stuff, the only difference being the dairy vs. soy base, so moderation is still the key, just like with the non-veggie stuff. Terribly disappointing, I know. 
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While it’s true that going vegan or vegetarian likely lowers your overall calorie intake and increases your fiber intake so that you can probably “get away” with cheating on junk food or refined carbohydrates more than you would otherwise, it’s still not a good idea to do so a lot. Health is the key either way, so drop the junk. You’ll feel better for it, whether you decide being veggie is ultimately for you or not.
