Serious Veg Has Meat Cravings and Binges

Question for Savvy Vegetarian

I have been trying to go veg for about a year now and in the last 6 months I've gotten very serious about it. I only eat meat about once every week or two.

However, occassionally I binge on it and may eat it every meal for days. This makes me feel physically and emotionally sick. I blame it on PMS, but I don't know if that's really what it is (I feel like I crave fatty, salty things - hot dogs, fried chicken, sausage, etc.).

I want to be a vegetarian full time but my husband doesn't understand this, nor is he interested in joining me. I do all the cooking, so he's getting used to not having meat in the house. When we go out, I eat veg if I can, but I don't ask about how something's prepared, even though it concerns me. I know he'll think I'm a pain. Do I just need to make up my mind and stick with it or is this part of the normal transition? I know if I told my husband to accept it, he would, but I don't feel comfortable being confrontational about it when I can't commit to it 100%. I feel like a hypocrite far too often.

Thanks for your help - Anon

SV Advice:

Dear Anon,

This is part of the normal transition, except maybe for the angst and the guilt. Becoming vegetarian isn't something you can do in a year. Allow yourself as much time as it takes. Commitment will come gradually - for now, just be as vegetarian as you can without beating yourself up. Your problem isn't hypocrisy - it's more self-acceptance.

Cravings and binging are signs of denial and deprivation. You may need more fat in your diet. You may not be getting enough calories. You may need more B vitamins, especially B12. Or minerals, including sodium, or iron. Maybe you eat too much sugar? This is all speculation on my part. But are you eating any dairy or eggs? It might help if you did. Or you could plan on having chicken or fish more frequently, to forestall craving & binging. You answered the SV quiz, and you'll get the vegetarian nutrition report - that may be helpful.

When you're out for dinner with your husband, I think it's ok to ask what's in something before ordering it. Diabetics, or people with food allergies do that all the time. You don't have to be a pain about it - just say, "The soup sounds good - do you know what's in it?" An alert waitperson will get the idea. You don't even have to mention that you're a vegetarian, and embarass your husband, although I have no idea why that would embarrass anybody!

But, just as your husband should accept your desire to be vegetarian, so you should accept his not to be. It is tricky for veg & non-veg to cohabit. The attached report: Free Report: Veg-NonVeg Eat Together has some suggestions about that.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions

Judy Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

Health Disclaimer:

Savvy Vegetarian provides education and support to individuals who want to become vegetarian, or improve their diet. We don't advocate any particular vegetarian diet. We don't claim to be health care professionals, or nutritionists, nor do we treat any illness. Any changes that you make to your diet, or results of those changes, are your decision and responsibility. For your protection, we ask you to be completely open with us about your health, and we may recommend a medical exam before changing your diet. We reserve the right to refuse or to end a client relationship if we believe the client's actions may endanger his or her health.

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