I have really been enjoying this! Thanks for all the thoughts and opinions and questions, everyone.

Kater asked yesterday what kind of vegetarian I am now. A non-threatening and honest and supportive one, I hope! As for what I eat, I do variations on the vegetarian theme. Since starting this thread I have been eating macrobiotic, just brown rice and vegetables. This is not a healthy diet in the long term, and when I tire of it I will change. In the present, I feel light and calm and centered, and connected to the millions of poor people who are eating meals similar to mine.

The vegans would tell someone commited to this diet to please eat a bowl of beans, and take this B-vitamin tablet!

2Kitties- glad you enjoy fixing vegetarian food. It is aesthetically pleasing cuisine, besides tasting good and promoting health.

Not eating meat is no harder than what allergic people do, not eating chocolate, orange juice, peanuts, whatever.

And to repeat my views about "you cannot call yourself a vegetarian" thinking: One who chooses to eat vegetarian most of the time, because they like it, may not be a "real" vegetarian by some standards. But I applaud and include them here.

I know folks who have fixed a gluten roast instead of turkey for Thanksgiving all their adult lives, yet sometimes eat fish.

It doesn't mean you are not a member of your church, because you attend services elsewhere occasionally.

Not that vegetarianism is a religion- or is it?