Secondly- there is a discussion here about "calling yourself a vegetarian." This is what I was referring to about taking yourself too seriously.

Being a vegetarian is not the same as passing a test, or winning a contest. Not only won't you get a prize, a lot of folks will think you are strange, picky, stupid... Talking about vegetarianism is akin to talking about sex-religion-politics, in terms of peoples' reactions.

So don't be put off, or get defensive. What you eat is your choice. And eating less meat means contributing less to the meat industry.

I guess what I'm saying is you have to think about why you want to be a vegetarian, be true to that. Don't beat yourself up if you "lapse" and eat a pepperoni by accident. And be kind to others who are not on your path.

Another vegetarian diet I followed was "fruitarian." This one rejects killing plants, as well as animals. Basically, you eat fruits and nuts and seeds, and only vegetables such as brussels sprouts , asparagus, squash, tomatoes,etc where the plant is not killed. (this one was even harder to explain to others!)