On March 20th, the first day of spring, I decided to try a vegetarian diet for one month, inspired by Steve Pavlina’s 30-day trial system for acquiring new habits. I am proud to say that this first trial of mine was successful, and I have indeed cut meat out of my diet for 30 days. The fact that I made a conscious decision to do such a thing was exciting enough, and completing the task was very fulfilling and encouraging.
I must say that this trial wasn’t as difficult as one might think. I have been considering trying vegetarianism for quite some time, and I have chosen a very liberal form of lacto-ovo vegetarianism, which means that I was consuming milk, dairy products and eggs. I have also been gradually reducing my meat consumption in the months preceding the trial.
In a way, I guess I was preparing myself, but it wasn’t until the day I chose to give up meat that I finally made the switch. And that’s the only thing that counts – turning your ideas into action! I have encountered some resistance from family and friends, but generally, my decision has been accepted very well. I guess the 30-day trial period works well both for the person who is doing the trial as well as for the people who have to accept the change – “it’s only for a month, you know” 🙂
One of the most enjoyable moments was the family barbecue at my parents’ house—at that time, I had not yet seen the Simpsons episode in which Lisa (a vegetarian herself) ruins Homer’s BBQ party as an act of protest 🙂 For the first time in my life, I prepared grilled mushrooms, carrots and other veggies instead of burgers and chicken wings, and it was both fun and very tasty—everybody had a bite of my cuisine.
Right now, I have returned to a non-vegetarian diet since I have not made it clear to myself if I want to be a vegetarian for life, but the 30-day journey brought me several benefits:
- I have made a conscious decision about an essential part of my life, which is great
- I have tried some very tasty vegetable recipes for the first time… mmmm… grilled cauliflower 🙂
- I have focused more on what I eat, which is important
- Hopefully, I have influenced a few people to think about their eating habits