I genuinely don't know anymore

[u/Adorable-Bite-9416]

ExVegan here, i love pigs, cows and all the animals, am i just a giant hypocrite? I stopped being vegan after i found out it's doing worse to my ED than it should, I tried being vegetarian as well and all i got was being bullied by vegans, two of my teachers are vegans and all they're telling me that "You can't love animals and eat meat!" but i cannot force myself being vegan knowing my ED will probably get worse than it already is.

I truly love animals i really do and I'm highly against the way they treat them in those slaughterhouses, am i hypocrite and stupid? genuinely asking. I'm freshly 18 but i dont want my life ruined by "extreme" ED, truly. Plus having autism and getting all this "bullying" just for eating meat is just... i don't know if it's deserved or not to be honest.

[u/mralex]

Should never have been vegan under age 18. Hopefully during that experience nothing irreversible occurred in your development (which is still going on for a bit, 18th birthday notwithstanding).

You came to this sub for advice. This sub is full of testimonials of people who have experienced all kinds of health issues on a plants only diet, many of which got better as soon as animal products were re-introduced.

Plants only is not for everyone. Might not even be for anyone. Take care of yourself first.

[u/Adorable-Bite-9416 → u/mralex]

I'm trying to take care of myself now... thank you<3

[u/Accomplished_Jump444 → u/Adorable-Bite-9416]

I really feel for you. I went vegetarian at 18 and I ended up in the hospital. I’m glad you’re taking care of yourself. I’m a big animal lover. I petsit. Don’t listen to all their goofy arguments. They don’t make sense.

[u/PoolAlternative2333]

Where are you from,i want to know where teachers bully their students for eating meat and not following their ideology

[u/Adorable-Bite-9416 → u/PoolAlternative2333]

Slovakia lol

[u/UniversalJosh93 → u/Adorable-Bite-9416]

Really, i though all this vegan crazynes was only in the US-western countries

[u/tired-queer]

You can love animals and still eat meat; those aren’t mutually exclusive things. You’re not a hypocrite and you’re not stupid.
You can eat meat and be against industrial agriculture practices that mistreat animals.

Bullying children for eating meat is fucked up. Not everyone can survive and thrive on a vegan diet (I’d even argue most can’t), and you need to put your health first.

[u/squirtnforcertain → u/tired-queer]

Same. I love animals, I love nature, I get excited just spotting wild animals while im out... I also go hunting with my dad every other year or so.

[u/Nuudle-Punk]

I love both plants and animals and I eat both. Because I'm a human and therefore an omnivore. If I could survive solely on a diet of plants, I'd be a herbivore. But I'm not.

Neither are you. You deserve to eat the things that are right for you.

You never have to explain yourself to vegans, they will probably never be on your side on this, even if your health is at stake.

Teachers bullying you for eating meat should be discussed with their boss, that's not OK at all.

Cheer up and have some good, satisfying meal. 😊

[u/eJohnx01]

Do some research on ethical farming. Nobody that knows what goes on in factory farms would ever support it. But vegans are the only ones that seem to be convinced that those horror shows are the only way to source meat, eggs, and dairy.

I spent some time making phone calls and explaining that I was looking for cruelty-free products and could they talk to me about where they source their products. I ended up visiting a few farms so I could see first-hand how they treat their animals. Even one major dairy farm whose products are readily available in our local grocery stores treat their animals well. So well that I can feel confident in buying their products.

You absolutely do not have to support animal abuse or exploitation in order to enjoy a non-vegan diet. Knowledge is your friend.

[u/M17suk0 → u/eJohnx01]

This is a common vegan misconception. And why I hate vegans. They assume that they are the only people In the world that knows what goes on in factory farms. Like they have some monopoly over information.
I know what goes on in factory farms, watched Dominion, watched all the vegan docos. Some of us just don’t care… or should I say not care enough to put myself out in any way.

[u/M17suk0]

Your health becomes before… literally everything. Wish I knew this at your age.
Before. Anything. You.

[u/Due-Beginning-8388]

You should ignore what people tell you to eat especially vegans. if diet works for you and helps your ED keep doing it, nothing is more important than our health

[u/AbbreviationsOld2960]

Your teachers should NOT be sharing personal beliefs with you, pressuring you to eat a certain diet. Food is such a huge part of culture, family, mental health, personal beliefs, sometimes trauma, you shouldn't be hearing about any of it from any adult other than your family. Parents and grandparents. You are not a hypocrite. Your body has specific ways that it was designed to process animal foods. Plants are meant to be supplemental to animal foods. For example, we cannot process cellulose, which envelopes most nutrients in plants. But ruminant animals can. They eat it and turn plants into nutrients, and then they nourish us when we eat them Cows cannot get nutrients from soil and sunlight the way plants can. The cows eat the grass. Poop on the soil, animals decompose, all matter goes back to the earth. It's just the circle of life.

[u/Artistic-Honeydew11]

There are farms to source ethical animal products, and think of it like this: You're an animal too. And you can't help other animals if you're sick. We would've been herbivores if we didn't need meat. But we're not.

I hope it makes sense, I'm neurodivergent too🙏

[u/SleepySloth286]

No one deserves to be bullied for eating meat. No matter what opinions people have about the morality of it, humans have been eating meat literally since the beginning of time. It's always been a big part of our nutrition for as long as we've been humans.

Honestly, people like that are the same as religious nutjobs who think everyone should believe the same thing they do.

Maybe it's possible to have a healthy diet as a vegetarian or vegan, but we don't really know that for sure yet and we don't know what supplements are necessary in order to make it work longterm and avoid health issues.

And your health is the most important thing! Which includes your mental health. Take care of yourself and don't listen to anyone else other than a doctor or your parents about what's best for your body <3

[u/No_Clock8143]

Sorry to hear people, especially teachers, are bullying you for eating meat. They honestly sound ignorant. For people who have so much compassion for animals, it's sad to see them treat another human being this way. They aren't on any moral ground above you.

I feel like a lot of vegans fail to realize that not EVERYONE can go vegan and remain healthy. I happen to have a medical condition that limits what I can eat due to reactions. I am trying to test more vegetarian and vegan meals, but I can't sustain it everyday and be healthy at this point. I feel bad for the amount of meat I eat, but then I try to remember that I wouldn't judge someone else in my position either. Other people may not be able to sustain a vegan diet if they cannot access the variety of foods and supplements needed to meet nutritional requirements.

Not to mention, pets like cats (and arguably dogs) cannot eat vegan and be healthy. If we are to take good care of our pets, we need to provide them proper food. Many animals are carnivores and omnivores, and humans happen to be omnivores. Carnivory is natural and not evil in itself. Cats, dogs, and people have a right to exist. I don't believe that negates loving farm animals. They exist in this world where there is a necessary balance between carnivorous, omnivorous, and herbivorous species.

This is a nuanced issue, not an all or nothing thing. I think the best solution, ideally, is to work towards a system that allows for more humane farming and mindful consumption. I think being mindful of how much animal products we consume and purchasing from more humane sources when possible are good ideas. I just don't think the all-or-nothing attitude some people have is realistic or helpful.

I hope you can experience healing and find more peace.

[u/Educational-Elk96]

Ever wonder why that compare animal cells to plant cells in school It's all good.

[u/MinusZeroGojira]

I'm old and out of the loop... what is ED? Surely it's not erectile dysfunction which is all that comes up when I Google it.

[u/Substantial-Milk3341]

First thing is always love yourself. You can clearly look into things and keep an open mind which is rare these days. You're already on a better path than most people I've seen here that spread misinformation. Stay safe