Seven lessons learned after 14 days as a vegetarian.

Tomorrow marks the two week anniversary of my decision to quit eating meat for this blog. I've learned a lot of things and had to make some changes to my routine to stay afloat. I never thought I'd eat cream of broccoli soup, for example, but somehow I learned to like it. Here are seven lessons I've picked up along the way to pass on to any aspiring vegetarians out there.

1. Never forget why you're doing it. There are significant moral, environmental and health reasons for giving up meat. My major motivation was minimizing my environmental impact, but it didn't stop me from keeping all of the benefits in mind. Perhaps more helpful than anything though, I've made my oath of vegetarianism symbolic of my total commitment to journalism. It's might sound childish, perhaps even pretentious, to think of it that way but it's about doing what it takes to stay the course.
   
2. Create consequences for failure. Every time I wanted to slip, I told myself that it would mean resetting the counter on this blog's sidebar. That helped. Set goals, even if they're artificial, and use them to safeguard yourself.
3. After you wrap your choice to go vegetarian in a sense of purpose, try actively not to be pretentious about it. Self-righteous maniacs give vegetarians a bad name. Nobody likes a self-promoter to begin with, but people hate meddlers even more. Early on, I caught myself looking down on some carnivorous strangers in the dining hall. Remember that eating meat is natural and that vegetarianism is just another way to live. Don't detract from your quest for personal improvement by forcing your beliefs on anyone who will listen.
   
4. Find a specially formatted multivitamin with lots of B-vitamins in it to make up for the nutrients your body normally gets from meat. I asked Rick Eddy, a pharmacist at the Court Street CVS, what he recommended for a new vegetarian and he told me to start out with a bottle of CVS Weight Sharp, which are formulated for people making dramatic changes to their diet. The multivitamin is especially high in B-complexes and trace elements that people usually get from meat. "Your body should adjust to changes", he says, so after you run through a bottle of Weight Sharp, it's fine to switch to any normal multivitamin.
5. Always double check. Animal products can pop up where you least expect them. An article appearing in Wednesday's issue of The Post spoke with Jackie O's Brad Clark who revealed that Isinglass, a popular coagulate used to make beer clearer, is made from fish bladders. It's often difficult to check for these things, but Clark assured readers that Jackie O's specifically doesn't use the product because it doesn't want to alienate vegetarians.
6. When the deli is no longer an option, PB&J becomes one of the only sandwiches you can get. This has been one of the most frustrating things I've had to deal with. I've long relied on sandwiches for their quick preparation time, portability, low cost and easy customization as a dependable on-the-go meal. Now I can't make anything but PB&J. In addition, the nearest dining hall to me is Shively and their "Grab and Go" makes nothing but sandwiches. I'm open to vegetarian sandwich ideas if anyone has some to share.
7. The dining halls really are not too bad for vegetarians. I've heard vegetarians complain about how insensitive the dining halls are to them. Compared to other places though, the dining hall really does go out of its way to accommodate the relatively large population of animal-conscious diners they serve here. There is always at least one vegetarian soup rotated through large variety of different recipes. The veggie burgers they offer taste better than the normal ones and are offered every day.

Despite my complaints, I've enjoyed the experience. If I make it through the night, I'll be halfway to my ultimate goal of staving off meat for an entire month. Wish me luck.