Be different. Stand out. Be proud of your uniqueness. These are all things I tell my kids. These little nuggets prove to be useful in all sorts of situations. As with most things I teach them, the same lessons apply to me too. Lately, I’ve had to apply this advice in terms of something as simple as what I eat.
Back in 2016, I made the decision to be pescatarian. I’ve talked about my transition before. I had considered being a vegetarian for years. I just hadn’t been able to flip the switch. At one point my husband was on board and just told me to take the lead. These days, he can’t seem to imagine being anything near vegetarian.
On most days I operate very much as a vegetarian. I just don’t want seafood everyday so I find other ways to get what I need. Becoming a pescatarian was a simple choice for me. I slowly cut how things from my diet to get to a place of eating what I feel like works best for my body.
Reactions
What I didn’t anticipate is the reactions I’d get from other people about my choice. I’ve learned that when you change your diet, people can sometimes take it personal. They feel like somehow my not eating meat means I’m judging them for what they eat. Disclosure: I don’t. The next thing that comes up is people telling me, “I couldn’t do that.” That’s fine. My choice of diet, isn’t an invitation for you to change.
It also confuses people quite a bit. Vegetarian isn’t something people immediately get. Pescatarian throws people all the way off. I know vegetarians who have told me about people offering them chicken because they don’t see it as meat. In this pescatarian life, people don’t know what to do with me. I think it’s simple. I cut out all meat unless it’s seafood. Salmon and tuna are huge parts of my diet because they are my favorites. I eat other seafood too on occasion. More often though, I chose vegetarian options. That part has actually been fun. There are some foods I’m trying that I’d never even considered before. Likely, it was because I didn’t have to.
One side effect of my diet change that I didn’t expect is my aversion to the smell of meat. I cook meat for my family as I’m the only pescatarian in the house. The smell of those meats is super strong for me now…and I don’t like it. One thing is true, my family had better never question my love. Ha!
So, here I am, standing tall and proud in my uniqueness. This change, for me, has been a good one. I can’t imagine what would happen if my family knew that I’m again considering going all in and being a vegetarian.
1 Comment on Change is Good and Confusing
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Hi Camesha,
Yes, when you change your diet, people around you sometimes get very confused, and some look at you like you’re an alien 🙂
Some time ago, I went vegetarian too, not because I had some belief about the animals, but because, at the time, I really thought it was healthier. I ended up going back to eating everything, mainly because I missed the tastes, and the cooking!
I now believe one can eat healthy within any kind of diet, you just have to learn to choose well, and adapt it to you own needs.
Thanks!