I am a vegetarian and I love being a vegetarian! I never thought I’d be so excited about it, but here I am.

Last summer I was training for my first marathon. I had only started running in April; I am not a very athletic person and had just started going to the gym regularly about 4 months before that. I was experiencing a lot of firsts all in a row.

Running is really hard and I was looking for anything and everything to make it easier for me. I’m not lithe, to say the least, and I struggled with the feeling of “heaviness” that I felt while running. In June, a friend recommended that I read Skinny Bitch – she and her husband had both just finished it and decided to go vegan as a result. I got around to reading it in July. I tried to take it all with a grain of salt, but it’s so powerful that I couldn’t help myself – I was tempted to try veganism.

I decided to go one day without meat or dairy. I made it to dinner when I caved and ate cheese (on pizza). The next day I blew it right away with milk in my coffee in the morning. But I had no desire to eat meat. Soon two days without meat became a week, which became two, which became a month. In the meantime, I started exploring blogs and other material on the internet about vegetarianism and veganism. I was a little addicted, and I think it was a good thing.

People asked why I became a vegetarian and I told them it was to make me a better runner (which it certainly did), and that I would probably go back to eating meat in moderation after the marathon. I knew I was lying. I loved being a vegetarian, and I obviously never went back to meat.

I love I’ve shrunken my carbon footprint enormously. I love that I’m not putting nasty scraps from dirty factory farms in my body. And most importantly, I love knowing that no animal will ever be killed for my dinner again. I know people are uncomfortable with the animal rights aspect sometimes, and I don’t often evoke it when I’m explaining my food choices. But I do love animals and I don’t see why I should view cows or lambs any differently than I do my pets. An animal is an animal and they all deserve to be treated with kindness.

It’s only once in a blue moon that I miss meat. I thought I needed it and I was so wrong. There are a million wonderful meatless dishes out there, and I love finding them. Plus, if the need arises, there are lots of meat substitutes that are pretty good at faking it. Going meatless is healthful, ethical, and green, and it’s definitely the right choice for me.

Want more of Meghann?? You can follow her thoughts 140 characters at a time on twitter @MeghannMoves or on her blog Meghann on the Move.

Now for something soothing on this Sunday evening…

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