Upon hearing I became a vegetarian when I was six, many people ask me if my parents are vegetarians. Nope, I’m the only one. I was simply a stubborn six year old. Another question I get asked is if I think meat tastes badly. I don’t have an answer for that because I honestly can’t remember what meat tastes like. My brothers insist they remember me at five years old grubbing down on some McDonald’s chicken nuggets, but either I blocked this out or I simply forgot about it.
So, why did I, at the tender age of six, decide to stop eating meat? It was when I finally understood that the chicken on my plate was once a chicken that I got to see at the apple orchard. That the cow that my mother rolled the window down to moo at while driving was dinner that night. I didn’t want to eat these cute furry animals anymore. So I stopped. Luckily I have incredibly supportive parents. I have heard of kids or teenagers declaring to their folks they’ve decided to stop eating meat only to be served pot roast at dinner and told not to complain. My parents let me decide for myself what I wanted and never second guessed my judgement. (Side note: I have a brother who ONLY eats meat…my poor mother cooked at least 2 meals a night for our family!).
I started riding horses around the same time I became a vegetarian. When I was 13 I declared I wanted to become a vegan. I started eating more and more tofu and things seemed to be fine. I also started taking horseback riding much more seriously, and by the time I was 15 I was nationally ranked and heading to a career as a professional horseback rider. Unfortunately, I wasn’t taking care of myself. Riding five to ten horses a day and not eating enough protein led to severe exhaustion. My skin started breaking out very badly and I became extremely self-conscious about my appearance. My dad, a physician himself, took me to see a dermatologist friend of his (actually, he was over for dinner and my dad had me come downstairs to show him my skin…not embarrassing at all…). The doctor asked about my eating and exercise habits. He seemed less concerned about my skin and more concerned about how utterly exhausted I looked. He and my father talked and they agreed I probably needed to go see a nutritionist.
It turns out I wasn’t getting the right nutrients at all! Existing on tofu and fake cheese is not healthy for anyone, especially a developing athlete. I learned that I needed to eat a more balanced diet and started incorporating vegetables, fruit and carbs into my meals, and I started eating dairy again. (It turns out I just have bad skin. Changing my eating habits did nothing for my face).
I continued to ride horses for competition and could not believe the difference I felt in my energy levels. Waking up at 4am was no longer torture (4am was a normal wake up time on horse show days) and I wasn’t tired all afternoon and fueling myself with caffeine (mom, why did you let a 13 year old drink coffee?). It really bugs me when people say it’s impossible to be a successful athlete and a vegetarian. I exercised on average eight hours a day for four years and had loads of energy when I learned how to fuel correctly. It’s possible, you just have to figure out the healthiest thing for your body.
More than ten years later and I am still following the advice of my nutritionist even though I am no longer a professional athlete. I stopped riding about four years ago after a really bad fall, and while I miss it, it’s nice to finally have a real life. (Meaning I actually got to go to school full time and go on dates!).
People often ask me if I think I will ever eat meat again. The answer: I doubt it. I really can’t even imagine eating meat. I can’t remember what it tastes like so I don’t feel like I am really missing anything. The only thing that gets me is the smell of bacon. It just smells so absolutely incredible. But, then I think about how much I love pigs and the desire to eat Wilbur dissipates.
-Belle Meyers
Another Way Back Weekend – Cover Edition video…
