It's been almost a year since I decided to become vegetarian and honestly, I can't believe it. Sure there have been a couple times when I did not stick with it. During a particularly stressful time earlier in the year I felt like I needed comfort food and at that time, a cheese steak and my mom's ground beef spaghetti sauce did the trick. But eventually I got back on track and have been meat-free ever since.
Like so many things in life, becoming vegetarian (or even simply deciding to eat in a healthier way) is a process. I just started reading Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet and she talks about her journey toward becoming vegan. She stresses that it is important to do what is best for you; some people can make the change overnight while others must work toward it gradually. While going vegetarian was practically an overnight thing, adopting a vegan lifestyle is proving to be more gradual. Because of everything I've been reading about the benefits of eliminating meat and dairy, I am committed to making the change. However, I am learning to be easy on myself if I cave in and have some dairy ice cream now and then (oh, DQ cookie dough blizzard, why are you so yummy?).
As with any positive commitment you undertake, view change as a process and a journey. Some days you will feel like a superhero, other days not so much. The important thing to remember is to be aware and do the best you can!
I read her book also, I think it really helps to understand it's a process. In fact when I think about anything worth doing it's a process. Expecting to go veggie overnight was super unrealistic for me, and her book helped. Sometimes I really want a corn dog from the state fair. So gross yet so yummy. The fake hot dogs taste like Play Doh, which I recall being tastier when I was 5.
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