Hi there,
Wifezilla: Animal activism is a big reason why many go vegetarian and especially vegan, but, as Gaelen points out, there are other reasons.

For me, I'm just not into eating meat and never was. It just doesn't appeal to me but I don't condemn those who do eat it. And I have no patience for those who do. In my view, everyone should do what they feel is right for their body.

I hear you, though, about not getting enough fat. In fact, I've been reajusting my diet for this very reason. I was eating lowfat dairy, even though I know from my previous experience with LCing that as long as I keep my carbs relatively low, I can have 70 or 80% fat and still feel great and lose weight. I think the whole lowfat dogma got back to me . But I just switched to regular dairy and added a bit more fat, so hopefully that should help me.

Gaelen: I agree that for the most part vegetarianism is healthier, but I agree with Wifezilla that it's also possible not to eat healthy on it, especially if you're eating a lot of white starches and packaged food. A blueberry muffin for breakfast, veggie burger and fries for lunch, and pasta with alfredo sauce for dinner along with snacks like oreos and ritz crackers is vegetarian, but not particularly healthy .

I'm happy to say that I have gotten over a lot of the anxiety I was feeling when I wrote this post. Part of it has to do with rereading the Protein Power book again and also Gary Taub's book "Good Calories, Bad Calories" and reminding myself of the science behind lowcarbing and why it works and why it's better overall over a low fat, high carb diet. I'm also coming to realize that veganism might not be the ultimate healthy diet for me and that there's nothing wrong with eating dairy and loving it (which I do). I feel bad for the cows and the chickens, though!

Tam