A mere 5 days ago, I had been a vegetarian for 11 years of my life. Most of those adolescent years, as I began when I was 14. In those 11 years, I gained 65 pounds. A lot of it was my fault for jamming junk down my throat, but it seemed like no matter how much I ate when I was a vegetarian, I was never fully satisfied.

My body has been craving meat for the past year or so, and I finally broke down and had a few bites of chicken at a Memorial Day party. It was just what I needed! I woke up the next day with the strongest craving for meat I had ever had.

Any other former vegetarians out there who went straight to Paleo? Based on research, it looks like a lot of vegetarians dive right into Paleo. Any digestive issues? I've felt like I've been running to the bathroom a lot, but that might just be my body getting rid of 11 years of junk!!

I've only tried a few meats so far: Chicken, Ground Turkey, Turkey Meatballs, Steak, and Bacon. I have discovered I do not like the ground turkey or turkey meatballs. Something about the texture bothers me. Any recommendations on other meats to try?

Enough rambling. I guess I really want to know what's the single best tip for a vegetarian who is becoming Paleo (I've read through most of the posts in this forum, but I've found conflicting advice).

Ground turkey isn't very good, not enough fat in it.

A girl I work with did a "cleanse" for a few weeks and had issues digesting meat afterwards. I think you stop making the enzymes to digest it after awhile. Anyway, no advice other than take your time and enjoy the journey.

Thanks, Nancy!

Is Bacon ok for the Paleo WOL? I found nitrate free bacon at the store, but I can't seem to find anything that says whether I should be eating it or not. If I can eat it, is it a type of meat I should limit to only once or twice a week?

Nitrate is actually something found in nature, so it might not be so bad for you, people debate this.

You need to decide how paleo you want to be and how much time you can put into it and go from there. I'm probably 90% paleo. Bacon is definitely part of my diet.

Bacon is more of a flavoring than anything else. Technically it's not really paleo but if you eat a piece here and there we won't tell.

Try ground beef, the fattier the better. That seems to be a good gateway for ex-veggies to ease their way back.

I love me some bacon, and veggies cooked in the leftover fat are divine! Maybe try some seafood?

All of them!
I'm a big fan of all the fatty cuts. The fatty cuts will give you slow release energy and help to stave off carb cravings. They tend to be cheaper too (or at least they are, here).
You might want to start adding a little of things like liver, kidneys and heart. Liver and kidneys have a strong taste, so if this is a bit much for you, just add a little to other meat dishes throughout the week.

Hi, I was also Veggy till I started all this last autumn...veggy for decades...best part of 34yrs!! I have rediscovered meat and am loving it tbh...food has taken on a whole new meaning. My aim was for happy meat, so odd though it seems, venison is one of my choices as I can get good wild venison easily. I cook it gently on a woodburner for hours...up to 24 hours, and it is lovely...with a buttery celariac mash...nomnom. I found I was very constipated when I first started with meat, but that has eased. Remember fish too...easy to digest.

I was a vegetarian for 25 years (2 as a vegan) before becoming a born again carnivore. At first fatty red meat like hamburger caused me nausea & digestive upset, but fish & poultry did not. After a couple of weeks I had no problem with hamburger, prime rib, etc. Now I mainly eat the fattier meats.

I turned vegetarian at 7 years old, started eating meat again ~ 39 and went on Atkins a year later ~ 40. I've had less colds and illnesses since I've eaten this way, my IBS has pretty much gone as well. I've also lost my ability to bloat up to what looks like 8 months pregnant in the space of an hour! Most of my friends still watch in amazement as I tuck into a medium rare steak instead of a tofu burger & still don't believe the total turn around I have made. I have colour in my cheeks, more energy than I used to have and I feel great. I used to wretch at thought of fat, now I look for the fattiest piece of steak I can find and lamb and belly pork are my favourites.
It's great to see I'm not the only one who has had a complete turnaround after many many years of what I can only describe as depriving myself of the good things in life!

My digestive issues worsened for a while. I think it was just my body trying to acclimate to eating meat again. Now, it seems the digestive problems have slowed way down, thank god!!

I was never a seafood fan, so I'm not sure if I'll be ready to try fish anytime soon. The smell always nauseates me.

Tried lamb for the first time (just a shred)...I'm not sure yet if I like it. It has a very different taste. Hard to explain. It just tastes...wild. If that makes sense. Guess I'll find out if I like it today, as I packed it for lunch. :P

I do feel so much better eating meat again. I can't believe I deprived myself of it, especially during my adolescent years.

Lamb can be gamey, especially if it is "old lamb". I think they're trying to pass off older lambs nowadays.

When you're doing better with fat, try a Ribeye steak. Yum!

I was a semi vegetarian (ate fish occasionally) for over 20 years. I must've been mad. When I became a vegetarian I was maybe 10 pounds too heavy. When I finally came to my senses I was 70 pounds overweight.

Like deirdra, I started my new carnivore life with fish, seafood and chicken then graduated to beef then pork. Now fatty ribeyes are my most favorite food.

Personally I went from vegetarian to carnivore(vlc/zc) over night, it really hit the spot..........
Still ate a mixed diet for years after that point, then I lost close to 90 pounds in a year by going VLC/ZC(induction took 2 months ).

Loving my ribeye steaks! I like grilling red bell peppers and onions and putting on top of the steak - yum!

~ MasterMake - I did the veg to carnivore transition overnight as well. Definitely hits the spot! I too am doing VLC but did not see the typical high weight loss most people see when they drop carbs/sugar. I think it's because I've done South Beach before.

I am losing here and there, but what I love most is the clarity that I now seem to have. It's like a fog has lifted. I feel energetic, too! Haven't been to the gym yet (I can easily adapt to making diet changes, but getting my ass to the gym is a challenge, go figure), but I plan on going this week. It would be a shame to waste all of this newfound energy!