Here is a brief overview of the types of vegetarian lifestyles that are practiced

Ovo-Lacto
Based on eating grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, eggs and dairy products.

Lacto-Vegetarian
Similar to Ovo lacto but eggs are not eaten.

Ovo-vegetarians
Similar to Ovo lacto, eggs are eaten but dairy is not.

Vegans
Based on grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds but eliminates all meat, eggs and dairy.

Semi-vegetarians
This refers to people who eat predominantly vegetarian but will occasionaly eat fish, poultry or meat or they may eat mostly vegetarian but will eat fish, there is no real exact description for this term,

Today I heard the term "pesce-veggie" for those who eat fish. Not sure if it included dairy and eggs or not - then it just starts to be a mouthful.

another thing to think about!

Yes, it is a mouthfull. My DBF is an "ovo-lacto-pesce vegetarian." It was pretty funny when we had to explain that to his meat and potatoes family.

I'm vegan. Also, we don't eat honey, or some types of sugar.

I'm a vegan too

Currently ovo-lacto striving to go vegan ... but not doing such a hot job of giving up cheese and eggs.

I've ditched milk, butter and ice cream. I have cut back on egg consumption. But I'm having a harder time with cheese. Mostly because my hubby is still ovo-lacto with no real strong desire to go vegan ... which makes it harder.

But I'm a work in progress ... and I keep trying.

Predominantly vegan, but not exclusively so. There's not really a word for what I am, and my views are complicated to explain without people's eyes glazing over! But here goes anyway

I avoid most animal products for ethical reasons. I don't eat any meat from farmed animals, and try to avoid non-meat farmed animal products, as well (dairy and eggs--but really only from companies whose practices I am familiar with, OR if the food has already been purchased and will go to waste if not eaten). I have fewer ethical objections to eating wild animals, which means I do eat an occasional fish if it has been sustainably caught. I do eat some other sustainably-harvested sea creatures that are low down in the food chain and don't have a central nervous system (meaning that it is believed that they don't feel pain)--oysters, clams, mussels, scallops. I don't eat any wild game, even though I think eating, say, a hunted deer is more ethical than eating factory-farmed milk, but I just couldn't stomach it and have no urge to eat that sort of meat.

Perhaps I am a complicatedtarian!

I am a semi-vegetarian.

I eat vegetarian about half of the week, and eat a little meat the other half. (Not consecutive days) I do eat eggs, yogurt, etc. but I drink soymilk instead of regular milk, and when I do buy meat and eggs and milk (for my carnivorous family) I do what I can and buy products that are organic/free range/no antibiotics/hormones and so forth. I try to use the companies that have "better" practices.

On my meat free days I use soy products a lot for protein.

I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian, because I'm the only non-omnivorous one in my family (I'm 18!). I eventually want to go vegan, but for now I've settled. I'm a south beach veggie, too!

I'm a striving vegan... My goal is to be a vegan someday. Right now I'd say 99% of what I eat is vegan. I eat no dairy currently because I'm nursing and my DS gets very gassy if I have dairy and I only eat eggs if they are hidden ingredients but I'm trying to cut that out all together too.

I have been told to start out slowly on my whole foods diet, so therefore I will start out as a semi-vegetarian with the ultimate goal of becoming a vegan someday. I have no support from my family as they have no desire to go veggie. They want the typical american and mexican food diets in the house and we have lots of candy in the house too. So, I may need alot of support from the people on this thread.

This morning I am going to the health food store to get ideas and to buy foods to get started on the whole foods diet.

Any recipes or ideas to help me out would be appreciated. I have a very small budget to work with at the health food store. Thanks.

lbsbgone

It seems to deflect questions.

I am working toward being a 100% vegitarian. I just can't seem to get suffiecient protein, which is what I think triggered the big weight gain (that and Lime Tostitos). I'm supposed to to something with flax seed, I think. I'm still chasing down the formula that is best for me.

I've let go of milk, red meat and the "other" white meat. I occasionally have fish, and rarely have chicken.

My other big problem is that I'm in a very rural area. So I have a heck of a time getting my ingredients. It's tough to get tofu, let alone tempeh. I need to focus my efforts on it, and do some road trips. But I just haven't done it consistently.

Your starting weight is the same weight that I am now. How long did it take you following your flexitarian diet to reach your current weight of 179 lbs., if I am not being too nosey. Hoping for more inspiration for me with your answer. Thanks!

lbsbgone

i'm a semi-vegetarian... I eat some fish, but mostly only shrimp and tuna just because I don't like anything else lol. I also eat spagetti with meat sauce, because it's my favorite food... no use trying to get me to give that up. I have chicken occasionally when we go out to eat but I only eat meat at home once or twice a month... I went vegetarian partly for ethical reasons, although i'm a hypocrite cause I still eat it sometimes, but mostly because it's just healthier- and I never ate much meat before, i'm not too fond of red meat anyway, so it wasn't much of a sacrifice to get where I am now. i've lost a good amount of weight also, and I feel much healthier and better about myself.