We asked, you answered - health benefits of the vegetarian lifestyle; narrative - Brief Article

In the July 2003 VT, we asked you to tell us about the most dramatic result you've had from going veg. Here's our favorite response.

When I was in junior high school, I was 5'5" but topped out at almost 140 pounds. My family ate a lot, with meat as the center of almost every meal. We all had busy schedules, so eating out was common, and I could easily put away two Big Macs, large fries, a large milkshake and even a fast food dessert if I had a really hard day.

Upon entering high school, I started cooking dinners for my family since both my parents worked full-time, and they thought I was old enough to take on the responsibility. I was disgusted by handling animal products and grew sick of the sight of raw meat. So, I stopped cooking meat-based meals and started making lots of pasta, cheese and egg dishes. In doing so, I rapidly dropped almost 30 pounds over a few months. However, my family quickly tired of the same few types of meals.

Then, one day as I was browsing through a bookstore, I came across VT. In its pages, I found lots of inspiring recipes and read about meat alternatives that I had never even imagined. My decision to stop eating meat dramatically affected my weight, but your magazine made the choice so much easier to live--I mean really live--with.

Heather Pauli

Detroit, Michigan

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