I Don't Fit in Your Box

So I started to do a little research on adopting more of a vegan diet. I decided to start with a basic search on "becoming vegetarian" and "vegan vs vegetarian". I've been a meat & potatoes girl my whole life, and I know only one person who is a vegetarian. Who knew there such a big distinctive difference between, along with many many subcategories. I'm so dizzy... From www.vegetarianvegan.com:

The Difference Between Vegan & Vegetarian

If you recently started reading about vegetarian diets, you have probably read all sorts of strange vegetarian terms and categories like "vegan," "ovo-lacto vegetarian," and "semi-vegetarian." You probably wondered what the big deal was. Afterall, what is so conceptually tough about not eating meat?

And you were right!
The distinctions between these sub-categories of vegetarian are actually small, but each is very important to members who belong to the groups. For them, these distinctions aren’t arbitrary lines; they are important dietary or ethical decisions.

Let’s take a look at some of these groups:

VEGETARIAN:
Vegetarian is a blanket term used to describe a person who does not consume meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.

This grouping includes vegans and the various sub-categories of vegetarian; however, it generally implies someone who has less dietary restrictions than a vegan.

SEMI-VEGETARIAN:
The term semi-vegetarian is usually used to describe someone who is a vegetarian who consumes dairy products, eggs, chicken, and fish, but does not consume other animal flesh.

OVO-LACTO-VEGETARIAN:
Ovo-lacto vegetarians are vegetarians who do not consume meat, poultry, fish, and seafood, but do consume eggs and milk. This is the largest group of vegetarians.

OVO-VEGETARIAN:
Ovo-vegetarian is a term used to describe someone who would be a vegan if they did not consume eggs.

LACTO-VEGETARIAN:
Lacto-vegetarian is a term used to describe someone who would be a vegan if they did not consume milk.

VEGAN:
Vegan is the strictest sub-category of vegetarians. Vegans do not consume any animal products or by-products. Some go as far as not even consuming honey and yeast. Others do not wear any clothing made from animal products.

Important: Take some time to figure out for yourself, what group you will belong to when you become a vegetarian. You will want to consider both dietary and ethical reasons for choosing this lifestyle.

I'm already feeling like I don't belong. I don't have a "cause", and adding the simple fact that I will not be giving up sushi or an occasional tri-tip steak, what category does that put me in? Can I create my own, say, Omni-Semi-Ovo-Lacto-Vegetarian?

Ugh. Nevermind. I'll stick to my own tried and true approach to life: Don't label me - I do what I want! (Nah, I don't have issues...) But I will be eating (drinking) a whole lot more veggies. And last night, I discovered tofu.... I made a bbq tofu, and LOVED it. What did I learn today? You don't have to be just one thing, fit in one box - branch out, take what you need from many different boxes! Life's an adventure - and for me, I'm loving the way I feel so I'm going to continue to enjoy exploring some vegetarian meals. I'll post the best ones here!