That’s a medical question that after a couple years on a vegan diet you’d ask your dr. when she/he checks your blood for B 12 level.
Thanks for your answer!
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Larry
Vegetarianism is not necessarily low fat. In fact, switching to a veg diet can leave a “main dish” hole in your life. You can feel as though you need to fill up that hole with . . . with . . . meat-like. People often attempt to do this through large portions of hefty casserole stuff like mac & cheese, through just plain lots of cheese, and via heaping portions of high-fat, high-calorie meat substitute products like tofurkey and riblets. In attempting to achieve a satisfying vegetable-grain meal, they often add way too much oil (stir-fry, roast, fry, fry, fry).
It is also difficult to switch if you think the only alternatives are Indian and foreign ethnic foods that you don’t understand and don’t like. Or if you think you need to start buying lots of yeechh boxes and cans from the health food store.
An easier, and more reliable way to go about it is to simply go ovo-lacto-veg at first. Just cut out the red meat and pork, and consume slightly smaller amounts of eggs (“ovo”) and dairy (“lacto”). Eat a peanutbutter sandwich on whole grain bread every so often, start trying rice & beans, invest in a rice cooker and make some mixed grain pilaf (like “Kashi” pilaf), and eat more raw, roast, and steamed vegetables.
Grow to accept a potato or sweet potato, or pasta, or a vegetable stir-fry or such as a “main dish.”
Don’t think you’re going to handle a morsel of sushi or an ethereal serving of lettuce as a meal–you won’t. You’re going to want FOOD. Just adapt what you currently eat to exclude the red meat and pork and to include a bit more grains and such, and you’ll be ok.
When the urge to eat red meat becomes overwhelming, nibble on a bit. It will either satisfy your craving, or you’ll realize you think it tastes horrible, in which case your dependence on it is over.
If you really want to eat fish and chicken, then do so. You can cut down on them later.
There is no need to get weird over this. No need to take up yoga, or zen, or to adopt another religion, or to turn your eating habits into a religious experience. Much as some of us would like to.
Stay away from the power juices, the ferments, the hype, and the snake oil.
Google some vegetarian websites for excellent ideas on how to switch. Visit your Borders or Barnes and Noble and read some cookbooks. See if anything appeals.
As for the B12 thing, google “B12” and “homocysteine” and decide for yourself. 
(This is not medical advice and should not be construed as such. Should you be having a medical emergency, disconnect now and dial 911. See your family doctor or veterinarian regularly..)
Thanks for your input, Lambchop. As far as fried foods go, I’ve been as far away from them go as possible for quite some time. And steaming is my favorite way to have many of my favorite veggies prepared.
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Larry
And remember, important medical studies have shown that folks on a diet too low in fat get srsly cranky.
In fact, we’re all glad djm has been indulging in the bacon, eggs and home fries on Sunday.
By the way, B12 is only a factor if you’re going vegan. Ovo-lacto and lacto vegetarians don’t have to worry about B12, as it’s present in the animal products we DO eat. The jury is still out as to whether people who become vegans in adulthood have to worry about B12, but most sources recommend supplementing it if you eat no animal products at all, just to be on the safe side. B12 is ALWAYS recommended for vegan children.
BTW, this shouldn’t be construed as medical advice either. I’m just passing along what you’ll learn if you delve into the literature. I’ve been active in vegetarian advocacy and education for a lot of years, but I’m not a doctor. When in doubt, ALWAYS ask a medical professional you trust for advice.
Everyone is different re how they make the switch. Some find it better to go “cold tofu” . Others make the change more gradually. Frankly, switching to ethnic foods makes it easier for most people, because the standard, meat-centered, American diet seems deprivational without the traditional meat at the center of the plate. If you’re at all accustomed to eating something other than the Standard American Diet, you’ll definitely find it easier. But for some, yes…if those foods are too unfamiliar, a gradual approach is best.
The point is well-taken that “vegetarian” doesn’t necessarily mean “low fat/high fiber”…or even “healthy.” Tortilla chips, Snickers bars and Coca Cola are vegetarian foods, but I can’t imagine anyone thinking of them as the central focus of a healthy diet! I know meat eaters who have wonderful dietary habits and vegetarians whose eating habits are deplorable (from a health standpoint).
I also agree with the advice that, if you’re really having serious cravings, it’s best to give in to them…in moderation, of course. A little bit of this or that isn’t going to sabotage your overall eating plan, and nothing is served by making yourself feel deprived. I have it on very good authority that I scarfed down several slices of turkey at my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary while under the influence of a bit more champagne than was probably wise (for some reason, I don’t seem to recall that, but mom swears…). It happens. No big deal.
A book I strongly recommend for anyone contemplating the switch is John Robbins’ “The Food Revolution” (essentially an update of his groundbreaking “Diet for a New America”)…and not only because he mentioned me in the credits! 
Seriously…his research is impeccable, and his citations are clearly made and easy to follow up on. He’s also very compassionate about the fact that not everybody wants to or is able to get all the way on the vegetarian bandwagon (unlike some veggies I know, who are convinced that every problem from world peace to varicose veins can be solved if only all the hold-outs out there would just get with the veg program). It’s a good food for thought, if nothing else.
Redwolf
Quite right.
Guinness is the one real compromise of my vegetarianism. I keep writing to them asking them to find an alternative process, but I’m not much of a market force! I used to drink Stella Artois, which is veggie, but it’s too strong and too gassy.
As for diet, I eat a lot of pasta. lots of fruit, nuts, veggies and cereals, lots of bread, lots of cheese (mostly reduced fat). I also eat a fair bit of substitute - tofu, soya or mushroom protein stuff - in recipes which might otherwise use meat.
I love veggie and lentil curries, and pasta dishes with spinach or broccoli.
Restaurants are getting a bit better, but generally veggies get a pretty lame range of choices on menus.
Not difficult at all. I’m a fat basmati, but that’s due to the beer, not the otherwise veggie diet. 
You just need to watch the amounts of nuts and some of the meat substitutes. Also, avoid stuff with added sugar - even breakfast muesli often gets a load of sugar added unless you look for the unsweetened stuff.
Chew long and eat slow.
PS, that wasn’t the filter - I really did type “basmati”.
As far as what I eat in day-to-day life, I’m one of the unhealthiest people I know. I could live on Fritos and Diet Coke. In fact, I do.
A lot of vegetarians I know, especially those of us who are vegetarian for reasons other than health, are really unhealthy people. So are a lot of non-vegetarians, though.
The leader of PeTA is a woman. Her name is Ingrid Newkirk. She has described herself as “a boy at heart,” though. You can’t really call her beautiful (see picture in the Wikipedia page) but you can call her shrewd, effective, and fascinating.
When I was younger (probably around 15-18 ), I used to be a follower of hers, but the more I heard her speak and the more works of hers that I read, the more I was convinced that something wasn’t quite right up there.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingrid_Newkirk
I love car racing and meat. I am a boy at heart, I am my father’s son … On my way down into the District, I would stop in Potomac and pick up triple-ground prime meat … I would break a raw egg and take onions and capers and I would mix it all, and I would go about checking on the animals while eating this raw food right out of my hand. I am just a raw-oyster, raw-meat-eating person who happened to find out what happened in the meat industry, and I just can’t support it.
Gosh! I hope you’re not an aromatic basmati!
My recommendation (this week) is “The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell
Had this last night…yum!
ALMOST IRISH STEW
From Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson
There’s nothing particularly Irish about this, that I can tell (the flavors are more Mediterranean), but, oh…it is seriously yummy!
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 ½ cups baby carrots, halved lengthwise
6 very small white or yellow potatoes, halved or quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced (or one heaping teaspoon of pre-minced garlic)
1 ½ cups pre-cooked cannellini beans or small white beans (or 1 15 oz. can, drained and rinsed)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons tamari or other high-quality soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large kale leaves, chopped, steamed or cooked in simmering water until just tender and drained.
(optional): ½ cup pearl barley, cooked according to package directions until just tender (my addition)
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened (about 5 minutes).
Transfer the onions to a 4- or 6-quart slow cooker. Add the carrots, potatoes, garlic, beans, broth, bay leaf, wine, tamari and thyme, and season with salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper, to start). Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
About 10 minutes before serving, stir in cooked kale and barley (if desired). Serve hot.
Served with a fresh-from-the-oven cake of this:
BROWN SODA BREAD
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl, combine the flours, the soda and the salt. Stir with a whisk to combine. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Stir until blended (mixture will be sticky).
Turn dough out on to a well-floured surface. Knead lightly 3 – 5 times. Shape dough into 8” round and place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut a ¼” deep X into the top of the bread.
Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 400 (without taking the bread out of the oven) and bake for another 15 minutes, or until bread sounds hollow when tapped on the top. Cool on wire rack.
Accompanied with thin slices of smoked cheddar cheese and an excellent Byington chardonnay (the same white wine used in the stew).
Ah…sometimes it’s tough being a veg!
Redwolf