It’s been about 15 years for me. I always felt guilty about it even as a child. My religious parents would never have allowed me to go vegetarian. I made the transition cold turkey one morning and never looked back. It was one of my better life decisions. Just make sure you keep your protein intake up. That’s an aspect many people overlook.

I have mercy for my fellow animals. I do not want to kill them (or order them killed by buying their meat) or eat them. I want them to live good, long, happy lives.

Just focus on lots of fruits and vegetables. No need to count calories.

Look for a vegetarian cookbook for beginners. When I quite meat it was a slow process. Those who quit quickly often have a hard time.

Cook what you like and leave the meat out. Spaghetti sauce use just marinara etc. It will help you transition your taste buds. Befriend a vegetarian. I learned how to cook by hanging out with a vegetarian.

Let me just say that if you are tempted to eat some food that is made to taste/look like meat, you’d be better off eating pasture-raised meat. Recommend you start with one day per week, adding a day as you feel confident to go ahead. Even if you only go 3-5 days per week, you are doing your body a favor, as long as you are not eating processed garbage.

We gave up meat entirely about 20 years ago and we found that an awful lot of different foods taste better without the constant clogging of animal fat in our mouths.

Not to mention we both got to stop worrying about our weights.