I was vegetarian for almost two years. I stopped simply because I realized I was doing it for the wrong reasons and was tired of people evangelizing me at the grocery store. I swear to you... pick up one thing of broccoli nuggets and every vegan freak with a message will think you're one of them and want to chat about it.

My biggest thing to making it succeed, don't waste time and money trying to perfectly replace meat. Learn to enjoy vegetarian foods for what they are... not what they pretend to be. I'm not saying an occasional bean burger or fake chicken patty is horrible. They provide a nice change from time to time. But eating real food... fresh and homemade food... is so much better. You learn to appreciate food for what it can be. My girlfriend was amazed when she saw the variety of dried beans and other staple foods (I replaced a lot of my meat with beans during those years and the habit still holds). She asked me, "Why do you need so many different types?" It's simply because they all have different tastes, textures, and qualities that make them excellent for different foods.

Learn to cook your own soups, chili, and main dishes. Throw in some tofu if you want (I could never cook it well but some people manage) once in a while. But make most of it yourself. Bring your lunches and when you dine out, you'll just have to be specific when ordering. Some places are worse than others. I didn't dine out much because it was just too much of a pain. If you're making your own food, you'll be shocked at how much better it can be. Less salt, preservatives, and little to no trans-fats.

"[...] I took life much too seriously. When you take life too seriously you start to wonder what the point of it all is. When you wonder what the point is in life, you fall into a trap of thinking there is one. When you think there is a point, you finally realize there is no point. And what point is there in living like that? Nowadays I skip the search for a point and find, instead, the punch lines." -- Kerry Thornley