I took on the task of going vegetarian for a week. Coming from a family that eats their fair share of meat, this was difficult. At first, I thought it was going to be simple, but I didn’t realize how much meat my family actually eats. The problem with this is that I love animals, but I also love the occasional steak, hamburger, chicken wing–a little variety.

The first day of being a vegetarian was the easiest day by far. I knew I could manage eating a peanut butter sandwich and some fruit. I honestly thought this was going to be so easy and that it wouldn’t be that much of a dietary change, but I was so wrong. After the first couple of days, I found myself thinking about Buffalo Wild Wings and how much I wanted some. During school, I would get so hungry in my classes before lunch and, of course, I was still craving something with meat in it. For some reason, it was always Buffalo Wild Wings. On day four, someone at my lunch table had Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch and I thought I was going to die if I didn’t eat one.

Obviously I’m exaggerating; going vegetarian for a week was not that bad. Yes, the first couple of days were rough, but by day five, it was easier to avoid the cravings. At first, I thought this was going to be so hard to stick with, but I was acting like I couldn’t eat anything except for salads. I could still eat a ton of foods like pasta and pizza. Of course, when my brother had a family party for his birthday, it was so hard not to cheat when literally my whole family was eating meat, but I managed and ate some potato salad and fruit.

If you are an animal lover, but you also love meat, going vegetarian is not that hard. On my last day of being vegetarian, I forgot it was even my last day, because it had become a routine to not eat meat. It will be a change at first, but you can always start slow by not eating red meat then eventually get to no meat at all. Becoming a vegetarian seems impossible, but I can guarantee that you can accomplish it. Take it from a meat lover.