Going Vegetarian by Kevin Cornell

     Hello Kill Kilos Not Animals fans. I am extremely excited to have this well decorated athlete write a blog for me. Kevin Cornell has been a huge inspiration to me since his Cal Strength Days. What makes him even more noble is that he has switched to a vegetarian diet 4 months ago while continuing to train at a high level. I really hope you enjoy this piece he wrote for my Kill Kilos blog as much as I enjoyed reading it. Below is a little information about his accomplishments before you read his story.

2 Time Arnold Classic Champion

Pennsylvania State Record Holder

25th World Ranking

Top 8 Overall Ranked  2013-2014

2013-2014 Pan Am Team Alternate

    "Going vegetarian was somewhat a scary and unnatural feeling to me. I didn't really know what to expect, or didn't really know how to feel about it. I was somewhat afraid of people finding out about it. Almost as if I was turning into some sort of hippie or something like that.

     It was a lot different than I had expected when I first started out. You don't realize how much meat is in foods until you stop eating meat. Any fast food joint is completely out of the question and pizzas now turn into extra cheese only, where as before, it was supreme meat lovers. And you better bet your ass that you are that awkward friend eating only a salad while everyone else chows down on a nice juicy piece of steak or a loaded cheeseburger at your favorite restaurant.

     However, I am proud to say that I do not support the meat industry any longer as I have seen most of the atrocities that it commits to our beloved animals. I guess I could say that I was naive in thinking how bacon really got to your plate. Or how that juicy steak really ended up as your dinner.I almost felt like a narcissistic and extremely hypocritical when I realize that if I couldn't kill it myself, I shouldn't be eating it.

     Regardless of my personal believes, going vegetarian was a blessing in disguise. I started with not eating any meat, to trying different things I never thought that I would try before, such as, cottage cheese, meatless versions of everything, a more rice been and plant-based diet, and I even went as far as to cut off all milk with the exception of Almond, soy, and coconut milk.

     I eat way less fatty foods and plenty of greens throughout the day. My water intake has nearly tripled since cutting out all sugary drinks such as energy drinks, Gatorade, soda, and even the coffee creamer in my coffee is now either coconut oil, butter, or both.

     So I guess what I'm saying as I look back on my decision I made four months ago with my wife to go vegetarian is that I'm happy that I watched the Netflix documentary called cowspiracy, and I have to thank all who were involved in that documentary, because it really change the way I view not only my nutrition but the meat industry in general.

     I would never push my views and beliefs on someone else because I'm not much of a fan when people try to do that to me. But if you knock the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, I would say try it first before you judge it.

     I'm also a big fan of promoting a healthy and pure lifestyle which I can now say that I'm doing almost 100%, and I hope that this blog can inspire someone else to do the same. And I want to put to rest the myth that if you want to be a world-class athlete you have to do, say, think, or even eat like somebody else. There are many different ways to get to the top, you just have to find what works best for you.

To follow my journey just followed me on Instagram @kevin__cornell"