I've been doing the low carb thing to try and get back to a 'functional' weight where I can feel good and exercise easily. I do realize that its not a sustainable diet though where as vegetarian is. That is likely the direction I will go when I get to my first goal weight.
I know what you're saying with the whole "hippie weirdo" and although i'm sure it will be a little difficult at family gatherings when you need to preface with "dont waste your money buying meat" I dont think its super critical to announce to everyone you go out to eat with that you're vegetarian. To me the stigma comes from people like my brother who wont buy a particular bag of almonds because on the label it says it was bagged in a facility that also has milk products... or my other friend that has to preface ordering any food with "i'm a vegetarian, so I think i'll have the..."
The majority of -people- are under-educated, crummy, and stuffed full of bad media influences..
Its important not to confound their stupidity with Real-science on the matter.
The science is there, 100% veggie works.
The People who have read a few headlines but not the articles do and say silly things.
Humans are omnivores from the perspective of evolution. Nature took wild humans to age 50 , then nature killed them, and had them be replaced with fresh humans.
Our systems are speced to run on ANYTHING available to eat, anything AT ALL.. food had always been scarce and impossible to accumulate..
Like our technology, Old age is a new invention, the PRICE is 100% Vegetables.