l am new to the group..not new to vegetarianism, but new to the website. I have been vegetarian for 11 years. I can tell you, by experience, that does not equal weight loss like some people may think. I am 120 lbs overweight and I am asking for support from others, whom I would also like to give the same, too.
I too am a vegetarian, have been for almost 10 years.
I sometimes think its harder for us veggies to lose weight because we dont have as many options in regards to foods - I am also over weight but did not lose any of the weight because I became a vegetarian, I think people hear im vegetarian and just assume I should be skinner and that really gets to me.
I actually gained weight when I became a vegetarian! I lost the extra weight with weight watchers and have been keeping it off by moving toward a vegan, whole food diet. It is a life long process and I am still figuring it out. I found that I did not do well with cheese and processed grains so I have slowly cut them out of my diet. It is a process of finding what works well with your body and what makes you feel most alive. It is a noble pursuit and I wish you all the best!
Being a vegetarian ain't easy and dieting one is even harder!
I follow a mostly low carb diet so you can imagine how hard it is for me.
I have found that a lot of trial and error is the best thing when it comes to diet.
I would recomend the following foods:
Protein shakes
Tofu (check the type, this can be a bit tricky, some tofu can be very high in fat/cals)
Low fat dairy
Whole grains such as porridge/brown bread/pasta
Meat subsitutes
Do the following:
Plan/prepare meals in advance (this is very important for us veggies for situtations when decent protein sources will not be availble)
Keep a food diary
Allow one treat meal a week
Find a form of exercise you like
I have tried doing big lifestyle changes concerning my diet as both a vegetarian an omnivore, and I can definitively say that loosing while being vegetarian is a lot harder- at least when it comes to meal planning. It is a lot easier to plan a meal and not have to think about where your source of lean protein is coming from. As a vegetarian, I try and limit my soy, and dairy intake and unfortunately that includes mock meats. So it just take a little more planning, but of course our goals are still within our reach.
I really would like to thank each and every one of you for your reply posts and encouragement. I can see now I am not alone, and even though more difficult, the goal is achievable. At this stage in my life, I really want to move forward and lose now, as I do realize the older I get, the harder it will be to lose this 120 lbs. It is only by staying focused, forgiving myself for little slips, and continuing on that I will one day reach my goal....one step at a time...
I have tried doing big lifestyle changes concerning my diet as both a vegetarian an omnivore, and I can definitively say that loosing while being vegetarian is a lot harder- at least when it comes to meal planning. It is a lot easier to plan a meal and not have to think about where your source of lean protein is coming from. As a vegetarian, I try and limit my soy, and dairy intake and unfortunately that includes mock meats. So it just take a little more planning, but of course our goals are still within our reach.
You could also eat other kinds of beans like nothern and pinto just to name two.
I've been eating a LOT of veggies lately. Like, super huge amounts. It's really helping. A big bag of that Green Giant cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli in cheese sauce is 150 cal. I mix it with one of those microwave mac-n-cheese bowls (250 cal) for lunch and it's really, really satisfying. I'm also trying to make sure my plate at dinner is 75% veg. I usually make a big green salad with light dressing and then a cooked veggie with no sauce, in addition to the main dish I serve.
I would agree with Marjorie above - I try to get in tons of veggies and that's when weight loss really started happening for me. I'm eating mostly vegan right now, which is a bigger commitment but somehow the first weight loss approach that works for me- I still "cheat" when I go out to eat (very rare, I'm a poor grad student) or go to someone's house for dinner, but the majority of the time I base my meals on vegetables and limited/controlled amounts of whole grains.
I definitely think it's possible, as long as you focus on vegetables, beans, whole grains, etc. (And possibly count calories - if I don't pay attention I'll still find a way to overeat on veggies and fruit!)
I just had the best huge breakfast I wanted to tell y'all about! I took about a cup of frozen broccoli, a handful of mushrooms, some spinach, some onion, and a half a tomato and sauteed in a big non-stick skillet. That was maybe 40 cal for a lot of volume. Then I added three eggwhites (60 cal total), scrambled and cooked around with the veggies and some salt and pepper. Dumped it on a plate, topped with a 60 cal slice of swiss cheese and a few tablespoons of salsa (20 cal) and piece of 45 calorie toast. 225 cal breakfast and it was HUGE and cheesy and delish. Can't beat that with a stick!
That sounds like a good plan...If I can just get my mind set to do it...that is the next thing. Unless the mind is willing to accept the change, it makes it very difficult for the rest of the body to follow. I weigh a little over 240, shooting for half the weight. I know it may not seem to realistic, but I am only 5 foot 2-1/2. I realize it is going to take a lot of self discipline to overcome this thing I have with emotional eating...but I what I need most is motivation and support. Thanks...
I too am a vegetarian and have been for almost a year. I became vegetarian because I wanted and needed to get healthy and lose weight and the way I was eating previously was not working for me. I have not really lost any major weight but I do feel healthier, except for the times that I am overeating myself out of emotions.
I actually gained weight when I became a vegetarian! I lost the extra weight with weight watchers and have been keeping it off by moving toward a vegan, whole food diet. It is a life long process and I am still figuring it out. I found that I did not do well with cheese and processed grains so I have slowly cut them out of my diet. It is a process of finding what works well with your body and what makes you feel most alive. It is a noble pursuit and I wish you all the best!
This! I am brand new to being plant-based. I started with a fruits and vegetable fast for Lent. When I realized how energetic and alert I was from the diet, I decided to stick with it. I have since begun to include grains in with the fruits and vegetables... quinoa, whole wheat bread on occasion... I have lost 25lbs in the last two months. I cannot begin to tell you how great I feel. I ate some food that had butter in it at Easter dinner with my family (literally, everything there was swimming in butter, even the asparagus). I was sluggish all day, and was out cold asleep by 7pm. Ugh.
I have gotten a couple of books that have helped greatly. The first was "The Plant Powered Diet" by Sharon Palmer. I also got "The Happy Herbivore" and "Everyday Happy Herbivore" by Lindsay S. Nixon for Easter. So many great recipes, and all of them have nutritional facts at the bottom of the page-- Great for calorie counters!
I've been a vegetarian for only a month and a half now. And I find it to be extremely hard to diet (especially when everyone else in my household eats meat). And at first I thought it was going to make my melt my fat away, but then I found myself eating junk food more.
I don't know if this helps (and I'm sorry if this is a bit vague) but since I became a vegetarian I found it easy to cut out some foods (duh, no meat, lol). Like, obviously if we had friends that went to McDonalds, we wouldn't get a burger, BUT fries, Milkshakes, and sodas are still on our menu. Say no to fast foods period. If it takes 3 seconds to make something that delicious, i'm pretty sure its not good. Haha
Another thing is I don't drink calories (with the exception of milk). No soda, Kool-Aid, Brisks, ect. Nothing but water (and sometimes milk). We may think we're eating healthy because there is no meat in our diets, and we're eating more fruits and veggies, but some crap still counts as being vegetarian, and we may gorge on some of those things instead.
And another thing, I'd advise to SLOWLY wean yourself of these things, because if you do this cold-turkey, there might be a higher chance of binges (talking from experience).
I am Vegetarian...Need Support
