Raised vegetarian and was still a fat kid

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  • I was raised vegetarian and yet I was still a fat kid because I overate. I eat really well now and have conquered binge eating. More like I have it under control and recognize my patterns better so I am able to avoid them. I don't know if there are others of you out there like me. I have total meat aversion, and think animals deserve to live the way they naturally do and not be reproduced for food. I think factory farms are gross and being vegetarian can be affordable. Just wanted to share.
  • I tried to be a vegetarian for a few years and was pretty successful. At the beginning I ate salads and fruits, but quickly realized that chips, cookies, cakes, and many other processed snack foods were all "vegetarian" and that turned out to be my downfall. The fat kids inside of me went a little nuts and tried to justify it all by arguing that those snacks were all "vegetarian". The weight loss that I saw when I was eating well (veggies and fruits and nuts) quickly reversed itself.
  • I've seen a few people eat raw vegan and they really lost weight. When a couple of them went off that diet they gain the weight back. It seems like raw vegan is a good way to lose weight.
  • How did you conquer your urges to binge?
  • Same here, I was a vegetarian fat kid. Meat is so gross to me; I didn't want anything to do with it. So I elected to be a vegetarian in a family of meat eaters from a very young age, but the thing was, none of them wanted to help me in any way with it, including even just buying fruits & vegetables to keep around the house. So a 9 year old without any means to shop for their self, with the only non-meat foods accessible being junk food, macaroni, pizza, peanut butter sandwiches, and cereal, that's pretty much all I could eat when I was younger. Then once I was old enough to start buying my own food, I was pretty stuck in that horrible diet by then, without any clue what I should have really been eating or motivation to find out & switch to it.

    I've finally moved away from that now, but good god did it take some effort. I forced myself to eat vegetables until I started to like them, cut out as much sugar & processed food as I possibly could, and went through some killer withdrawal like cravings at the beginning, but I've come a long way from before.
  • Hi,
    I have been a vegetarian since I was 10. I was never super skinny. I went vegan in college and GAINED weight. I know, that sounds crazy, but I ate a lot of pasta and fake meats and ate vegan chips and crap. (There ARE unhealthy foods of ALL kinds!)
    Anyway, I've had it. I'm starting a new life change today. Vegan, obviously, but healthy vegan. Fruits, veggies, salads, tofus, a LITTLE pasta, blah blah. I'm excited.
  • You can do it! I'm vegan (and have had no problems being a fat vegan in the past) and like you, had to give up the junky vegan foods!
  • I agree! I think my downfall was the processed foods.
  • I am a Vegan fat adult. So I understand what you are saying. I am too fond of Potato Chips and Frito's. Can't have them in the house LOL
  • No way! Must have been too much dairy.

    When I turned vegan, aged 17, I dropped weight liked a rock. It wasn't sustainable though because I eventually went back to meat and did not combine my veganism with exercise.

    This time round, I've learnt the lessons...

    Fish, vegetables, not much fruit and exercise are key for me.
  • Maybe you didn't eat the junk. If that is so you are ahead of the game. I think exercise is as important as the eating plan. It sounds like you have it together. My appetite is finally behaving so maybe it won't be as difficult this time around for me. I can only hope
  • I wasn't raised vegetarian but I first became vegetarian in high school. I went off of it and ate meat for a while but I went back to being a vegetarian in 2006 and then vegan from 2009. But it's only since January that I've been totally vegan and loved it. My issues are also binge eating, especially when I'm stressed or want to reward myself. But I haven't had a binge since January. I think I just stopped thinking about being a vegan in terms of a diet and started thinking about it in terms of a way of eating. That meant I didn't bar any kinds of foods (except meat and dairy, of course) from my diet. But if I wanted a vegan cookie or muffin, I could have it, but I just had to make it myself. I love to cook so that was fine with me. I only started delving in baking since January but I love it.

    Once I didn't outlaw any foods that I used to consider "junk food" (especially baked goods, which I love), my entire attitude changed. It wasn't about a diet anymore but about eating healthy.

    Tam
  • I'm a veg chic, too!
    I'm new to this, so please bear with me. I've been what my health care provider calls a "no-meat" vegetarian. I do eat some fish, cheese and eggs. I also have become rather dependent on processed soy products as I haven't a clue what to do with tofu. My original leaning toward the modified veg lifestyle was due to meat causing me to be physically ill almost every time I ate it.

    Is there a veg website with videos for learning about using the various types of tofu, or, would anyone care to coach me on the basics?

    I was eating chicken for awhile, but that caused problems as we'll. When I finally gave up all meat, my blood pressure took a fifty point nosedive and now I am normal. Still have some weight issues that I'm working on. I'm wondering if cutting out processed soy like the baked ham and hot dogs will affect my efforts positively?

    Thanks for any support!
  • I always had the misconception that as long as I was eating vegetarian that calories didn't count. Very wrong, I was a junk food vegetarian and have always been stocky. I am now adopting a high raw diet and cutting out the junk, also counting calories. I have about 25 pounds to go
  • I think that meat doesn't actually have that many calories in it and so cutting it out in a veggie diet isn't much of an improvement. For me - my main calorie weakness is in dairy. Fat in butter and cream is huge and they are in so many recipes and sauces... before you even consider dessert.