I'm vegetarian. Came to 3fatchicks to lose weight, planned on counting calories, etc. But then noticed that when I ate vegan, I lost weight without obsessing about it. So now my focus has changed from losing weight to going mostly vegan. Not planning to go 100%, I think my long term goal will be 6/7 days per week. Right now I do three or four days per week.
i started doing the veggie thing about 4 years ago but stoped for about a year. im back to it now and i feel so much better and i've even lost a ton of weight.
the soy milk machine is expensive but i think i found what i want for my birthday.
by the way, if any of you are looking for a veggie diet buddy just message me.
Hi VOW,
I was a vegetarian as a teen and a young adult but gave it up...
I made vegetarianism a New Year's goal this past January...for health reasons mainly but, also because the thought of eating animals disgusts me...
I've done okay with it...I have eaten turkey a few times when I was in the mood for a lean protein and someone was serving it to me, I think that I have eaten red meat two or three times since January, and I think that I may have eaten chicken twice.
like Ellis, I don't even like eating anything that looks like it could have been part of an animal...I haven't eaten steak for years and years...looks too much like what it is, ugh...fish is okay, doesn't disgust me, usually,
eggs and dairy are also okay with me tho at times even eggs repulse me.
I prefer a vegetarian diet and I feel so much healthier when I eat that way.
I'll have to think of some of my favorite recipes and maybe we can post them right here in this thread. I'm going to try your pudding recipe sometime...it does look yummy.
I have a simple recipe for marinated baked tofu that I use as a staple, and it can then be added to a wrap, or eaten with stir fried or steamed veggies and brown rice, or whatever...
and we love edamame...soy beans...I buy them frozen and my little girl even loves them.
i recently read that microwaving depletes the nutritional value of food so I have to readjust my routine, I have been doing a quick down, dirty, healthy and yummy dinner some evenings...some frozen veggie meatballs, some tomato sauce and lots of frozen veggies or edamame, cooked up in minutes in the micro...
but, I have to start using the stovetop because who wants to give up nutrition for a few more minutes? anyone else see any articles on microwaving and diminishing the nutritional value of veggies? let me know if you see one and where.
thanks girls,
love,Soozie
I was a strict vegetarian for 17 years, including two years as a vegan. I was so obssessive about it I grew most my veggies and baked my own goodies.
When I was a strict vegetarian there was not as much fun vegetarian protein based products available, back in 1978 when I began you were lucky if you could find a veggie patty. It required me to cook a lot and at such a young age it was a burden.
I do eat fish and poultry but I still eat a lot of veggie alternatives and have great vegetarian alternatives. If I think too much about what I am eating, I can't eat it. I haven't eaten pork, lamb, beef since 1983 and I don't miss it. I do however enjoy my fish and chicken has just proved to be an easy alternative. Again, just can't think too much about it.
I am mostly vegan, especially when at home. I cook meat for my hubby and sons and company. I, personally stay away from dairy and eggs also, unless there's no way around it. Occasionally I have some fish, because I feel a lot better eating a sea animal than using the products of the dairy/egg industry.
But, that siad, I try not to be ---I don't know what the word is---militant about i. At other people's house, I will try to eat what they are having, even if it means eating a smidge of meat. I was a meat eater till about a year ago, so I try to be a 'nice' guest. But I very rarely eat at others homes so this doesn't happen only once in a blue moon.
Working toward veganism has made my weight start going down for the first time in years. Menopause has been a pain in that area. I also feel 'lighter', and my skin looks better-less blotchy, and uneven, and the pores look smaller. My tummy bloat went down almost immediately after staying away from meat and I can feel it come back when I've eaten some. My yoga feels easier--I have less stiffness. My eyes even look less red-rimmed and 'foggy.' Clearer.
I am also---this is the clincher that will probably keep me mostly meat free for life----Having WAY less hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings (cutting out wine and sugar, and less caffeine helped too), and all menopausal symptoms. I CANNOT believe what a difference!
I am interested in finding out more about good ways
to prepare veggies. I've never had tofu in my life, but I am
willing to try it. I'll be over here on this site everyday waiting with baited breath to catch those tasty veggie recipes.Does anyone have a eggplant parmesan? I'll be seeing you!
YAY! a vegetarian forum, I was begingin to think I was the only one, I've been a vegetarian or vegan (depending on what was going on in my life) for seven years. wow I was so much thinner when I was vegan. But I dig the cheese too much.
I too have eaten vegan, years ago. Lost all the weight that I wanted and was so happy. Then life got crazy and I went back to eating SAD and gained it back. I dont think that I can eat vegan again, it seems so very strict for me now. I do eat meats every now and then. Was wondering if you are eating cheeses or using oils in your vegetarian dishes and how many fat grams would you say you eat in a day? I have lost some weight, 15 pounds thus far, doing WW. But I am fed up with counting all those points. Where as eating veg you dont have to really worry about calories , but I do feel watch the fats. Do you include flour products in your way of life?
Sound like you are doing well so far Serabo. I am doing WW too.
One of the things I do is pre plan my meals for the week and count all the points up as I go. I keep the week's menus on a disc so I can go back and use them again - I rotate the weeks so I don't get bored. This way every thing is pre counted for the day and I only have to add anything extra that I had by using my flex points. I find that I am less tempted to snack this way too.
May I suggest whole grain breads and whole wheat pastas for flour products... whole wheat couscous is also available at bulk stores and health food stores as well as brown rice. I actually found brown basmati rice that only takes 15 minutes to cook at Bulk Barn - not sure if you have those where you are.
I was on the South Beach forum, but seemed to stall. I KNOW that eating vegan is very healthy, so I decided about 3-4 weeks ago to begin eating vegan atain. I'm not super strict; if I buy a frozen beans and rice with a little cheese and sour cream (low fat), I'll eat that.
I bought a couple of books about vegetarianism (one is "Idiot's Guide to Being Vegetarian" by Suzanne Havala; I borrowed "Vegan Source" from the library), and one person's "testimony" in the second book above said she hadn't really lost weight as she still had her food issues. I understand what she's saying, but it seems to me if you're eating vegan and staying away from high sugar and high fat intake that you couldn't HELP but lose weight. I'm not trying to sound judgemental, but it seems to me that it should be a slow, steady weight loss if one is eating mainly vegan.
I do really great all month with losing weight, but come the week before my period . . . I'm really struggling with the scale!
Tricia
Last edited by Lavender Fields; 02-18-2004 at 06:52 PM.
i felt so sad reading all the msgs here, i have been a vegetarian for about 4 years and mostly vegan for a little over a year (i eat fish sometimes and milk and eggs when i cant avoid it like in recipes) when i became a vegetarian i ate a lot of cheese and other unhealthy things and i was depressed so i gained weight and i haven't lost it since the past year I've been desperately trying to lose weight and while when I first became vegan I did lose a little I'm still over weigh and I think the little I lost has come back its so depressing I done mind diets but if I cut out any more from my diet I'll be left with just water ... anyone has any ideas on what I'm doing wrong or is my metabolism just dead??
Do some research on the glycemic index of foods. Foods which are highly processed or simply by nature high on the glycemic index are metabolized very quickly by the body, leaving you hungry and on the prowl for more food. If you make your food choices from whole grains and legumes, concentrating on getting your protein first, and then filling up on veggies, with fruit as a treat, you'll probably do much better in your efforts. Beware liquid calories! Stick with plain ole water and herbal teas, and make sure you get plenty of fiber and water in your daily food plan.
(we won't mention that awful word "exercise" right now....)
~VOW
Banded 1-31-04 by Dr Kuri
284/258 at banding/whatever God wants me to weigh
Any Vegans/Vegetarians out there?
