i was vegetarian for about 5 years. i was doing fine but then started gaining weight, which i think had to do with the fact that i replaced the meat with lots of dairy and highly processed junk. i started eating meat again recently and have been low carbing off and on for the past few months. however, i can't shake the feeling of guilt. i look at nutritional info for things that i would consider healthy, like grilled chicken, and see all the fat and cholesterol in it and it makes me feel very gross and unhealthy. in my head i just can't justify eating lots of meat and cheese and few veggies and fruits and calling it healthy. the weight loss is fast the first couple weeks but always slows down. i would like to become vegetarian again, maybe even vegan and eat lots of fruits and veggies, but i don't want the weight loss to stop and i'm scared that it not only will but that i will gain weight back when i add back in the carbs. what do you guys think i should do? thanks so much

I know exactly how you feel! When I became a vegetarian, the weight that had been piling on so rapidly tapered off, but I was still gaining. Why? Because, like yourself, I was eating a LOT of crap. Maccas chips, greasy Burger King vegie burgers etc. Also, I was not eating enough (body going into starvation mode). I am still a vegetarian and now eating much healthier, and eating more. I eat two pieces of fruit every day. I only eat wholegrain bread and pasta (if I can avoid the heavily processed stuff), and I eat plenty of vegies. I do eat dairy, but it's only a little bit of cheese daily and yoghurt. If you want to be a vegetarian again, GO FOR IT!!! ... just concentrate on being healthy! Now that you are aware of it, don't again fall for the trap that just because you're a vegetarian that you are automatically eating healthy. Learnt my lesson, *sigh!*

Good luck!

You might want to look into Dr. Diana Schwarzbein's book, The Schwarzbein Principle. Her program works by restricting carbohydrates, and it does include a complete vegetarian meal plan--but vegetarian includes eggs and some dairy. Whey-based protein powder might be a substitute--just my idea. The main difficulty with vegetarian is that to get enough protein, one is often overeating carbs or fats. But it is possible!

Also, please be aware that while these boards are heavily skewed towards people who are "low-carbing", that is not the be-all and the end-all. I have lost 142 pounds (so far) on a high-carb, low-fat, moderate protein diet.

If low-carb isn't working for you -- for whatever reason -- don't do it! Just don't eat the junk ... eat high-quality complex carbohydrates (whole grains instead of white, little or no sugar, etc.). Stick with lower fat cheeses & dairy, eat all the non-starchy vegetables you want (yes! including carrots!), a few servings of fruit (yes! any fruit, including bananas!) in 4 to 6 well-balanced, well-spaced meals.

You might want to look into something like Weight Watchers to learn a good balanced model for eating. Or, pick up a copy of Jane Brody's Nutrition Book.

P.S. Also remember that some fat in your diet is GOOD. Even some saturated fat and cholesterol is OK, so eating chicken and even the occasional beef is perfectly healthy for most people. If you are restricting your overall intake, the amount of these nutrients you'll be taking in is no big deal in the larger scheme of things. Human beings were MADE to be omnivores, so the idea that moderate portions of an entire category of food is unhealthy for everyone is misguided.

thanks for your input guys i started eating carbs again today, and so far today i've eaten some yogurt, grapes, a salad, an applesauce, and some crackers. i think my calorie intake is around 700 (but i still haven't eaten dinner so it will go up). its just frustrating because getting back on the scale today, i see that i've gone up 2 pounds even though i know its water weight.

low carb worked but counting calories worked just as well when i did that before the low carb. i am starting to HATE low carb because it won't let me go back to eating normally without putting back on weight, even if it is just water.

I have been a strict vegetarian for almost 9 years now and me being overweight has nothing to do with being a vegetarian. I am overweight because I overeat the bad stuff---Ice cream, pizza, chips, pasta etc etc...
I have successfully lost a lot of weight while still being a strict vegetarian but I have put the weight back on NOT because of being veggie, but because I went back to my old eating habits of eating whatever I wanted and not watching my calories.

Personally, I think this low carb crap is just that--crap. The only way to lose weight is to restrict calories and to excersise--along with lots of water. Say you are on a 1200 calorie a day diet, the truth of the matter is, you could eat 1200 calories worth of pasta and still lose weight. You could even eat 1200 calories worth of hot fudge sundaes and still lose weight (though I don't recommend it)...the reason low carb diets are the "thing" is because protein fills you up better than carbs so you get fewer cravings and wind up eating less without thinking about it---but the truth is, you have to eat fewer calories and excersise more to lose weight, plain and simple, no matter what "plan" you're on you have to be expending more calories than you are holding on to....
As I said, I have successfully lost weight in the past, strictly by eating whatever I wanted (on a vegetarian diet) but restricting my calories to between 1200-1400 a day and excersising. The only reason I gained weight back is because I didn't stick with it when I got smaller I thought I could just eat whatever I wanted, whatever portion I wanted, stopped really excersising, and it came back on...
But it is ENTIRELY possible to lose weight with a vegetarian diet, and I get plenty of protein through soy products (tofu and veggie burgers, soy milk), beans, and nuts...and low fat dairy...
good luck
Tara

I agree with Tara that in the long run, it's the calorie count that matters. I also think she's right that weight gain can't be "blamed" on being vegetarian. But I think it makes sense for SOME overweight people to restrict carbohydrates because excess carbohydrates overstimulate insulin, and insulin wreaks havoc on the metabolism. Because many overweight people test as pre-diabetic, it's important for them especially to restrict carbohydrates, and especially refined carbohydrates.

Some information and testing through a doctor about blood sugar level is probably a good idea for anyone who's overweight.

I saw a comment in here about "not eating enough", and I've seen that before in other posts elsewhere. How do you know if you're "eating enough"? I exercise almost daily (I have grad school 2 nights a week during the summer, and since I work from 6:30-3:00, and class is from 4-10, I don't make the gym those nights, its just not possible... but in the fall I only have classes 1 night per week), swimming laps and water aerobics. I'm also doing PT for my ankle.
But lately, if I top 1000 calories a day, its amazing. Most days I'm anywhere from 750-900 calories. I'm just not interested in eating.
I keep meaning to ask my endocrinologist about this, but even though I've written it down, I've forgotten the last two times I've talked to her.

It takes at least 1200 calories on a very carefully balanced diet to get enough nutrients to be healthy, weight loss aside. If you are eating less than 1000 calories per day, not only are you malnourished but you've probably crashed your metabolism, which not only prevents you from losing weight without completely fasting, but will actually depress your appetite.

It would be really wise of you to consult a registered dietitian who specializes in people who are recovering from crash dieting. You need to eat more, but carefully and gradually to get your metabolism back to normal.

Thanks for the advice, Grrl...
Unfortunately, it wasn't a weight-loss method. It was completely unintentional and brought about as part of my systemic endocrine dysfunction. I've been throwing up everything I eat and finally told my endocrinologist about it. She did blood-work, which was normal. We assumed it was the medication, so I went off both of the meds that I'm on. And it didn't go away. So then we went to the primary care doctor who ordered all kinds of tests, including a hida scan. The ultrasound was normal; the hida scan was not. So, off we went to the GI Specialist. And lo and behold, they can find no reason for the hida scan to be so abnormal. The gall bladder isn't diseased, infected, inflamed, or hardened. Its not causing me any pain, and there are no stones. It just doesn't do what its supposed to do when my body tells it work. So, the theory is that among the other hormones in my body that don't work, CCK (please don't ask me to spell that one out!) can be added to the list. Pending an endocscopy later in July, I'm scheduled to have the gall bladder removed so that it doesn't have to respond to the non-working hormone. The endoscopy will make sure that there is nothing else going on. We're assuming that the removal of the organ will cause my body to continue to ignore the hormone and I'll digest more normally.
I may be malnourished, but I'm under the care of 3 good physicians who are monitoring me (I think some of them may be vampires with the amount of blood they keep wanting!), and they've got me on vitamin supplements. If I have a day where I absolutely can't eat anything, I've been successful keeping liquids down, so they have me drinking something like Ensure, only low-sugar on those days.