What "diet" do you follow?
 

I'm an unhealthy vegetarian. I'm very overweight (would like to lose 70lbs) and would like to know what other vegetarians/vegans do to lose weight.

Is there a plan you follow?

Thanks!:carrot:

hi x Yael x, i am a calorie counter. i feel after you've figured out how many calories you should have a day, it's the most straightforward "plan" and it's free haha good luck!

I use a food journal and to make sure I don't eat more than I should. Also if I don't lose one week I check to see what I've ate, and what could have 'stalled' my weight loss. I try to eat mostly whole foods and only have 1 processed food a day, with smaller portions. Trying to fit more vegetables in day to day.

Weight Watchers is good for any lifestyle (vegetarian-vegan)
Calorie Counting (like Haley said)


Good luck!! :cheer2:

This is what I do too.

I'm vegan, but there is plenty of vegan junk food out that they tempts me to stray. For me, it's all about making better informed choices: Would I like a cupcake that's 300 calories or a baked apple with cinnamon and earth balance butter for like 150 calories.

Counting calories and making better choices is the best way to go. So far, I've lost 36 lbs :)

I don't specifically follow a "diet" anymore, but I try to balance what I eat. I write down what I eat like jillnicole does. It has definitely helped me make better choices with food.

I just eat a lot less of whatever I used to eat, cut out all junk food completely, and try cutting out pastas and stuff. Instead of spaghetti a meat sauce I eat cauliflower and meat sauce, it's freaking delicious.

I basically eat a very-low-fat vegan diet, along the lines of the McDougall plan. FitDay has been really helpful for keeping track of how many calories I eat and how much fat as well.

I am following a McDougall diet as well, Very low fat vegan no oil. It works like a charm.

I just try to eat only whole grains, little sugar, lots and lots of veggies and fruit, nuts everyday, avocado every week, olive oil. I don't drink milk, but at this point, I do have yogurt (I get the Greek yogurt), and cheese (full-fat). I cook tofu or the like two or three times a week (and have dinner leftovers for lunch, so really 4-6 meals). Oh yeah, lots of beans ... I loved me my beans even before I was vegetarian :).

Really, I focus on quality (both for ingredients, and for the recipe as a whole - must be really tasty), and reasonable portions, eating slower and paying attention to whether I'm even hungry, and when I'm full but NEVER stuffed.

Oh yeah I forgot about the Mcdougall plan, I've heard lots of great stuff about it! :)

Also there is the No 'S' diet, which is basically No Snacking, No seconds, and No sweets :-) That would work for vegan/vegetarians also.

I do ww and have had a lot of success with it because most veggies are free and many of our protein options are very low in points.

i just googled the mcdougall diet... whoa. i dont think i could do that. that's a bit too strict for me. heh

Thanks everyone!

Hi there I was wondering if you've ever seen Natalia Rose's books? The 5 step detox plan in particular is the one I am following as I transition to raw from SAD...

Hey, MeriHawk, how do you like the plan so far? Been wondering if I should get the book. I've tried to go one hundred percent raw or close to it, and, from where I am now, standard vegetarian diet, it was just so drastic, both physically and mentally. I'd love more information and your personal experiences.
Amie

I've been doing a raw vegan diet for the past 5 days, but I'm taking it easy. It's more of a high raw diet rather than all raw, since I also think that all raw is too drastic. I actually didn't plan on doing it for this long - I just wanted a day to clean out my system from a junk food binge I had last weekend. But I'm finding I like it so far. The surprising thing to me is that I'm not feeling hungry or having a lot of cravings. Raw foodists say that once you give your body the nutrients it needs from real foods then you stop craving junk food. I don't think I believed it but now I'm starting to think there might be something to it :D.

But as I said, I'm taking it easy, not seeing it as a "diet" but as a healthy way of eating. If I feel like some grains or beans, then I'll have them. I'm not obsessing about whether the tehina I'm eating is raw or not (the label doesn't say but I'm pretty sure it isn't) or whether having a cup of green tea is going to "ruin" things for me.

Tam

I use McDougall's Maximum Weight Loss plan, and I LOVE it! I have always liked large portions and when I've tried counting calories and points and measuring stuff it only made me obsessed about food. With McDougall you aren't limited in portion size. I've found myself eating less as the weeks pass; I think I'm accustomed to being satisfied with the simple whole foods.

I started cal counting but it was getting really hard when I went out for dinner with friends (which is a lot) so I was starting to guess all of the time. Changed to Vegatarian South Beach. Much better :)

Julie, do you find yourself getting hungry on McDougall MWLP? I was considering that plan, but I've heard that a lot of people do find they are hungry because it's so high in carbs (even though they're good ones and no flour, not even whole wheat flour) and low/no added fat.

Tam

I'm reading about McDougall now... I've always eaten a lot of carbs and am currently ovo-lacto but know I would really be much happier vegan... I just dont know if I can give up cheese! O_O

It's as simple as not eating it! If you're veg primarily for ethical reasons then it's pretty much a no-brainer to make the leap to vegan. Dairy cows are cruely mistreated, they must stay pregnant to produce milk and are artifiically inseminated, the calves are made into veal and/or more milk machines and once their "useful" lives are up the milk cows end up meat also.
I do understand, I was a big cheese fan myself but honestly after a few weeks you don't really miss it and there are plenty of cheezy sauces to make do if you get a craving.

ditto! The only thing I regret about giving up cheese is not doing it sooner. Now when I see people pulling stringy cheesy food away from their mouths I actually get a little grossed out. And I used to freakin' love cheese.

OMG must add that if cheese is an issue try Sheese! It's a sweedish company but I found it here in my "health food" store just tonight. I bought the smoked cheddar style - heaven in my mouth. I ate it just plain on some pita crackers. It could be dangerous as it is by far the BEST cheese sub in solid form I've found.

ETA - animal cheese also grosses me out now after reading about the pus that can end up in and watching Earthlings. icky poo. (mostly at myself for how much I used to eat w/o thinking about it!)