Low-carbing as a Vegetarian

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  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Why do you think you need to go low carb?
  • Shutterbugfever
    Shutterbugfever Posts: 13 Member
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    Interesting "low carb as a vegetarian" ~ Since my last pregnancy meat I just can't do. I really don't like the taste anymore. So I have been trying to learn and go vegetarian not always do I succeed. I want to be healthier and leaner and change my life style. I have been working out 5 days week and trying to walk every day an hour (3.5 miles) a day. I have not been losing anything. Not inches nor weight.... I eat beans (black bean burgers and such) veggies and fruits. Someone mentioned high carbs from my items and I haven't ever thought to much about that.. BUT maybe that is the case? I'm not eating back my work out calories and my daily calories are 1200 sometimes I hit them and others I am below them.... Do you all think I should look more into low carb vegetarian diet? What the heck am I going to eat???????
  • Alphastate
    Alphastate Posts: 295 Member
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    Interesting "low carb as a vegetarian" ~ Since my last pregnancy meat I just can't do. I really don't like the taste anymore. So I have been trying to learn and go vegetarian not always do I succeed. I want to be healthier and leaner and change my life style. I have been working out 5 days week and trying to walk every day an hour (3.5 miles) a day. I have not been losing anything. Not inches nor weight.... I eat beans (black bean burgers and such) veggies and fruits. Someone mentioned high carbs from my items and I haven't ever thought to much about that.. BUT maybe that is the case? I'm not eating back my work out calories and my daily calories are 1200 sometimes I hit them and others I am below them.... Do you all think I should look more into low carb vegetarian diet? What the heck am I going to eat???????
    You definitely need to up the calories. 1200 is the bare minimum for non-workout days. The low carb thing may not be suitable for you depending on your goals. The OP is a model. Low carb diets seem more suitable in that profession. I would try to hit 40% carbs at least.
  • Shutterbugfever
    Shutterbugfever Posts: 13 Member
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    So think I should just up my calories per day higher and try to keep eating like I am? I'm just frustrated i'm not losing anything.
  • Alphastate
    Alphastate Posts: 295 Member
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    Yeah, maybe going up to 1500 on workout days. It all depends on your goals. I would see results in my clients when I started them on a 40-40-20 breakdown, carbs to protein to fat.
  • hezro
    hezro Posts: 12 Member
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    I'm a lifelong vegetarian and not sure that I have any new suggestions to add. I've been trying to eat an egg every morning to get protein right from the get-go. I've always done a lot of beans and nuts. Lately I've been using tofu a lot too. I've recently started drinking chocolate milk as a post work-out recovery drink because apparently it has everything you need post workout.
  • sarahbethfit233
    sarahbethfit233 Posts: 77
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    So think I should just up my calories per day higher and try to keep eating like I am? I'm just frustrated i'm not losing anything.
    I've noticed that if I'm not careful, I don't eat as much as I should some days and if I do that for awhile, my weight just plateaus. When I started lifting and working out more, I started eating a lot more, and initially I gained a little bit of weight but as soon as I started switching up my workouts, my body got really used to the amount I was eating. Black beans, while yummy, I'm assuming are really good for you anyway. So if you're trying to cut out carbs, maybe cut out more processed sugars/ breads but keep all your veggies and tofu and whole grain pastas, etc. That's what sucks about being a veg sometimes lol it's hard to find things you can eat that are nutritious that will actually keep you full sometimes
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    everyone on low carb plans fail and are bigger once they finish... Maintain carbs, just lower them gradually.... Don't go under 100 grams a day or u will end up a fat ars....
  • Harder_Better_Faster_Stronger
    Harder_Better_Faster_Stronger Posts: 21 Member
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    You've fallen into the low carb trap. Carbs are not bad for you if theyre from fruits and vegetables. The reason why so many people say they lose weight eating low carb is because the carbs they normally ate were potato chips and cookies. Of course you'll lose weight when you limit those items.
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
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    5'2" with a 95lb goal... low-carb vegetarian... you can't see why this is hard to take seriously?

    best of luck...
  • frankara
    frankara Posts: 9 Member
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    I don' t have an answer to your question. However, I am amazed about how many people failed to see the point of your question. She is not trying to starve herself. She is trying lean out because that is what figure competitors do. Before competition, they tend to go low carb. My trainer and my friends, who competes, does it all the time. It is just harder for her because she is a vegetarian. People need to read before attacking someone.
  • RockMe777
    RockMe777 Posts: 24 Member
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    Judging by your photo, you look awesome. What ever you have been doing it seems to work out well so just keep it up
  • Alphastate
    Alphastate Posts: 295 Member
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    5'2" with a 95lb goal... low-carb vegetarian... you can't see why this is hard to take seriously?

    best of luck...
    Wow, I can't see why it's hard to take seriously...because I actually read the reasoning.
  • sarahbethfit233
    sarahbethfit233 Posts: 77
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    I don' t have an answer to your question. However, I am amazed about how many people failed to see the point of your question. She is not trying to starve herself. She is trying lean out because that is what figure competitors do. Before competition, they tend to go low carb. My trainer and my friends, who competes, does it all the time. It is just harder for her because she is a vegetarian. People need to read before attacking someone.

    Thank you! Yeah, maybe I worded my post weird, but that's mainly what I'm getting at. I'm fine with fruit/veg carbs and whatnot, given that that's sort of a main vegetarian staple lolI'm not trying to cut them out completely, just trying to lower them.
  • Shutterbugfever
    Shutterbugfever Posts: 13 Member
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    So what is y'alls "normal" eating for one day? Starting with breakfast? Also, I had been drinking a protein shake for breakfast after my work out.. 1 1/2 cups water, one scoop vanilla protein and a banana... Some mention that would make me gain... what are you all thoughts on the protein shakes?
  • paleopin
    paleopin Posts: 47
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    Maybe try looking up Indian recipes? I know they have a lot of vegetarians so it might give you some better ideas for protein
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    That sounds miserable. Carbs aren't bad. Why is that such a hard concept to grasp on Mfp. I guess you could eat a crapload of eggs and cheese but thats not healthy...but it doesn't appear one would be seeking a healthy diet to do low carb.
  • Brassteacher
    Brassteacher Posts: 7
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    Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and of course the foods those come in. All kinds of beans, non starchy vegetables, berries and nuts.

    On the go? Lettuce wrap veggie burgers, salads, almonds. Salad bars sometimes have tons of stuff including bean salads etc. There are low carb protein bars and shakes that you can take along, but natural food is always better if you can. I sometimes make bread slices from almond flour for sandwiches on the go. I freeze them to keep some handy. It does have eggs though.

    I know it's hard when you first go low carb and realize that most of what you eat, and find out there, is either bread, pasta, rice or potatoes all of which elevate insulin dramatically and therefore keep you from shedding fat. You get used to it, in time, and how to eat out and all that.

    Hope this helps-John

    It's hard to believe all the ignorance and haters that reply. They don't want to answer the question asked, but want to preach their own personal beliefs. I have my own ideas based mostly on what I have studied in the latest science and I have changed my own point of view for it. I never try to tell others what they should eat. I put out there what I have learned thus far and anyone can use it if they like. I think everybody should listen to opposing ideas and consider them, if they want to learn the truth. If your beliefs can't stand up to opposing ideas, maybe you should re-examine your beliefs. I did and am better for it. Off my soap box-sorry.
  • AKbluedragonfly
    AKbluedragonfly Posts: 79 Member
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    The only way to really do low carb without mood swings and energy dips (as someone mentioned above) is to make sure you're eating enough fat. Natural sources of fat tend to be low in carbs too. Try avocados, nuts, greek yogurt (if you do dairy), dried coconut, coconut milk, etc. These are about as "low carb" as you can get without it being meat. Also try to stick with mostly veggies and very little fruit as the sugar in fruit bumps their carbs up.Or you could just cut out grains, beans (which are very high carb) and starchy veggies, and go more for a raw style vegetarian. Really though, most proponents of low carb diets say it's pretty impossible to be low carb and animal-protein free.

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