Overweight Vegetarians
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johnnylakis wrote: »I have discovered something I did not think was possible. Overweight vegetarians. I thought this was a fluke until I started seeing friends and family who are overweight and vegetarian. How can this be?
just think about how many high calorie things are also vegetarian...
also, any diet can be as healthy or unhealthy as you want to make it.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I imagine that I would be much heavier if I was vegetarian. It would be harder for me to get protein in and I imagine I would live off of pasta and french fries.
It is definitely possible to be vegan and overweight but I imagine it's less common. Veganism (to me) seems like such a hardcore, disciplined and restrictive way of eating that I would think people tend to be less likely to massively overeat, though it certainly happens.
Although studies show that vegans tend to weigh less than non-vegans, there are vegans of all shapes and sizes.
Veganism does require avoiding animal products, but there's nothing inherently disciplined or restrictive about it otherwise. We still have access to lots of highly palatable and calorie dense foods, the same thing that helps contribute to weight gain in others. For me personally, the decision to avoid animal products is an ethical one -- I'm naturally a very undisciplined person when it comes to regulating what I eat.
And, besides, having extra weight doesn't require "massively" overeating. It can often happen as the result of more moderate over-eating over time. I gained my weight in relatively small pieces -- adding potatoes to my bean burrito, getting fries and a veggie burger ALL the time instead of sometimes, an extra tablespoon of peanut butter on my sandwich, 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the stir-fry instead of 1, 1 cup of rice instead of 1/2 a cup . . .
You're right Jane and I apologize if I came across offensively (which I did not intend since the OP kind of seemed that way). Vegetarianism always seems somewhat restrictive but more doable whereas veganism seems like something where I would probably just sit in a corner crying and eventually starve to death because I can't have cheese and life is thus unfair. So I always imagine that if I somehow found a way to eat a vegan diet given my lack of willpower and love of good, I would be more restrictive about quantity. I know it doesn't work that way necessarily, just how my brain tends to think.0 -
Everyone is answering the question well, but yes...my husband was a very obese pescetarian for years before he started eating healthy and lost weight (and he's still pescetarian now).
I think a lot of people assume it's not possible. I also think a lot of people "go vegetarian" expecting to lose a lot of weight, and with that approach mileage will vary GREATLY just like anything else. I tried it myself a few years ago and it made little difference in my weight loss...my husband's friend who was a big meat eater, lost like 80 lb when he stopped eating meat. But for that guy it was the difference between Wendy's Baconator and big fries every day for lunch, and a salad. Big difference.0 -
I busted that myth in 2014 that vegetarians don't gain weight, when I stopped exercising and not watching what I ate. January 2015 I stop the out of control eating, cakes, cookies & bread. Moderations!!!!!!!!!!!! Back on track & the weight gone. SO yes vegetarians are human and can eat the wrong things.0
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Let's not all forget that Oreo's are vegan and they're not exactly the healthiest. Just walk into Whole Foods where they have vegan cakes and a whole vegan bakery section.0
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Overweight vegetarian here, going on 8+ years. I love beer and huge portions of pasta, potato soup, chips and dip, bread, etc. I have about 20lbs to lose.0
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I'm currently an overweight vegetarian. I blame trail mixes, all of them, all those roasted nuts, many of them rolled into sugar ....
I had to leave all of those beyond, sad enough.0 -
A true vegetarian is someone who knows how to cook and who knows about nutrition and how to create complete proteins with nuts and beans and rice etc combined with assorted vegetables.Btw I am not a vegetarian, I love meat!!
Heh. A meat eater defines "true vegetarian". Heh.
I've been (ovo-lacto) vegetarian for 41 years. Knew all that stuff. Ate all kinds of nice whole foods. Ate aaallll of them. Like cheesecake. Or tiramisu. (Both home-made! By me! From whole foods! Full of protein!) Plus deep-fried veggies. I know how to make those, too (you can even put nuts & beans & rice in the crispy part if you want; it's delicious).
Got fat. Ate less. Now thin. Still vegetarian.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I imagine that I would be much heavier if I was vegetarian. It would be harder for me to get protein in and I imagine I would live off of pasta and french fries.
It is definitely possible to be vegan and overweight but I imagine it's less common. Veganism (to me) seems like such a hardcore, disciplined and restrictive way of eating that I would think people tend to be less likely to massively overeat, though it certainly happens.
Although studies show that vegans tend to weigh less than non-vegans, there are vegans of all shapes and sizes.
Veganism does require avoiding animal products, but there's nothing inherently disciplined or restrictive about it otherwise. We still have access to lots of highly palatable and calorie dense foods, the same thing that helps contribute to weight gain in others. For me personally, the decision to avoid animal products is an ethical one -- I'm naturally a very undisciplined person when it comes to regulating what I eat.
And, besides, having extra weight doesn't require "massively" overeating. It can often happen as the result of more moderate over-eating over time. I gained my weight in relatively small pieces -- adding potatoes to my bean burrito, getting fries and a veggie burger ALL the time instead of sometimes, an extra tablespoon of peanut butter on my sandwich, 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the stir-fry instead of 1, 1 cup of rice instead of 1/2 a cup . . .
You're right Jane and I apologize if I came across offensively (which I did not intend since the OP kind of seemed that way). Vegetarianism always seems somewhat restrictive but more doable whereas veganism seems like something where I would probably just sit in a corner crying and eventually starve to death because I can't have cheese and life is thus unfair. So I always imagine that if I somehow found a way to eat a vegan diet given my lack of willpower and love of good, I would be more restrictive about quantity. I know it doesn't work that way necessarily, just how my brain tends to think.
That makes complete sense. I wasn't offended at all, by the way. I just wanted to clarify from my POV.0 -
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A LOT of people, including myself, are vegetarian because we don't want to eat dead animals, simple as that. It doesn't have anything to do with health. I've been a vegetarian for 16 years, and I've never once pretended to be, claimed to be, a healthy eater. SO many foods are un-healthy but don't have meat in them. I also enjoy how so many people are putting vegetarian in quotation marks.0
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johnnylakis wrote: »I have discovered something I did not think was possible. Overweight vegetarians. I thought this was a fluke until I started seeing friends and family who are overweight and vegetarian. How can this be?
What the?
Did you think the only way to gain weight was to eat animal products, or something?0 -
*waves hand*
I'm an obese veg*n. Any time you eat more calories than you put out... you're gonna gain weight. I have a love of food that is salty, savory, and most certainly not good for you. Combine this with a complete lack of exercise, ridiculous portion sizes, and less-than-ideal health habits? Results in a gal like myself who is very, very overweight.
I'm not proud of this, but it does happen... and to be honest, it's a little insulting to imply that there's no way someone who's vegan/vegetarian could be overweight. Do many vegetarians eat healthy? Sure! But some of us fall short of this ideal of perfect, clean eating.0 -
realityfades wrote: »Agreed. I don't consume gelatin or things with carmine in them, anal beaver gland stuff [usually found in ice creams] and non vegetable broth.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. WUT?
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vivmom2014 wrote: »realityfades wrote: »Agreed. I don't consume gelatin or things with carmine in them, anal beaver gland stuff [usually found in ice creams] and non vegetable broth.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. WUT?
Some ice creams used to something called castoreum, whichis the fluid extracted from the anal glad of beavers. But from what I read, it's less common in food and more common in perfume due its expense.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/03/26/293406191/does-beaver-tush-flavor-your-strawberry-shortcake-we-go-myth-busting0 -
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CHEESE. that is all. ( I was veggie 6 years, replaced main part of my meal from meat to cheese. Gained 3 stone very fast!)0
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A true vegetarian is someone who knows how to cook and who knows about nutrition and how to create complete proteins with nuts and beans and rice etc combined with assorted vegetables.Btw I am not a vegetarian, I love meat!!
Heh. A meat eater defines "true vegetarian". Heh.
I've been (ovo-lacto) vegetarian for 41 years. Knew all that stuff. Ate all kinds of nice whole foods. Ate aaallll of them. Like cheesecake. Or tiramisu. (Both home-made! By me! From whole foods! Full of protein!) Plus deep-fried veggies. I know how to make those, too (you can even put nuts & beans & rice in the crispy part if you want; it's delicious).
Got fat. Ate less. Now thin. Still vegetarian.
The funniest thing I have ever read, this thread is amazing0
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