Bad veggi habits

plaffo786

Need some advice, became a vegetarian last year, started off great, but bad eating habits and emotional eating has me on a slippery slide and a 14lb weight gain

estherdragonbat

Well, I am a vegetarian, and waited until I was 124 lbs overweight and got myself some health issues before coming to MFP. Sadly, vegetable oils, cakes, cookies, ice cream, starches, cheeses, etc are all vegetarian (and some of the above can be vegan). Basically, and you'll see this a lot, eating in a calorie deficit is what's going to have you lose the weight. Nutrition and exercise are important for overall health, but so long as you take in less than you burn off, the weight will come off.

KettleTO

I am a fat vegetarian. I recommitted to tracking in January and focused on eating healthy whole foods. I minimised packaged food and added sugar. I need to track because I don't really have a clue about how much I eat. I think I have it in check but don't and gain weight.

Whole foods that I cook myself make it easier.

yellingkimber

Advice: Stop bad habits and replace them with good ones. No matter what anyone says, that's what it's going to come down to.

bbell1985

Just start logging your calories. Fat and carbs have calories too Eat less of them.

ludioligare

I have been vegan for over 10 years and emotional eating and stress gave me an extra 30lbs last year. Pastries, pasta, bread, processed foods and a lot of eating out. Not to mention I had stopped logging my food intake and doing any meaningful exercise.

For me the awareness that I get from keeping track of what I eat helps a lot. I January of this year, I started off with a detox for a week, green smoothies in the morning and for dinner, and hearty salads full of a multitude of ingredients that pack in the flavor and nutrients but not the sugar were key. Also I learned that sugar from fruit and veggies is a LOT different than added sugar, corn products and white flour.

Since the 2nd week of January, I felt motivated to really hit the reset button. I started looking not only at my caloric intake but also the macronutrients. I know from previous times in my life that even if my brain is telling me that I want a chocolate chip cookie, when I eat nutrient dense foods I am more full, more satisfied, more alert, and those feelings last longer - not to mention I can eat the same number of calories and lose weight! Another thing I was reminded of by my doctor is that often when I feel "hungry" I am really dehydrated, and drinking 8-16 oz of water will help me make better decisions.

I started doing batch cooking days where I made food for the week from scratch, some of it freezable. I really try, although it's sometimes hard, to refrain from eating out, and eating packaged foods. I also cut out all added sugar, breads, pastries, potato chips, snack foods and flour. (This is a choice I made because I know that I cannot eat these in moderation). It's a little more effort but it's now April and I am almost to my goal weight (20lbs lighter than I was at Christmas).

AnnPT77

I've been vegetarian for 43 years. Was a thin vegetarian, then an overweight vegetarian, eventually an obese sedentary vegetarian, later an obese very active vegetarian, and finally became a thin vegetarian again at age 60.

Weight gain/loss is the same for vegetarians as it is for anyone else.

If one has serious psychological issues related to eating, seek professional counseling.

If one simply eats too much, one strategy (and kind of 'the MFP way') is to keep a detailed food diary and figure out how to eat at a level that will create weight loss down to a healthy weight, and allow one to maintain the loss.

If stress is in the equation (short of the kind of problems that require a professional to help sort out), then new stress-management strategies are part of the solution. Some possibilities are exercise, meditation, bubble baths, relaxing hobbies, or getting the stressors out of one's life if possible.

If boredom leads to over-eating, then new hobbies are a good plan - ideally things requiring clean hands, like knitting, sketching, or playing a musical instrument.

Did you have specific questions?

CynthiasChoice

My advice isn't meant to be disrespectful in any way. It's not even truly advise, but just something to think about, possibly.

If you are vegetarian for ethical reasons, then ignore this. But if you follow a vegetarian diet for health reasons, you may want to explore whether it's the best decision for you.

My experience with being vegan and vegetarian was great on an emotional level, but I was always hungry and craving. I really worked hard at getting all the amino acids I needed, but frankly, it was a challenge to consume all those legumes! Once I added meat back to my diet, I felt more in control of my impulses and have now lost over 40 pounds. The high carb content of the vegetarian diet wasn't right for my body.