Will eating meat cause me to gain weight?

graciew104

will stopping vegetarianism make me gain weight? So in 2019 i weighed 131 and then i stopped eating meat and i went down to 124. I stayed there until the past few months, i gained 15 pounds, (still not eating meat) and now i’m trying to lose the weight and i’m really struggling with getting my protein in & sticking to my deficit. If i start eating meat, will this cause me to gain more weight? Or if i eat meat and am still in a deficit will i lose weight?

ahoy_m8

No. A calorie deficit— not whether the calories are plant or animal— determines weight loss. FWIW, a couple friends who became vegetarian once I had known them both gained weight eating vegetarian. They said it was hard getting enough protein, especially when eating out. They both switched back to an omnivorous way of eating, one specifically to lose weight. Not all vegetarians experience it this way. Just passing along personal anecdotes.

AnnPT77

Nothing about eating meat inherently causes weight gain (or loss) except via appetite and compliance with calorie goal, if you ask me. (I'm vegetarian, have been since 1974, thin to fat to obese and back to thin again, across nearly 47 years.)

Vegetarianism has no weight-management magic. Some people find the foods they eat as a vegetarian to be more filling, so they eat fewer calories. For those people, vegetarianism may help weight loss, but it's sort of a coincidence about eating and personal satiation. If you can eat the proper number of calories when eating meat, you'll do fine. It's still a good idea to eat a good lot of healthy plant foods alongside the meat, of course, for good overall nutrition.

If you've literally eaten no meat in around 2 years, it's possible (not a sure thing) that you could have some digestive distress from starting to eat meat again. If you've literally had none, then maybe phase it back in gradually, a little at a time.

Wishing you success!

kshama2001

The people above me answered your actual question so I will change topics - would you like help to remain a vegetarian but increase your protein?

If so, please let us know if you cannot eat foods like dairy, if eggs are acceptable, and change your Diary Sharing settings to Public:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

zebasschick

graciew104 wrote: »

will stopping vegetarianism make me gain weight? So in 2019 i weighed 131 and then i stopped eating meat and i went down to 124. I stayed there until the past few months, i gained 15 pounds, (still not eating meat) and now i’m trying to lose the weight and i’m really struggling with getting my protein in & sticking to my deficit. If i start eating meat, will this cause me to gain more weight? Or if i eat meat and am still in a deficit will i lose weight?

i've been a vegetarian for over 25 years with no problem getting my protein. egg whites, milk (it can be non fat or low fat), tofu, cottage cheese meat substitutes like morningstar farms sausage and the many veggie burgers out there. then there are protein bars (i love a couple quest bar flavors!), protein powder to add to milk or water (i prefer whey protein isolate drinks as they have more protein and much less cholesterol than whey concentrate), cottage cheese, soy beans baked, fried, flavored however you like. and there's much more veggie protein foods.

AnnPT77

zebasschick wrote: »

graciew104 wrote: »

will stopping vegetarianism make me gain weight? So in 2019 i weighed 131 and then i stopped eating meat and i went down to 124. I stayed there until the past few months, i gained 15 pounds, (still not eating meat) and now i’m trying to lose the weight and i’m really struggling with getting my protein in & sticking to my deficit. If i start eating meat, will this cause me to gain more weight? Or if i eat meat and am still in a deficit will i lose weight?

i've been a vegetarian for over 25 years with no problem getting my protein. egg whites, milk (it can be non fat or low fat), tofu, cottage cheese meat substitutes like morningstar farms sausage and the many veggie burgers out there. then there are protein bars (i love a couple quest bar flavors!), protein powder to add to milk or water (i prefer whey protein isolate drinks as they have more protein and much less cholesterol than whey concentrate), cottage cheese, soy beans baked, fried, flavored however you like. and there's much more veggie protein foods.

Ditto, except I don't eat faux meats, protein powder/bars, only use whole eggs (and those rarely). Still no trouble getting 100g+ protein in maintenance, though it was a bit less when in the main phase of loss (80s-90s). It's do-able. In my view, the main thing is to think of protein a little differently than omnivores do.

Omnivores, oversimplifying, center meals around one big protein. ("What's for dinner?" "Pork chops" "steak" "burgers" "grilled chicken".) As a veg, for me, it's a core protein (legumes, soy, dairy, seitan, whatever), plus small bits of protein in most anything I eat, with lots of variety in sources to help out with EAA (essential amino acid) balance over time. Veggies with relatively more protein, fruits with more protein, starches with more protein, flavoring add-ins like nutritional yeast, peanut or almond butter powder (defatted), miso, etc.

The biggies may be a little less protein-dense than meat/fish, but the little bits in the other foods add up to quite a bit, over a day or week.

LenGray

When I first joined, I was eating an omnivorous diet and lost weight. Then, I was a vegetarian for about two years and was able to hit my protein targets (80-90g) and lose weight. Now I'm a vegan and still hitting those targets (70-90g) while losing weight.

Losing (and gaining!) weight is possible with any diet. It all comes down to whether you're in a calorie deficit or surplus. Unfortunately, that also means that there's no single diet that is 100% effective for every person. For me, a vegan diet is ideal because it gives me energy, reminds me to prioritize nutrition, helps with some health issues, and allows me to eat a large amount of food each meal. For you, an ideal diet might look different Finding a way of eating that's sustainable is part of what you have to figure out as you go.

penguinmama87

I'm an omnivore and very happily so. Just to provide another perspective, you can be a meat-eater but not a carnivore - meat does not make up a huge part of my diet and I don't eat meat every meal or every day. Most of the meat I eat is leaner than your typical grocery store fare (it's not factory farmed), which I think is better for me and for the animals raised for that meat. I also benefit that way from eating organ meats and "unusual cuts," which are sometimes more finicky to prepare but have other nutritional benefits (or they're dirt cheap - in my case we bulk order beef and pork and I get all those extras for no additional cost, which is my favorite.)

I will say, when I started reading and posting on the forums that even as a meat eater I frequently found myself short on protein. For leaner sources of meat I could just eat more (like turkey or chicken), but I also use some of the tips mentioned above.

I think most people, if they have means, can get their nutritional needs met following a variety of diets, the question is primarily one of familiarity and cooking skill (which can be learned if you want to, some people don't), your taste preferences, and opinions about ethical food consumption.

nooshi713

Weight gain is about calories. Some people find meat filling and lose weight eating it, and others find that some meats are calorie dense so they lose weight when cutting them out.

cwolfman13

graciew104 wrote: »

will stopping vegetarianism make me gain weight? So in 2019 i weighed 131 and then i stopped eating meat and i went down to 124. I stayed there until the past few months, i gained 15 pounds, (still not eating meat) and now i’m trying to lose the weight and i’m really struggling with getting my protein in & sticking to my deficit. If i start eating meat, will this cause me to gain more weight? Or if i eat meat and am still in a deficit will i lose weight?

Excess calories cause weight gain...not meat or any other particular food.