Became a vegetarian today, help!

befitnow3

I grew up eating eggs and chicken. Then became lacto-vegetarian for 17 years. I've reintroduced eggs and chicken in the last 2 years as I refuse to take supplements/pills. Trying to eat unprocessed whole foods. Definitely feel much healthier now than when I was vegetarian. I always seemed to have sugar cravings which have subsided now. It's a matter of doing what feels right to you and for your body. Don't be swayed by vegan propaganda. All commercially produced food is profit-driven. Tofu and fake meats have had their hey-day. Now it's organic and gluten-free. Eat in moderation what feels good to you. Don't be so worried about going to hell lol. Enjoy life. Live every moment. Take care of your body ❤️????

rexroars

I think the biggest thing is you have to make sure you get enough protein and also don't eat too many carbs. Meat is really filling, and bread is really filling. I've known a lot of people to replace the meat they are not eating with bread, and then they gain a lot of weight after going veggie.

FitnFeistyLyness

guys remember whats right for one isnt always right for another bio individuality.

i have been plant based for a year . i make all my own foods. i put my ulcerative colitis in remission eating plant based.. have went from 220 pounds to 165.. since march.. i have tons of energy.

eat to live
engine2 diet

i just search recipes

my biggest tip is plan.. be prepared,

i make a soup or chili beginning on the week
i make hummus and pico.
i make bean burgers
i cook beans
i make a pot of brown rice or quinoa
i keep healthy veggies cut up, baby carrots, celery, lettuces washed, cherry tomatoes
i make my own snacks chickpea popcorn, date nut balls, black bean brownies, banana ice cream. avocado choc pudding

i start my day with a green smoothie. frozen fruits, greens peas for protein. celery for inflammation.. i toss everything in them . see my logs

same with my soups. base is usually coconut milk, veg broth,

lunch is usually soup or salad with beans

dinner is usually brown rice, beans veg or some new recipe i have found and want to try.



its all about finding what works for you.. listen to your body it will tell you what it needs.

i love the way i eat, but its not for everyone. i respect peoples choices..

fxg20

Just switching to vegetarianism or veganism will not make you lose weight. You still have to count calories.

I will say this though, going vegetarian for ethical reasons I think did help me lose weight eventually in this way: Learning to say no to meat helped me develop discipline when it comes to food. I no longer just ate anything I felt like, I had to make choices. Those choices still included too much pizza and beer, but there was now control of some sort at least. Developing this ability in myself I think contributed to giving me the will now to say no to too large portion sizes and too many calories in general. So, in that way at least I think it's a worthwhile life change for your health even if you are not ready to move on to weight loss yet.

But yes, 100% agreement that you can eat optimally healthily in a diet that includes meat too.

gypsyone96

That's awesome! Just make sure that you can eat out and still eat healthy. When I was a vegetarian, the only thing I could eat when my friends and I went to burger places were fries...
If you know you're going to eat out, plan ahead. Search up the rest. online or call and ask them about their menu. If they don't have HEALTHY vegetarian food, eat beforehand or bring your own food.

charmednz

Why do people feel the need to come into a post like this and give their 2 cents worth. If youre not a vegetarian what is the point coming in here and trying to impose your views on others? Some of you are quite smug and rude. Deciding to eat a certain way is a personal thing and instead of being confrontational and demeaning why not be supportive. If you cant be supportive go find another topic to post in.

ewrob

I love how OP cited the "documentary" Forks over Knives as her life changing inspiration. That film is the biggest piece of vegan propaganda trash that I've ever seen in my entire life and yes I have watched it. It's riddled with so many fallacies it's a joke...

I disagree with you. I watched Forks Over Knives when I weighed almost 370 pounds. It is one of the events that led to me adopting a plant-based lifestyle. As you can see from my ticker, I have lost 155 pounds in only 10 and 1/2 months.

Today, by the looks of things, I have about as much weight left to lose as you, after being nearly 400 pounds less than a year ago. Here is a before and after picture:



I joined MyFitnessPal and logged consistently for around two months, then just kind of dropped logging food, figuring that I would instead try to make good decisions about eating minimally processed plant-based foods. It has been a tremendously successful approach for me.

I do think that Forks Over Knives is not perfect. Like any documentary, it has its problems. The message being presented is extremely valuable, however. If others are inspired by it to attain dramatically better health, who are you to ridicule and mock that? A well-planned, well-executed vegan diet is a great recipe for achieving and maintaining excellent health. I was obese for my entire adult life - until I went vegan. Mocking others for making a choice that is different from your own, (as you have done here and as your profile picture would indicate) is puerile and reflects poorly on you.

ewrob

Just switching to vegetarianism or veganism will not make you lose weight. You still have to count calories.

I don't count calories. I haven't done so more than the odd day or so in months. I've lost a tremendous amount of weight and I am still doing so.

I just try to make sensible food choices, eating foods that are minimally processed with ingredients that are understandable to me.

But yes, 100% agreement that you can eat optimally healthily in a diet that includes meat too.

Our bodies are incredibly complex and no one knows what an "optimally healthy" diet looks like. I wouldn't even dream to be so bold as to claim to know it. I think that you can get close by eating a diet that focuses on natural ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes with minimal processing. It's worked for me. I've chosen not to include meat or other animal products, and that has also worked for me. Is my diet optimally healthy? Probably not, but it works very well, certainly far better than the standard American diet did.