transation to vegetarian (can't get enough calories in)

dachinababe

I'm a 18 year old, female athlete. I do sports at least 6 days per week (at least an hour of team sport) then when I come home I do extra cardio and aerobic workout on my own. I am in transation to become a full vegetarian but I can't seem to get enough protein in my vegetarian diet so add a little bit of imiated fish here and there. the most frastrating problem for me is to get enough calories to maintain proper function of my body and lose about 2 pounds per week till my desired weight is reached. I would love any opinion on how much calories I should consume a day to lose that 2 pounds per week. I don't eat junk food, I don't drink soda, I don't eat fast food, I gave up candies. ( I chew gum everyday). I eat my fruits and vegetables ( a lot more than I should). I take my daily multivitamin/multimineral supplement. I drink at least 8 glasses of water plus 3 cups of oolong tea a day. I also want suggestion on what I should eat, and how much I should eat (portion size) because usually I eat till I get so stuffed but still fail to meet my daily calorie goal. Like today I literally sat and ate the whole day, but when I tallied up the calories I still can't eat pass 1200 calories. any suggestion would be appretiated.
ps. I am 108 pounds, 5'1
Weight goal- between 90-100

dachinababe

I'm a 18 year old, female athlete. I do sports at least 6 days per week (at least an hour of team sport) then when I come home I do extra cardio and aerobic workout on my own. I am in transation to become a full vegetarian but I can't seem to get enough protein in my vegetarian diet so add a little bit of imiated fish here and there. the most frastrating problem for me is to get enough calories to maintain proper function of my body and lose about 2 pounds per week till my desired weight is reached. I would love any opinion on how much calories I should consume a day to lose that 2 pounds per week. I don't eat junk food, I don't drink soda, I don't eat fast food, I gave up candies. ( I chew gum everyday). I eat my fruits and vegetables ( a lot more than I should). I take my daily multivitamin/multimineral supplement. I drink at least 8 glasses of water plus 3 cups of oolong tea a day. I also want suggestion on what I should eat, and how much I should eat (portion size) because usually I eat till I get so stuffed but still fail to meet my daily calorie goal. Like today I literally sat and ate the whole day, but when I tallied up the calories I still can't eat pass 1200 calories. any suggestion would be appretiated.
ps. I am 108 pounds, 5'1
Weight goal- between 90-100

michprnces

I have been a vegetarian for over 20 years. Try the South Beach Diet snack granola bars. They have extra protein in them that I find help me to meet my protein goal. The other thing that I find helps is almonds, walnuts, and other nuts. They are calorie heavy and good for you.

Good luck!

dachinababe

thanks alot....
:flowerforyou:

delanahub

As an athlete your weight is right where it should be depending on muscle mass, what is your body fat percentage? I have been vegetarian for 17 years, read vegetarian times magazine, it will educate you a lot. Have fun.

may_marie

try meat substitute like quorn,

almost egg (if you eat them), nuts like peanut butter are good, but high in calories, if your ok with supplements, you oculd take protein shakes, but watch out because some of them have non vegetarian whey in them, you have to choose carefully.

good luck !
may

yoginimary

Come have some of my vegetarian calories :happy: . If you are going vegan, don't forget your fats. Nuts are your friend if you need more calories from protein and fats. Soy for protein. WW pasta for carbs.

2 pounds a week is too much at your weight. Go to 1 lb a week or 1/2 lb a week. If you exercise that much, you need to eat more.

cp005e

You are pretty small, so it's possible that you don't actually need 1200 calories - a little less might still be OK.

Try adding a soy protein shake once a day - some of the powdered mixes you can get are quite high in protein. You can mix it with rice milk or almond milk if using soy milk seems like too much soy. You can find vegetarian/vegan mixes in organic/health food stores or even the health food section of your grocery store.

I also think that nuts and nut butters are great for vegetarians (as long as you aren't allergic) because they are pretty dense in protein and healthy fats. My favorites are almonds, but walnuts, pecans, peanuts and pistachios are all good. And don't forget your beans and legumes!

- Chris (vegetarian for 16 years)

cp005e

I just went and plugged your numbers into a BMI calculator, and it looks like you are just fine at your current weight! 90 pounds at your height would be underweight according to the BMI guidelines (although I don't know how accurate it is for athletes).

Even you can still lose a little bit, it will probably take you a long time - lots of people on this site talk about how hard the "last ten pounds" are to lose. Your body will fight to hold on to that last little bit of reserve. And since you are so small and it sounds like you've been very active for a while now, it's simply not realistic to expect to lose 2 lbs in a week. 2lbs a month is more likely.

It sounds like you have made a lot of healthy changes in your eating habits (I looked at your profile) - don't worry too much about the scale. You are doing great! :flowerforyou:

dachinababe

thanx for these advice...they really helpped alot..

abbychelle07

oils and nuts! I put olive oil or flax oil on a lot of things my daughter eats because she needs more calories.

abbychelle07

Oh, dried fruits have more calories per ounce than reg. fruits. Also, include avocados and ground flaxseed (flaxmeal) too! I try to slice avocado on sandwiches or mash it and put it into sauces or dip with chips or pita bread. I substitute a little flaxmeal for flour into a lot of recipes, or stir it into sauces. You can't taste it, and it gives it a little nutritional punch.

I looked up "high calorie, vegetarian" online, and found these tips:

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Big breakfasts

* granola-type cereal with soy milk, dates, figs, and other dried or fresh fruit.
* banana soy milk smoothies with tahini or almond, cashew or sunflower butter added
* nut butter, such as almond or cashew, with banana on whole grain toast and juice
* pancakes with sliced fruit, walnuts, non-hydrogenated margarine and maple syrup
* whole grain muffins with tahini & honey spread, banana and juice

Lay it on for lunch

* hummus in pita pocket with tabouli salad
* tofu or tempeh paté on whole grain bread
* sliced avocado with tofu cheese in a pita pocket
* cold or hot tofu burger, vegan mayonnaise on a whole wheat bun
* almond butter, cashew or peanut butter with banana or apple butter
* falafels, Jamaican vegetable patties, perogies, or roti

Substantial soups

When you are in a hurry, packaged soups can be turned into a substantial meal - try dressing them up with the following high calorie items:

* cooked beans - kidney, lentils, chickpeas, etc. Always have some in the fridge. They last approximately 4-5 days.
* have a container of brown rice precooked in the fridge - it will last approximately 5 days
* cooked potatoes and pasta will add calories to your soups.
* 1/2 an avocado, 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice and fresh squeezed lemon juice goes great in black bean soup mix.

Note: Soups have a tendency to fill you up due to the high water content. Focus more on increasing the sandwich volume than the soup.
Satisfying salads

If having a tossed salad, make sure you add avocado, olives, nuts and seeds.Suggestions for high calorie salads:

* cold chick pea salad
* avocado salad
* pasta salad
* potato salad
* rice salad
* bean salad
* marinated tofu salad

Dinner entrées

How to increase your calories:

* in stirfrys, be more generous with canola or olive oil & nuts or serve with a peanut sauce.
* increase your pasta entrées and the portions - if you do not eat cheese, serve with ground almonds on top.
* incorporate a wide range of different pastas, making sure to increase the whole grain variety.
* pesto sauces with pine nuts make a wonderful high calorie pasta dish.
* add chickpeas to your tomato sauce and serve on pasta.
* drizzle canola or olive oil over your rice entrées and top with ground nuts.
* add tofu or tempeh.

Rich restaurant choices

* Middle Eastern/Mediterranean - falafel, hummus, baklava, Baba ghanoush, tahini sauce
* Greek - eggplant moussaka, hummus, baklava
* Indian - All-You-Can-Eat buffets are great when you are hungry. But watch out! They can be very high in oil
* Italian - large portion of pasta with olive oil, pesto, bruschetta
* Chinese - noodle dishes, vegetable fried rice dishes; ask them to add almonds, cashews or tofu
* European - potato perogies
* African - potato/chickpea roti with rice
* Mexican - burritos, tacos, enchiladas, refried beans and tortillas

Snack foods

* granola bars or granola-type cookies
* dried apricots, prunes, dates, figs, and raisins
* mixed dried nut and fruit mixture
* avocado with lemon
* banana slices with nut butter
* whole grain muffins, nut loaves, cookies using moderate amounts of sugar and oil
* corn chips with dips - guacamole, hummus, bean dips, tempeh paté, tofu dip
* banana soy milk smoothies with added tahini, peanut butter or cashew butter

Additional helpful hints

* Always be aware when you are hungry. Do not let yourself become preoccupied and let too much time pass.
* Carry snack foods on you such as nuts, dried fruit, trail mix, bananas, whole grain muffins and cookies.
* If you forget to make your lunch - buy it. Don't wait until you come home.
* Think a day ahead what you will eat. Plan your meals ahead of time.
* Always have frozen veggie type foods on hand for unplanned dinners such as veggie burgers, tofu lasagna and bean burritos.

dachinababe

Wow..this is an amazing list..thanx

dachinababe

Wow..this is an amazing list..thanx

jlauren6

Great idea! Thanks.:happy: