Transitioning to Vegetarianism/Pescatarianism

mamaoftwins9197
mamaoftwins9197 Posts: 142 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Any tips? I've done veggie before, but definitely not the right way! I'm trying not to get too carb heavy and I can't really rely on a lot of meat substitutes because I'm soy sensitive. I will be keeping fish and dairy, at least for now. Also, supplement recommendations? Should I just stick with a multi-vitamin or is there a better combination to make sure I'm getting everything I need?

Replies

  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    good luck!
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    I will admit that it's difficult to keep carbs and protein in line because most of my protein comes from beans, legumes, quinoa, etc., which are also very starchy. I don't use meat substitutes because I don't like them or see the point. I take a bunch of vitamins, but that's just me - I believe Vitamin B-12, Vitamin D and iron are the main nutrients that I don't get from meat anymore.
  • mamaoftwins9197
    mamaoftwins9197 Posts: 142 Member
    Thanks!
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    My diary should be open. If not PM me. Though it's very carb heavy. I am still losing.

    You really need to make sure you start planning meals (I'm awful at this so don't judge me for last nights dinner, I needed protein, a lot of it).

    This site may help

    www.chooseveg.com/

    Make sure your iron, calcium and vit d levels are good. At your next physical you'll want to get those checked. I have been vegetarian 24 years and I do have deficiencies in all of those.

    Make sure you aren't doing this because someone said you'll lose weight (I'm sure you're not but this is for anyone reading)...I'm a fat vegetarian...going veggie doesn't make you thin.
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
    I've found vegetarian diets are very carb heavy, my sister and brother in law are veggiesaurus, don't worry about the carbs, just stay in calories and you will be fine!
  • mamaoftwins9197
    mamaoftwins9197 Posts: 142 Member
    My diary should be open. If not PM me. Though it's very carb heavy. I am still losing.

    You really need to make sure you start planning meals (I'm awful at this so don't judge me for last nights dinner, I needed protein, a lot of it).

    This site may help

    www.chooseveg.com/

    Make sure your iron, calcium and vit d levels are good. At your next physical you'll want to get those checked. I have been vegetarian 24 years and I do have deficiencies in all of those.

    Make sure you aren't doing this because someone said you'll lose weight (I'm sure you're not but this is for anyone reading)...I'm a fat vegetarian...going veggie doesn't make you thin.

    Thanks! I will check out your diary and that website!
  • mamaoftwins9197
    mamaoftwins9197 Posts: 142 Member
    I've found vegetarian diets are very carb heavy, my sister and brother in law are veggiesaurus, don't worry about the carbs, just stay in calories and you will be fine!

    I'm a carb lover, but I have to be careful! I want to make sure I'm actually eating fruits and veggies and not just cutting out meat!
  • mamaoftwins9197
    mamaoftwins9197 Posts: 142 Member
    My diary should be open. If not PM me. Though it's very carb heavy. I am still losing.

    You really need to make sure you start planning meals (I'm awful at this so don't judge me for last nights dinner, I needed protein, a lot of it).

    This site may help

    www.chooseveg.com/

    Make sure your iron, calcium and vit d levels are good. At your next physical you'll want to get those checked. I have been vegetarian 24 years and I do have deficiencies in all of those.

    Make sure you aren't doing this because someone said you'll lose weight (I'm sure you're not but this is for anyone reading)...I'm a fat vegetarian...going veggie doesn't make you thin.

    Thanks! I will check out your diary and that website!

    Also, I've been veggie before and I liked it. I don't eat that much meat anyway, but I just feel like I will feel better. If it helps with the weight loss, that's a plus, but I'm not counting on it.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member

    Make sure you aren't doing this because someone said you'll lose weight (I'm sure you're not but this is for anyone reading)...I'm a fat vegetarian...going veggie doesn't make you thin.

    This is the best advice. It's hard to go vegetarian. When I first started, I would just replace the meat with carbs so that I wouldn't feel like I was missing something. Now those carbs are replaced with more plant based foods. I was so lost when I first started that I ate a lot of PB&J sandwiches because I honestly didn't know what I was doing; I just knew that I didn't want to eat meat anymore.

    I can't do meat replacements because it looks too much like meat to me and I can't stomach the thought of it. A sample of my day is:
    B - green juice w/ protein or oatmeal with flax seed and coconut,
    S - chai tea with french vanilla soy milk and almonds
    L - greek salad with quinoa (tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, kalamata olives and garbonzo beans)
    S - protein shake w/ protein plus almond milk
    D - Black eyed peas, carrots, broccoli and roasted potatoes
    Dessert - recently it's been cupcakes
  • Serenitynow29
    Serenitynow29 Posts: 119 Member
    I've found vegetarian diets are very carb heavy, my sister and brother in law are veggiesaurus, don't worry about the carbs, just stay in calories and you will be fine!

    I'm a carb lover, but I have to be careful! I want to make sure I'm actually eating fruits and veggies and not just cutting out meat!

    I weighed a lot less back when I ate all of the pasta, rice and beans, etc. that I wanted. I think ultimately, it is CICO for weightloss.--Pax
  • Serenitynow29
    Serenitynow29 Posts: 119 Member
    I've found vegetarian diets are very carb heavy, my sister and brother in law are veggiesaurus, don't worry about the carbs, just stay in calories and you will be fine!

    I'm a carb lover, but I have to be careful! I want to make sure I'm actually eating fruits and veggies and not just cutting out meat!


    Checkout Mark Bitman's VB6 if you want to focus on fruits and vegetables. It stands for Vegan Before 6 pm. After that, have your grains or animal protein, or wine, beer, etc. He is a food writer and used to work at Cook's Illustrated. He does a nice job for transitioners or for anyone who wants to have a "Plant Strong" focus.
  • centaurizoe
    centaurizoe Posts: 115 Member
    Buy lot's of fresh vegetables, weekly, to start. Don't buy TOO much or they might go bad if you're not used to eating that much produce. Don't use fake meat, unless as an occasional treat because they are FULL of sodium. If you're sensitive to tofu but still want something to use instead of meat, tempeh is great! Also buy beans, it's so easy to make veggie burgers with beans and eggs. There are lots of non-soy options for dairy, such as almond and coconut milk. For recipes, message me! I've been a vegetarian for over a decade :)

    Good luck!

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