I want to become a Vegetarian

katmicmit

OK, like some of you I'm sure, I've done this before. Had great (40LB) weight loss success and then after a couple years, something happens, I stop weighing myself number one, (what's measured is managed) then I start a love fest with food in a way I didn't even think or know was possible, but not any food, fatty carbs, nachos, cheese, meat, ice cream. Give me a banana, an apple, I don't even want it. Try to eat oat meal for breakfast feels like some kind of sacrifice. So it's not really like I'm hungry, I'm not hungry, I'm craving fat and carbs with oil. I'm not eating for any type of nutrients but if I eat enough crap I will get most of those vitamins or at least enough to be at a minimum. These foods are not providing much nutritional value, but if you eat enough food you get the nutrients at least to survive without scurvy or some fundamental issue and then you just end up obese. My friend who is on a diet told me his is skipping breakfast, popular wisdom is this is a bad idea. But let me ask you questions. When you were not on a diet, what were you eating for breakfast? Was it really something nutrition? I say skip the breakfast for a few months until you realize breakfast is supposed to be fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, a single egg, you know the healthy stuff. So with that said I'm on the path to some kind of new food plan for life and hopefully not just a diet. I had a banana for dinner, hey it was better than nothing! And I'm leaning towards nothing. Any thoughts on this?

cheshirequeen

if you re looking to be a vegetarian you are more than welcome to look at my diary. I am vegan.

fridayjustleft04

For breakfast, it just depends on what I'm in the mood for. Sometimes it's scrambled egg whites with tomato, spinach and onion. Other days I have oatmeal with a little bit of butter and brown sugar. Sometimes I have cereal. Other times, I'll have a Slimfast bar and yogurt. (I really like that one because you get to have chocolate for breakfast :happy: ) Eating healthy doesn't mean eating stuff that tastes bad. Healthy stuff can be delicious. For example, I put a bunch of cinnamon and some nutmeg in my oatmeal. I add salsa to eggs. Play around with flavors..you'll find that you actually like a lot of healthy stuff if you experiment with it. As far as cravings go, if you can substitute what you want with something healthier (Special K chips instead of regular, for example), after about 3 or 4 weeks, you won't crave the oily carbs as much. It's like quitting smoking; the physical craving is gone in a couple days. The hard part is getting over the mental craving.

crobinson53

Well I am not your normal person. I believe that you can have anything that you want whenever you want it if you stay below your daily caloric intake. I drink, I eat ice cream, I eat pizza every other day, and I exercise hard to earn my calories. I've been vegan, vegetarian, and I've done the Atkins diet. I think nothing should ever be forbidden. I think of calories like money and the more I exercise, the more I "work" and the more money I have to eat. I know it sounds silly but it's been working for me. There's no use depriving yourself and then feeling guilty for giving in to your cravings. I think this is the secret to making a life style change. I want to eat and in order to maintain that life style of eating whatever I just have to work a little harder week in and week out. I hope I addressed some of your questions. Let me know if I can offer more support or help! Cheers

:glasses:

Kalrez

I applaud you for your previous loss and welcome you back to the road of healthy living!

First off, your friend isn't all that wise to be skipping breakfast in order to lose weight. Think about it this way: You've gone all night without food while you were sleeping. The longer you wait to feed your body, the more your body is going to want EVERYTHING and anything as fuel. I am very frequently not hungry in the morning. However, I eat something (even it's a protein shake) because I prefer to eat when I feel in control rather than when I feel completely famished and starving. I tend to make better choices throughout the day when I eat a controlled breakfast.

Secondly, a vegetarian diet can be very healthy if done properly. I made the mistake in high school of simply not eating meat. I did not supplement my protein, did not manage my nutrition, and frankly used being a vegetarian as an excuse to just not eat. That's dangerous stuff. It's taken me the better part of a decade to get my body back to a healthier state where I could confidently and knowledgeably go back to a vegetarian diet.

The transition from an omnivore to a vegetarian diet is tough at first, but the longer you stick with it and the more diligent you are with it, the easier it becomes. You will discover new foods and new flavors that you never knew you loved! There are plenty of delicious and easy recipes floating around the 'net.