Vegetarian for 9 days now, but gaining weight..

kschhr

So starting the 1st I've been vegetarian. I'm proud of that so far, but at the same time I'm eating far worse than I did before I went vegetarian. I feel like maybe I'm trying to make up for not eating meat, but at the same time I never really ate much meat before I did it officially. Maybe just trying to make up because I know I'm restricting myself?

Any ideas how to get back to where I want to be?

stlouiscardinalsfan5

Im a vegetarian and often eat eggs and tofu to fill me up when I'm hungry. Do you eat tofu?

kschhr

I do eat tofu, yes. It's not so much that I'm not full, I'm just suddenly craving weird things. Like breakfast sandwiches smothered in cheese. Things that I never really cared about before.

econut2000

Get rid of the processed food if you're eating it! If you are eating processed foods it will give you cravings for all sorts of crappy stuff! :-) I eat some processed things because I hate cooking (canned refried beans, tortillas) but for the majority of my meals they are good wholesome foods. This seems to keep the cravings to a minimum. Good luck!

xraychick77

you need to think about why you became a vegetarian. If it is under the idea that you'd lose weight, think again. I am a vegetarian for moral and ethical reasons. So its not a 'diet' or restrictive to me. I dont miss meat.

It doesnt matter what 'diet' you perfer, it can still be unhealthy. So its not about the diet but the nutrition and healthiness of the food.

So just make the healthy choices and exercise and you should start losing weight

kschhr

you need to think about why you became a vegetarian. If it is under the idea that you'd lose weight, think again. I am a vegetarian for moral and ethical reasons. So its not a 'diet' or restrictive to me. I dont miss meat.

It doesnt matter what 'diet' you perfer, it can still be unhealthy. So its not about the diet but the nutrition and healthiness of the food.

So just make the healthy choices and exercise and you should start losing weight

I know vegans who are overweight, so it's definitely not that I was assuming I'd lose weight. I have lots of family who are vegetarians (and lots of vegans) and I sort of just decided one day I was going to switch over. I didn't expect though that my diet would suddenly turn to crap after I did it.

hollyeverhart

you need to think about why you became a vegetarian. If it is under the idea that you'd lose weight, think again. I am a vegetarian for moral and ethical reasons. So its not a 'diet' or restrictive to me. I dont miss meat.

It doesnt matter what 'diet' you perfer, it can still be unhealthy. So its not about the diet but the nutrition and healthiness of the food.

So just make the healthy choices and exercise and you should start losing weight

Pretty much exactly what I was going to say! Vegetarian/vegan is a lifestyle not a diet.

gurgaveed

Honestly, I think it's because it's harder to get protein in and avoid carbs & fat, and for me at least, starchy carbs (bread, pasta, potatoes) really make me gain weight. My hubby's vegetarian, and when I moved over to the UK to live with him, my diet went largely vegetarian as well. He is not a healthy vegetarian (he's what one of my TAs in college referred to as a Pop Tart Vegetarian) and I ate way more cheese and bread and potatoes than I ever did before, even though I always cooked healthy vegetarian meals for myself. And I gained a LOT of weight. I honestly think a lean meat diet is healthier in a lot of ways, particularly if you seem to be sensitive to starches. I think upping your protein levels from tofu, Quorn, beans, low fat cheeses and dairy and eggs would help maybe stave off some of the cravings for junk.

DrumlineGirl

I've been vegetarian for 7 years and my weight has fluctuated that entire time. Not eating meat in itself doesn't really help you lose weight. I know for me, my favorite foods are carbs and cheese, so when I eat a lot of those, and not much fruits and veg, then I tend to gain weight. Try to get lots of protein (eggs, beans, tofu, tempeh, yogurt, cottage cheese), complex carbs (whole wheat breads, oatmeal, brown rice, etc), and lots of fruits and veggies. I know it's hard, but I am struggling to do the same thing so I can be healthy! Being vegetarian requires us to pay a little more attention to what we eat to make sure we're getting enough nutrients. If you're eating these things in a balanced way, it should help you control your weight.

ElizabethRoad

Have you tried looking at what nutrients you're getting? Maybe there is something you aren't getting enough of and it's making you crave certain foods.