Would I do better if I stopped being vegetarian??

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  • 20carrots
    20carrots Posts: 279 Member
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    :huh: Thanks everyone. I know it is a personal decision and I shouldn't look at eating meat as a magic bullet, but I feel like I'll need to replace all the carbs and sugar I eat with something. The "irony" I guess is I did go veg a LONG time ago for ethical reasons...I guess I'm obviously struggling with whether that is still as important to me.

    I "flirt" with eating meat all the time and can never go through with it. I just wonder if I'd feel more full if I ate more protein and less carbs. DH seems to be filled up much more easily on meat.

    :huh:
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    You would do better if you ate more protein. Most vegetarians don't get enough protein because they think "oh, I can just eat a lot of pasta". That's how my sister was. You just have to get smart about your choices, just like a carnivore would. I didn't get enough protein before I started counting calories.

    You just have to figure out what good proteins you want to incorporate. Legumes, beans (black, chickpea/garbanzo, pinto, kidney), whole grains (whole wheat, oats, barley, quinoa), greek yogurt, whole milk, etc.
  • VeganPanda
    VeganPanda Posts: 582 Member
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    Hi!

    I am vegan and am doing great. I have never been obese or anything. I have been veg for 9 years now.

    Any diet could be unhealthy... I could be a vegan and eat Oreos and chips all day.

    There are plenty of veg foods which would decrease your carb load and increase protein: tofu, seitan, tempeh, TVP. I am not sure how you eat but if you are a vegetarian, you should be consuming lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, low fat dairy, and sensible fats.

    This should give you results. I don't believe that meat is necessary to losing weight.
  • PeaceLoveVeggies
    PeaceLoveVeggies Posts: 682 Member
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    I know it's probably an excuse but I feel like all the magazines show chicken wraps, rice w/fish etc as great, filling meals and I'm basically a carb-atarian. Would I do better if I started eating meat again? Or is this totally an excuse??
    I've found that substituting veggie products for meat products has really opened up a lot of variety in my diet. I can have a veggie BLT, veggie sloppy joe, veggie chicken stir fry, veggie beef tips...it just takes a little creativity in the kitchen.

    YES! I love love love love love veggie sloppe joes <3 Mmmm!
  • bilzprincess
    bilzprincess Posts: 107 Member
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    I thought being a vegetarian had something to do with your beliefs regarding the food industry. Wouldn't you betray everything you believe in if your stopped being a vegetarian?

    As for great vegetarian recipes, try to look at Chinese and Indian recipes. They have been vegetarians for much longer than people in the West and their recipes usually are amazing.

    Bingo
  • sunshinekind919
    sunshinekind919 Posts: 51 Member
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    I know for a fact you can do just fine being vegetarian. I was a vegetarian for about 8 years and was my heaviest because I ate too much cheese and other high fat foods and didn't know anything about portion sizes. I lost the most weight when I went vegan because I portioned out my meals ahead of time and got plenty of protein from nuts, certain grains, tofu, and beans. You can do it. Talk to a nutritionist if you have the money or search around on the internet for healthy vegetarian meals.
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    I will be brutally honest - stop looking for silver bullets. Being a vegetarian or not being a vegetarian won't change a thing if you're not sticking to proper nutritional intake. I lost weight while I was a vegetarian, I lost weight while I was an omnivore. You need to make sure you're getting enough protein, fiber, water, and not too many calories. This is no matter what the food sources are.

    If you're a vegetarian who eats nothing but pasta, that will shoot you in the foot incredibly fast. Try seitan, tempeh, tofu, beans, nuts, seeds, egg and milk (if you're lacto/ovo) to get your protein levels up. Make sure you get fats to help keep you feeling satiated. Just don't go over on calories.
  • abcmiah
    abcmiah Posts: 36 Member
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    I was a vegetarian for 10 years but I started eating fish a couple years ago. Upping the protein does make me feel "fuller". If you eat eggs, I would suggest trying to incorporate them every day. I do 1 whole egg and two egg whites (to keep the fat down). Try getting more vegetarian protein for a week or two and see if you feel better.

    As for the moral dilemma, only you can answer that for yourself.
    :huh: Thanks everyone. I know it is a personal decision and I shouldn't look at eating meat as a magic bullet, but I feel like I'll need to replace all the carbs and sugar I eat with something. The "irony" I guess is I did go veg a LONG time ago for ethical reasons...I guess I'm obviously struggling with whether that is still as important to me.

    I "flirt" with eating meat all the time and can never go through with it. I just wonder if I'd feel more full if I ate more protein and less carbs. DH seems to be filled up much more easily on meat.

    :huh:
  • kimbereen
    kimbereen Posts: 2
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    I hate to say it, but yes, eat meat. I was a vegetarian and I struggled to lose weight for a very long time without any success. Seven years ago, prior to being vegetarian, I lost 70 pounds on South Beach Diet (which includes plenty of animal protein, vegetables, whole grains and moderate fruit). I made the decision to return to this way of eating in October, and will do so until I am a healthy weight. It was a choice between my life and ethical eating. I chose to save my own life. I must admit that I was filled with guilt and gagged on the meat the first week. But, after adding meat to my diet and eliminating simple carbohydrates the weight began falling off. I have lost 35 pounds so far, and am half way to my goal weight.

    I plan to return to vegetarianism as soon as I reach my goal. It is the right thing to do, and the healthiest (I should also mention that the weight I am in the process of losing now was gained during pregnancy, several years before becoming vegetarian, and is in no way the result of eating a vegetarian diet). In the mean time, I only buy meat that is rated "4" at Whole Foods. I buy bison/buffalo instead of beef because I am hoping that they are raised and slaughtered a bit more ethically than cows (I have nothing but my own assumption to back this up). I also recommend "Vital Farms" eggs - they claim to have "happy hens" that you can even view on a webcam. You can research ethical dairy farms online, but Organic Valley has a good rating and is easy to find. Trying my best not to buy from factory farms has eased my decision (somewhat).

    Right now your health comes first. Choose you! Once you have lost the weight you will serve as a great example of a healthy vegetarian lifestyle. Maybe the example you set will win others over to vegetarianism. Just make sure you find your way back!

    Best Wishes!!

    Kim

    P.S If you or anyone else reading this would be inclined, please feel free to add me as a friend
  • judisea
    judisea Posts: 7 Member
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    Yes! Remember, Humans are not herbervous. We are meant to eat meat. I bet you will feel better if you got your protein from lean meats and not beans.
  • bilzprincess
    bilzprincess Posts: 107 Member
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    A higher protein diet when you're trying to lose weight is a big plus, no doubt about that.

    I'm vegan for moral reasons. I ate 93 g of protein yesterday and not enough carbs. It isn't hard--this is without dairy, so adding meat to ur diet isn't the point of low carb'ing it.

    As an aside, I'm going to be more careful to not allow today to be so unbalanced. Balance is what makes for a life-sustaining, long-term weight loss.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I "flirt" with eating meat all the time and can never go through with it. I just wonder if I'd feel more full if I ate more protein and less carbs. DH seems to be filled up much more easily on meat.

    The answer is probably yes. Many people find protein keeps them feeling full longer. But there are plenty of non-meat protein sources that are just satiating as meat.

    When you say "carbs" are you referring to sugar and processed grain products (breads/pastas/flour)? Because vegetables and fruits are also loaded with carbs and are a necessary part of a healthy diet for most everyone.
  • TopazCarey
    TopazCarey Posts: 263
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    I was a vegetarian for about five years and I was fat the entire time. When I decided to lose weight I also decided to incorporate some meats back into my diet and personally it has helped me tremendously. I don't regret it at all. But ultimately you need to make the decesion yourself.
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Yes! Remember, Humans are not herbervous. We are meant to eat meat. I bet you will feel better if you got your protein from lean meats and not beans.

    Human beings are hunter gatherers. We're built to eat a LOT of plants, and relatively small amounts of meat, if meat at all.
  • jamiesadler
    jamiesadler Posts: 634 Member
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    I love meat too much to be veg. but my little brother was for a few years and he did gain weight. once he started eating meat again it started to fall off. IMO your body needs meat protein. If your not veg for medical reasons try some meat and see if ti helps.
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
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    I have been an ethical vegetarian since 1973. I've been up and down the scale many times, but the one thing that I keep coming back to is a (mostly) wholefood vegan diet, emphasizing veggies, fruits, beans and legumes, whole grains, and small quantities of nuts.

    Our whole culture right now is designed around refined carbs, fat and salt in cheap, plentiful quantities. You need to start thinking of those foods as occasional recreational treats, and put your emphasis on the good stuff.

    This is controversial within the veg*n community, but I also enjoy some processed faux foods--I like tofu, Gardein, Boca, Field Roast, and Yves products, specifically, but everyone's different, so explore them on your own, and see what you like. If eggs are okay with you, there's Quorn that has no soy in it whatsoever.

    This CAN be done, but avoid the foods which make you act like an addict. For me, I need to really minimize foods with sugar-flour-fat, since once I start eating them, it's hard to stop.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    Vegetarian diets are notoriously low on whole sources of protein. Protein is needed to repair the damage to muscles from activity. If you do not have the protein, then you lose muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat so I would say "yes" adding meat to your diet would make it easier to lose weight.
  • redwoodbsq1
    redwoodbsq1 Posts: 30 Member
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    Hi!

    I am vegan and am doing great. I have never been obese or anything. I have been veg for 9 years now.

    Any diet could be unhealthy... I could be a vegan and eat Oreos and chips all day.

    There are plenty of veg foods which would decrease your carb load and increase protein: tofu, seitan, tempeh, TVP. I am not sure how you eat but if you are a vegetarian, you should be consuming lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, low fat dairy, and sensible fats.

    This should give you results. I don't believe that meat is necessary to losing weight.

    Ha! My friend went veggie and ate nothing but mac and cheese and didn't understand why she felt crappy and gained weight! I'm glad someone else brought this point up.

    I'm a buddhist, so I'm a veggie. I can say that stacking my diary up to my best friend (who eats meat), it seems easier for me to stay under my calorie goal- since I'm eating salads where she's eating a burger.

    I'd like to point out where I went awry when I started dieting as a veggie. I would eat chocolate because it was possible calorie wise. I'd think "AWESOME! I can diet and still have chocolate!" But the scale wouldn't budge :( I cut out super refined carbs like beer and chocolate and lost 3 lbs the next week. Perhaps this could help you.
  • kristelpoole
    kristelpoole Posts: 440 Member
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    :huh: Thanks everyone. I know it is a personal decision and I shouldn't look at eating meat as a magic bullet, but I feel like I'll need to replace all the carbs and sugar I eat with something. The "irony" I guess is I did go veg a LONG time ago for ethical reasons...I guess I'm obviously struggling with whether that is still as important to me.

    I "flirt" with eating meat all the time and can never go through with it. I just wonder if I'd feel more full if I ate more protein and less carbs. DH seems to be filled up much more easily on meat.

    :huh:

    All it means is that you aren't eating the right foods. Why are you eating so many carbs and so much sugar? I don't eat a TON of carbs and I crave and eat fresh vegetables with almost every single meal. If you re-focus your habits to a plant-based vegetarian diet, you'll be fine. Just think outside the box and experiment with new things. You can easily get enough protein and lose weight by eating vegetarian.

    So no, adding meat back in is not some magic answer that makes carbs suddently disappear and I don't really understand why so many people are saying things like that....
  • TK266
    TK266 Posts: 3,689 Member
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    *disclaimer: I am a omnivore*

    Is it a question of meat or more protein? if is just needing more protein than you have had several good ideas on vegetarian way to accomplish that. Non-fat milk and non-fat cottage cheese are great sourced of protein. A member of my family eat very little meat (doesn't like the taste) but works out a fair amount. By drinking about 6 glasses of non-fat milk at that person gets 90% of their protein needs. Combine that with other dairy and legumes and you have more then enough protein.

    The main question you have to ask is why are you a veterinarian and do you want to stay one. (I am guess the answer is yes)

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