Would I do better if I stopped being vegetarian??
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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....
Technically, wheat and sugar are both plant based. Just saying.
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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:
That is exactly the situation I was in about 2 years ago. I say try it. If you are already flirting with the thought. Why not? I started out ages ago for ethical reasons too but realized that I can choose what meat I buy i.e. where it comes from and how it was treated.
I figured I try and see how I like it and how I feel and if I just can't deal with eating meat again than I go back to being a vegetarian. I had a home cooked chicken and never looked back. I eased back into it with mostly poultry and then added pork and later beef.0 -
I have been vegetarian or vegan since 2002. I have never had issues getting proper protein. In fact, i go OVER my protein most days. You need to make sure you are getting COMPLETE proteins, like beans with rice, or quinoa.
Like someone pointed out, you can be vegetarian or vegan and eat total junk and gain weight. Or you could eat whole foods and plant proteins. When we want a veggie burger or something, rather than going for the super processed "meat" substitutes, we grab a Dr Praegers or Sunshine burger, which is a better option if you can get it. Dr Praegers is made from veggies and Sunshine burgers are made from Sunflower seeds0 -
From my experience (I was a vegetarian for 20 years): YES!!! It is tough to lose weight without meat in my opinion. I was class 2 obese even during my vegetarian years and did eat healthy. Just too much and especially too many carbs. It is way easier to eat a full meal with a good level of calories when you eat and reduced the carbs.
I also had a lot of issues (mostly with my stomach) that disappeared within only a few months after eating meat again.
And meat is sooooo good!!! I can't believe I was a vegetarian and for that long. I love meat now!
And meat loves you, darling...don't ever leave it again! American Ranchers working hard to produce a tastier, healthier and clean food...:happy:0 -
: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....
No one said it was a magic bullet. An increase of protein in her diet will mean she preserves more muscle mass. Muscle mass is known to consume a larger quantity of calories metabolically than fat. Adding meat will make a difference.
However, if what she considers vegetarianism does not actually involve a variety of vegetables, she is probably completely undernourished at any rate, which would ultimately interfere with weight loss as a whole.
To the OP: If your reason for being vegetarian is a moral one, then I agree with this poster that you should eat more fresh fruits and veggies. If that doesn't help, then I would suggest considering meat. If nothing else, try eating meat for like 2 weeks and see how you feel about it after 2 weeks.0 -
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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??
It's a very personal choice. Not one you should let the media sway you on. Seitan is a veggie meat that is far more healthy than beef or chicken. Literally, seitan has half the calories, twice the protein and almost zero fat when compared to beef.
Tiger is correct in that one can be healthy or unhealthy either way. Why are you so focused on carbs? Avocado wraps are great. Portobello wraps, tofu wraps, lentil wraps.
You need a variety of foods. Perhaps some cook books might help? I'm fond of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's books. Her recent "Appetite for Reduction" is fabulous!!0 -
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.
Where, exactly, are you getting your information? I go over my protein every day and I'm a vegetarian. Please don't generalize. It's possible to eat healthy, lose weight, and get plenty of protein as a vegetarian. Meat is not a necessary part of a balanced diet.0 -
And meat loves you, darling...don't ever leave it again! American Ranchers working hard to produce a tastier, healthier and clean food...:happy:
You bet I am not going back to being vegetarian. I love the American Ranchers too and the Albertan even more so :-)
(I am actually living on a cattle ranch right now and love it!!)0 -
I'm a flexitarian and maintain a vegetarian diet all but maybe 3-4 times a month when I consume fish. I've felt much more energetic and healthy, and I've lost weight since I started to eliminate meat from diet. Personally, I think it's much easier to lose weight when you're eating foods that your body is actually made to digest (e.g. not meat.)
If you're questioning whether or not increasing your protein intake will help, you could simply incorporate more beans/legumes into your diet and see how that's affecting you and your goals. I make *so* many dishes that are normally made with meat, but I replace the meat with beans, and multiple varieties if possible. I've yet to make something that wasn't delicious, and it's filling and so much leaner. I would say the easiest dishes to do this with are soups, stir-fry, and anything "mexican."
You can also incorporate more protein through powder mixes, and they make loads of them that are organic (they taste better, in my opinion) and with soy protein rather than whey (if you're concerned with dairy.) My boyfriend's diet is very similar to mine, and he drinks the mixes after long bike rides. So far, it's been great way for him to replenish his body. He has also incorporated other protein dense foods like greek yogurt into his diet, as well as certain high-protein granola bars, etc.
Where your carbs are concerned, it might help to modify the forms in which you're consuming them. Aiming for more whole grain, high-hiber choices is always beneficial. I'm a sucker for carbs, but I think one of the biggest aspects of maintaining my weight has been eliminating, or eating only in moderation, all of the refined foods like donuts and white bread.
So in conclusion, I think you can maintain your ethical vegetarianism and still lose weight, too! There are plenty of options for expanding your diet that don't have to include meat!0 -
: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....
No one said it was a magic bullet. An increase of protein in her diet will mean she preserves more muscle mass. Muscle mass is known to consume a larger quantity of calories metabolically than fat. Adding meat will make a difference.
However, if what she considers vegetarianism does not actually involve a variety of vegetables, she is probably completely undernourished at any rate, which would ultimately interfere with weight loss as a whole.
To the OP: If your reason for being vegetarian is a moral one, then I agree with this poster that you should eat more fresh fruits and veggies. If that doesn't help, then I would suggest considering meat. If nothing else, try eating meat for like 2 weeks and see how you feel about it after 2 weeks.
Adding protein and eating meat are not mutually exclusive. If we use your logic, cottage cheese will help, too. So...why again is meat necessary?
I know you have a belief that vegetarians don't get enough protein, but that's often not the case. I see plenty of meat-eating MFP friends that get less protein than their veg counterparts, and a lot of meat-eaters get too much protein. You really can't make such a vast generalization.
Also, the OP is obviously undernourished if most of her diet is carbs and sugars. That's why I suggested refocusing on the veg part of vegetarian.0 -
: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....
No one said it was a magic bullet. An increase of protein in her diet will mean she preserves more muscle mass. Muscle mass is known to consume a larger quantity of calories metabolically than fat. Adding meat will make a difference.
However, if what she considers vegetarianism does not actually involve a variety of vegetables, she is probably completely undernourished at any rate, which would ultimately interfere with weight loss as a whole.
To the OP: If your reason for being vegetarian is a moral one, then I agree with this poster that you should eat more fresh fruits and veggies. If that doesn't help, then I would suggest considering meat. If nothing else, try eating meat for like 2 weeks and see how you feel about it after 2 weeks.
Protein is protein is protein. So long as you get complete proteins throughout the day, the source doesn't matter. It all breaks down into the same amino acids in the end, whether its from a plant based or animal based source. Simply switching to animal based protein is not going to change her situation - if anything it may make it more difficult as meat tends to be higher in fat, cholesterol, hormones (if you buy from large stores), and most importantly calories.0 -
: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....
Technically, wheat and sugar are both plant based. Just saying.
Ummm, okay? Was there a point where I or someone said that they weren't? I don't understand the post.0 -
I am a mess when it comes to this. I went vegan and noticed how much better I felt. Than I went back to eating meat even though I did not want to because I stopped eating meat for ethical reasons. Now I am transitioning to a lacto ovo vegetarian diet. I feel really good. For me, stopping almost all dairy except for some cheese and greek yogurt has made all my stomach issues disappear. You have to do what is comfortable to you. I use a lot of tvp (textured veggie protein) in my cooking along with beans, tofu, etc... You can eat a healthy vegetarian diet, the key is balance. I try not to eat too many prepackaged vegetarian foods or refined carbs. i try to eat whole foods as much as I can. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies. I also try to indulge a little each day.0
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I am a bit embarrassed to say that I felt this way too, and started adding fish. I have been trying to lose weight as a vegetarian, and was successful mostly but hit a plateau near the end. I definitely saw that I was eating too many carbs (thank you, iPad pie graph!!) even though they were pretty much all complex carbs, I felt like it was too much.
I have the big problem of being sensitive to soy.. I can't really eat it without digestion trouble, and processed soy (veggie burgers) and soy milk are out of the question. If I could eat tofu/tempeh I would still be veg, but I couldn't really amp up the protein with just eggs and powder smoothies. Other good healthy forms of protein (beans, seitan, quinoa) also have carbs, so they did not give me the high protein low carb ratio I was looking for in this last phase of my plan.
I now have 1 egg, 2 egg whites a day, and have fish 3 times a week. That has really helped me with my ratios and as a bonus, the weight started coming off again. I should add that I work out 5-6x a week now, and that is really the reason, I felt like I wanted to double my protein to support my increased exercise plan, and I think it is helping. I plan to do this only for a month or so, just to move off the plateau.
It *is* very complicated, since it usually is a moral issue to be vegetarian. I decided that my body/health is a priority over that belief system but I wrestle with it. I hide the fish eating... I don't want to have to explain myself over and over to people who know me as vegetarian. It does feel like a bit of a failure on some level.0 -
Protein is protein is protein. So long as you get complete proteins throughout the day, the source doesn't matter. It all breaks down into the same amino acids in the end, whether its from a plant based or animal based source. Simply switching to animal based protein is not going to change her situation - if anything it may make it more difficult as meat tends to be higher in fat, cholesterol, hormones (if you buy from large stores), and most importantly calories.
^^This.
There is this meat-industry myth that we NEED meat protein. That's simply not true, and you also don't need the crazy amounts that these meat industries and "health experts" pound into our heads. It really is all about $$$ in these situations.0 -
We don't NEED meat protein, per se, but there is only one non-meat complete protein source that I'm aware of, the soy bean (tofu, edamame.) Every other plant protein is an incomplete source, and the trick is to find the right combinations to create complete proteins. Eating a ton of protein a day will be useless if you fail to get all 9 essential amino acids every day. Meat isn't completely necessary at all, but it's certainly a much more complete, easier to use protein source. Also, meat protein is usually much more bioavailable than plant proteins are.0
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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....
No one said it was a magic bullet. An increase of protein in her diet will mean she preserves more muscle mass. Muscle mass is known to consume a larger quantity of calories metabolically than fat. Adding meat will make a difference.
However, if what she considers vegetarianism does not actually involve a variety of vegetables, she is probably completely undernourished at any rate, which would ultimately interfere with weight loss as a whole.
To the OP: If your reason for being vegetarian is a moral one, then I agree with this poster that you should eat more fresh fruits and veggies. If that doesn't help, then I would suggest considering meat. If nothing else, try eating meat for like 2 weeks and see how you feel about it after 2 weeks.
Protein is protein is protein. So long as you get complete proteins throughout the day, the source doesn't matter. It all breaks down into the same amino acids in the end, whether its from a plant based or animal based source. Simply switching to animal based protein is not going to change her situation - if anything it may make it more difficult as meat tends to be higher in fat, cholesterol, hormones (if you buy from large stores), and most importantly calories.
I never said that meat was the only option for protein. I said that the OP should try it and decide for herself. As tigersword said, meat is not a requirement for the diet, but it is easier to get complete nutrition from a wide range of foods, and meat is a readily available source or protein. I am not trying to debate the benefits of a meat diet to a vegetarian one. The OP asked a question and I answered. Will meat help her lose more weight? Yes... most likely.0 -
We don't NEED meat protein, per se, but there is only one non-meat complete protein source that I'm aware of, the soy bean (tofu, edamame.) Every other plant protein is an incomplete source, and the trick is to find the right combinations to create complete proteins. Eating a ton of protein a day will be useless if you fail to get all 9 essential amino acids every day. Meat isn't completely necessary at all, but it's certainly a much more complete, easier to use protein source. Also, meat protein is usually much more bioavailable than plant proteins are.
There are more than just soy: spirulina, quinoa, buckwheat, hempseed, amaranth, & soy products (there are many - and no, I don't just mean soy-based meat substitutes). Also, our bodies are quite capable of storing amino acids for days so as long as you get your protein from a variety of sources, it doesn't really matter if you perfectly match your protein sources at each meal as it once was thought.
Also, food labels only list complete proteins so as the mixes and matches occur, you are potentially getting even more protein than you think.
Lastly, I know a lot of people on MFP use shakes and protein powders. There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan protein powders out there, both with and without soy. The OP could always supplement with these if she was concerned about the protein piece.
To the OP, my advice is to listen to your heart. Do you want to be a meat-eater again or would you feel better about staying a vegetarian? If you would rather stay veg, there are options out there and there are some simple ways to ensure you are getting a more healthful, well-rounded diet than you are now. Eating meat won't make you thinner just as being a vegetarian won't either. It's all about the way you structure your diet. Best of luck to you!0 -
As I'm reading all these posts I'm realizing how incredibly lazy I am. I don't want to cook, I can barely be bothered to throw things in the microwave, and if I care about nutrition I know it is suffering because of this habit of mine.
Also, I love cottage cheese but trying to make a "meal" out of a cold lumpy substance that doesn't really pair well with many other things is just depressing. I also can't go nuts on dairy due to stomach issues.
Today I had a bean burrito for lunch-I suppose I could stock up on those for my lazy ways...I think it would be much more convenient to start eating meat again. And I guess since the idea doesn't appal me like it used to, maybe that's what's best for me.
That being said, put some meat in front of me and no guarantees I'll bite.
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