having trouble losing lbs. on vegetarian diet

I have been a vegetarian for almost two years now due to health issues with my stomach/colon. In talking to other vegetarians, many who had gained weight, I realized that in not eating meats, they were increasing greatly their carbs and sugars. So I had to greatly reevaluate what I was eating (this site helped tremendously) and realized I was doing the same thing. It took a few months to get into the swing of things, and sometimes still have setbacks, but it eventually evened out.

Now, I just have the same problems as every other dieter out there. Controlling my intake and exercising more

my weight loss has been (and will continue to be) on a vegan diet. i always do better when going for a more raw food diet than just vegan. you can eat vegetarian/vegan and eat unhealthy. you really have to watch it, as i have found! Check out Alicia Silverstone's book - The Kind Diet... I read The Hallelujah Diet first but based on your comments about the animals, etc, I think you'll like The Kind Diet. There is a lot of good advice and she talks a lot about what types of food worked for her... local seasonal fruits & veggies were key for her as well. I found that very interesting. You bet I will be planting a garden for the first time this year!! )
But you CAN do it... don't give up. Talk to a nutritionist who knows vegetarian/vegan diets. Several nutritionists that I have heard about really want to push the meat and fish etc so make sure you find one who is open minded.
So - try as much raw as possible (this eliminates a lot of the starchy foods like pasta, bread, etc but there are a LOT of GREAT recipes for yummy foods out there!)
Check out the Fat Free Vegan blog, too, for recipes. She is great!
Good luck & don't give up!!!
Kelly

It's possible to lose with a vegetarian diet. Find a professional in your area who specializes in vegetarian diet or even vegan and they can tell you how to refine your diet. I was a vegetarian for years and all the info out their can do more harm then good. Find good guidance and you will be all set. If going meatless is important to you, stick to it.

I have been a vegetarian for over 16 years. I have lost and gained weight. A lot of it came from what I was eating. I would highly suggest you cut back on pastas, white breads, and white rice. Actually you shouldn't really cut back too much on the beans and some of the whole grains because they will keep you filled longer and actually help in losing weight.

What exactly are you eating? Sometimes the meat substitutes can have a lot of sodium in them. You can make a lot of dishes with tofu, seitian, tempeh or beans to get the protein you need.

There are a lot of books out there for people starting out to give you an idea of what you can eat and still stay morally correct.

Also, if you are committed to being a vegetarian, there are a lot of foods that have hidden animal products in them. Some cheeses are made with animal rennet. If you order soup at a restaurant it doesn't specifically state it is vegetarian, it probably isn't. It took me a while to figure it all out. After 16 years, I really don't think anything about it and ignore the comments and looks people give me when I say I am a vegetarian.

I see very little protein in your diet.

My suggestions:

switch out the processed oatmeal for steel cut oatmeal
2-3 eggwhites instead of 1 egg
switch the bean burrito for a whole wheat burrito with black beans
cut out the pasta (substitute quinoa instead - full of protein)
throw some extra firm tofu chunks in your stirfry

In addition to what the AP said I would take one fish oil capsule per day.

If you don't want to do fish oil capsules. You could take flaxseed capsules. I do that to get my omega-3s in since I don't eat fish. You can also sprinkle some crushed flaxseed on your salad. They make flaxseed oil, but it has to be kept cold all the time because it can go rancid pretty quick left out at room temperature.

In addition to what the AP said I would take one fish oil capsule per day.

That's not vegetarian

How many calories a day are you consuming? I think your body has become accustomed to the same or similar foods you are eating everyday. You might want to try and add some new foods and play around with how many calories you consume everyday.

I have found that if I eat the same or similar foods day after day, the weight loss stops. You might want to look into making some new dishes or fruits and veggies to eat to give your metabolism a boost.

First of all I think it's awesome that you've chosen to become a vegetarian, I have been one for 2 yrs now and completely agree with your moral stance. Sometimes it takes a while for your body to get used to such a drastic change.

I would definately consider getting a second opinion from a nutritionist whose willing to work with you. Vegetarianism can be an incredibly healthy lifestyle if done right, much more so than a carnivorous one. Plus your also saving the environment, water, and 90,000 animals a year.

Most of all dont give up, there is a diet out there that's perfect for you. Just make sure your healthy, what the scale says doesn't really matter. In case it will help motivate you, I was around 135 lbs in high school I'm 5' 5" and tried numerous diets to slim down a little. Once I started college I became a vegetarian and really tried to eat healthy. I wasn't even trying to lose weight. This change in focus did the trick and now I usually weigh between 110 and 115, but the best part is that I have lots of energy, am really healthy, and feel great about my choices. I dont always eat perfectly, ben and jerrys is right next to my apartment ;-), but my vegetarian diet gives me a lot of leeway in terms of calories. I'll never go back to eating meat, I couldn't live with myself if I did.

Also it sounds like you work out a lot, you might be losing inches and just not lbs, dont forget that muscle is more dense that fat.

Sorry to write a novel, hope some of it helps, and if you want any tips or vegetarian recipes let me know.

Thank You!!! lol I swear some people act like it's all a bunch of lies when numerous scientific studies show that vegetarians have a lower incidence of cancer. All those hormones and antibiotics they inject into those poor animals are not good for you, bottom line.

My favorite cookbook overall is the "Skinny Witch (it wont let me post the b word) in the Kitch" cookbook. Not only is it low calorie, and vegan (sometimes I cheat and use real cheese ect.) but every recipe in this book is delicious! Seriously to die for. I know some of the recipes call for agave nectar but I've often left it out with no big change.

Those of you who are vegetarian/vegan - what is your favorite recipe?
I'm relatively new to eating (mostly) vegan/vegetarian and I'm currently starting to get bored with beans, beans and more beans.
I've worked a bit with tofu and despise the texture (which is why there is a block in my freezer - trying to toughen it up a bit for my stir fry tonight). I occasionally will eat the Chick'n nuggets - but they are expensive and really high in sodium.

I should also add that I'm avoiding HFCS, sugar, agave nectar and honey. Makes things get really complicated when grocery shopping.

And with regards to this topic/question, so that I don't utterly hijack this message - when I switched to this more animal-friendly lifestyle (which is not perfect still and probably never will) - I had about 2 weeks of no really significant weight change but have since started losing steadily.

If you don't mind my asking...why are you avoiding the agave? I understand the white sugar and HFCS and the honey (if you're vegan)...but agave should be okay. Have you tried sucanat? It's a great alternative but you have to like a strong molasses taste.

*edit: should note... try vegweb.com for some great recipes both vegetarian and vegan (it's one of my fave sites).

Those of you who are vegetarian/vegan - what is your favorite recipe?
I'm relatively new to eating (mostly) vegan/vegetarian and I'm currently starting to get bored with beans, beans and more beans.
I've worked a bit with tofu and despise the texture (which is why there is a block in my freezer - trying to toughen it up a bit for my stir fry tonight). I occasionally will eat the Chick'n nuggets - but they are expensive and really high in sodium.

I should also add that I'm avoiding HFCS, sugar, agave nectar and honey. Makes things get really complicated when grocery shopping.

And with regards to this topic/question, so that I don't utterly hijack this message - when I switched to this more animal-friendly lifestyle (which is not perfect still and probably never will) - I had about 2 weeks of no really significant weight change but have since started losing steadily.

If you don't mind my asking...why are you avoiding the agave? I understand the white sugar and HFCS and the honey (if you're vegan)...but agave should be okay. Have you tried sucanat? It's a great alternative but you have to like a strong molasses taste.

http://www.naturalnews.com/024892_fructose_food_health.html
That link to the article is why I'm avoiding agave nectar. I'll avoid too much complaining (and believe me there was complaining in my house since I'd just bought a brand new bottle of agave nectar) and simply recommend that you read it, since the article is far more articulate than I am. What is sucanat?

I'll take a look at the artical in a bit. Here's a link about the brand of sucanat I use (there are a few out there-some are not real sucanat but more like the turbanido sugar-which is sugar with coloring and some of the molasses added back).
http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/brands/Wholesome_Sweeteners/Fair_Trade_Certified_Organic_Sucanat.html

Also make sure you are eating enough protein! I've found that on the days I don't eat enough protein I am very sluggish in the evening when I go to the gym...