Can not lose any weight after becoming vegetarian?

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Six weeks ago in an effort to get healthy and lose weight I began a vegetarian lifestyle. Although I feel better and my acid reflux seems to be gone, I have gained 3 pounds and can't seem to lose! I am 5'10, 226 pounds and want to lose 50 pounds. I really want to remain vegetarian but I fear I am eating too many calories/carbs. That is why i came here, to track my calories with a goal of 1600 a day. Has anyone else experienced this? I am afraid to go low carb because my cholesterol and LDL levels are so bad. Thanks!

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  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
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    Eat more beans, like black beans and pinto beans. I don't think you have to/need to go low carb, but you can even as a vegetarian. The other thing to keep in mind is watch the cheese. I was eating a ton of cheese up until January this year. When I say a ton I mean like 6 to 8 ounces of cheese a day, it was my main protein. I still managed to lose some weight though because I am so heavy that just quitting meat meant a calorie cut. Plus I had a lot of no cheese days. I would have lost a lot faster though if I would have made a bigger effort to eat more beans and less cheese.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Just because you're eating vegetarian doesn't mean you are in a calorie deficit. A calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight. I know quite a few vegetarians that are overweight. Also, carbs don't make you fat...nor does fat...nor does protein; consuming too many calories does.
  • IbiH
    IbiH Posts: 250 Member
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    I've been vegi for almost 25 yrs, healthy weight for most of it until I hit my 30's. Cheese and carbs were my downfall. Since January 2012 I've lost almost 40lbs, happy where I am but I still have to watch my portions.

    You are welcome to add me for any ideas for your meals, although some can be repetitive......
  • MissFuchsia
    MissFuchsia Posts: 526 Member
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    If you're eating at a deficit, it shouldn't matter whether you're a vegetarian or not. I've been a vegetarian for nearly 11 years. I started out eating nothing but processed food (and far too much of it). I ended up 5'8 and 240 lbs. I since lost 100lbs by logging my food, eating at a deficit, eating clean/wholefoods as much as I can and working out.

    It all largely comes down to calories in v calories out
  • stargazer008
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    Becoming vegetarian doesn't mean you will lose weight. Did you know there are also fat vegetarians?

    Cut back on the carbs, add in more protein and fats. Log your food properly, use a kitchen scale because they are the most accurate way to know how many calories you are consuming.
  • Sarahnade42x
    Sarahnade42x Posts: 308 Member
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    Hi! I've been a vegetarian for about six years and, while I lost about 15lbs from it initially, the weight started creeping back over the years. I think the problem is that it's easy to end up eating too many processed foods, carbs and fats that end up being excess calories (for me, breads and cheeses were definitely the culprits). I've been using the MFP pie chart to ensure that about 15-20% of my daily calories are from protein and that seems to be working really well (down 27!). Some really good veg protein sources that I love are: Chobani nonfat Greek yogurts (SO good and 14g protein/serving!), Field Roast veg sausages (26g), raw walnuts (4g), nonfat milk (8g), and soy protein shakes. Raw veggies like kale, spinach, beans and asparagus are also good options.
    It's well documented that increasing your protein consumption increases your satiety, which in turn will hopefully make achieving a calorie deficit more manageable.
  • kerricus
    kerricus Posts: 165 Member
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    I'm a fat vegetarian! Or I was. I'm a work in progress.

    I also ate way too many simple carbohydrates and cheese. I too thought that since I was eating vegetarian and no junk food, that I didn't have to think about portions. WRONG.

    I get my protein from beans and gluten. Occasionally, I'll indulge in pre-made soy products, like chick patties. I should use more tempeh, but I forget about it. I try to avoid diary, especially cheese. When I stopped eating cheese I lost 15lbs!! I think a lot of it was water because cheese is so salty.

    Being vegetarian can be easy, delicious, and healthy. Get some veggie cook books from the library, measure your portions, track yourself on MFP, and you'll lose the extra weight.
  • mwheatcraft54
    mwheatcraft54 Posts: 235 Member
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    I became a vegetarian about two and a half years ago, I think. However, I simply didn't watch what I ate, ever. It wasn't until I religiously tracked calories, cut waaaaay back on the empty liquid calories, and started exercising a lot that I finally got the scale to move. Last June I started a program of exercising more than an hour a day six days a week (vigorously) and tracking what I ate. It was slow - I didn't cut out my favorites, just cut way back, but after the first 90 days I had lost 25 lbs and now I'm 45 pounds lighter. It's not a quick fix, and I have had to work hard, but the payoff has been size six and eight clothes - and that makes me happy.

    I do vegetarian for health reasons, but really I've had to make a lot of choices about how I want to live beyond food. It will always be a lifestyle, not just a diet.
  • prozac5489
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    Look, I know that I'm a total newb to this whole fitness thing, but I'm definitely no newbie when it comes to vegetarianism. When I was 14, I began a vegetarian diet, and that lasted until I was 18. I'll admit that I probably ate more processed foods then than I do now, seeing as I was a teenager and just learning how to cook. I also probably did eat more cheese than I did beans. While I've never been a strict vegetarian after that point, I've been eating less meat than most Americans. After college, I lived in a vegetarian community for 4 years and probably only ate meat once a week or so when I went to a restaurant. Now that I've left that community, I find I only eat meat maybe once every two or three days.

    My strict vegetarian years were the ones that saw my weight skyrocket, and that completely perplexed me because I wasn't gorging myself at every meal or snacking heavily. But I still went from a size 10/12 to a size 22/24 over that time span (and only grew a couple inches). Unfortunately, my doctor during those years didn't consider weight gain in young people much of a problem and thought I was making a great lifetime decision by learning how to be vegetarian as a teen. I switched doctors when I was 19, and the new fellow had a completely different tune. He hypothesized that the vegetarian diet did not play well with my changing hormones. I created a typical two-week food intake for him, and I was appalled to see how much carbohydrates I was eating and how little protein! The doctor said my carb-heavy diet essentially gave me insulin resistance that then turned into PCOS...and that started the runaway weight gain.

    Your body chemistry might just not work well with the type of vegetarian diet you're experimenting with. You really should talk things over with a doctor and/or nutritionist, and maybe have some tests done.

    You can still eat a lot of meat free meals if you turn out to be like me. You might just have to modify. These days, the only way I can keep a mostly vegetarian diet without going into a danger zone with my carbs is by making sure I eat lowfat cottage cheese, lowfat Greek yogurt (Fage 0%), eggs, or tofu with practically every meat-free meal, and by making sure the majority of my vegetables are consumed in the form of a big dark leafy-green salad. (Unfortunately, I've eaten so many of those salads over the past 6 years, I just can't get excited about them anymore!) Grains, beans, lentils...all of those are in "special treats" categories for me, so I have to closely monitor the quantity of those I consume.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    It is not a good idea to go vegetarian for weightloss simply because it's not a diet for weightloss. It can be done of course, but that is not it's goal.

    What kind of activity are you doing? What are you eating now?

    It is very possible to lose and be vegetarian, but some vegetarians may find it hard due to the issues many dieter's face, undeating, overexercise, overestimating calories, underestimating calories, lack of strenght training, unbalanced macros ect..
  • mygorgeousaddiction
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    It's really all about the carbs you are eating. When I first became a pescetarian (only eating seafood, but I mainly stick to veggie options or tofu) I did notice a slight increase in weight. I realized it was mainly due to having too much bread with my meal as a way to get full. Just stick with it and switch to eating a LOT of green veggies and beans. Giving up meat can be great for your digestive system too, so once you incorporate higher fiber foods you should see a decrease in weight from that alone. Some great books to read would be "skinny *****" and "the water secret". Keep up the great work and exercise and the lbs will start to come off :) ps: I've been a pescetarian for over 2 years and I'm 30 lbs lighter now than I was then.
  • Just throwing this out there but based on science your blood type has a lot to do with health and losing weight. I started the blood type diet July 2, 2011 at a size 18/240 lbs and by Dec 2011 I was wearing a size 6. I've tried every darn diet out there. This one dropped weight like no other. It's very strict but not strict in being hungry...just strict in my favorite foods were totally off limit. I'm an O Blood type therefore carbs/starches are my number one weight gain factor. According to science an O could not live healthy for life on a vegetarian diet and will gain weight but an A blood type will thrive on a vegetarian diet. Remember this diet is based on science...it's not based on here say by someone saying it worked for them so it will work for everyone. This diet is individualized. We are all different.
  • Oliviadi1
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    I've been a vegetarian for about 4 years simply because I hate the taste of meat (I do however eat seafood). Various people over the years have told me I'm going to get fat because "vegetarians snack more then people who eat mea because they don't get full as quickly". Make sure you watch how much you're eating!
    Also make sure you're still getting enough of the right vitamins and minerals, I was anaemic for a while and had to take iron tablets.
    Get the things you're missing out on from things like spinach, nuts, eggs, mushrooms etc.

    I didn't gain weight went I cut out meat, but that's just me.
  • Marquissmomma
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    It would be great to lose weight while being a vegetarian. I've lost eleven pounds since my change but the weight is still not going away. I feel weaker, tired, and irritated. I'm on the verge of going back to eating meat again. I don't want to do that. What does your workout and protein intake look like? I need help. I feel less cruddy not being on meat then being on it. I just need the help to go the extra distance.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    Just throwing this out there but based on science your blood type has a lot to do with health and losing weight. I started the blood type diet July 2, 2011 at a size 18/240 lbs and by Dec 2011 I was wearing a size 6. I've tried every darn diet out there. This one dropped weight like no other. It's very strict but not strict in being hungry...just strict in my favorite foods were totally off limit. I'm an O Blood type therefore carbs/starches are my number one weight gain factor. According to science an O could not live healthy for life on a vegetarian diet and will gain weight but an A blood type will thrive on a vegetarian diet. Remember this diet is based on science...it's not based on here say by someone saying it worked for them so it will work for everyone. This diet is individualized. We are all different.

    No. Just no.

    Your blood type has nothing to do with your diet. I understand the above poster does believe so, but the above poster was at a calorie deficit.

    Science has actually debunked that "diet"
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140115172246.htm
    http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/blood-type-diet-total-bunk-study-article-1.1585491

    I'm sorry but that diet didn't have ANY scientific backing.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    Want to lose weight? Create a calorie deficit. That's all.

    Read these:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here?hl=so+you're+new+here

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13

    TL:DR the link right above this one then ->http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

    Excuses??? http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/06/02/the-no-excuses-play-like-a-champion-challenge/

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    It's really all about the carbs you are eating.

    It's not about carbs either. I'd never have managed to lose weight if it's all about carbs. It's calorie deficit.

    OP get a food scale. Weigh and measure EVERYTHING you eat. Read those links above. They will help.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    Zombie thread...fun

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS_K6BiJhVwOAQjrrWt8_6tCXMzbR7z26CWDyq8ef6x_yHsn61quHftQYQ
  • modestalchemist
    modestalchemist Posts: 8 Member
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    the blood type diet is NOT based on science. it has been thouroughly debunked on several occasions.

    I am glad it works for you, and by all means, keep on keeping on,. It just isn't science-based.