Vegetarian Success Stories?

hunnyjuju · January 2014

Recently I have wanted to go vegetarian for the long term but seem to have a harder time losing weight on more carbs. Anyone here a vegetarian that can attest to having success on a plant based diet?

thefatveganchef · January 2014

I am vegan for 20 years, I have lost 25 lbs so far. As long as the carbs are good carbs (whole grain, full of nutrition, quinoa) don't worry about it. It is about the calorie deficit, and eating the right foods at the right times.My problem in the past has been portion control and eating right before bed.

bridgew24 · January 2014

I am not a strict vegetarian, I eat chicken or fish once or twice a week, but my diet is largely plant based.
It is hard in the beginning to bulk out your meals without a large hunk of an animal (I've advised a few friends through the transition out of a high-meat diet), but once you learn to love lentils and brown rice it gets a lot easier.

My diet is very high in carbs and fairly low protein... But I still lose weight on about 1600cal a day! But then again I've eaten this way most of my life.

RosiePosiePuddingAndPie · January 2014

I've always been vegetarian

I think it's definitely possible - I always make sure I include protein in my meals - either quorn, tofu, eggs, beans or lentils. And I eat a lot of veg to pad out my meals. I've never eaten a meat diet to compare, let alone a healthy lower calorie one, but so long as you think about what foods are higher in calories it's not that hard to be veggie and lose weight

irenehb · January 2014

I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for over 20 years now and in the last 7 months I have lost 27.5 kilos (@ 60 pounds). My diet is pretty hard in carbs but as long as you make sure you have a calorie deficit you will lose weight.
And yes make sure you have some protein at every meal, to keep you full/satisfied.

phoenixgirl81 · January 2014

I'm a vegetarian who eats mostly vegan (and have been for the past 7 years). From March 2012-October 2013 I lost 69kg (over 152lbs). I have been in maintenance ever since.

Vegetarian and Vegan eating is so varied. You don't need to get all your calories from carbs. I eat a relatively high protein diet (certainly above our recommended daily intake as set by the Australian Medical Association). You also don't need to exist on brown rice and lentils either. There are so many great sources of protein - tofu, falafel, hummus, wheat gluten, beans, pasta, eggs and dairy/cheese/yoghurt (if you are ovo-lacto veg), nuts, kale, seaweed, grains, many fruits and veg, not to mention protein powders if they are things you want to take in (you don't have to, but there are vegan protein powders). There are even pre-packed mock-meats if you so desire that are usually packed full of protein too.

It's not the carbs that are making you not lose weight. So long as you are under your calorie goal in the long run, you will lose weight. I eat carbs (more than mfp recommends on the default setting) and I lost steadily (1kg - 2.2lbs/week on average for the first 12 months starting at 1900 cal/day).

Xiaolongbao · January 2014

I'm a strict vegetarian and swinging towards veganism.

It's possible to lose weight on any diet. You just have to want it enough to work at it. I must admit I don't always succeed at that but it's got nothing to do with the vegetarianism.

alisonlynn1976 · January 2014

I've been vegetarian for most of my life. I don't think it's relevant to weight loss so much, though.

toddis · January 2014

I've always imagined the "vegetarians" that eat cheese pizza and french fries to be the ones that had to worry.

I was a vegetarian for about 2 years and lost about 30 pounds in that time frame. I was intentionally trying to lose weight and didn't watch my calories. I did however cook everything from scratch and combined with my laziness that helped me lose weight.

NiikouruDesu · January 2014

I'm vegan and I eat a whole lot of carbs! Plant food makes me feel great. Drinking alcohol and eating instant noodles does not make me feel so great. Stick to fresh fruit and veg and you'll also feel great

mandi_spicer · January 2014

I became a vegetarian on Jan 1, 2013. Between Jan 1 - April 13 I lost 23 lbs. I ate 1400 cals a day and did Jillian Michaels dvds 3-4 times a week. Since April 13 I have lost another 10 lbs. I don't feel like my diet is anymore carb heavy than it was when I ate meat. I eat a wide variety of foods that have great protein - tofu, tempeh, beans, nuts, kale and other green veg, flaxseeds, chia seeds, whole grains and the occasional soy (imitation) meats.

AliceDark · January 2014

I've been a vegetarian since I was 11, and have ranged between 112 and 120 pounds my whole adult life (I'm 5'4"). I'm currently starting a bulk and trying to add some more muscle. I'm aiming for 110-120g protein/day, and I can hit that successfully as long as I plan ahead and pay attention to what I'm eating.

If you just cut out meat, you will eat too many carbs and you won't do well as a vegetarian. It's really just that simple. You can eat eggs, beans, nuts, nut butter, dairy. I don't like soy products because they're processed to death, but edamame is good. Cottage cheese, greek yogurt and kefir are all really wonderful sources of veggie protein.

alfiedn · January 2014

I've noticed vegetarian helps me to maintain good digestion rather than helping me to lose weight. I have to admit, I'm not as strict as many. I do eat fish on occasion and I definitely eat cheese and yogurt.

1a1a · January 2014

Any of you vegos care to add me? I'd love to peak at your diaries and get meal ideas.

FitnFeistyLyness · January 2014

going to bed, but you post caught my eye.. been plant based a year.. in march of last year i weighed 220 pounds. im now 166. if you look at my pics the other pic thats grouped together like my profile pics i weighed 195 in that pic.. but i started plant based at 220.. it works for me.. i make all my own foods. look up recipes.. and modify.. love my way of eating.. i follow eat to live its a lifestyle not a diet.. once you put that in your mind.. its easy.my log is open feel free to add me and join my group its in my profile.

anyone is welcome.

FitnFeistyLyness · January 2014

mandi i went plant based jan1 of last year too. isnt it awesome. you sound like me i dont eat tofu and tempeh as staples but from time to time.. i make lentil loaf, chillis, soups, bean burgers, white bean mushroom risotto.., i eat nuts, seeds, flax fruits avocado, GBOMBS

anyone can add me my logs are open.. my group is open as well feel free to join we can share recipes.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/18785-motivation-support-and-accountability

alisonlynn1976 · January 2014

Edit: Oops, already posted the same thing to this thread. Sorry about that!

blaiwa · January 2014

I think carbs are the best way to get energy especially if you do some sort of intense excercise. I recently went vegetarian on a high carb diet, and during swimming workouts i dont feel as tired (or even hungry) as i did before. My advice would be to stick to the 'good' carbs. Whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, etc

JengaJess · January 2014

I've been vegetarian for almost 8 years now. I found my carb intake is really high, but a lot of those are coming from the foods that give me energy and protein. When I wasn't working out, maybe my high carb intake had some affect on my inability to lose weight, but I'm not really too sure. It was probably more of a portion control thing.
In my 8 years of being a vegetarian, I've lost over 40 lbs, gained about 20 lbs back, lost some. So I can't really speak to it's affect on weight loss, but I will say now that I'm managing my portion control better and watching my calorie intake, I've been seeing success. And it's been really easy to maintain my calorie intake with my vegetarian diet.
Being a vegetarian has helped me be more creative with my meals. It's allowed me to explore so many healthy options.

Vegetarian Success Stories?

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