Vegetarian!

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  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
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    I've been a vegetarian since 1995. I was vegan for awhile too. Vegetarian doesn't always equal healthy. I'm proof of that. I am still a vegetarian but now I make better choices.

    Anyone can feel free to add me. I log every sip and bite!
  • cathydubepenner
    cathydubepenner Posts: 159 Member
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    Over the past 20 yrs I have ventured in and out of being a vegetarian; the longest period being 3 years. Ultimately I always return to eating meat because of other people. My husband is wonderfully supportive and joins me but doesn't really enjoy it. Therein lies the problem. Although it would be great if my hubby and kids (21 & 15) chose to be vegetarians, I don't want them agonizing thru it for me. So gradually I start making 2 meals instead of 1, eating occasional fast food and before you know it I'm a full fledged meat eater again. I'm at a crossroads in my life, having some medical issues that finally after 15+ yrs I'm dealing with and I'm so ready to commit myself to entirely new lifestyle permanently. I would love to have some vegetarian friends here on MFP - not processed stuff, real food- and would love the opportunity to view some veg diaries for ideas. Please friend request me if interested and include where you saw this post.
    Thanks....Cathy
  • littlekitty3
    littlekitty3 Posts: 265 Member
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    Wheeee I'm a vegan :D I will add
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,154 Member
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    Don't know if anyone else has mentioned it yet (didn't see anything), so I will. Check out the Happy Herbivores group on here. Lots of veg*ns there.
  • ChaiyaChaiya21
    ChaiyaChaiya21 Posts: 37 Member
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    I am pescetarian ( hope I spelled that right) I stopped eating all other meat completely 1 1/2 years ago. I do not miss it all. I am which I found surprising since I come from such a Meat-centric family and upbringing. I feel so much better being off meat. I am working towards being completely meat free by the the 2 year mark. As it is I only eat fish 2 or 3 times a month.

    Originally my reasons were mixed health and animal welfare. Now I just focus on how I feel and I know that my health has significantly improved since I stopped eating meat.

    I have never enjoyed "Fake meat" much. I did however use TVP in my chili's and taco's etc. I just recently found out that I have a intolerance to soy. So if anyone would like to add me and swap meal ideas that would be great.

    I LOVE cooking so that definitely helps but sometimes I feel like I am cooking the same 6 things over and over again.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    just tossing this out there:

    being vegetarian isn't going to necessarily be the reason that you lose weight. Nor is being vegan, or Pizzatarian.

    If you're under your tdee, you lose weight.

    That said, I applaud you guys for making a decision and sticking to it, just giving the OP a note that losing weight and being veg*n exist outside of one another.
  • Jenniferanne6
    Jenniferanne6 Posts: 17 Member
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    I've been a vegetarian for almost a decade. I don't eat poultry, seafood, beef or pork BUT I do still eat dairy, eggs and on the rare occasion honey. I am also attempting to stick to a low carb diet (due to health reasons) which will force me to eat more greens and less pasta and potatoes.

    Before going veg, I was able to lose weight with very little effort although my age at the time and metabolism was a factor ;) Now, it's a constant battle but I'll NEVER go back to eating meat. Never!

    I usually have eggs for breakfast, like a spinach and cheese omelet. Fake sausage patties are a necessity for me. I always have black bean burgers in the house, but I tend to get sick of those pretty quickly.

    Good luck on your journey. I'll add you :)
  • pawsnpurrs
    pawsnpurrs Posts: 39
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    This is my first day of being vegan due to chronic kidney disease I am low gluten low carb my body has been rejecting all animal flesh I ate pork last night for last time , beef inflames my arthritis, I refuse to eat chicken due to way they are treated in hen houses, fish sorry never could eat any shell fish, I still am ok with cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, the produce isle is my new best friend..I am doing smoothies in that super blender for 2 of my meals.. want to be a raw food person , small grain consumption , gluten free will help with my Hashimotos Disease, My Diabetes, Arthritis, Migraines,,NO Wheat products, NO Frozen Foods they use wheat to thicken the gravy, and no can foods they use wheat to thicken stews and soups.. I am a cancer survivor. I am doing this at 61 years old whish I had done it at 20 sigh..
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    Hello! I have been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 14 years. I don't eat meat, fish, poultry, gelatin, fish oils, etc.

    Although a vegetarian diet can assist with weight loss in some ways, weight loss really is all about the deficit you create with eating and exercise. I gained this excess weight as a vegetarian. There are morbidly obese vegetarians. Doom and gloom aside, my digestive tract thanks me every day for becoming a vegetarian.

    I added you. Other veggies are welcome to add me too, just add a comment saying why you're adding me.
  • Stefgoju
    Stefgoju Posts: 43 Member
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    I'm the same as Britishbrocco above me! Vegetarians can always add me if they want.
    I choose it for my point of view on the world and the great breaktrough for me was reading up on Taoism. (The tao of pooh and the té of piglett, strange names I know but they are worth the read)
    I never missed it, not a single day, that was the biggest surprise for me because I used to eat alot of meat beforehand when I was still in my "not thinking for myself" years.

    I wish you all the achievement of your goals!
  • KezJB
    KezJB Posts: 33 Member
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    I'm veggie, have been for four years, now I'm better at using alternatives think it might aid my weight loss, but initially I put on weight as found I was eating a lot of cheese, especially eating out.

    Edited to add I eat locally sourced free range eggs (only satisfied if I can see happy hens!) and also locally sourced honey - basically if it's from someone's back yard I'm quite happy with that.

    I don't eat any meat, gelatin, fish oil etc.
  • KezJB
    KezJB Posts: 33 Member
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    I've been a vegetarian for 5 or 6 years :) Best decision I've ever made. I quit cold turkey (no pun intended) one day on a whim and haven't looked back. I'm starting to transition to vegan though its a bit tougher. Good luck to you :)

    That;s exactly what I did, I said that was it and it was.

    I'd like to be vegan but think it would be too restricting, I'm not a fan of the diary industry, but as a wheat intolerant veggie I also want to have a life and enjoy food socially.

    Good luck with your vegan transition.
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
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    just tossing this out there:

    being vegetarian isn't going to necessarily be the reason that you lose weight. Nor is being vegan, or Pizzatarian.

    If you're under your tdee, you lose weight.

    That said, I applaud you guys for making a decision and sticking to it, just giving the OP a note that losing weight and being veg*n exist outside of one another.

    I want to echo this sentiment.

    I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for almost 5 years now. I also quit "cold turkey" and never looked back. I made that decision for personal ethical reasons, because I just didn't feel right eating meat anymore and sometimes found it unpalatable anyway.

    BUT I also gained weight as a vegetarian. I didn't weigh myself back then, but if I had to guess, I'd say I gained about 20 pounds in 3 years.

    I applaud anyone who makes the decision to go vegetarian or vegan. It's a major lifestyle and dietary change; it isn't always a convenient or easy transition, and it takes a certain amount of personal discipline. I love being a vegetarian. But it doesn't necessarily result weight loss, and it can sometimes cause the opposite.

    Gaining weight as a vegetarian was very easy to do, but luckily, losing weight as a vegetarian was pretty easy as well!
    The key to losing weight is always a calorie deficit, which can be applied to any lifestyle or way of eating. :smile:
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    I've been veg since I was 11, and I've been pretty much every variety (vegan, lacto-only, ovo/lacto). I'm currently ovo/lacto and am really happy with my current diet. Feel free to add me :flowerforyou:

    I am going to caution you (and any other new vegetarians) that you HAVE to pay attention to your macros! I've known a lot of people who went veg and gained tons of weight because they replaced meat with more carbs. Meat substitutes don't have the same nutritional profile as meat, so you have to look at the nutritional profile of the food and not just the role it occupies in the meal. A good example would be just substituting a burger for a portobello mushroom -- the portobello is taking the place of the meat but you're not getting the protein. Do that often enough without adjusting, and you'll throw your macro balance completely out of whack. It's not difficult to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet, but you absolutely have to make it a priority.

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