20lbs in 2.5 months - Vegetarian

nbrown88ca
nbrown88ca Posts: 33 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am looking to "lose" 20lbs in 2.5 months. I want to get stronger, fit and healthy. The 20lbs isnt a solid number I just want to get fit. I am 5"11 155lbs (the heaviest I have ever been) I am by no means over weight but I am unhappy and need to change.

I have just recently become vegetarian its been about a month and I am struggling with healthy food options. I feel like I eat a lot of cheese and carbs because its easy.

I have been exhausted lately I can barely get out of bed for work so there is no way i am going to the gym but I know its because of my eating habits.

I am looking for advice from someone on what are good go to foods for lunch and dinner and also some workout plans if possible. I love yoga and lifting weights and hate cardio but will do it if necessary lol.

Please only positive comments.

Thank you

Replies

  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Piling on the cheese and carbs kind of defeats the purpose of going veg to lose weight. Definitely try eating more beans and whole grains.

    Jeanne Lemlin has some awesome vegetarian cookbooks (do people even buy cookbooks anymore?). The downside is that some of the recipes are rather involved. I have another--Vegetarian Times Low Fat and Fast that was very nice for when my husband and I were just married--easy recipes and they generally didn't make a huge number of servings.

    Good luck!

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    edited October 2014
    Black beans, chick peas, lentils, lima beans, split green peas, pinto beans, soy beans, adzuki beans.
    Put some in a crock pot with some greens, some sautéed onions and garlic, and water for a nice soup.

    IF you do not want to cook, buy a can of vegetarian refried beans, heat them up in the microwave, and add some vegetables and salsa for a nice salad.

  • arl1286
    arl1286 Posts: 276 Member
    Part of being a vegetarian is actually eating vegetables! Feel free to add me as a friend-- I've been a vegetarian for 7 years and I eat an 80-90% (ish, it varies by the day/week) plant-based diet (very little dairy and grains).
  • nbrown88ca
    nbrown88ca Posts: 33 Member
    thanks for the advice, I went shopping and picked up a lot of beans and chickpeas. I am going to make sure I eat lots of veggies.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    edited October 2014
    Can I ask why you decided to go vegetarian? Keeping in mind that it isn't going to help you lose weight any faster, I am hoping it's for ethical reasons.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    There is nothing logged in your diary. Are you logging elsewhere? Caloric deficit = weight loss. It says you only have 14 pounds to lose so 2 pounds is probably too aggressive for one with so little to lose.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited October 2014
    As a lifelong vegetarian I know all too well how easy it is to eat junk and live an unhealthy lifestyle.

    Some of my favorite foods are:
    Greek yogurt (2% Fage is my brand of choice)
    Quorn "chicken breast" (used in stir fry, sautéed in mushroom sauce w/grilled asparagus)
    Morningstar Farms griller crumbles (uses include spaghetti bolognase, tacos, stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage)
    Vegetarian chili
    Roasted root vegetables
    Soups (like tortilla, black bean, mushroom)
    Baked potatoes/sweet potatoes
    Pastas of all kinds
    Salads (my current fave is crisp baby romaine with red onion and carrots drizzled with balsamic, olive oil, Dijon, garlic, and lemon)
    Sandwhiches (PB&J, egg salad, falafel)
    Etc.

    It's waaaaay too easy for me to eat cheese fries with ranch, cheese sticks, nachos, bean burritos, jalepeno poppers, cheese pizza, Doritos, ice cream, cheesecake, etc.

    I personally wouldn't advise going vegetarian just to "lose weight" as your options are still open to eat junk and you're not going to sustain the lifestyle.

    On a side note, I would avoid a significant amount of soy or goitrogenic foods so that hormones are not affected. You may want to track your micronutrients closely as I (and many other veggies I know) have nutritional deficiencies in Iron, Calcium, Vitamin B, Vitamin D.

    Edit: forgot to mention, you may need to supplement protein with whey, bars, etc. If you're unable to reach your goal. I know I need at least 1-2 scoops of whey unless I force myself to eat high protein faux-meat meals.
  • dcarter1020
    dcarter1020 Posts: 73 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    As a lifelong vegetarian I know all too well how easy it is to eat junk and live an unhealthy lifestyle.

    Some of my favorite foods are:
    Greek yogurt (2% Fage is my brand of choice)
    Quorn "chicken breast" (used in stir fry, sautéed in mushroom sauce w/grilled asparagus)
    Morningstar Farms griller crumbles (uses include spaghetti bolognase, tacos, stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage)
    Vegetarian chili
    Roasted root vegetables
    Soups (like tortilla, black bean, mushroom)
    Baked potatoes/sweet potatoes
    Pastas of all kinds
    Salads (my current fave is crisp baby romaine with red onion and carrots drizzled with balsamic, olive oil, Dijon, garlic, and lemon)
    Sandwhiches (PB&J, egg salad, falafel)
    Etc.

    It's waaaaay too easy for me to eat cheese fries with ranch, cheese sticks, nachos, bean burritos, jalepeno poppers, cheese pizza, Doritos, ice cream, cheesecake, etc.

    I personally wouldn't advise going vegetarian just to "lose weight" as your options are still open to eat junk and you're not going to sustain the lifestyle.

    On a side note, I would avoid a significant amount of soy or goitrogenic foods so that hormones are not affected. You may want to track your micronutrients closely as I (and many other veggies I know) have nutritional deficiencies in Iron, Calcium, Vitamin B, Vitamin D.

    Edit: forgot to mention, you may need to supplement protein with whey, bars, etc. If you're unable to reach your goal. I know I need at least 1-2 scoops of whey unless I force myself to eat high protein faux-meat meals.

    This^^^ . Great advice. I still eat veggie burgers and lots of bean burritos because life gets too hectic for me, but I still try to add as many vegetables as possible. It reduces bloat and makes my skin better. It's too easy to carb and dairy overload. I did it for months before I woke up and realized all the wonderful food available to me. Even now, I bring my own (healthy) appetizer to share at parties, so I won't be reduced to queso dip and chips. Oh, and I add a B-complex to my multi because I've heard it helps with energy. Hope that helps!

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