Has anybody eliminated a lot of meat and seen a difference?

lollie1285
lollie1285 Posts: 239 Member
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
I'm big on chicken, but I get so sick of eating it all the time. There are some days where I'll eat strictly vegetarian...not because I force myself to, but because it's just what I'm in the mood for. I LOVE the Morningstar maple veggie sausage patties and the buffalo wings, and of course am a huge fan of egg whites, cereal, veggies, pasta, etc. Are there any of you out there who were heavy meat eaters and have noticed a difference when going light on the meat and instead eating lots of veggie/meatless dishes? I tried to choke down a medium sized hamburger with a cup of rice and carrots yesterday and I just couldn't do it. Made me sick to my stomach, probably because I've laid off the meat a lot recently.

Replies

  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    I gained weight while I was vegetarian (10 years) because vegetarian forms of protein often have so many carbs. Or, dairy products with protein have fat.
  • jessimacar
    jessimacar Posts: 291
    I just feel healthier, and my body feels cleaner. Especially since I'm eating healthier veg foods (rather than meat free junk) I feel great. I think that even if you put aside ethical and moral issues, eating vegetarian is a very healthy diet. Let me know if you need to know anything.
  • Dom_m
    Dom_m Posts: 336 Member
    I lost 30kg when I became vegetarian about 10 years ago. There were some other lifestyle changes at the same time, but becoming veg was one of the main ones.
  • n0pants3ver
    n0pants3ver Posts: 175
    I'm a vegetarian and i've lost weight. My body feels so much more energetic and I feel so healthy and clean. i love boca burgers & quorn chicken!
  • laughingdani
    laughingdani Posts: 2,275 Member
    I still eat some meat but the majority of the time I don't eat it anymore. Maybe 2-3 x a week.

    I make sure to incorporate eggs or beans into most of my meals. I could live off of eggs I think. lol

    The meatless burgers are good but I try not to eat them too often.
  • savannahgro
    savannahgro Posts: 113 Member
    I went veggie years back (now I eat poultry and seafood) and lost a ton of weight.
    I think I should also factor in that I started to exercise a little bit and had a new job where I was more active than the previous. BUT, either way, it was the only time I lost a decent amount of weight prior to me joining this site...
  • roylawrence87
    roylawrence87 Posts: 970 Member
    I lost all of my weight by going vegetarian. No problems here. Just got to watch what you eat, like anything else. Gotta be smart about it.
  • daniran
    daniran Posts: 233 Member
    Yes. I purchased the book the 21 day challenge by Neal Barnard. Haven't completed the challenge yet. but have cut out meat significantly. Feel more energy and digestion is better.
  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
    yup...check out my success story in my signature...it shows weight loss after becoming a veggie.

    not to mention i FEEL amazing and no longer need depression medicine or acid reflux medicine any more!

    try it...i promise you love it!
  • ppiinnkkmmoonn
    ppiinnkkmmoonn Posts: 418
    all i eat is seafood and i feel 100 percent better
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    I had a really negative experience going meatless. I was a vegetarian for almost three years, and I was always so sickly. After many, many doctor's visits, bloodwork and tests it was determined that, for whatever reason, my body was not absorbing iron from non-heme (vegetable/non-meat) sources. I could eat molasses, spinach, beans - but get none of the iron from the food. Vitamins didn't work either. Then I found out I was also allergic to soy - so no tofu, tempeh, etc. That was pretty much the nail in the coffin for my meatless lifestyle.

    I eat meat most days now, but I am careful about sourcing it. I get it from a local, organic community farm where I can see how the animals are treated and raised. I still feel a little sad about eating animals, but it turned out to be a better choice for my health.

    Of course, lots of people (MOST people) will have a vastly different and positive experience with vegetarian diets.
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
    I'm not entirely sure where the 'veggie products are so high in carbs' thing comes from. Maybe some products are, but I'm not sure which?

    2 Linda McCartney sausages contain 8g of carbs, and 23g of protein.

    Quorn BBQ burger = 5.6g carbs / 14.4g protein.

    Quorn Lamb grills = 6.8g carbs / 10.1 protein.

    My daily goal of carbs is 50% and 175g. :indifferent:
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
    I had a really negative experience going meatless. I was a vegetarian for almost three years, and I was always so sickly. After many, many doctor's visits, bloodwork and tests it was determined that, for whatever reason, my body was not absorbing iron from non-heme (vegetable/non-meat) sources. I could eat molasses, spinach, beans - but get none of the iron from the food. Vitamins didn't work either. Then I found out I was also allergic to soy - so no tofu, tempeh, etc. That was pretty much the nail in the coffin for my meatless lifestyle

    I eat meat most days now, but I am careful about sourcing it. I get it from a local, organic community farm where I can see how the animals are treated and raised. I still feel a little sad about eating animals, but it turned out to be a better choice for my health.

    Of course, lots of people (MOST people) will have a vastly different and positive experience with vegetarian diets.

    I take Ferrous Sulphate which my doctor prescribed. They are iron tablets. I also take a multi vitamin daily. The only time I ever get sick is when I forget to take my multivit for a few days :sick:
  • damonmath
    damonmath Posts: 359 Member
    I eat a ton of fish and shrimp daily. I do not eat red meat... too much fat in the meat itself.
  • clloy
    clloy Posts: 7
    Absolutely! I first went veggie three years ago and lost some weight immediately (although you do have to be careful to make good choices; pizza and cake are vegetarian).

    I recently hit a plateau and found the only way to improve was to go low-fat vegan (I'm also doing Dr. Barnard's 21 Day Kick Start). Even eating more calories, I lose weight vegan. When I added animal products back in, it went right back up to the plateau.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    I take Ferrous Sulphate which my doctor prescribed. They are iron tablets. I also take a multi vitamin daily. The only time I ever get sick is when I forget to take my multivit for a few days :sick:

    Yeah, I tried supplements, too. I'm pretty sure ferrous sulfate is an iron salt from a mineral (non-blood) source. I also tried ferrous gluconate, and ferrous fumarate - neither of them really worked for me either. I'm OK not being a vegetarian. :happy:
  • lilac01
    lilac01 Posts: 180 Member
    I've been a vegetarian my whole life and I think it really does make a difference. I have never weighed higher than 110.
  • Amie_46
    Amie_46 Posts: 60
    I just feel healthier, and my body feels cleaner. Especially since I'm eating healthier veg foods (rather than meat free junk) I feel great. I think that even if you put aside ethical and moral issues, eating vegetarian is a very healthy diet. Let me know if you need to know anything.

    ^ I feel the same as the above quote.
  • lollie1285
    lollie1285 Posts: 239 Member
    Thank you all! I really do feel a lot healthier. It may also be because my diet is very low fat, but I'm sure the lack of meat is making some type of difference. Good to hear of everyone's experiences!
  • reallivefitness
    reallivefitness Posts: 99
    I grew up mostly vegetarian and was always pretty slim, then I went vegan for a year and I put on about 10 lbs and felt like crap all the time. Now that I'm on a low carb, high fat diet with lots of meat in it, I feel great and have a ton of energy and I feel like I'm finally slimming down. So, I guess the moral of the story is that it's just not for everyone, but if it's working for you, stick with it.
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