Vegetarian: weight loss issues

allecatyl
allecatyl Posts: 14
edited November 11 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a vegetarian, but I'm overweight. What do vegetarians eat when they need to lose weight? I know for sure I need to eat more raw veggies, but I don't want to be eating salads every meal.

Any help or suggestions would be most appreciated :)

Replies

  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    It's the amount of what you eat, not the diet itself that makes the difference, The key is finding what works for you.

    Vegetarians need the same thing anyone needs to lose weight--a caloric deficit. You need to make sure you're getting adequate protein and fat. How you can do that depends on the type of vegetarian diet to which you adhere. Are egg whites OK? Fish? If not, tofu is good. Or whey protein powder ... Hemp protein powder is also good.
  • allecatyl
    allecatyl Posts: 14
    I'm a lacto ovo vegetarian so dairy and eggs are the only animal related products I eat. Yep tofu is my go to food. I've been a vegetarian for more than 6 yrs and for the last few years my weight has been increasing. I think I've been eating more unhealthy processed foods and snacking too much. What are some good healthy balanced meals to try?
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    edited January 2015
    I do not eat salads because they are too complicated and annoying. On rare occasions I open a bag of lettuce and eat it right out of the bag,
    I eat a lot of beans and lentils and a few nuts and eggs and some full fat Greek yogurt . . . also hemp seeds and some occasional protein powders/bars. If I eat fruit, it is only two servings for the day -- maybe some frozen berries, or some honeydew or watermelon that I buy pre-cut.

    I stay away from carbs like bread/rice because the beans already have lots of carbs/calories.

    My veggies are often stir fried or put in the magic bullet raw with water or soy milk : broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, kale, yellow squash, snow peas, bok choy (a little of the day's fruit in the magic bullet adds some sweetness.)

    There are many ways to do this. Experiment for a week, *kitten*, and make changes for the next week.
  • MeredithDoyle85
    MeredithDoyle85 Posts: 3
    Look up Dr Joel Fuhrman's website, it will give you all the answers you need for vegetarian type eating and millions of recipes. Well lots anyway and so many are delicious. He wrote the very well known book "Eat to Live"
  • mummy1650
    mummy1650 Posts: 2 Member
    Hi I've been a lacto veggie for over 21 years it really depends on what you eat for protein e.g quorn lentils tofu soya protein? Lentil dish - soften an onion, throw in a good few handfuls of spinach and garlic and mushrooms add cooked lentils (you can get them cooked in a can\tin for convience) a few minutes later when hot mix in some garlic n herb soft cheese n voila! That's my quick go to for an slow but decent energy boost. I've cut down on my carbs to give me calories elsewhere so I eat it on its own but you could serve with rice or crusty bread. When I make dishes for the family I usually just make a quorn and meat dish e.g. bologonise using quorn or green lentils and freeze what's left so I'm only making the meat one next time. Mixed beans ( again in tins\cans for convience)are another good option) and remember making a veggie stew is just as good as a meat one. Omlettes? Tortiilla wraps with salad ands mozzeralla are lovely with a little balsamic and heated up. Even if you dont have a panani\foremans grill just put it in a frying pan with a pot on the top for a few minutes.Then turn over and repeat. Go to the vegetarianism society or BBC good food for ideas and more importantly enjoy cooking!
  • kramrn77
    kramrn77 Posts: 375 Member
    It's easy to do with a vegetarian diet if you sub meat for processed meat replacers. Some of those can be pretty calorie dense. But making your own meatless patties or just focusing on whole foods could help. I don't know if that's helpful because I am not sure of your general diet.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Being vegetarian doesn't mean diddly

    Eat what you like to eat it, weigh it on a digital scale, log it on MFP, stick to your calorie defecit across the week and you have weight loss

  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited January 2015
    As has been said, it's not about the composition of your diet, it's about the amount of calories you eat vs. the amount of calories you burn.

    I'm a lacto ovo veggie. I weigh and measure everything I eat and am eating at a calorie deficit. I'm losing weight. It's that simple.

    I like eating eggs, non-starchy roasted veggies, Greek yogurt, oatmeal, lentils, chickpeas. Soy doesn't agree with me so I don't really eat it. I also eat protein bars and shakes because I feel best eating about 100 g a protein a day and they help me meet my goals. I also love to cook and like making my own veggie patties and loafs. They're great to make ahead and portion up, freeze, and pull out and reheat for quick meals.
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    I'm an overweight vegan. It's definitely possible, no matter the tripe that PETA pushes. I didn't start losing until I started accurately logging everything I eat. My usual meals are based on whole foods, with some seitan or Gardein thrown in for protein. Lots of beans and lentils, pasta and oats, fruits an spinach and I have started supplementing with a soy protein powder. I've noticed a huge surge in energy since I started that. =)

    And, lentil loaves FTW!

    I use this site a lot just to get the portions correct.

    http://www.veganlunchbox.com/loaf_studio.html
  • RealLifeDaria
    RealLifeDaria Posts: 22 Member
    I've been an egg-including-but-mostly-dairy-free vegetarian for 15 years, and yeah...in terms of weight gain and loss its no different than any other way of eating. I have found that over the years I don't even really think about the fact that I don't eat meat and have just gravitated towards cooking from cuisines that are historically low-meat/veg friendly anyways: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, south east Asian (mostly Thai and Vietnamese), Indian, etc. In terms of weight loss, it won't come to much more than eat less (and/or better) and move more.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    Laurend224 wrote: »
    I'm an overweight vegan. It's definitely possible, no matter the tripe that PETA pushes. I didn't start losing until I started accurately logging everything I eat. My usual meals are based on whole foods, with some seitan or Gardein thrown in for protein. Lots of beans and lentils, pasta and oats, fruits an spinach and I have started supplementing with a soy protein powder. I've noticed a huge surge in energy since I started that. =)

    And, lentil loaves FTW!

    I use this site a lot just to get the portions correct.

    http://www.veganlunchbox.com/loaf_studio.html

    That link is brilliant! Thank you.

  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    mamapeach910 wrote: »
    Laurend224 wrote: »
    I'm an overweight vegan. It's definitely possible, no matter the tripe that PETA pushes. I didn't start losing until I started accurately logging everything I eat. My usual meals are based on whole foods, with some seitan or Gardein thrown in for protein. Lots of beans and lentils, pasta and oats, fruits an spinach and I have started supplementing with a soy protein powder. I've noticed a huge surge in energy since I started that. =)

    And, lentil loaves FTW!

    I use this site a lot just to get the portions correct.

    http://www.veganlunchbox.com/loaf_studio.html

    That link is brilliant! Thank you.

    :D

  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    Laurend224 wrote: »
    I'm an overweight vegan. It's definitely possible, no matter the tripe that PETA pushes. I didn't start losing until I started accurately logging everything I eat. My usual meals are based on whole foods, with some seitan or Gardein thrown in for protein. Lots of beans and lentils, pasta and oats, fruits an spinach and I have started supplementing with a soy protein powder. I've noticed a huge surge in energy since I started that. =)

    And, lentil loaves FTW!

    I use this site a lot just to get the portions correct.

    http://www.veganlunchbox.com/loaf_studio.html

    This is so amazing!!
  • oremus1
    oremus1 Posts: 100 Member
    I think it is eating too many carbs and too little protein. especially fast digesting carbs. i make this mistake a lot when vegan you gotta ensure to get the protein right then you stave off the hunger and avoid sugar spikes/slumps
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    oremus1 wrote: »
    I think it is eating too many carbs and too little protein. especially fast digesting carbs. i make this mistake a lot when vegan you gotta ensure to get the protein right then you stave off the hunger and avoid sugar spikes/slumps


    Nope
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    oremus1 wrote: »
    I think it is eating too many carbs and too little protein. especially fast digesting carbs. i make this mistake a lot when vegan you gotta ensure to get the protein right then you stave off the hunger and avoid sugar spikes/slumps

    No. You might not have had enough protein to feel your optimum (everyone's macro needs are different), but for weight? It's all about calories in vs. calories out. Carbs vs. protein has nothing to do with weight control.

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