Vegetarian diets are best for weight loss/ healthy hearts

No. What is the likelihood you can do this sustainability? What happens after 3 months? Do you go back to a poor diet? Also, foods high in cholesterol do not lead to high blood levels of cholesterol. Eat in deficit, exercise, and avoid foods high in saturated fat.

My total cholesterol dropped 80 points in 2 months after basically doing this, although I have not avoided foods high in saturated fat.

As long as you don't replace the meat with junk food or pills then I do believe it will make you a healthier person. I feel and look better as a vegetarian than I ever did as a meat eater. Good luck to you in whatever you end up choosing. I hope you get good results when you go back to your doctor. I think it is always a good idea to try and make lifestyle changes and see if that works for you before taking medication.

id ask him for the current evidence based studies that supports a vegetarian diet over medicinal management in lowering cholesterol and improving health.

1Luv0110 wrote: »

Nuke_64 wrote: »

No. What is the likelihood you can do this sustainability? What happens after 3 months? Do you go back to a poor diet? Also, foods high in cholesterol do not lead to high blood levels of cholesterol. Eat in deficit, exercise, and avoid foods high in saturated fat.

My total cholesterol dropped 80 points in 2 months after basically doing this, although I have not avoided foods high in saturated fat.

Really? That's a lot, and you did not change your diet?

I ate in deficit so I was eating less and better stuff, leading to 25lb weight loss as well (over 3 months, close to 35 now), but I did not deny myself pizza or steak. Just tracked it.

1Luv0110 wrote: »

Or are they??

I am a die hard meat eater, but since having high cholesterol and other health issues I have been instructed to go on a no meat diet for 3 months to help my body get on track. Are vegetarians more healthy?
my doctor feels that instead of putting me on cholesterol medication I can stop eating meat and high fatty foods for a while.
Instead of me taking a bunch of other pills to help w/ nutrition I can see a dietician for healthy vegetarian and full of veggie recipes.

Anyone change their lifestyle and become a vegetarian for weight loss or heart health reasons?
Will I be healthier by changing what I eat?

Since your doctor said for only 3 months...that might work, but you will need to have a plan for what you will eat on your vegetarian diet (there are so many delicious options) and a plan for when you switch back from a vegetarian diet (you can't just go back to the same ole way of eating, if that is what your doctor thinks is the cause of your numbers). Did the doctor address those issues? Like, do you normally eat a high sodium, low nutrient diet?

When I was a vegetarian both my blood pressure and my cholesterol were normal. I ate that way for 20-ish years.

Then I stopped really paying attention to what I was eating, and I started drinking more alcohol (beer and cheap wine) and eventually got to a point where the doctor told me to get a grip on my diet and exercise or else I would need medication for both.

So, I lowered my Cholesterol and my Triglycerides by exercising more, drinking enough water, cutting back on the large amount of alcohol I was drinking, and making more nutritious health choices more often. I don't think that meat is necessarily the problem, but a vegetarian diet would help if that meant you were getting more fiber and nutrients in your food. Even vegetarians can make poor food choices, which is why you need a plan.

Getting rid of cholesterol in your diet will not necessarily change your body's cholesterol levels.
I apologize but I hate doctors who do this. My father has to deal with stupid doctors and was on a statin for years that gave him permanent nerve damage.

RodaRose wrote: »

Getting rid of cholesterol in your diet will not necessarily change your body's cholesterol levels.
I apologize but I hate doctors who do this. My father has to deal with stupid doctors and was on a satin for years that gave him permanent nerve damage.

Science changes almost daily anymore , very few people are actually affected by dietary cholesterol, I am one of them not significantly but it does change my overall numbers if I go overboard with it. Statins are not my drug of choice but when nothing else works you do what you have to do

I have been a vegetarian for thirty plus years. It can be a very healthy lifestyle...and sometimes it isn't.
I am an ethical vegetarian so I think everyone should be vegetarian/vegan lol.
In my journey towards eating better, I am focusing on adding more protein and vegetables. I think that it is better on focusing on what you are adding rather than what you are cutting. Start looking into vegetable dishes/ meatless main meals and see how that works for you. One of my favorite sites is Skinnytaste. Check it out. Make a goal for youself...such as two out of my three meals will be meatless (or whatever you are comfortable with) and take it from there.

VeggieStef wrote: »

As long as you don't replace the meat with junk food or pills then I do believe it will make you a healthier person. I feel and look better as a vegetarian than I ever did as a meat eater. Good luck to you in whatever you end up choosing. I hope you get good results when you go back to your doctor. I think it is always a good idea to try and make lifestyle changes and see if that works for you before taking medication.

I appreciate you saying that since I myself am becoming a vegetarian. My sister has been a vegetarian for years and my other sister a vegan and I felt I could continue eating meat and getting the same results. They were both healthier and thinner on account of their "lifestyles." Recently I decided to go vegetarian with my family and we're seeing great improvements.

SugarySweetheart wrote: »

VeggieStef wrote: »

As long as you don't replace the meat with junk food or pills then I do believe it will make you a healthier person. I feel and look better as a vegetarian than I ever did as a meat eater. Good luck to you in whatever you end up choosing. I hope you get good results when you go back to your doctor. I think it is always a good idea to try and make lifestyle changes and see if that works for you before taking medication.

I appreciate you saying that since I myself am becoming a vegetarian. My sister has been a vegetarian for years and my other sister a vegan and I felt I could continue eating meat and getting the same results. They were both healthier and thinner on account of their "lifestyles." Recently I decided to go vegetarian with my family and we're seeing great improvements.

That is awesome! I am now a vegan but was a vegetarian for many years before. I think doing one at a time worked best for me. You can add me if you like. There are a lot of nice veggie people here on MFP that are encouraging and can give you some really good food ideas.

Nuke_64 wrote: »

Eat in deficit, exercise, and avoid foods high in saturated fat.

My total cholesterol dropped 80 points in 2 months after basically doing this, although I have not avoided foods high in saturated fat.

I dropped my cholesterol by the same amount by adding exercise and removing all saturated fat. I used to have a piece of toast with butter for example.

I also take a good phytosterol with betasistoral supplement with every meal. My doctor is very happy with my cholesterol!

But, now I guess there are some new studies that are questioning if high cholesterol really leads to heart disease? I don't know.

1Luv0110 wrote: »

Will I be healthier by changing what I eat?

Yes, a plant-based diet can result in highly positive changes and improve heart health (see Drs. Campbell, Ornish, Esselstyn). It's great your MD referred you to a RD; I applaud any doctor that believes nutrition is the first step to healing the body. You have a trusted team helping you through the process along with great resources (books, internet sites and forums).

Will you be healthier by changing you diet? Well, it depends, largely on how you eat as a "vegetarian". The aforementioned doctors recommend a whole-foods (minimally processed), plant-based low-fat diet (<---wordy) and they've written books explaining their position. In short, you can enjoy an abundance of fruit, vegetables, legumes, and grains while consuming minimal amounts of fat (seed, avocado, and nuts) but eliminating all refined foods and fats.

It is a radical but very freeing shift but comes with great benefits and even simplicity. Beyond heart health, many see improvements in energy, weight loss and relief of other ailments (disclaimer: when one eats sufficient calories). You are not relegated to eating salads all day and for the serious cook, one could look to cookbooks authors Amy Chaplain and Sarah Britton for great recipes.

1Luv0110 wrote: »

Anyone change their lifestyle and become a vegetarian for weight loss or heart health reasons?

Yes, I first ventured into psuedo-vegetarianism for weight loss purposes some time ago. It was a transition - first eliminating beef, then pork, later turkey, and then chicken; but I still ate fish and eggs. It started off good but I struggled with eating out / social gatherings and managing work related travel. Due to poor planning, I'd often consume a lot of junk food. Needless to say, it was a weight loss/gain yo-yo effect; I never got to my goal.

Then, I had a unexpected situation occur in my life that required me to pay attention to my health. It was then, I decided to understand what diet would serve best in healing and energizing my body. I read books, scoured the internet and ultimately realized that a plant-based diet would be optimal for my goals. With new knowledge, I realized my previous attempts at vegetarianism, while an improvement on SAD, wasn't nutrient-dense or particularly healthy.

Sorry for this long post but I hope you give this a fair chance. Take the time to research this (along with the RD). Focus on what you can have and you like that falls within the "good for you" parameters. It may take time to develop a strong foundation and habit. This diet can very well heal the wrong that is going on internally.