Any one changing to a mostly vegetarian diet?
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DocStar127 wrote: »I have been eating according to Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live plan, as outlined in his book. It's easy enough guidelines-90% nutrient-dense food that grows in the ground and no more than 10%calories from other sources (animal products, processed foods, sugar, oil). It's not too hard to follow. I log every day and am consistently under 1600 cal. I lost 5 lbs the first week and leveled to 2-3. I am at a bmi of 32 so have 60 lb to lose, to give context.
I see from comments the concerns about getting enough protein. The RDAs for protein are based off of a government sponsored, corporate driven recommendation. Agribusiness, which really is dominated by meat and dairy, want us to eat as much of these products as possible, even though scientific studies show they have many detrimental effects on our health. Dr. Fuhrman suggests the need for protein is actually lower, about 40-60 g per day being adequate. A diet based in greens and beans easily gets to this. I get at least 40 g per day but not the 85 MFP sets for me. I ignore that.
There are plenty of actual studies that support the RDA standards are NOT adequate to support more retention, especially while losing weight. Keep in mind that Dr. Fuhrman is selling a lifestyle and books... he is going to cherry pick science to support his lifestyle and it may not align to the latest science out there. The current recommendations based on a lot of science is .8 to 1g per lb of lean body mass... which equates to about .6 to .8g of pro per lb of mass.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/869015/fundamental-flaws-with-rda-recommendations-for-protein
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/823505/research-on-protien-intake
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I've been a vegetarian for 20 years, not milk or dairy but I've recently added eggs to my diet as I need 144g of protein for my macros. If you have any questions or thoughts you can message me !!0
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A year ago I stopped 'dieting' and just started eating for better health. A strange think happened. As a life meat eater I now eat little meat living in a state of Nutritional Ketosis. I do eat eggs and dairy and have to keep protein <70 grams daily to keep down my blood glucose levels so I can stay in a state of Nutritional Ketosis.
There was no plan to back off meats as I have down. They were just working against my goal of eating for better health. If I wind up at a potluck meal that is mostly low fat, carbs and protein I will get mainly meat if I am really hungry.0 -
I could not do it! Love meat too much and how it fills me up! I did have one pregnancy out of three where I did go almost 100% meat free. Could still handle dairy and eggs and I think I ate steak twice, but for the most part it made me heave. I got really good at veggie food choices and learned a lot! I still cook those meals occasionally but find that they just do not fill us up! I have three boys ages 8-15yo and a husband. I find I can cook a vegetarian meal with calories per serving that match our usual meat filled meals and they are hungry an hour later and destroying the kitchen. So meat is still heavy in our meal planning. It does help that we raise our own free range organic animals. Beef, chickens, Turkey, lamb, and occasionally pork. I don't have to worry about our meat sources!0
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I went veggie about 14 years ago, dairy-free about 4 years ago, and only wish I'd done it sooner ... stopped eating meat on the day I started cooking from a vegetarian cookbook bought on impulse and loved the recipes so much I never ate meat again. My meals are healthier, tastier and more filling now yet I never get that awful 'heavy' feeling that used to be there after a meaty meal. Any thought of meat now makes me nauseous, even the smell of it in supermarkets; I avoid the meat aisles of course but sometimes the stench of cooking chickens is all over the store ... yukkkk. I won't eat eggs again either, will not support an industry that deals with the billions of unwanted male chicks by either dropping them alive into a bucket and letting them slowly suffocate or dropping them alive into a macerator.0
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Isn't 'mostly vegetarian' just code for 'plant based omnivore diet' most of the time? If you still eat meat, even only occasionally, you're not a vegetarian.0
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MarziPanda95 wrote: »Isn't 'mostly vegetarian' just code for 'plant based omnivore diet' most of the time? If you still eat meat, even only occasionally, you're not a vegetarian.
That's just semantics. We all know what that term means.0 -
peter56765 wrote: »Nope. Meats are the most nutritionally dense foods out there and since they are all protein and fat, they are quite filling too.
Not so, dark leafy greens such as kale and chard are actually the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet. And there are also MANY ways of getting protein other than meat, it's in so many plants it's amazing.
I changed to vegan this year on August 7th and have never looked back. I never liked eating animals my whole life and rarely did, but I did consume animal products. So basically no more eggs and dairy for me, and my body is already rejoicing. I have lost weight, and I have so much energy it's crazy.
I recommend going at least vegetarian, your body will thank you
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khristiana wrote: »peter56765 wrote: »Nope. Meats are the most nutritionally dense foods out there and since they are all protein and fat, they are quite filling too.
Not so, dark leafy greens such as kale and chard are actually the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet. And there are also MANY ways of getting protein other than meat, it's in so many plants it's amazing.
I changed to vegan this year on August 7th and have never looked back. I never liked eating animals my whole life and rarely did, but I did consume animal products. So basically no more eggs and dairy for me, and my body is already rejoicing. I have lost weight, and I have so much energy it's crazy.
I recommend going at least vegetarian, your body will thank you
Lots of protein and dietary fats in that kale, huh?0 -
khristiana wrote: »peter56765 wrote: »Nope. Meats are the most nutritionally dense foods out there and since they are all protein and fat, they are quite filling too.
Not so, dark leafy greens such as kale and chard are actually the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet. And there are also MANY ways of getting protein other than meat, it's in so many plants it's amazing.
I changed to vegan this year on August 7th and have never looked back. I never liked eating animals my whole life and rarely did, but I did consume animal products. So basically no more eggs and dairy for me, and my body is already rejoicing. I have lost weight, and I have so much energy it's crazy.
I recommend going at least vegetarian, your body will thank you
Very few vegan foods have complete proteins. And most importantly, and i cant stress this, comparing one food vs another is a terrible argument because it takes an entire diet to address all nutritional requirements. You can be healthy with any dietary preference.0 -
Vegan here, but for ethical reasons. You can be a healthy vegan or an unhealthy vegan, just like you can be a healthy omnivore or an unhealthy omnivore.0
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Yup, I'm 100% vegan, and it's the best feeling in the world. I have no problem getting protein, even when I'm lazy and have a day where I only eat fruit and baked potatoes my protein still reaches the limit. My skin is way clearer, I have a ton of energy without drinking coffee or tea, and my asthma has actually gotten better. Choosing not to eat meat is great, but eliminating dairy and eggs is even better for you. If you have any questions, please reply!
Same, except I eat, beans and nuts a lot for my protein. Also I follow an 80/10/10 rule and eat fresh fruit and veggies everyday. Sometimes I don't eat beans or nuts, mostly bread,fruit and veggies and I still get enough protein because I am fairly small0 -
Obviously this isn't for everyone, but we absolutely love raising laying hens. Great eggs, the hens live a happy life (totally free range) and we know they are treated well. We are vegetarians and do eat eggs and dairy, and I find that I cannot eat grocery store eggs for ethical reasons- the thought of those poor hens in a cages makes me gag just thinking about it. But my happy girls cost about 20$ a month in feed for 6 hens, and we get 5 eggs a day. (Coop costs are an up front cost, and throw off the economics, but we had lots of fun building it and sort of consider it a separate hobby).0
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Obviously this isn't for everyone, but we absolutely love raising laying hens. Great eggs, the hens live a happy life (totally free range) and we know they are treated well. We are vegetarians and do eat eggs and dairy, and I find that I cannot eat grocery store eggs for ethical reasons- the thought of those poor hens in a cages makes me gag just thinking about it. But my happy girls cost about 20$ a month in feed for 6 hens, and we get 5 eggs a day. (Coop costs are an up front cost, and throw off the economics, but we had lots of fun building it and sort of consider it a separate hobby).
Unfortunately, there are few sources for hens that don't involve supporting commercial hatchery operations -- which routinely kill male chicks. For those opposed to eggs for ethical reasons, supporting hatcheries is still not an good option (not to say your chickens come from these sources, it's just difficult to buy chickens and not support hatcheries).0 -
I'm a vegan and I have been for a few months, I used to be an ovo-lacto vegetarian and I've never liked red meat. I find my body does not react well to dairy products so I've decided to avoid them as a whole as I don't really support the dairy industry anyways. I've never liked eggs and going vegan was an easy step after realizing that personally I couldn't support the animal agricultural industry and eggs just make me extremely gassy. It's easy for me to hit 60-80g protein a day from soy milk, vega protein shakes (for breakfast and after a workout, mixed with soy milk or almond milk), tofu (which I love), black bean pasta, and occasional Gardien vegan meats if they're on sale.0
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janejellyroll wrote: »Obviously this isn't for everyone, but we absolutely love raising laying hens. Great eggs, the hens live a happy life (totally free range) and we know they are treated well. We are vegetarians and do eat eggs and dairy, and I find that I cannot eat grocery store eggs for ethical reasons- the thought of those poor hens in a cages makes me gag just thinking about it. But my happy girls cost about 20$ a month in feed for 6 hens, and we get 5 eggs a day. (Coop costs are an up front cost, and throw off the economics, but we had lots of fun building it and sort of consider it a separate hobby).
Unfortunately, there are few sources for hens that don't involve supporting commercial hatchery operations -- which routinely kill male chicks. For those opposed to eggs for ethical reasons, supporting hatcheries is still not an good option (not to say your chickens come from these sources, it's just difficult to buy chickens and not support hatcheries).
Initially I would agree. But if you add a roster to your coop you can eventually hatch eggs. Sell any that turn out to be roosters once mature, and always have young hens in the coop. I have about 20 layers and 3 roosters right now. Only getting about 4 eggs a day. Most are old and we did not have any good hatches this year. But we keep them all happy and healthy. And don't have to buy layers or eggs.
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youngmomtaz wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Obviously this isn't for everyone, but we absolutely love raising laying hens. Great eggs, the hens live a happy life (totally free range) and we know they are treated well. We are vegetarians and do eat eggs and dairy, and I find that I cannot eat grocery store eggs for ethical reasons- the thought of those poor hens in a cages makes me gag just thinking about it. But my happy girls cost about 20$ a month in feed for 6 hens, and we get 5 eggs a day. (Coop costs are an up front cost, and throw off the economics, but we had lots of fun building it and sort of consider it a separate hobby).
Unfortunately, there are few sources for hens that don't involve supporting commercial hatchery operations -- which routinely kill male chicks. For those opposed to eggs for ethical reasons, supporting hatcheries is still not an good option (not to say your chickens come from these sources, it's just difficult to buy chickens and not support hatcheries).
Initially I would agree. But if you add a roster to your coop you can eventually hatch eggs. Sell any that turn out to be roosters once mature, and always have young hens in the coop. I have about 20 layers and 3 roosters right now. Only getting about 4 eggs a day. Most are old and we did not have any good hatches this year. But we keep them all happy and healthy. And don't have to buy layers or eggs.
I'm glad you found something that works for you. I haven't kept chickens since I was a young girl (I guess technically my parents kept them and I helped!) but my friends who keep them make it sound as if the market for roosters (except for meat) is rather limited. Probably not true for every area though.0 -
FunkyTobias wrote: »juggernaut1974 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Yup, I'm 100% vegan, and it's the best feeling in the world. I have no problem getting protein, even when I'm lazy and have a day where I only eat fruit and baked potatoes my protein still reaches the limit. My skin is way clearer, I have a ton of energy without drinking coffee or tea, and my asthma has actually gotten better. Choosing not to eat meat is great, but eliminating dairy and eggs is even better for you. If you have any questions, please reply!
Are you hitting MFP's default protein goal on fruit and baked potatoes or did you custom set your goal? I have been vegan for 9 years and I do believe it's totally possible to meet protein needs without animal products. But I'm not sure how you're hitting the default goal on fruit and baked potatoes.
You'd be surprised, everything has protein.
Yes..trace amounts. But certainly not enough to meet any sort of minimum required amount by eating only fruits and baked potatoes...unless you're eating a massive quantity of them as I said
Not to mention the fact that vegetable sources of protein are less bioavailable than animal sources.
And what's so bad about dairy and eggs?
the fact that babies are torn away from their mothers so that you can drink their milk instead of their babies causing enormous stress for the calf and the mother. Most time the calves are put into a structure they can't move in so that people can have nice veal that doesn't taste gamy. The fact that millions of male chicks are crushed to death or put in a blender because they cannot produce eggs. That's whats wrong with eating milk and eggs.
And there are plenty of ways vegans can get protein. I am eating 30 g of protein for lunch that's from a cup of beans.0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »DocStar127 wrote: »I get at least 40 g per day but not the 85 MFP sets for me. I ignore that.
You could change your protein goal by going to goals and playing around with the percentage. With that said, more protein is not a bad thing, especially for someone who is trying to lose weight. The more muscle mass you manage to preserve the better your results will look, and for that protein is key. It's not that protein is hard to hit for vegetarian, it's just that it's much easier to do on a diet that includes meat. For vegetarians struggling to hit their protein goal I have one word. Lupins! They make a perfect snack and they have more than 20 grams of protein in a 200 calorie cup.
Edit: after checking it's actually 26 grams of protein per cup, and 193 calories.
Haha I eat them everyday. Great source of protein!0 -
I'm a strength athlete and haven't had any issues switching to a vegan lifestyle, except the first week when my system cleaned itself out lol. I get plenty of protein from a variety of fruit, veggies, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. As a huge plus I have absolutely no trouble getting enough iron, fiber, and other vitamins / minerals that I was having trouble getting through a high protein animal based diet i.e chicken/rice steak/sweet potato bro diet. This morning for second breakfast I made a vegan sandwich with 46 grams of protein and 4 hours later I'm just now feeling a little snackish.0
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doodlebuggin18 wrote: »FunkyTobias wrote: »juggernaut1974 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Yup, I'm 100% vegan, and it's the best feeling in the world. I have no problem getting protein, even when I'm lazy and have a day where I only eat fruit and baked potatoes my protein still reaches the limit. My skin is way clearer, I have a ton of energy without drinking coffee or tea, and my asthma has actually gotten better. Choosing not to eat meat is great, but eliminating dairy and eggs is even better for you. If you have any questions, please reply!
Are you hitting MFP's default protein goal on fruit and baked potatoes or did you custom set your goal? I have been vegan for 9 years and I do believe it's totally possible to meet protein needs without animal products. But I'm not sure how you're hitting the default goal on fruit and baked potatoes.
You'd be surprised, everything has protein.
Yes..trace amounts. But certainly not enough to meet any sort of minimum required amount by eating only fruits and baked potatoes...unless you're eating a massive quantity of them as I said
Not to mention the fact that vegetable sources of protein are less bioavailable than animal sources.
And what's so bad about dairy and eggs?
the fact that babies are torn away from their mothers so that you can drink their milk instead of their babies causing enormous stress for the calf and the mother. Most time the calves are put into a structure they can't move in so that people can have nice veal that doesn't taste gamy. The fact that millions of male chicks are crushed to death or put in a blender because they cannot produce eggs. That's whats wrong with eating milk and eggs.
Which has nothing to do with the claim that eliminating dairy and eggs is "better for you"
In fact, it has nothing to do with eggs and dairy per se but rather factory farming practices.And there are plenty of ways vegans can get protein. I am eating 30 g of protein for lunch that's from a cup of beans.
Again you ignore the context of the conversation. Nobody claimed that you couldn't get sufficient protein as a vegan, but it takes more than some fruit and potatoes.
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