Going (mostly) veggie just to lose weight
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OP has ataxia, which is defined as the loss of full control of bodily movements. She's made another post referring to the exercises she is doing. In either case, exercise is not necessary for weight loss. It is for health, and well-being. I don't think she is making excuses.And exercise with no excuses. Everyone can do something.0 -
What a thread ride! Balance is the key. MFP premium features will help you get your key nutrients in. I agree with a Mediterranean style plan with plenty of fresh veggies, whole fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, and lean meat/dairy protein if one eats that. Count the calories to keep from overeating, but don't put all your calories in any one macronutrient. I think the newer thinking is that a calorie is not a calorie. That was an older message. And exercise with no excuses. Everyone can do something.
a calorie is a unit of energy, always has been and always will. So 200 calories of vegetables = 200 calories of doughnuts; however, they do not have the same nutritional profile.0 -
smotheredincheese wrote: »
I was a fat vegetarian! There are a lot of us out there, believe me..... personally I don't know any fat vegetarians! Not including the fact I've been housebound for years but when I did go to uni and work all the veggies I know were tall and skinny and lived on Beanburgers from McDonalds (though that could have been a student thing cos that's all they could afford!)
It's not what you're eating that makes you fat, but how much of it.
This.
I was an obese vegetarian. Obese because I obviously ate over maintenance even though it was mostly plant based foods.0 -
OP, I'm so glad you are still here through the troll hijacking your thread!
However you choose to eat, the key to losing weight is to eat less calories than you burn. Don't get too caught up in creating lots of rules you have to follow and special foods you need to buy - it just makes it harder to stick to.
Plug your stats into MFP, buy a food scale if you don't have one, and start logging accurately and consistently. If you want to try vegetarian, go for it, but understand that the first thing you need to get in line is the calories. Good luck!0 -
VykkDraygoVPR wrote: »
OP has ataxia, which is defined as the loss of full control of bodily movements. She's made another post referring to the exercises she is doing. In either case, exercise is not necessary for weight loss. It is for health, and well-being. I don't think she is making excuses.And exercise with no excuses. Everyone can do something.
Thank you ..yes my exercises are more aimed at trying to keep co-ordination skills and slow the progression of the Ataxia. Unfortunately I can't move fast enough to do cardio such as running, zumba or cycling (a regular bike outdoors for miles) etc.
I figured only way is to eat less than my body actually needs just getting through the day and maybe changing diet might kickstart some pounds into dropping off?
Cravings are my biggest downfall I'm peri menopausal too and currently sometimes getting 2 periods in one month so the cravings are no sooner gone than they're back again! ..so would love to know if there's anything that will stop me craving chocolate and sugar so much when the cravings are being relentless?0 -
OP, I'm so glad you are still here through the troll hijacking your thread!
However you choose to eat, the key to losing weight is to eat less calories than you burn. Don't get too caught up in creating lots of rules you have to follow and special foods you need to buy - it just makes it harder to stick to.
Plug your stats into MFP, buy a food scale if you don't have one, and start logging accurately and consistently. If you want to try vegetarian, go for it, but understand that the first thing you need to get in line is the calories. Good luck!
Thank you!0 -
When it comes to cravings, I'm a believer in feeding them....slowly....under control.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/riding-the-elephant-736034
So for that persistent chocolate craving, have some skinnytaste options ready to go. I keep cocoa on hand in case I want to make myself a hot cocoa or a mug brownie. I get a chocolate hit in pretty fast order, without having pounds of chocolate haunting my pantry.
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/04/pb2-flourless-chocolate-brownies.html
http://www.homemadetoast.com/2012/04/skinny-mug-brownie.html
http://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/homemade-sugar-free-vanilla-cinnamon-hot-chocolate-dairy-free-option/0 -
tincanonastring wrote: »In a 1999 poll, 87% of US respondents were unable to point to the USSR on a global map.
Honestly, this is probably the truest comment made to this thread.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »personally I don't know any fat vegetarians!
One of my best friends is a vegetarian...she is overweight...her diet actually really sucks...she is vegetarian, but eats primarily "junk" type of foods. Not all vegetarians are sitting around eating lentils and salads or otherwise consuming healthy, nutritious foods. She practically lives off of processed veggie burgers and bags of chips or french fries...and lots of chocolate and drinks soda seemingly by the gallon. Any WOE can be as healthy or unhealthy as you want to make it.
Conversely, I am an omnivore...while I do eat meat, a substantial portion of my diet is plant based...I eat a lot of whole grains, lentils, legumes, potatoes and sweet potatoes, veggies, fruit, nuts, etc....most of my meat comes from fish and chicken and lean cuts of pork (like pork tenderloin) and occasionally lean cuts of beef. I get most of my fats from things like avocados and nuts and cooking with olive oil and the like...my diet consists largely of nutrient dense whole foods and minimally processed food stuffs and while I do eat "junk" here and there, it is a minimal part of my diet.
There are many good reasons for going vegetarian, but being vegetarian doesn't auto default to losing weight...there are vegetarians with solid diets and vegetarians with *kitten* diets just as there are omnivores with solid diets and omnivores with *kitten* diets.
My husband is almost vegetarian. I say almost because he eats some fish and meat. He is not doing it on purpose, just what he naturally likes to eat. He also tends to have what one would consider a clean diet, again without really thinking about it. Vegetables, beans, lentils, some fish, eggs, small amounts of dairy, occasional small portion of meat, nuts etc. He is overweight. Eat too much of "good" things, you end up overweight. A bowl of lentil soup with a slice of bread and a piece of cheese can make you fat, when you have second and third servings
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I've been a vegetarian for 15 years. Some low calorie snack options:
- carrot sticks with homemade humous
- Edamame beans with soy sauce and chilli flakes
- Rice cakes with cottage cheese and cucumber
- Apple and peanut butter
- Handful of almonds and dried mango
- Date balls: I blend dates and nuts together with raw caocao nibs in a processor then roll into balls
Hope this gives you some inspiration!
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cwolfman13 wrote: »personally I don't know any fat vegetarians!
One of my best friends is a vegetarian...she is overweight...her diet actually really sucks...she is vegetarian, but eats primarily "junk" type of foods. Not all vegetarians are sitting around eating lentils and salads or otherwise consuming healthy, nutritious foods. She practically lives off of processed veggie burgers and bags of chips or french fries...and lots of chocolate and drinks soda seemingly by the gallon. Any WOE can be as healthy or unhealthy as you want to make it.
Conversely, I am an omnivore...while I do eat meat, a substantial portion of my diet is plant based...I eat a lot of whole grains, lentils, legumes, potatoes and sweet potatoes, veggies, fruit, nuts, etc....most of my meat comes from fish and chicken and lean cuts of pork (like pork tenderloin) and occasionally lean cuts of beef. I get most of my fats from things like avocados and nuts and cooking with olive oil and the like...my diet consists largely of nutrient dense whole foods and minimally processed food stuffs and while I do eat "junk" here and there, it is a minimal part of my diet.
There are many good reasons for going vegetarian, but being vegetarian doesn't auto default to losing weight...there are vegetarians with solid diets and vegetarians with *kitten* diets just as there are omnivores with solid diets and omnivores with *kitten* diets.
My husband is almost vegetarian. I say almost because he eats some fish and meat. He is not doing it on purpose, just what he naturally likes to eat. He also tends to have what one would consider a clean diet, again without really thinking about it. Vegetables, beans, lentils, some fish, eggs, small amounts of dairy, occasional small portion of meat, nuts etc. He is overweight. Eat too much of "good" things, you end up overweight. A bowl of lentil soup with a slice of bread and a piece of cheese can make you fat, when you have second and third servings
well yeah...part of having a solid diet is eating within your means.0 -
VykkDraygoVPR wrote: »
OP has ataxia, which is defined as the loss of full control of bodily movements. She's made another post referring to the exercises she is doing. In either case, exercise is not necessary for weight loss. It is for health, and well-being. I don't think she is making excuses.And exercise with no excuses. Everyone can do something.
Thank you ..yes my exercises are more aimed at trying to keep co-ordination skills and slow the progression of the Ataxia. Unfortunately I can't move fast enough to do cardio such as running, zumba or cycling (a regular bike outdoors for miles) etc.
I figured only way is to eat less than my body actually needs just getting through the day and maybe changing diet might kickstart some pounds into dropping off?
Cravings are my biggest downfall I'm peri menopausal too and currently sometimes getting 2 periods in one month so the cravings are no sooner gone than they're back again! ..so would love to know if there's anything that will stop me craving chocolate and sugar so much when the cravings are being relentless?
I don't know which of these three things stopped my cravings - more protein in relationship to carbs (I shoot for 40% carbs, 30% fat, and 30 % protein), more exercise, and/or taking a magnesium supplement.
I do eat about 70 calories worth of high quality chocolate after dinner, but no longer have those nasty all day cravings.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »personally I don't know any fat vegetarians!
One of my best friends is a vegetarian...she is overweight...her diet actually really sucks...she is vegetarian, but eats primarily "junk" type of foods. Not all vegetarians are sitting around eating lentils and salads or otherwise consuming healthy, nutritious foods. She practically lives off of processed veggie burgers and bags of chips or french fries...and lots of chocolate and drinks soda seemingly by the gallon. Any WOE can be as healthy or unhealthy as you want to make it.
Conversely, I am an omnivore...while I do eat meat, a substantial portion of my diet is plant based...I eat a lot of whole grains, lentils, legumes, potatoes and sweet potatoes, veggies, fruit, nuts, etc....most of my meat comes from fish and chicken and lean cuts of pork (like pork tenderloin) and occasionally lean cuts of beef. I get most of my fats from things like avocados and nuts and cooking with olive oil and the like...my diet consists largely of nutrient dense whole foods and minimally processed food stuffs and while I do eat "junk" here and there, it is a minimal part of my diet.
There are many good reasons for going vegetarian, but being vegetarian doesn't auto default to losing weight...there are vegetarians with solid diets and vegetarians with *kitten* diets just as there are omnivores with solid diets and omnivores with *kitten* diets.
My husband is almost vegetarian. I say almost because he eats some fish and meat. He is not doing it on purpose, just what he naturally likes to eat. He also tends to have what one would consider a clean diet, again without really thinking about it. Vegetables, beans, lentils, some fish, eggs, small amounts of dairy, occasional small portion of meat, nuts etc. He is overweight. Eat too much of "good" things, you end up overweight. A bowl of lentil soup with a slice of bread and a piece of cheese can make you fat, when you have second and third servings
Your husband sounds almost exactly like me, and I managed to rock my way into the 300+ pound club by eating too much of a good thing. I didn't even have fast food or packaged things often. I only had it once every 2-3 months when I went out with friends.
Speaking of lentils. We had a lentil dish today and I kept coming back. 2000 calories so far, and the day isn't over yet... I swear these buggers will be the death of my diet someday.
@shakybabe here is the deal: if you find that reducing your meat intake helps you stay fuller and within your budgeted calories then by all means do so. I find grains to be more filling for me personally than meats. What you need to understand is that eating a vegetarian diet will not automatically cause you to lose weight, and for some people it even has the opposite effect. A friend of mine ballooned when she became vegetarian. She has problems feeling full without meat. Everybody is different, so see how a vegetarian diet works for you appetite-wise and based on your own experience decide where to go from there. It's not like you're signing a contract to never eat meat again. If it doesn't work, you can always go back and try something different.
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Being vegetarian does not stop me from eating cookie dough chocolate chip ice cream, or which I ate a substantial amount today.0
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[/quote]
I don't know which of these three things stopped my cravings - more protein in relationship to carbs (I shoot for 40% carbs, 30% fat, and 30 % protein), more exercise, and/or taking a magnesium supplement.
I do eat about 70 calories worth of high quality chocolate after dinner, but no longer have those nasty all day cravings.[/quote]
Thanks that article about magnesium was really useful and explains alot! I might try some supplements and try and include some of the other food...quite a lot are nuts though which I'm allergic to.0 -
madhatter2013 wrote: »tincanonastring wrote: »In a 1999 poll, 87% of US respondents were unable to point to the USSR on a global map.
Honestly, this is probably the truest comment made to this thread.
I'm wondering why no one has asked about the 13% that were able to point to the USSR on a map in 1999.0 -
tincanonastring wrote: »madhatter2013 wrote: »tincanonastring wrote: »In a 1999 poll, 87% of US respondents were unable to point to the USSR on a global map.
Honestly, this is probably the truest comment made to this thread.
I'm wondering why no one has asked about the 13% that were able to point to the USSR on a map in 1999.
Ahhh but when was the map printed?0 -
Dreamyriver wrote: »tincanonastring wrote: »madhatter2013 wrote: »tincanonastring wrote: »In a 1999 poll, 87% of US respondents were unable to point to the USSR on a global map.
Honestly, this is probably the truest comment made to this thread.
I'm wondering why no one has asked about the 13% that were able to point to the USSR on a map in 1999.
Ahhh but when was the map printed?
Whoa! Inset-tion!0
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