Vegetarian Diet- Your caloric intake?
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ShayRae125
Posts: 2 Member
I read a lot of varying things when it comes to calorie intake.
Sorry if I sound entirely ignorant. I'm about 2 weeks into being a vegetarian and I'm still trying to find a good balance of both nutritional intake and caloric intake and because on constantly conflicting articles I dunno what's what.
Any suggestions on what worked for you?
- Sometime I read it's not the number itself, it's the quality of food you're eating to make those calories. 1,500 calories of junk, and you won't lose weight like you would with 1,500 calories of good food.
- Sometimes I read it's the number and the number alone- 1,500 calories of straight veggies is still equal to say 1,500 of steak and eggs lmao.
- Sometimes I read (especially from raw vegans) that you an eat an exorbitant amount of fresh fruit and veggie goodness and still lose tons of weight (see: Lissa's Raw Food Romance)
Sorry if I sound entirely ignorant. I'm about 2 weeks into being a vegetarian and I'm still trying to find a good balance of both nutritional intake and caloric intake and because on constantly conflicting articles I dunno what's what.
Any suggestions on what worked for you?
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Replies
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If all you care about is the number on the scale, then CICO (calories in, calories out) is all that matters. If you care about being healthy overall, then choosing good foods to fit into your calorie goals will matter. (ie. you need a certain amount of proteins, fats, iron, calcium etc for your body to function properly)
Additionally, CICO is way easier when you're eating things like fruits and veggies, lean protein, healthy fats, etc, because you'll feel fuller for fewer calories. I can eat a McDonald's muffin for 400 calories and be hungry again in an hour, or I can eat a large bowl of curry lentils with rice and a side of veggies (also about 400 calories) and feel full all afternoon.6 -
My understanding: a calorie is a calorie. The difference between 1500cals of steak/eggs and 1500 cals of veggies is the nutritional content you're getting (protein, fiber, calcium etc) it's important to have a balanced diet, no matter what you do/don't eat. Eating tons of fruit and vegetables is great, though you can still go over calories without being aware of how much you're eating. And with that ton of fruit/veggies you'll probably be lacking in other nutrients. I'm a vegan, have been for a while now. I make sure to keep track of all nutrients, as well as calorie intake. Eat things you enjoy, but be mindful of what it's worth nutritionally and stay within your calorie goal.
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I've been vegetarian (ovo-lacto) for 42 years (yes, since 1974 - I'm old). I got obese being vegetarian, stayed obese being vegetarian, got pretty darned fit/strong being obese & vegetarian, and most recently lost weight while being vegetarian, to the point of being near the low end of a normal BMI.
Therefore, I conclude that vegetarianism, per se, has little or nothing to do with weight.
I think a calorie is a calorie, pretty much, unless one has a medical condition that interferes with that somehow.
I suspect that whole foods may require a tiny bit more energy to digest than highly processed ones (based on some research I've read) but probably the difference isn't big enough to create any magic weight-loss effect.
I know that, for me, Real Food (single-ingredient or simple-ingredient food) is more satisfying and tasty than "food products" - but others' tastes differ, and they still can lose weight and be healthy. (Lots of vegetarians eat lots of "food products" - including protein powders and those fake meat thingies, neither of which I like: Just not tasty or satisfying, to me. )
And I'm pretty sure a healthy way of eating (including lots of nice fruits & veg, adequate protein, and healthy fats) will help one be healthier than an unhealthy way of eating.
Being vegetarian is sort of annoying & inconvenient. If you have strong reasons to be a vegetarian, go for it. But I don't think it makes much difference to weight loss.15 -
ShayRae125 wrote: »I read a lot of varying things when it comes to calorie intake.
- Sometime I read it's not the number itself, it's the quality of food you're eating to make those calories. 1,500 calories of junk, and you won't lose weight like you would with 1,500 calories of good food.
- Sometimes I read it's the number and the number alone- 1,500 calories of straight veggies is still equal to say 1,500 of steak and eggs lmao.
- Sometimes I read (especially from raw vegans) that you an eat an exorbitant amount of fresh fruit and veggie goodness and still lose tons of weight (see: Lissa's Raw Food Romance)
Sorry if I sound entirely ignorant. I'm about 2 weeks into being a vegetarian and I'm still trying to find a good balance of both nutritional intake and caloric intake and because on constantly conflicting articles I dunno what's what.
Any suggestions on what worked for you?
When it comes to weight loss it's all about the numbers-the only way to lose weight is to eat less calories than your burn. Food type does not matter.
When it comes to nutrition, it's all about food type-the only way to have good nutrition is to eat nutritionally dense foods. Food type does matter.
It's a good idea to find a balance between the two so that they sustain overall health.
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I have been a vegetarian for 11 years. Super Healthy and my blood values all became perfect. Love plant-based nutrition. I do very well it took some time but it was well worth it. The beauty of my fitness pal it allows you the foods that you love very easy to count calories. I get my protein from beans, tofu, I do enjoy certified humane eggs, fruits, and vegetables and of course my weakness still is desserts. I also go organic to avoid the devastating and toxic pesticides and artificial additives. Give yourself time it will be worth it. Add me if you like.0
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Vegetarians have a lower over all bmi compared to meat eaters as well as lower risks of certain disease: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2671114/
That said, you can get obese eating ice berg lettuce if you eat enough of it. But many vegetarians eat more foods that are higher volume and lower calorie than meat eaters so I think if they are paying any attention at all to their diet they tend weigh less.
I've been vegetarian for 5 years.2 -
When I turned vegetarian I gained weight because I followed woo advice that as long as you eat plant based healthy foods you won't gain weight. You will - if you're eating in caloric surplus. It doesn't matter what you eat as long as you're in deficit. You can eat chips, chocolate, sweets and anything that is considered "unhealthy" and you will lose weight if you're in caloric deficit. BUT you'll probably feel like c.rap. What works for me is plant based diet - lots of veggies, starchy (is it the way to write it? lol) vegetables, rice, beans and legumes and bit of junk food whenever I feel like. If I eat too much junk food I don't feel well.0
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Oh and about raw vegans- most of they say is bollocks. Especially what banana girl is saying. Idea of eating 3000-4000 calories for average woman and losing weight is ridiculous, doesn't matter if they're mostly coming from raw fruits and veggies. If you do research online you'll find many, many people who gained a lot of weight that way. Do your research here, follow calories assigned to you by mfp and weight will start dropping off in no time
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ShayRae125 wrote: »I read a lot of varying things when it comes to calorie intake.
- Sometime I read it's not the number itself, it's the quality of food you're eating to make those calories. 1,500 calories of junk, and you won't lose weight like you would with 1,500 calories of good food.
- Sometimes I read it's the number and the number alone- 1,500 calories of straight veggies is still equal to say 1,500 of steak and eggs lmao.
- Sometimes I read (especially from raw vegans) that you an eat an exorbitant amount of fresh fruit and veggie goodness and still lose tons of weight (see: Lissa's Raw Food Romance)
Sorry if I sound entirely ignorant. I'm about 2 weeks into being a vegetarian and I'm still trying to find a good balance of both nutritional intake and caloric intake and because on constantly conflicting articles I dunno what's what.
Any suggestions on what worked for you?
I'm not familiar with option 3 but I can say with a decent amount of confidence that people who bring up options 1 and 2 are not actually advocating that you do either exclusively. Most people strike a balance between a calorie deficit for weight loss, a variety of nutrient dense foods for nutritional benefits, and some treats thrown in for happiness and long term sustainability.
IMO any extreme approach that isn't medically necessary is not going to be sustainable which is why eating as I mentioned above works well for me.
Just curious OP if you are choosing to become vegetarian because you think it will help you lose weight?0 -
dustedwithsugar wrote: »Oh and about raw vegans- most of they say is bollocks. Especially what banana girl is saying. Idea of eating 3000-4000 calories for average woman and losing weight is ridiculous, doesn't matter if they're mostly coming from raw fruits and veggies. If you do research online you'll find many, many people who gained a lot of weight that way. Do your research here, follow calories assigned to you by mfp and weight will start dropping off in no time
I still wonder if raw vegans eat *raw* green beans rofl - botulism and all
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Hey all. Thanks for your replies. To answer a few of you- no, I haven't moved to vegetarian for the sake of hoping to lose weight. I went from 190 lbs to 135 lbs originally eating a regular, healthy diet including meat but I've decided to make the switch due to ethical feels. I just want to do it the right way! My first week was rough because I didn't have a proper balance of nutrition and had a hard time making it to a good amount of calories and felt like I was hit by a truck lmao. So I thought I would ask. ^_^ 0
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ShayRae125 wrote: »I read a lot of varying things when it comes to calorie intake.
- Sometime I read it's not the number itself, it's the quality of food you're eating to make those calories. 1,500 calories of junk, and you won't lose weight like you would with 1,500 calories of good food.
- Sometimes I read it's the number and the number alone- 1,500 calories of straight veggies is still equal to say 1,500 of steak and eggs lmao.
- Sometimes I read (especially from raw vegans) that you an eat an exorbitant amount of fresh fruit and veggie goodness and still lose tons of weight (see: Lissa's Raw Food Romance)
Sorry if I sound entirely ignorant. I'm about 2 weeks into being a vegetarian and I'm still trying to find a good balance of both nutritional intake and caloric intake and because on constantly conflicting articles I dunno what's what.
Any suggestions on what worked for you?
Only the calories are true. You don't get extra goodie points because the food you eat is perceived as "healthy" and you won't lose weight because "reasons" just because it's fruits and vegetables.
As a lifelong vegetarian (my mom was vegan when i was born so i was actually vegan for the first 5 years of my life) and then added in some products containing dairy and eggs let me tell you first hand (as someone who has NEVER eaten meat or fish) that this premise is absolute B.S.
I have been my heighest weight as a vegetarian, and my lowest weight. The only change? Calories.1 -
dustedwithsugar wrote: »Oh and about raw vegans- most of they say is bollocks. Especially what banana girl is saying. Idea of eating 3000-4000 calories for average woman and losing weight is ridiculous, doesn't matter if they're mostly coming from raw fruits and veggies. If you do research online you'll find many, many people who gained a lot of weight that way. Do your research here, follow calories assigned to you by mfp and weight will start dropping off in no time
I still wonder if raw vegans eat *raw* green beans rofl - botulism and all
I'm not sure why the thought of anyone suffering from botulism, which can cause paralysis and even death, makes you ROFL, but I believe that botulism is associated with home-canned green beans, not raw ones. I could be wrong though.4 -
Calories aren't the same when it comes to weight and nutrition. Your health overall would be very different if you got the same amount of calories from a balanced diet than a diet full of junk food even though the calories are the same.1
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janejellyroll wrote: »dustedwithsugar wrote: »Oh and about raw vegans- most of they say is bollocks. Especially what banana girl is saying. Idea of eating 3000-4000 calories for average woman and losing weight is ridiculous, doesn't matter if they're mostly coming from raw fruits and veggies. If you do research online you'll find many, many people who gained a lot of weight that way. Do your research here, follow calories assigned to you by mfp and weight will start dropping off in no time
I still wonder if raw vegans eat *raw* green beans rofl - botulism and all
I'm not sure why the thought of anyone suffering from botulism, which can cause paralysis and even death, makes you ROFL, but I believe that botulism is associated with home-canned green beans, not raw ones. I could be wrong though.
Botulism is more commonly associated with bacterial growth in improperly canned goods, whether home or manufactured. I've got lots of experience with this as my grandma still cans everything. Botulism is very easily recognized in clear jars... just saying. 1 -
redraidergirl2009 wrote: »Calories aren't the same when it comes to weight and nutrition. Your health overall would be very different if you got the same amount of calories from a balanced diet than a diet full of junk food even though the calories are the same.
I think it's pretty safe to say everyone knows that getting adequate vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins is necessary for good health.
but this doesn't change the fact that (with or without the micronutrition) even junk food eating the same calories is going to result in the same weight results.
I personally find that most people acheive life-long success by eating the foods they enjoy (while meeting nutrient needs) without restriction of foods seen as "unhealthy" or "high calorie". It's a very fine line between "eating healthy and balanced" and starting to develop orthorexia.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »dustedwithsugar wrote: »Oh and about raw vegans- most of they say is bollocks. Especially what banana girl is saying. Idea of eating 3000-4000 calories for average woman and losing weight is ridiculous, doesn't matter if they're mostly coming from raw fruits and veggies. If you do research online you'll find many, many people who gained a lot of weight that way. Do your research here, follow calories assigned to you by mfp and weight will start dropping off in no time
I still wonder if raw vegans eat *raw* green beans rofl - botulism and all
I'm not sure why the thought of anyone suffering from botulism, which can cause paralysis and even death, makes you ROFL, but I believe that botulism is associated with home-canned green beans, not raw ones. I could be wrong though.
I believe Clostridium botulinum is an anaerobic bacterium - grows in the absence of oxygen. Hence, it's a risk in under-heated non-acidic canned foods. I'm assuming canned foods automatically count as cooked, to a raw vegan, but I'm too lazy to check that assumption.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »dustedwithsugar wrote: »Oh and about raw vegans- most of they say is bollocks. Especially what banana girl is saying. Idea of eating 3000-4000 calories for average woman and losing weight is ridiculous, doesn't matter if they're mostly coming from raw fruits and veggies. If you do research online you'll find many, many people who gained a lot of weight that way. Do your research here, follow calories assigned to you by mfp and weight will start dropping off in no time
I still wonder if raw vegans eat *raw* green beans rofl - botulism and all
I'm not sure why the thought of anyone suffering from botulism, which can cause paralysis and even death, makes you ROFL, but I believe that botulism is associated with home-canned green beans, not raw ones. I could be wrong though.
I believe Clostridium botulinum is an anaerobic bacterium - grows in the absence of oxygen. Hence, it's a risk in under-heated non-acidic canned foods. I'm assuming canned foods automatically count as cooked, to a raw vegan, but I'm too lazy to check that assumption.
People who are being strict about raw veganism draw the line at heating above 104 to 120 degrees F. I've never canned so I don't know if the canning process would heat foods more than that.1 -
BecomingBane wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »dustedwithsugar wrote: »Oh and about raw vegans- most of they say is bollocks. Especially what banana girl is saying. Idea of eating 3000-4000 calories for average woman and losing weight is ridiculous, doesn't matter if they're mostly coming from raw fruits and veggies. If you do research online you'll find many, many people who gained a lot of weight that way. Do your research here, follow calories assigned to you by mfp and weight will start dropping off in no time
I still wonder if raw vegans eat *raw* green beans rofl - botulism and all
I'm not sure why the thought of anyone suffering from botulism, which can cause paralysis and even death, makes you ROFL, but I believe that botulism is associated with home-canned green beans, not raw ones. I could be wrong though.
Botulism is more commonly associated with bacterial growth in improperly canned goods, whether home or manufactured. I've got lots of experience with this as my grandma still cans everything. Botulism is very easily recognized in clear jars... just saying.
My sister is going to start canning this summer. I should probably figure out how to recognize it as I suspect I will be gifted with some of her garden's bounty. *runs to Google*0 -
I lost about 45 pounds with calories in/calories out. About a month ago I switched to a raw(ish) vegetarian(ish) diet mostly doing a BIG smoothie for breakfast and lunch then eat healthy (organic, etc) meats or the like for dinner.
Since I've started with this I've been eating 1800 to 2000 calories/day (my goal has always been 1500) and have lost another 10 pounds while eating WAY more calories than before.
A few things factor in here however. When I changed my diet, I started to feel naturally more energized so I've been more active and find myself craving things like coffee and processed foods way less.
In the end for me, a calorie is not a calorie.0
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