Does going vegetarian help?

Hi all. I am looking for new ways to pull me/motivate through. Has anyone gone vegetarian with succes to lose weight?

Replies

  • yami0385
    yami0385 Posts: 70 Member
    edited June 2016
    Depends on the meal plan. My iron was pretty low on vegetarian diet. Always get blood work done after trying out a new diet. My blood work was perfect on high protein diet. Still have to figure out macros for any type of diet which i did not do on a vegetarian diet. To answer your answer your question I did not lose weight on a vegetarian diet.
  • distinctlybeautiful
    distinctlybeautiful Posts: 1,041 Member
    Nope. I've been a vegetarian for sixteen years, and I had excessive body fat for the large majority of those years. I also gained a lot of weight at one point. There are plenty of calorie-dense, non-nutritious vegetarian foods.
  • AnnieWilliams19792
    AnnieWilliams19792 Posts: 20 Member
    This depends on as Yami said, about meal plan. You should always reach for the veggies first... but a lot of my weight lost(23 lbs) was a portion control plan more than a veggie diet( I hate the word diet). And I cheated a bit with some items. And Distinctly is very on target about non-nutritious foods. I did do the blood work, but then found a Dietician to help with the rest. I eat like the French, I enjoy every bite, but stopped after plate was empty. And also moderation pays off.(so a cheese burger every so often is ok) Remember nutrition first not diet don't look at this as a diet, your getting healthy and fit. Best of luck always and remember to stay healthy and exercise ANNIE
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    I was at my fattest vegetarian and slimmest paleo.
  • Meccyco
    Meccyco Posts: 3 Member
    Vegetarian all my life.. I'm fat.. Trying to lose weight.. Yoyo dieter and yoyo motivation
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    What's driving your calories up? Is it meat products? If that's the case, then possibly, unless you replace it with high calorie vegetarian options. Otherwise, I don't see what you hope to be getting out of it. You will need to watch your calories regardless of diet. If you wish to increase vegetable consumption, then you can do that on any diet without having to go a specific route. Vegetarianisms has its reasons, but weight loss is seldom one of them.
  • SassyMommasaurus
    SassyMommasaurus Posts: 380 Member
    I know overweight Vegetarian and vegans, you can still over eat on veggies. So the answer is, no.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    edited June 2016
    No.
    Eating less calories than you burn is how weight is lost.
    Overeating anything will lead to weight gain.
    I attribute my success (maintenance for over 2-1/2 years) to all foods in moderation. Sustainability is key for me to be able to keep the weight off.
  • NCGOALIEMOM
    NCGOALIEMOM Posts: 83 Member
    No. But going vegan REALLY helps me with my weightloss. Strangely, I can eat considerably more calories from raw/vegan foods and still lose weight than I can when I have animal products in my diet. I like to eat.... so I've gone back to vegan. I can eat all day long and still lose weight (albeit.... I suppose if I ate vegan junk food all day, that would not be the case, but I try to stick with as much raw food as possible (I do eat some cooked potatoes, beans, etc.)
  • LLT38
    LLT38 Posts: 172 Member
    I was a vegetarian in my early 20s and that's when my weight gain started. There are plenty of high calorie options on a vegetarian diet.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    No going vegetarian won't in itself help you lose weight. You have to remember that pretty much 90% of sweets and junk food is vegetarian. You have to have well planned, balanced diet to lose weight. This can be a vegetarian diet.
  • FitVegetarian14516
    FitVegetarian14516 Posts: 39 Member
    I went vegetarian in December and was Vegan for January and February and lost 30 pounds before March. I would say it helps because being vegetarian does cut out a lot of possible junk food options (most fast food, hot dogs, fatty steaks and pork sandwiches). Of course it's easy to just eat potatoes and cheese, but it's up to you. Overall, it helped me adapt a more healthy lifestyle even if my goal was for the animals and not me. Here's a tip if you decide to do it, cocoa powder and spinach have iron in them :smiley:
  • Lavender2222
    Lavender2222 Posts: 105 Member
    Thank you all. Will try to go more to the veggies. I love chicken and fish so will keep that in my diary. I need to cut down on the red meats and eggs.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    Thank you all. Will try to go more to the veggies. I love chicken and fish so will keep that in my diary. I need to cut down on the red meats and eggs.

    I love chicken and fish too that's why I dont eat them
  • thiosulfate
    thiosulfate Posts: 262 Member
    I was vegetarian and 360 lbs. So, no.