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First day as a vegetarian
elkins_lechelle
Posts: 11 Member
Hey all today is my first day twords becoming a vegetarian! I have always disliked meat and have thought about the vegetarian lifestyle multiple times! I'm thinking it should not be to hard considering I only eat beef and fish anyways! I am hoping by becoming vegetarian I lose a couple lbs and become healthier overall. My goal is to get back to my pre pregnancy weight which means losing thirty lbs! Any other vegetarians have any tips
1
Replies
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Hi! I'm a couple weeks away from celebrating one year of eating meatless (no fish or seafood either). Like you I never really cared for meat (other than some seafood).
One day I just stopped eating meat cold turkey and never looked back.
Regarding tips, try to make sure you are eating enough protein. Also I would consider taking vitamin B12 (check with your doctor first). When going out to restaurants check out their menu online and plan your meal out ahead of time if you don't already.
Other then that I just prepare my meals without meat. Tacos/burritos are made with veggies, beans and rice. Pasta dishes without meat. Also I've learned to be creative and I try online recipes and put my own spin on the dishes.
Calories are king though so make sure you are weighing and logging and stay consistent!
Good luck on reaching your goal weight!
1 -
rainbow198 wrote: »Hi! I'm a couple weeks away from celebrating one year of eating meatless (no fish or seafood either). Like you I never really cared for meat (other than some seafood).
One day I just stopped eating meat cold turkey and never looked back.
Regarding tips, try to make sure you are eating enough protein. Also I would consider taking vitamin B12 (check with your doctor first). When going out to restaurants check out their menu online and plan your meal out ahead of time if you don't already.
Other then that I just prepare my meals without meat. Tacos/burritos are made with veggies, beans and rice. Pasta dishes without meat. Also I've learned to be creative and I try online recipes and put my own spin on the dishes.
Calories are king though so make sure you are weighing and logging and stay consistent!
Good luck on reaching your goal weight!
Yay on your one year congrats! Thank you so much for the tips! I think the hardest part for me will be giving up fish! And eating enough protein! I have a hard time eating eggs as well! So my main protein will be nuts and beans! Have you noticed if becoming vegetarian has helped with weight loss at all? Obviously healthy diet and exercise is the best way.0 -
elkins_lechelle wrote: »rainbow198 wrote: »Hi! I'm a couple weeks away from celebrating one year of eating meatless (no fish or seafood either). Like you I never really cared for meat (other than some seafood).
One day I just stopped eating meat cold turkey and never looked back.
Regarding tips, try to make sure you are eating enough protein. Also I would consider taking vitamin B12 (check with your doctor first). When going out to restaurants check out their menu online and plan your meal out ahead of time if you don't already.
Other then that I just prepare my meals without meat. Tacos/burritos are made with veggies, beans and rice. Pasta dishes without meat. Also I've learned to be creative and I try online recipes and put my own spin on the dishes.
Calories are king though so make sure you are weighing and logging and stay consistent!
Good luck on reaching your goal weight!
Yay on your one year congrats! Thank you so much for the tips! I think the hardest part for me will be giving up fish! And eating enough protein! I have a hard time eating eggs as well! So my main protein will be nuts and beans! Have you noticed if becoming vegetarian has helped with weight loss at all? Obviously healthy diet and exercise is the best way.
Nuts aren't a great protein source for vegetarians, especially those trying to lose some weight. They're very calorie-dense, so it's difficult to eat enough of them to meet your needs and still remain in a calorie deficit. I find they're better considered as a source of fat.
Have you considered tofu, tempeh, and seitan as sources of protein? They're all high in protein and easy to incorporate into many different styles of cooking?0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »elkins_lechelle wrote: »rainbow198 wrote: »Hi! I'm a couple weeks away from celebrating one year of eating meatless (no fish or seafood either). Like you I never really cared for meat (other than some seafood).
One day I just stopped eating meat cold turkey and never looked back.
Regarding tips, try to make sure you are eating enough protein. Also I would consider taking vitamin B12 (check with your doctor first). When going out to restaurants check out their menu online and plan your meal out ahead of time if you don't already.
Other then that I just prepare my meals without meat. Tacos/burritos are made with veggies, beans and rice. Pasta dishes without meat. Also I've learned to be creative and I try online recipes and put my own spin on the dishes.
Calories are king though so make sure you are weighing and logging and stay consistent!
Good luck on reaching your goal weight!
Yay on your one year congrats! Thank you so much for the tips! I think the hardest part for me will be giving up fish! And eating enough protein! I have a hard time eating eggs as well! So my main protein will be nuts and beans! Have you noticed if becoming vegetarian has helped with weight loss at all? Obviously healthy diet and exercise is the best way.
Nuts aren't a great protein source for vegetarians, especially those trying to lose some weight. They're very calorie-dense, so it's difficult to eat enough of them to meet your needs and still remain in a calorie deficit. I find they're better considered as a source of fat.
Have you considered tofu, tempeh, and seitan as sources of protein? They're all high in protein and easy to incorporate into many different styles of cooking?
I just purchased tofu yesterday and have yet to try it but I'm excited to! I'm new to all of this and doing my research still! What is tempeh and seitan? Thanks so much for the tips
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Thank you so much!
I have been maintaining my weight for almost 4 years so I haven't seen a change with my weight, but I can say eating meatless has helped to give me a flat tummy for the first time in my life and I just feel so light and full of energy. I can't explain it.
Are you cutting dairy out as well? I get a lot of protein from greek yogurt, cheese once in a while and I also use protein powders (whey, hemp and pea). Not just powder and water or milk though, I make tasty, filling smoothies.elkins_lechelle wrote: »rainbow198 wrote: »Hi! I'm a couple weeks away from celebrating one year of eating meatless (no fish or seafood either). Like you I never really cared for meat (other than some seafood).
One day I just stopped eating meat cold turkey and never looked back.
Regarding tips, try to make sure you are eating enough protein. Also I would consider taking vitamin B12 (check with your doctor first). When going out to restaurants check out their menu online and plan your meal out ahead of time if you don't already.
Other then that I just prepare my meals without meat. Tacos/burritos are made with veggies, beans and rice. Pasta dishes without meat. Also I've learned to be creative and I try online recipes and put my own spin on the dishes.
Calories are king though so make sure you are weighing and logging and stay consistent!
Good luck on reaching your goal weight!
Yay on your one year congrats! Thank you so much for the tips! I think the hardest part for me will be giving up fish! And eating enough protein! I have a hard time eating eggs as well! So my main protein will be nuts and beans! Have you noticed if becoming vegetarian has helped with weight loss at all? Obviously healthy diet and exercise is the best way.
0 -
Hello :-) I have been a vegetarian for over two decades now, but this year I'm trying to curb my dairy addiction, so I'm essentially becoming vegan. In terms of aiding weight loss, there's still plenty of veggie junk food available (like cheese toasted anything which is my problem
) :-) But it's a great way of looking for healthier options. In terms of resources, check out anything written by Rose Elliot, in particular the Bean Book, oldy but a goody, packed full of protein filled healthy recipes. Also ohsheglows.com is a favourite for me, if you can eat like that everyday, who would even notice that there's no meat
Good luck :-)0 -
platypipearson wrote: »Hello :-) I have been a vegetarian for over two decades now, but this year I'm trying to curb my dairy addiction, so I'm essentially becoming vegan. In terms of aiding weight loss, there's still plenty of veggie junk food available (like cheese toasted anything which is my problem ) :-) But it's a great way of looking for healthier options. In terms of resources, check out anything written by Rose Elliot, in particular the Bean Book, oldy but a goody, packed full of protein filled healthy recipes. Also ohsheglows.com is a favourite for me, if you can eat like that everyday, who would even notice that there's no meat
Good luck :-)
Thank you so much I'll check them out! I agree the dairy will probably be a problem for me lol I love cheese0 -
rainbow198 wrote: »Thank you so much!
I have been maintaining my weight for almost 4 years so I haven't seen a change with my weight, but I can say eating meatless has helped to give me a flat tummy for the first time in my life and I just feel so light and full of energy. I can't explain it.
Are you cutting dairy out as well? I get a lot of protein from greek yogurt, cheese once in a while and I also use protein powders (whey, hemp and pea). Not just powder and water or milk though, I make tasty, filling smoothies.elkins_lechelle wrote: »rainbow198 wrote: »Hi! I'm a couple weeks away from celebrating one year of eating meatless (no fish or seafood either). Like you I never really cared for meat (other than some seafood).
One day I just stopped eating meat cold turkey and never looked back.
Regarding tips, try to make sure you are eating enough protein. Also I would consider taking vitamin B12 (check with your doctor first). When going out to restaurants check out their menu online and plan your meal out ahead of time if you don't already.
Other then that I just prepare my meals without meat. Tacos/burritos are made with veggies, beans and rice. Pasta dishes without meat. Also I've learned to be creative and I try online recipes and put my own spin on the dishes.
Calories are king though so make sure you are weighing and logging and stay consistent!
Good luck on reaching your goal weight!
Yay on your one year congrats! Thank you so much for the tips! I think the hardest part for me will be giving up fish! And eating enough protein! I have a hard time eating eggs as well! So my main protein will be nuts and beans! Have you noticed if becoming vegetarian has helped with weight loss at all? Obviously healthy diet and exercise is the best way.
I am not cutting out dairy atm! I love Greek yogurt! I'm planning on a protein powder just not sure what kind yet! I just tried to eat an omelet and eeek I can't handle the taste of cooked eggs so might try boiled!0 -
elkins_lechelle wrote: »rainbow198 wrote: »Hi! I'm a couple weeks away from celebrating one year of eating meatless (no fish or seafood either). Like you I never really cared for meat (other than some seafood).
One day I just stopped eating meat cold turkey and never looked back.
Regarding tips, try to make sure you are eating enough protein. Also I would consider taking vitamin B12 (check with your doctor first). When going out to restaurants check out their menu online and plan your meal out ahead of time if you don't already.
Other then that I just prepare my meals without meat. Tacos/burritos are made with veggies, beans and rice. Pasta dishes without meat. Also I've learned to be creative and I try online recipes and put my own spin on the dishes.
Calories are king though so make sure you are weighing and logging and stay consistent!
Good luck on reaching your goal weight!
Yay on your one year congrats! Thank you so much for the tips! I think the hardest part for me will be giving up fish! And eating enough protein! I have a hard time eating eggs as well! So my main protein will be nuts and beans! Have you noticed if becoming vegetarian has helped with weight loss at all? Obviously healthy diet and exercise is the best way.
Being vegetarian doesn't default to weight loss...I eat vegetarian three days per week...most of my vegetarian meals are more calorie dense than, say, grilling some cod and sauteing some vegetables...I have to pay closer attention to my portions. Many vegetarian staples are pretty calorie dense...lentils, beans, nuts, etc...all pretty calorie dense. There are many overweight vegetarians. Nothing wrong with vegetarian, but doing it for weight loss is the wrong reason.
As others have stated, make sure you're getting enough protein...nuts are marketed as a good source of protein, but really they're a good source of healthy fats...to get enough protein with nuts, your calorie intake would be through the roof...also, if you dislike eggs and aren't eating meat or dairy, you'll need to supplement B-12. Since you're giving up fish you might want to consider an Omega 3 supplement as well.1 -
I've been veggie for 24 years now (jeez that was scary working out it was so long ago!!) I just decided I didn't want to eat dead things anymore one day and that was that - I was 11 at the time! lol
I basically eat the same as I would do with meat, just sub in soya and more veg in place of meat. If you want to add me to your friends feel free, it might give you some ideas of what I eat on a daily basis and how that equates into meeting my protein needs (I'm really allergic to protein powder so don't use that either)
Good luck, and well done on making the change!!
Suzie x0 -
As someone who's been vegetarian for all but five years of my life (the first five), I imagine that it has had an impact on keeping my weight down, especially since I have had some pretty unhealthy carb-related eating patterns in the past (that is, eating mostly potato by-products and pasta) that did lead to weight gain, but I'm sure would have led to it being more significant if it had been in conjunction with meat products. That said, I'm making a conscious change to being a healthy-eating vegetarian, and my advice to you is that you need to be careful. There are plenty of things that are vegetarian and tempting for the wrong reasons (AKA: most junk food). Being vegetarian won't do you any good if you're switching out meat for empty carbs.
If you like tex-mex style food, I find eating that way helps me a lot in meeting both calorie and other nutritional goals. Making burrito bowls at home with black or refried beans, tofu or a meatless crumble substitute, lots of veggies, and reasonable portions of dairy (sour cream and cheese, if that's what you're into) helps me get a lot of filling protein and nutrients without feeling like I've sacrificed anything. I also really dislike eggs a lot of ways--the whites taste like blood to me, whee!--but I've found that incorporating them scrambled into sandwiches has helped a lot.
And to end this wildly flailing note: if you have access to meat-substitute products and they're in your price range, I'd recommend you check them out. Especially if, like me, you are miserable and cooking tofu correctly. I've had a harder time finding it in the states, but there are a ton of options for meat-like vegetarian foodstuffs, like veggie burgers, fake meat crumbles, veggie sausages, veggie chicken patties--sky's the limit, really.0 -
projectbreak wrote: »As someone who's been vegetarian for all but five years of my life (the first five), I imagine that it has had an impact on keeping my weight down, especially since I have had some pretty unhealthy carb-related eating patterns in the past (that is, eating mostly potato by-products and pasta) that did lead to weight gain, but I'm sure would have led to it being more significant if it had been in conjunction with meat products. That said, I'm making a conscious change to being a healthy-eating vegetarian, and my advice to you is that you need to be careful. There are plenty of things that are vegetarian and tempting for the wrong reasons (AKA: most junk food). Being vegetarian won't do you any good if you're switching out meat for empty carbs.
If you like tex-mex style food, I find eating that way helps me a lot in meeting both calorie and other nutritional goals. Making burrito bowls at home with black or refried beans, tofu or a meatless crumble substitute, lots of veggies, and reasonable portions of dairy (sour cream and cheese, if that's what you're into) helps me get a lot of filling protein and nutrients without feeling like I've sacrificed anything. I also really dislike eggs a lot of ways--the whites taste like blood to me, whee!--but I've found that incorporating them scrambled into sandwiches has helped a lot.
And to end this wildly flailing note: if you have access to meat-substitute products and they're in your price range, I'd recommend you check them out. Especially if, like me, you are miserable and cooking tofu correctly. I've had a harder time finding it in the states, but there are a ton of options for meat-like vegetarian foodstuffs, like veggie burgers, fake meat crumbles, veggie sausages, veggie chicken patties--sky's the limit, really.
Lean meats are very low calorie...quite a bit lower than many healthy vegetarian staple foods, junk food aside. Most meat substitute products are just as, if not more calorie dense than lean cuts of fish, meat, and poultry.0 -
I'm sure there is more to your decision than is contained on this page, but what you DID write seems to say that you are hoping that becoming vegetarian will help you lose weight. Is that your primary reason? If so, there are many ways to cut calories and lose weight and picking one that is going to be hard for you (you said it would be hard to give up fish and dairy/cheese) is going to make losing weight and keeping it off harder. Every person can choose what they eat and what they don't. If you don't like beef/chicken/pork/eggs but do like fish and dairy/cheese, you can certainly choose to not eat the first group and to eat the second.
On the other hand, if you want to become a vegetarian primarily because of your concern for animals or because eating that way makes you physically feel so much better, then those factors should make giving up the fish, etc. much easier.1 -
Years ago, in my first marriage, my wife and I were vegetarian for about 2 years. Find yourself a copy of Gary Null's book The Egg Project. He compiled dozens of recipes made from nuts, seeds, grains and legumes that matched the amino acid profile of egg white. Great concept, great book, great recipes.
Good luck!1 -
Thank you everyone maybe I should refraise that my decision on becoming a vegetarian isn't for weight loss purposes! I have always disliked meat the smell taste etc! I realize that I have to count calories eat healthy and work out to lose weight! Thank you all so much for the advice!0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »elkins_lechelle wrote: »rainbow198 wrote: »Hi! I'm a couple weeks away from celebrating one year of eating meatless (no fish or seafood either). Like you I never really cared for meat (other than some seafood).
One day I just stopped eating meat cold turkey and never looked back.
Regarding tips, try to make sure you are eating enough protein. Also I would consider taking vitamin B12 (check with your doctor first). When going out to restaurants check out their menu online and plan your meal out ahead of time if you don't already.
Other then that I just prepare my meals without meat. Tacos/burritos are made with veggies, beans and rice. Pasta dishes without meat. Also I've learned to be creative and I try online recipes and put my own spin on the dishes.
Calories are king though so make sure you are weighing and logging and stay consistent!
Good luck on reaching your goal weight!
Yay on your one year congrats! Thank you so much for the tips! I think the hardest part for me will be giving up fish! And eating enough protein! I have a hard time eating eggs as well! So my main protein will be nuts and beans! Have you noticed if becoming vegetarian has helped with weight loss at all? Obviously healthy diet and exercise is the best way.
Being vegetarian doesn't default to weight loss...I eat vegetarian three days per week...most of my vegetarian meals are more calorie dense than, say, grilling some cod and sauteing some vegetables...I have to pay closer attention to my portions. Many vegetarian staples are pretty calorie dense...lentils, beans, nuts, etc...all pretty calorie dense. There are many overweight vegetarians. Nothing wrong with vegetarian, but doing it for weight loss is the wrong reason.
As others have stated, make sure you're getting enough protein...nuts are marketed as a good source of protein, but really they're a good source of healthy fats...to get enough protein with nuts, your calorie intake would be through the roof...also, if you dislike eggs and aren't eating meat or dairy, you'll need to supplement B-12. Since you're giving up fish you might want to consider an Omega 3 supplement as well.
Yep, I gained 120lbs being a vegetarian >.< If i didn't eat eggs i would have been considered a vegan as i can't drink milk XD. You definitely need to keep an eye on the calories as they creep up fast! I also have an issue with anemia which was so bad i had to have transfusions and my GP partially blamed it on my diet... So that's another thing to watch out for, get enough iron and b12 (Wish I knew that 3 years ago >.<)... but that's all behind me now
. I do eat meat now and I've lost almost 40lbs.. well I eat white meat and sometimes red.
I very rarely enjoy red meat which was why i went veg in the first place but i can manage to eat seafood and that's what I'm doing now. Seafood and turkey sometimes chicken.
I guess the main things to look out for is your calories, vitamins, minerals and working out a balanced diet that you enjoy which will make your journey a lot more fun
http://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g1186/vegetarian-recipes-0309/
Good luck with your lifestyle change =D0
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