over weight vegetarian thinking about eating meat

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Shanz78
Shanz78 Posts: 143 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I started being vegetarian over 3 years ago and got on depo. i gained 40lbs in about three months, it happened so fast i didn't really notice till it was to late. i stayed on depo for a year and thought once i got off the shot the weight would come off, but it didn't. i cant seem to lose weight this is the heaviest i ever been. I've never had this much difficulty losing weight. I've read a lot about carbs have a lot to do with making people over weight. i try not to eat them but most vegetarian food is packed with carbs. even thou i don't really want to quit being vegetarian i cant help but feel like my diet is making it difficult to lose weight. are there any other vegetarians, or former veges out there that have experienced this? any input would be much appreciated.
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  • jrich6
    jrich6 Posts: 26
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    Have you considered becoming a Pescatarian? It would you give a lot of options for lean proteins. Do you do eggs?
  • puggleperson
    puggleperson Posts: 740 Member
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    Have you considered becoming a Pescatarian? It would you give a lot of options for lean proteins. Do you do eggs?

    what is that?
  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
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    i have no problem with carbs even though i'm a vegetarian and i eat 120+ g of protein each day.

    neither the shot nor vegetarianism are solely causing the weight gain....you must consider activity level versus the volume of food you are consuming (unless you have a medical problem in which case you should talk to your doctor). Having a public diary would be very helpful!
  • Kristhin
    Kristhin Posts: 442 Member
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    I was vegetarian once years ago--eggs but no fish. I gained weight so after about 6 months I quit.

    Then a couple years later I decided to try again--eggs and fish this time. I gained more weight so I quit again, after about 6 months.

    Now, years later, I'm vegan. I've been vegan for 11 months. I've lost 20 lbs.
  • chenna14
    chenna14 Posts: 15 Member
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    I am in no way a vegtetarian, but I was actually switching to being one because of being overweight... I'm not sure adding meat will help. If you get a chance try looking up Whole Food/Plant based diets. There are a lot of ways to incorperate protein into your lifestyle without it being meat. If you get a chance you should watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead... best documentary about juicing and eating healthy I have ever seen!
  • CollegeGirl19
    CollegeGirl19 Posts: 101
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    Have you considered becoming a Pescatarian? It would you give a lot of options for lean proteins. Do you do eggs?

    what is that?

    Pescatarians would eat fish and fish products, but no poultry or red meat.
  • dcmat
    dcmat Posts: 1,723 Member
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    I have lost weight, and keeping it off, and now eating less meat. I don't think that meat is the issue
  • GemmieNoWobbles
    GemmieNoWobbles Posts: 398 Member
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    The fish idea is a good one. A can of tuna has tons of protein in it which will fill you up and you wont need to eat so many carbs to stay full. There are loads of great fish options, could open things up a bit more for you and ween you off the carbs without becoming a meat eater. <<fish are stupid anyways>> :laugh:
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    I gained a lot of weight while I was vegetarian because most forms of veg. protein are high in carbs. It's almost impossible to get the amount of protein you need without going crazy on carbs. And since carbs are only used by the body for energy if you eat more than your body needs at that time the excess get stored as fat. If you don't want to eat meat (I don't blame you!) you don't have to. You can supplement with whey protein shakes, eggs, and other things that aren't high in carbs. Stay away from veg. "meat" products though, they're highly processed and aren't good for you.
  • tcarnes72
    tcarnes72 Posts: 10
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    The depo shot is a hard shot to shake! My wife took it for a short time and struggled dumping the shot from her system. I did some research on the internet and one of the most important things you can do to dump it is to do a detox. There are several detox's out there that can help. Do some research and see which one works best for you. I don't know that it's the carbs causing the problem or the shot just a suggestion?? Some other people might have some other solutions. I've done low carb it works but you can do it on a vegan diet as well. Just have to be picky and search for some good low carb recipes. I don't know the extent of your vegetarian lifestyle if it's no animal by products as well like - Cheese, Milk, and the like.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I've never had a problem losing and I'm veg. My guess is you're eating too much or the Depo hasn't cleared your system. It's bad news stuff.

    I also have no problem getting my protein without protein shakes.
  • Missylydia
    Missylydia Posts: 304 Member
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    I have been vegan for 5 days and lost 3lb! If you fill up on good carbs loaded with fibre and eat plenty plant based protein then you're good.
  • sambailey6
    sambailey6 Posts: 1 Member
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    I would increase my proteins via protein rich veggies (you can find a few good detail listings of higher protein veggies like beans, some leafy greens, etc on google).

    Also, check the types of veggies you're eating. Starchy foods (rice, potatoes, corn) are going to be higher in carbs than other veggies. Another area that you can get quite a few calories without even realizing it is fruits and nuts (both are awesome and have a lot of benefits so you need them, but limiting intake may help).

    I would utilize the color rule when fixing your meals - you want a lot of color on your plate. You can be vegiterian without being healthy.

    Switching to meat abruptly after being vegiterian for a while can be a big shock to the system. If you just really want to add it back into your diet, one of the best rules I heard was the "fewer legs it has, the better it is for you". Limit your pork and red meat, stick to chicken and fish.

    I hope this helps some and good luck!!!
  • misslouisee
    misslouisee Posts: 73 Member
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    Hi, saw your post and thought I should comment you.

    I was a vegetarian for 12 years, I started eating meat just over a year ago. I've never looked back, I love chicken, fish, all meats actually but learn to have some in moderation but feel my diet is more varied and healthier as a result. Of course, you could make these changes whilst being vegetarian but I found my diet was bad, consisting of a lot of processed veggie alternatives, carbs and cheese!

    In my time being a veggie I had maintained weight, lost and put on so I'm not putting weight gain down to this in my case, more poor diet in general and little exercise.

    The main difference between you and me, I feel, is that I wanted to eat meat again, I had thought about it for many years beforehand and talked with family and friends about adding it back to my diet. It sounds as if you don't really want to, in which case I would maybe suggest it isn't best for you right now?

    Personally I have loved eating meat again, it has radically improved my life. I don't feel excluded at family gathering or eating out, I'm not having to be a nuisance and don't feel guilty telling people I don't eat certain things. I feel I have more energy and have loved exercising 3-4 times a week. This is just be experience, but it was a good one! :)
    When I started eating meat I was mainly concerned about people asking me tons of questions and putting pressure on me about "not caring for animals anymore", etc. I started without telling people, eating simple things like tasting a bit of fish finger, and increased more into my diet. I told myself I could always stop eating it again whenever I want and it's not about tallying up how many years you've been veggie or vegan. In reality, nobody was mean. yeah they did ask questions but in a nice way.

    Sorry for rambling lol x
  • KayakAngel
    KayakAngel Posts: 397 Member
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    I'm a vegetarian, and at first, it was a little difficult staying under my carb limit. But you have to focus on the fruits and vegetables more than breads and rice to keep the carbs lower. I've been doing great eating a lot of veggie/tofu stir fry with brown rice (rice in limited quantities, of course), roasted veggies, veggie/hummus wraps, and omlettes. You really don't have to give up being a vegetarian to eat healthy and lose weight. I'm not model of clean eating, but I do stay vegetarian and my diary is open. Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,689 Member
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    come to the dark side.
  • KLo924
    KLo924 Posts: 379 Member
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    Three decent carb-concous vegetarian cookbooks to consider:
    Appetite for Reduction (I cannot recommend this enough!): http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/dp/1600940498

    Carb-Concious Vegetarian: http://www.amazon.com/Carb-Conscious-Vegetarian-Delicious-Lifestyle/dp/1594861234/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315858965&sr=1-1

    The New Glucose Revolution Low-GI Vegetarian Cookbook: http://www.amazon.com/New-Glucose-Revolution-Vegetarian-Cookbook/dp/156924278X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315859003&sr=1-1

    Good luck! :)
  • Jade_Butterfly
    Jade_Butterfly Posts: 2,963 Member
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    Three decent carb-concous vegetarian cookbooks to consider:
    Appetite for Reduction (I cannot recommend this enough!): http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/dp/1600940498

    Carb-Concious Vegetarian: http://www.amazon.com/Carb-Conscious-Vegetarian-Delicious-Lifestyle/dp/1594861234/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315858965&sr=1-1

    The New Glucose Revolution Low-GI Vegetarian Cookbook: http://www.amazon.com/New-Glucose-Revolution-Vegetarian-Cookbook/dp/156924278X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315859003&sr=1-1

    Good luck! :)

    Thank you for the resources. . Much appreciated.
  • BrewerGeorge
    BrewerGeorge Posts: 397 Member
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    I'm not a vegetarian, but one of my daughters is so I did a lot of research on it, and I've been cooking for her for a few years.

    It sounds like you might be on the dreaded "beige diet" where you're mainly eating things that are white, beige or brown - mostly grain-based foods - often with cheese and peanut butter as the main/only protein source. This tends to be what happens when young people decide (for emotional reasons) that they're not going to eat meat anymore and just ... stop ... without doing any research or planning. These are the pasta-every-day kids.

    If you want to be a healthy vegetarian, you should be eating a lot of color - fruits and vegetables - lots of beans and nuts, and very little grains and white starches. Throw in a bit of egg or cheese every couple of days for essential amino acids and to round out your calories because those first things don't tend to be very calorie dense. It's sort of like a primal diet except that you're getting the big chunk of fats and protein from nuts, beans and eggs.
  • tlee85
    tlee85 Posts: 5 Member
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    i'm a vegetarian. i have no trouble getting all the protein i need and i almost never get anywhere close to my carb limit. i eat lots of tempeh, beans, nuts, and produce. i don't think you need to start eating meats again if you don't want to. :)

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