over weight vegetarian thinking about eating meat

Have you considered becoming a Pescatarian? It would you give a lot of options for lean proteins. Do you do eggs?

what is that?

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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

come to the dark side.

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.

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.

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.

Listen to him. I never understood how a vegetarian could be fat. But now that you say it it's people who eat only pizza and pasta then call themselves vegetarians?

It's not as much about carbs as it is calories! Calories are what makes you fat, not carbohydrates. If I were you, I would eat more lentils and beans, and less bread and pasta. Eat whole grains like quinoa, barley, millet, and brown rice instead of other carbohydrates because they are healthier and generally have more protein. Also be careful about cereal portion sizes--that's a tricky one for me too!

In short, more beans, less bread, fewer calories, you'll lose weight.

My partner is a vegetarian and is overweight, but he does eat a lot of sugar, fat and carbs. All he eats if given the chance is potatos (preferably fried), lollies, chocolate, curries, pizza and pastas/risottos (often with creamy sauces). He only eats vegetables if pushed, and rarely eats fruit. I know it's up to him to decide what he eats, so I leave him to it mostly.

The point is, you can eat a very high calorie vegetarian diet.

I am also vegetarian, and am maintaining on 1700-1800 calories.

It's not as much about carbs as it is calories! Calories are what makes you fat, not carbohydrates. If I were you, I would eat more lentils and beans, and less bread and pasta. Eat whole grains like quinoa, barley, millet, and brown rice instead of other carbohydrates because they are healthier and generally have more protein. Also be careful about cereal portion sizes--that's a tricky one for me too!

In short, more beans, less bread, fewer calories, you'll lose weight.

I completely agree here!

As many people have suggested just because you are vegetarian doesn't mean you are healthy or are even eating vegetables! Since I've been 99% vegan for the last 8 months I haven't been healthier and have started losing weight in a really healthy and happy way. But I have done this by eating a **** LOAD of vegetables. Someone mentioned the 'beige vegetarian diet', I hadn't heard about this before, but what an excellent name! It's very easy to get stuck eating plenty of processed grains, potatoes, pasta etc. You really need to amp up the amount of fruit and veggies you are eating. Avoid anything 'white'. White bread, white rice, pasta and switch it to wholegrain versions. These are full of fibre, which will fill you up without stacking on the weight.

Someone also mentioned a detox for your shot (I have no idea what that shot is or what its for....), I have embarked on a 14 day green smoothie challenge. I'm at day 3 and have already started to see results. I've broken through my weight plateau as well as feeling more energised. I am also eating waaaaay more fruit than I ever would and know that it is doing my body good. Here is the website if you or anyone else is interested: http://www.greensmoothiechallenge.com/

Hi Shanz - I am not going to read all the replies (I'm sure they're good, just limited in time here) so I may be repeating. If being vegetarian is important to you, going back will not make you feel good emotionally or mentally (I've been there). I am currently vegan. To help with your weight I would suggest:

1. Cut down or out the dairy, especially cheese
2. Focus your meals on veggies - half your plate, at least. Then make the other half or less some WHOLE grains like brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, barley, etc, and a legume. I try to cook one batch of lentils a week that lasts three to four days - they're quick and loaded with goodness. Then other separate sources of protein for me (all foods have protein, I'm talking about the "separate" protein in one to two meals a day) will come from tempeh or another bean. I like lentils because they're quick and I can cook them if I have forgotten to soak another bean, but I also love cooking a big pot of beans because I can throw them in a crock pot and leave them alone and then they're done. Then they can be added to a meal with veggies, over rice, in a burrito, whatever. And I always have brown rice in the fridge, though my roommate tends to eat way more of it than I do.
3. Find some good go-to cookbooks. I like Accidental Vegan for its simplicity. I also like The Kind Diet, Color Me Vegan, McDougall's Quick and Easy Cookbook, Appetite for Reduction, and Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews. I think the easiest ones are Accidental Vegan, McDougall's, and Vegan Soups and Stews.
Beans, whole grains, and soups/stews are easy to make a big batch of and then just steam some veggies and you're good to go with healthy meals that will hopefully help to keep you on track foodwise which will hopefully lead to some weight loss for you.

Good luck!