What portion for vegetarian meals? I want to lose weight.

chariotlady
chariotlady Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am new to being vegetarian and eat fish, seafood and dairy.. What do I do to keep carbs low?

Answers

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,262 Member
    edited April 20
    Well, that's not actually vegetarian but obviously eating less carbs if that's what your trying to do, you would then consume more fish and seafood and lower carb dairy and low carb plant food, lets not forget that. I know that sounds kind of obvious, and that's because it is. :)
  • ddsb1111
    ddsb1111 Posts: 885 Member
    edited April 20
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Well, that's not actually vegetarian but obviously eating less carbs if that's what your trying to do, you would then consume more fish and seafood and lower carb dairy and low carb plant food, lets not forget that. I know that sounds kind of obvious, but it's because it is. :)

    I had to reread the post because I was so confused. This pretty much covers it! 😊

    Also, OP, why are you wanting to cut out so many food options? Is there a medical issue?
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,262 Member
    edited April 20
    ddsb1111 wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Well, that's not actually vegetarian but obviously eating less carbs if that's what your trying to do, you would then consume more fish and seafood and lower carb dairy and low carb plant food, lets not forget that. I know that sounds kind of obvious, but it's because it is. :)

    I had to reread the post because I was so confused. This pretty much covers it! 😊

    Also, OP, why are you wanting to cut out so many food options? Is there a medical issue?

    Yeah, who knows why someone decides to do the things they do unless they actually tell us. I suspect they may have heard that low carb diets are good for losing weight, or that low carb diets are good for people with certain health issues, like IR and diabetes, which when you look at the general population it's quite prevalent, and that red meat or meat in general is a bad thing, but again, who know.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    I hope you realize that vegetarianism is not inherently a weight loss diet? It's also not inherently a healthier diet.

    I've been vegetarian for nearly 50 years, and I was fat for most of those years . . . up to class 1 obese in fact, even when I was training hard 6 days most weeks and even competing athletically. (I'm slim now, have been at a healthy weight for nearly 8 years.)

    But if you're eating fish and seafood, and plan to continue doing so, you're not vegetarian, you're pescatarian. (That's not a personal criticism, just a terminology quibble.) Being pescatarian should make nutrition and weight loss a little easier, actually, vs. doing it as any form of vegetarian.

    The generic answer to "what should I eat to lose weight" is foods you personally enjoy, find practical and affordable, that add up to reasonable overall nutrition at appropriate calories. There aren't special "diet foods" (no matter what their marketers may claim). Which foods those are is very individual.

    As a long term vegetarian (ovo-lacto), I somewhat disagree with those above. While I think it's important to get the essential minimum of protein and fats as a first-order goal, and that may mean reducing carbs to some extent, I don't think it's vital to completely minimize carbs.

    Carbs are very much demonized in the weight-loss blogosphere these days (to the point of obsession, IMO). There's nothing wrong with low carb eating if it helps a person achieve appropriate calories, but it doesn't magically trigger weight loss. Neanderthin is correct, though, to say that low-carb diets can help manage certain health conditions.

    If a person has a low calorie goal, and values their health, then it's ultra-important to choose nutrient dense foods that are calorie efficient. Many true vegetarian sources of protein bring some carbs along with them. If there's a meaningful amount of protein for the calories, IMO, that's not a thing to stress over. In addition, most people will feel more sated, and tend to achieve better health, eating mainly so-called whole foods, and reducing ultra-processed foods.

    If you think of carbs as being things like baked goods and candy . . . sure, reduce or eliminate those. Many are highly-processed, not nutrient dense, and they tend not to be very filling. That's not helpful. I think of carbs - the ones I prioritize eating - as being things like many dairy foods, veggies, and fruits. Those latter tend to be nutrient-dense and filling.

    Choosing nutrient dense foods and choosing more whole foods are two ideas that tend to point toward the same types of food choices.

    If you're trying to lose weight, then choose a weight loss calorie goal. Unless you're currently so overweight that your current weight is creating acute health problems, choose a moderate weight loss rate that's easy to stick with, on the order of 0.5% of your current weight per week, certainly no more than 1%. That will help you get adequate nutrition.

    If you plan to continue eating fish, seafood and dairy, then choose calorie-efficient versions of those to fill your protein goal. Neanderthin's rule of thumb for protein is fine, and for most people the MFP default percents will be close to that realm unless the person tries to lose weight silly fast. (There's no way to get adequate nutrition on too-few calories.) Beyond that, get adequate fats, and let carbs fall where they may to balance calories (unless you have a relevant health condition or find that even whole-food carbs spark your appetite).

    If you plan to drop the fish and seafood for reasons unrelated to weight loss or health, that's fine. There are reasonable quality sources of vegetarian protein. Dairy and eggs are considered vegetarian sources, lacto-vegetarian and ovo-vegetarian respectively. Those generally are high quality protein, and reasonably bioavailable. There are plant sources of protein, but more care is needed to select calorie-efficient sources that are reasonably complete (in essential amino acids) and bioavailable.

    This site, with content from science-centric registered dietitians who are vegan, is a reasonable reference to learn about nutrition in a plant-based diet:

    https://veganhealth.org/

    You can beneficially add fish/seafood if pescatarian, dairy or eggs or both if vegetarian.

    Despite being a long-term vegetarian, and happy with that choice for myself, I agree with Neanderthin that meat is also over-demonized these days, if the reference point is weight loss or health. Meat is nutritious. As with other foods, it would make sense IMO to reduce or eliminate the more highly-processed types.

    Best wishes!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    As usual, great post by Ann above. I'll just highlight that to avoid confusion, do call yourself "pescatarian."

    For portion size, experiment. I like lots of smallish meals. Pre-logging is helpful so I know how many calories I'm getting and how I'm doing to meet my targets - I have minimums of protein and fiber, try to not exceed 30% fat by too much, and for me the carbs take care of themselves.

    I find certain high carb (and fat) foods like bread and baked goods don't fill me up very much so try to limit them, but eat as much as I want of other high carb foods such as fruit and legumes as they are satiating me, and moderate foods like rice and pasta. Formally I would have bread AND pasta in a meal but now I skip the bread, have less pasta, and increase protein and veggies.
  • Hobartlemagne
    Hobartlemagne Posts: 603 Member
    An approach I use for pasta is a serving size of 16oz if served with a light, lean sauce (maybe with veg), and 12oz serving if served in a rich sauce (creamy or pesto) with meat or fish ingredients.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,262 Member
    Hobartlemagne wrote: »
    An approach I use for pasta is a serving size of 16oz if served with a light, lean sauce (maybe with veg), and 12oz serving if served in a rich sauce (creamy or pesto) with meat or fish ingredients.

    Those are big serving sizes, the 16oz of pasta is close to 1700 calories.
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,997 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Hobartlemagne wrote: »
    An approach I use for pasta is a serving size of 16oz if served with a light, lean sauce (maybe with veg), and 12oz serving if served in a rich sauce (creamy or pesto) with meat or fish ingredients.

    Those are big serving sizes, the 16oz of pasta is close to 1700 calories.

    If @Hobartlemagne meant 16 oz to be two cups cooked wheat pasta, then (according to the USDA) that’s (220/kcal x 2) = 440 calories.
    Which is a reasonable portion for an active adult male.
    Although, at (typically for wheat pasta) around 75 carbs for two cups, OP would probably want to choose a different pasta.

    https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1101529/nutrients
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,786 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Hobartlemagne wrote: »
    An approach I use for pasta is a serving size of 16oz if served with a light, lean sauce (maybe with veg), and 12oz serving if served in a rich sauce (creamy or pesto) with meat or fish ingredients.

    Those are big serving sizes, the 16oz of pasta is close to 1700 calories.

    Definitely big servings... I'm wondering if they're referring to the weight of the entire dish, pasta, sauce, vegetables, whatever else? Even 4 oz would be a really large portion for me.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,262 Member
    MargaretYakoda wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Hobartlemagne wrote: »
    An approach I use for pasta is a serving size of 16oz if served with a light, lean sauce (maybe with veg), and 12oz serving if served in a rich sauce (creamy or pesto) with meat or fish ingredients.

    Those are big serving sizes, the 16oz of pasta is close to 1700 calories.

    If @Hobartlemagne meant 16 oz to be two cups cooked wheat pasta, then (according to the USDA) that’s (220/kcal x 2) = 440 calories.
    Which is a reasonable portion for an active adult male.
    Although, at (typically for wheat pasta) around 75 carbs for two cups, OP would probably want to choose a different pasta.

    https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1101529/nutrients

    Yeah, your probably right, makes sense.
  • Hobartlemagne
    Hobartlemagne Posts: 603 Member
    edited May 1
    I meant 16oz (one pound) of a completed, cooked pasta dish that doesnt have a rich sauce or a bunch of meat. Thats just my personal approach to pasta meal portioning. I didnt mean dry uncooked pasta.
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,786 Member
    Hobartlemagne wrote: »
    I meant 16oz (one pound) of a completed, cooked pasta dish that doesnt have a rich sauce or a bunch of meat. Thats just my personal approach to pasta meal portioning. I didnt mean dry uncooked pasta.

    That makes sense! Thank you for the clarification.
  • chariotlady
    chariotlady Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks for your answers. I have been finding a new way of eating. I have eliminated meat, turkey, and chicken. I have done that for ethical reasons and they are personal. I eat salmon, tuna, cottage cheese, beans, lentils, etc. I am cutting down on cheese as it is a favorite of mine. I eat lots of egg whites and low carb bread, tortillas, etc. I am watching my sodium intake too as I am sensitive....I swim 4 days a week and walk too....I find it hard to let go of my excess weight without starving and that is not what I want at this point....I also do intermittent fasting as Iwas on Keto for 2 years and that is a carry over....living with less than 20 carbs is not easy....so I am trying for balance...and nice and slow..

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