Vegatarian

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mslh84
mslh84 Posts: 180
in Food and Nutrition
I'm wondering, if I eliminate meat, and go for a Veg. diet while losing weight, if that would be a good idea, and if anybody else has done this?

Replies

  • jshaw24
    jshaw24 Posts: 1
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    yes. if it feels good do it! I know i feel better when i don't eat meat! best wishes.
  • sadlazarus
    sadlazarus Posts: 76
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    Not to say you can't make it work, but it sounds faddy, and fads are by definition short lived.
    Stick with what you know, what you're comfortable with.

    Edit: Haven't eaten meat since childhood; in principle think vegetarianism is good thing for entire world. Was trying to keep comment in a certain context for dieter.
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
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    i would say, dont do it just to lose weight, do it because you dont want to eat animals...
  • Jemmuno
    Jemmuno Posts: 413 Member
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    I have gone vegan mon-fri and I've lost about a pound more a week, before I made this change I was only losing .5 to 1 pound a week now I lose about 1.5 to 2 pounds a week. When you do this though you have to make sure your getting enough protein, a lot of whole grain breads have protien in them, I eat soy beans 2 to 3 times a week then the other 2 to 3 days I eat tofu these are with dinner. Then I drink at least one to two cups of soy milk a day. Then I eat the morning star veggie burgers and spicy black bean burgers at least one a day. by doing this I usually get around 60 grams of protien a day.
  • aostdiek
    aostdiek Posts: 23 Member
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    I went veg a few years ago...not for my diet, but for ethical reasons. I actually gained weight when I stopped eating meat. I think it's because I subbed carbs and sugar when I was hungry, and tended not to get as full. Now, I'm eating a much more balanced and healthy veg diet. I think you just need to be willing to give your meals a bit more thought and plan a little more initially. Now, I love what I eat, and have found that I'm much more creative/try new things more often, etc.
    So, I guess what I'm saying is that I think you can be an unhealthy meat eater and an unhealthy vegetarian. If you feel compelled to go veg, do it, but cutting meat may not have the desired effects unless you make sure you're getting the stuff you need from other sources and are not subbing unhealthy stuff for the meat.
  • frugalmomsrock
    frugalmomsrock Posts: 1,123
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    I have gone vegan mon-fri and I've lost about a pound more a week, before I made this change I was only losing .5 to 1 pound a week now I lose about 1.5 to 2 pounds a week. When you do this though you have to make sure your getting enough protein, a lot of whole grain breads have protien in them, I eat soy beans 2 to 3 times a week then the other 2 to 3 days I eat tofu these are with dinner. Then I drink at least one to two cups of soy milk a day. Then I eat the morning star veggie burgers and spicy black bean burgers at least one a day. by doing this I usually get around 60 grams of protien a day.


    while I fully support vegetarian/vegan lifestyles (most of my family is at least vegetarian, many are vegan), I just wanted to let you know that Morningstar Farms-great product it it-is not vegan. There used to be a product by the same company called "Gardenburger," and those were vegan. However, the regular Morningstar Farms products are not. They contain milk and egg products. Still good substitute for going regular vegetarian, but not a vegan product. :)

    To the OP-vegetarianism is something that does take work. No where near as much as veganism, but it still does take some doing. It's important to eat very healthy substitutes that have adequate proteins (and especially Vegans, need the B vitamins which is why they typically use a lot of nutritional yeast).
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
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    I eat a lot of meat and I lost 60 lbs in 4 months. Picking the fad diet of the week doesn't make you lose weight, eating less calories than you use does. Eat what you want to eat and don't eat what you don't want to eat. Personally I don't really like brussel sprouts
  • aostdiek
    aostdiek Posts: 23 Member
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    I eat a lot of meat and I lost 60 lbs in 4 months. Picking the fad diet of the week doesn't make you lose weight, eating less calories than you use does. Eat what you want to eat and don't eat what you don't want to eat. Personally I don't really like brussel sprouts

    Yes. totally agree. Find healthy foods you love and stick to those - whether or not they're meat (again, unless you feel ethically compelled to give up meat). The diet you enjoy is the one that will work for you long-term.
  • frugalmomsrock
    frugalmomsrock Posts: 1,123
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    http://www.wisegeek.com/has-it-been-proven-that-a-vegetarian-diet-is-really-healthier.htm

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jul/01/vegetarians-blood-cancer-diet-risk
  • aostdiek
    aostdiek Posts: 23 Member
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    I think that a vegetarian diet can definitely be healthier...I just think that most people don't put enough effort into it. They don't tend to replace meat with healthy options. Also, I think that many meat eaters tend to eat waaaaay too much meat at the expense of other stuff, which can obviously be very unhealthy.
  • johnhowson
    johnhowson Posts: 73 Member
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    I have been a vegetarian for seven years and it has become an important part of my life. So long as you watch your carbs and eat sensibly a vegetarian diet is a great way to care for yourself and the planet. My cholesterol level decreased when I became a vegetarian (but not my weight). That took MFP.
  • pph79
    pph79 Posts: 78
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    I stopped eating meat over a year ago for different reasons then to just lose weight, but yes, it's a much healthier lifestyle, depending on what you are eating. That being said, eating meat has been linked to obesity; cancer; liver, kidney, lung, nervous system disorders. And Every time you eat factory-farmed chicken, beef, veal & pork you are eating antibiotics, pesticides, steroids, and hormones these animals are given. (Not to mention it's just plain wrong what happens to these poor creatures in these factory-farms.) Just be prepared for the millions of idiotic "where do you get your protein from?" questions from people. :wink:
  • Rachaelluvszipped
    Rachaelluvszipped Posts: 768 Member
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    Just an F.Y.I. If you decide to do this..just make sure you have plenty of protein replacements in your meal plannings..because this is a downfall by many trying to be vegetarian.. Such as beans, nuts, tofu
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
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    I stopped eating meat over a year ago for different reasons then to just lose weight, but yes, it's a much healthier lifestyle, depending on what you are eating. That being said, eating meat has been linked to obesity; cancer; liver, kidney, lung, nervous system disorders. And Every time you eat factory-farmed chicken, beef, veal & pork you are eating antibiotics, pesticides, steroids, and hormones these animals are given. (Not to mention it's just plain wrong what happens to these poor creatures in these factory-farms.) Just be prepared for the millions of idiotic "where do you get your protein from?" questions from people. :wink:
    My guess would be soy and Quinoa. Or protein biosynthesis...
  • mslh84
    mslh84 Posts: 180
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    I eat a lot of meat and I lost 60 lbs in 4 months. Picking the fad diet of the week doesn't make you lose weight, eating less calories than you use does. Eat what you want to eat and don't eat what you don't want to eat. Personally I don't really like brussel sprouts

    I'm not picking any fad diet of the week, and actually I don't keep up with fads as i'm not the "fad" type. I just thought that it might be cleaner and healthier. PLUS...I don't eat a lot of beef, and mainly eat chicken.
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
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    I eat a lot of meat and I lost 60 lbs in 4 months. Picking the fad diet of the week doesn't make you lose weight, eating less calories than you use does. Eat what you want to eat and don't eat what you don't want to eat. Personally I don't really like brussel sprouts

    I'm not picking any fad diet of the week, and actually I don't keep up with fads as i'm not the "fad" type. I just thought that it might be cleaner and healthier. PLUS...I don't eat a lot of beef, and mainly eat chicken.

    What is considered healthy and what isn't changes from week to week. My rule of thumb is, if it has ingredients that are hard to pronounce, it's not food, it's a science experiment. My ancestors ate a lot of fish, so, judging from the fact that I'm here, I'm guessing that they didn't kill themselves from mercury poisoning, just as it's highly unlikely that you're going to die of cyanide poisoning from eating apples. Humans have even been eating nightshade, which is poisonous too, for a long time. Pick your poison.
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    if you do it..do it for ethical reasons. otherwise i agree with the other poster..its just another 'fad' diet that doesnt work.

    i am vegetarian for ethical reasons..i eat healthy..

    you can be veg and be unhealthy..and of course just cutting meat wont make you lose weight..its cutting calories and exercise that make you do that
  • mslh84
    mslh84 Posts: 180
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    if you do it..do it for ethical reasons. otherwise i agree with the other poster..its just another 'fad' diet that doesnt work.

    i am vegetarian for ethical reasons..i eat healthy..

    you can be veg and be unhealthy..and of course just cutting meat wont make you lose weight..its cutting calories and exercise that make you do that

    Well I already got exercise down, I go 5-6 days a week, and I do pretty good on my calories, but everyone has a slip up.
  • VeganJP
    VeganJP Posts: 32 Member
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    I went Vegan over a year ago, and there is not enough space here to relate how much better I feel. By switching to a plant-based diet, you are eliminating an incredible amount of fat and cholesterol from your diet so long as you're not becoming a "pre-packaged" Vegan. :laugh: While there are excellent products on the market, they are no substitute for home prepared meals. If I may, I would recommend a book titled Vegan on the Cheap. It has some great recipes that you don't need a bunch of ingredients in order to prepare. May I also suggest the book 21 Day Vegan Kickstart. Again, packed full of simple vegan recipes to help get you started. I lost almost 40 pounds going vegan.

    You will certainly receive a lot of tips about supplements. Certainly listen and monitor what you eat, however, I've found that by using an array of different fruits, veggies, beans, and grains, as well as fortified Soy Milk and fortified vegan friendly cereals, you shouldn't need to be too concerned.

    Enjoy the Journey!
  • KikiOmaha
    KikiOmaha Posts: 6 Member
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    If you want to become a vegetarian, you could also consider doing it in steps. Cut out meats you already don't care for that much and a couple you eat, but less often, and instead, replace those with a vegetarian meal. Or substitute meat protein for veggie protein one at a time and see how it goes.

    I am mostly vegetarian but I occasionally eat fish (usually when dining out where options are limited.) When I changed last year to a more vegetarian life style, I made a classic rookie mistake and ate really unhealthy. Now, I'm back at it and I find I am much more conscious about what I'm eating because I stop and think about it.

    I make meals that I love, I just look for ways to make them without meat. The same way some dieters swap ground turkey breast for ground beef, I swap black beans or something else.

    It doesn't have to be a cold tofurkey change. You can change one day at a time until you realize you're there.

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