vegetarian, exercise and eating . . .

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MommaBelvin
MommaBelvin Posts: 130 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Iv recently become a vegetarian because of all the documentaries i have been watching about the health benefits and also do to the obesity documentaries i have also been watching . . . i exercise and stick to my diet im just concerned about how much im eating. i know that might sound crazy because i never exceed the calories that i am given to eat on the site. BUT im still concerned because i started to notice i eat like every 2 hour. so my question is . . is this ok? should i be worried . . . should i drink more water instead of just eating right away??? iv never tried to be a vegetarian before and i find when i try to research it i get the same thing and i feel like its not the info im looking for. so VEGETARIANS GET IN HERE?! Tell me what you like id love to get ur advise :)

Replies

  • lipglossjunky73
    lipglossjunky73 Posts: 497 Member
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    What are you eating? Potato chips are vegetarian....

    I am vegetarian, and was vegan for over 15 yrs.... I recently started eating dairy so I don't really say I am vegan anymore, although I mostly still eat that way....

    I don't eat pasta... Maybe once a month at a restaurant. I live on quinoa, veggies, fruit, tofurkey products, and morningstar. I try to keep the processed foods to a minimum.

    I happen to drink a lot of water, but I think it's due to my workouts....
  • Kikilicious84
    Kikilicious84 Posts: 312
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    When I first started as vegetarian I ate stir fry and brown rice a lot. Fast easy filling and delicious. Chili...bean or you could add in smart grounds soy crumbles for "ground beef" ...let me think some more...lol
  • Kikilicious84
    Kikilicious84 Posts: 312
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    Oh and yes you should drink more water...eat water filled fruit...like watermelon, oranges...that kinda stuff...eat more protein with each meal...those could also be why you are more hungry. Nuts are your friend.... Try making your own trail mix..my diary today kinda sucks but have a look at it if you want
  • MommaBelvin
    MommaBelvin Posts: 130 Member
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    i seriously eat pretty much all veggies lol some dairy but not alot and morning stars for sure. i eat alot of vegetarian soup and i also eat a good amount of fruit. sometimes ill make a fruit/protein smoothie. but other then that i rarely eat out and i for the most part cook everything at home. i started thinking about it and maybe i am eating when im bored im not sure lol today all iv done is clean my room made my bed and done homework while watching documentaries on health lol. and when i noticed i was eating every 2 hours it worried me
  • erin_zuk
    erin_zuk Posts: 226 Member
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    there is nothing "wrong" with eating every 2 hours - if you were eating large amounts every 2 hours, maybe I would worry.
    if you are fueling your body properly it might just be setting your metabolism into high gear which is a good thing.

    I have been vegetarian for almost 20 years and I regularly eat every 2-3 hours.
  • MommaBelvin
    MommaBelvin Posts: 130 Member
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    ok that makes sence and doesnt make me as worried because sometimes ill eat alot because i feel that hungry and other times i eat something small like i did right now lol i had like a handful of cucumber slices. but i know i need to drink more water i started thinking about my water intake and its not alot :(

    now my next question is that because my calorie intake is so small how long should my maximum work out be? or does it not matter? ill work out anywhere between a half hour to maybe and hour and a half mainly because i dont notice how long iv been at the gym.
  • soontobeskinnysara
    soontobeskinnysara Posts: 177 Member
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    I keep my diary open to my friends, so add me if you'd like to take a look!

    I'm vegan and stick to a 1200 calories a day plan, and try to eat back exercise calories. Although I only eat 1200 calories, my lists are looooong. I eat ALL DAY, no joke. Small meals almost every 2 hours. Even today, it's 5:30pm here and I still have 700+ left!
  • MommaBelvin
    MommaBelvin Posts: 130 Member
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    I keep my diary open to my friends, so add me if you'd like to take a look!

    I'm vegan and stick to a 1200 calories a day plan, and try to eat back exercise calories. Although I only eat 1200 calories, my lists are looooong. I eat ALL DAY, no joke. Small meals almost every 2 hours. Even today, it's 5:30pm here and I still have 700+ left!

    i was also going to ask out that ^^ if i have calories left over should i try to eat whats left because i havent been iv just been eating when im hungry and working out for as long as i feel like it but not exceeding an hour and a half cuz i think even an hour and a half is a bit too long.
  • soontobeskinnysara
    soontobeskinnysara Posts: 177 Member
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    I think as far as exercising, just listen to your body. You don't want to overdo it, and you'll know when you've had enough.

    I try to end up with a NET intake of 1200 calories a day, which sometimes mean eating more than that to compensate what you've burned at the gym. For example, today I burned about 400 calories at the gym, so my goal is around 1600 for the day.
  • shelli1982
    shelli1982 Posts: 133
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    Hey... i'd say listen to your body and try and increase the amount of protein in your meals if it looks like you're lacking it... that's the thing I struggle the most with, getting enough protein... i find things like greek yogurt and baby bell light cheeses help me stay full longer :) good luck, and feel free to add me... i've been veggie for about 16 years now :)
  • Jennyess
    Jennyess Posts: 1 Member
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    heya :) im a veggie.. and i find it sometimes harder to eat well! generally it means i dont eat as much rubbish like mcdonalds, kfc, chinesefood etc as it really limits your options and all the rubbish i used to eat way too much of.. but it does limit the variety you can get into your diet.. and things get a bit boring and monotonous and so im more likely to end up splurging and pigging out! I think being a veggie for purely weight loss reasons willl be hard to stick to, and when i lost the most weight successfully the main source of protein i was having was in chicken and turkey - low fat and obv great protein / flavour. still struggling to find alternatives to this to be honest.. there are only so many veggies you can eat without getting a bit bored of them! i guess just try and get inventive.. try as much as possible of new things.. varied diet is essential.

    eating regularly is great for you! keeps your metabolism going and energy levels consistant - nothing worse than not eating for too long, and crashing in energy then pigging out! this causes your body to retain more of the calories as it thinks you are starving it.. but drinking lots of water is also great for you! and helps you with any exercise you may be doing. my limit on here is 1200 cal.. and i try not to eat less than this as your body needs those calories to look after itself and carry out the extra exercise your doing- if u eat less you will find it harder to lose the weight. trust!

    :) rambling.. sorry. good luck!!
  • IreneV
    IreneV Posts: 6 Member
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    Don't forget to eat beans including soy beans, grains, soy products such as tofu, nuts, eggs, cheese and other dairy products.
    I know I could not do without and get my 55 grams of protein into 1200-1300 Kcal/day.
    It can be fun to make seitan yourself from wheat gluten or drain plain lowfat yogurt to get a bowl full of Greek yogurt. Do read the nutrition information on meat replacements: in my opinion, anything less than 10 grams of protein per serving usually is not worth the money.
    Good luck!
  • zenabby
    zenabby Posts: 24 Member
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    Try Indian food. It's got a lot of veggie recipes. I've been vegetarian all my life - now trying to reduce dairy and gluten, just a bit. There are so many options in Chinese and Indian food that incorporate a lot of veggies, lentils and rice (replace with brown or quinoa) that you will never feel hungry. If made at home, the calories are really low too.
  • MommaBelvin
    MommaBelvin Posts: 130 Member
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    heya :) im a veggie.. and i find it sometimes harder to eat well! generally it means i dont eat as much rubbish like mcdonalds, kfc, chinesefood etc as it really limits your options and all the rubbish i used to eat way too much of.. but it does limit the variety you can get into your diet.. and things get a bit boring and monotonous and so im more likely to end up splurging and pigging out! I think being a veggie for purely weight loss reasons willl be hard to stick to, and when i lost the most weight successfully the main source of protein i was having was in chicken and turkey - low fat and obv great protein / flavour. still struggling to find alternatives to this to be honest.. there are only so many veggies you can eat without getting a bit bored of them! i guess just try and get inventive.. try as much as possible of new things.. varied diet is essential.

    eating regularly is great for you! keeps your metabolism going and energy levels consistant - nothing worse than not eating for too long, and crashing in energy then pigging out! this causes your body to retain more of the calories as it thinks you are starving it.. but drinking lots of water is also great for you! and helps you with any exercise you may be doing. my limit on here is 1200 cal.. and i try not to eat less than this as your body needs those calories to look after itself and carry out the extra exercise your doing- if u eat less you will find it harder to lose the weight. trust!

    :) rambling.. sorry. good luck!!


    the reason i decided to become a vegetarian is that i didnt really eat alot of meat anyhow so it was a very easy transition the only thing that gets me is the candy and sweets lol other then that i do very well :)
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,311 Member
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    Italian, especially Tuscan food is a good bet vegetarian-wise. Lots of beans and soups, sformato and risottos. Also Middle Eastern food is almost all vegetarian, and very much pulse based, so high in protein and fibre.

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