Vegetarian and trying to lose weight

mixedfeelings
mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
edited November 8 in Introduce Yourself
I'm being greedy, I have plenty of very good motivational friends on here but I'm hoping to find some more vegetarian or vegan friends that are trying to lose weight. I've been a vegetarian for over ten years, but I put on weight so easily from eating anything "carb-y" so I have to really watch my diet - which I lapsed with a few years back after years of heavily under-eating, and being skinny, I put on more weight than I'd originally lost. In a way I'm looking for overweight vegetarians or vegans - or ex-overweight, basically any veggies/vegans that have struggled and that are open with what they eat so I can look out for ideas!
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Replies

  • crystallinedream
    crystallinedream Posts: 3 Member
    Hi! I've been a vegetarian for my entire life and would love to be your friend! I've never been over weight, but I am trying to lose weight too. I am looking for a vegetarian friend as well. I'd love to share ideas with you, if you like!
  • Slabface
    Slabface Posts: 1
    Hi there,

    Sounds like a pretty similar story to mine.

    I lost 14kg of weight in 2009 and three years on am now 20kg over my starting point.

    Being a vegetarian and being really busy, I find it hard to not overdo the carbs.

    My girlfriend (who eats meat) also doesn't like lentils/pulses/beans, so I tend to end up relying on dairy/cheese, which I'm making efforts to do without.

    As part of this process, I've started getting an organic veggie box delivered weekly to try and force myself to eat both seasonally and more healthily.

    A recent glut of cauliflower has caused me to find more uses outside the obvious (lower carb mash) and I've rediscovered the stir-fry for the first time since university!
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    Vegan here, trying to lose weight, feel free to add :)
  • vanessacarter
    vanessacarter Posts: 1 Member
    Hi, i started being vegetarian about 8 months ago, and i been trying to loose weight as well. I been experimenting with comfort food receipes and trying to turn them into healthy vegetarian ones. feel free to add
  • Rav_
    Rav_ Posts: 4 Member
    Hey! Veggie and trying to lose weight has got to be the hardest thing ever.. it's so hard to get away from the carbs! I'd love to be your friend and exchange ideas! =)
  • Mski02
    Mski02 Posts: 28
    Hiya

    I'm a veggie from England.

    I'm in the same boat.... I eat a LOT of fruit and veg, make my meals from scratch but rely on a lot of carbs.....so much so that I've gained 4stone over the last 7 years.

    I really need to lose at least 3 stone, but i'd like to lose 2 stone by the end of April

    Feel free to add me
  • CupcakeKabuki
    CupcakeKabuki Posts: 26
    Hello I am vegan, have a couple of stone too loose, 26 in University add me if you like xxx
  • rock127
    rock127 Posts: 369 Member
    Veg diet can assist in weight loss.
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
    Veg diet can assist in weight loss.


    oh I know, the reasons for being a vegetarian wasn't because I was looking for a healthier diet. I have to be really careful with what I eat, which is annoying. I used to mainly eat just fruit and veg, it was a bit up and down with what carbs, I have a bit more of a settled diet now more down to weighing everything out! I'm always on the look out for new recipes though.
  • islandjumper
    islandjumper Posts: 369 Member
    Sounds a lot like me...Veg for over 10 years...trying to loose weight. Feel free to add me
  • Alachofra15
    Alachofra15 Posts: 117 Member
    Hiya - feel free to add me too.

    I'm ex-overweight, just have about 15 lbs to lose. I know the carbs issue! Cutting them out seems to be the only thing that works, but it's almost impossible for more than 2 weeks. At the moment I'm just trying to have my refined carbs in the morning (i.e. bread/cereals/oats) and less later in the day.
  • mtgoat
    mtgoat Posts: 5
    Hi I am a vegetarian also! I would love to be part of a support team that has the same eating habits! I am not over weight but am at the high end of my weight class. I would like to lose about ten pounds. One of the tools I use is Vegetarian Times it has great recipies and they give you all the facts, so you know what you are eating.
  • Arachnapheria
    Arachnapheria Posts: 55 Member
    Hey, I'm also vegetarian. I've very over weight and would like other veggie friends on here as I'm currently go it alone. I'm just starting out so a support group of veggies would be amazing :)

    looking forward to getting to know you all xx
  • FitPet
    FitPet Posts: 9
    I'm pescetarian (I used to have seafood once or twice a month, but since starting to diet at the beginning of Jan, have heavily increased my fish consumption), but would like to find a way to reduce fish consumption and still keep my carbs low. The dahl I made today still has double the carbs compared to protein. Vegetarian diet is very healthy and great for maintenance, but with lots of cardio, I need more protein to ensure I'm not losing muscle.
  • rosebryony
    rosebryony Posts: 3
    I've been a vegetarian for ten years and I understand what you mean by the carbs!
    :flowerforyou:
  • islandjumper
    islandjumper Posts: 369 Member
    you know there is a group specifically for vegetarians
  • hagamivida
    hagamivida Posts: 129
    Meeeee! Obese from medication and indescribably embarrassed to be obese and veg. Been veg for 4.5 years now and have no plans to turn back. :-) also, gaining weight from carbs? Run. You need carbs to run and have energy to do it. Or walk briskly. I don't know what I think about gaining weight from carbs, I imagine it is just from calories.
  • FitSid
    FitSid Posts: 117 Member
    VEGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YAY!

    Not overweight, just could use to lose like, 10 kg (20 or so pounds).

    YAY!
  • theyear
    theyear Posts: 2
    Hi I'm a veggie have been for about 6 years now. I struggle to lose weight due to polycystic ovarian syndrome feel free to add me :smile:
  • hagamivida
    hagamivida Posts: 129
    If you have the iphone app you can look at a graph of the percent you ate from carbs, fat, and protein, and it sets you up with what everyone should be aiming for: 15% protein, 55% carbs, 30% fat. Carbs give you energy. You can't cut them out safely for long term. Just exercise them off. And you gain weight from calories, not from eating carbs, specifically. You can't cut out food groups like that. Please don't!
  • JessK78
    JessK78 Posts: 26
    i've been veggie for about 17 years, add me if you like. i LOVE carbs its hard to do without so I feel your pain xx
  • Pritti5
    Pritti5 Posts: 1 Member
    hi there, i am training to be a nutritionist and i can add some tips. Carbs are the main source of energy and fibre so they should not be omitted from a diet. The idea is to go for complex carbohydrates like brown rice, whole grain or wholewheat bread and pasta. Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet and also nuts, seeds, pulses and lentils. Unfortunately, even if you have fruit whole day and not do anything, you will still put on weight. So we have to exercise to burn those calories. Protein should also be consumed in moderation, about 0.8g x weight in kg. You only need extra if you are seriously working out. Other then that eating too much protein can be bad for you and can be turned to fat. Hope this helps.
  • SonicaBE
    SonicaBE Posts: 151 Member
    Im a vegetarian and semi vegan- I have milk sometimes in my chai. I share my diary's so feel free to send me a friend request.
  • hagamivida
    hagamivida Posts: 129
    I think you gave the longer winded, slightly more academic plea for not cutting out carbs than I did above. I get so pissed off at things like Atkins for cutting carbs out completely. Then people think it's what they should be doing and that it is healthy, when it is far from it!
  • hagamivida
    hagamivida Posts: 129
    hi there, i am training to be a nutritionist and i can add some tips. Carbs are the main source of energy and fibre so they should not be omitted from a diet. The idea is to go for complex carbohydrates like brown rice, whole grain or wholewheat bread and pasta. Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet and also nuts, seeds, pulses and lentils. Unfortunately, even if you have fruit whole day and not do anything, you will still put on weight. So we have to exercise to burn those calories. Protein should also be consumed in moderation, about 0.8g x weight in kg. You only need extra if you are seriously working out. Other then that eating too much protein can be bad for you and can be turned to fat. Hope this helps.

    I think you gave the longer winded, slightly more academic plea for not cutting out carbs than I did above. I get so pissed off at things like Atkins for cutting carbs out completely. Then people think it's what they should be doing and that it is healthy, when it is far from it!
  • lala26105
    lala26105 Posts: 47
    maybe its just me lol but when i was vegan i lost more weight then ever the food was just so much more easier break fast i had my organic oat brand cereal and my almond milk lunch a veggie burger dinner my tofu stir fry :) idk everyone different i guess kinda wish id go back to that life my b was healthier then
  • danniwhit
    danniwhit Posts: 63 Member
    i have been a vegetarian for about 2 yrs and am trying to lose some weight too! I have in the past relied too much on processed foods, and making meals more of side dishes then of various vegetarian proteins. I have been working at it and have lost about 26 lbs in the past yr but am working to lose more! I would love more vegetarian friends also if anyone wants to add me.
  • SlimmingSammie
    SlimmingSammie Posts: 35
    Hiya, I'm a vegetarian! I lost about 34 lbs through under eating and generally being unhealthy (do not recommend it at all!) I ended up putting it all back on and a few pounds more but now I'm losing weight the healthy way. Healthy is the best way to be! Feel free to add me. (:
  • newtattie
    newtattie Posts: 47 Member
    I'm a pescatarian too - have been veggie for 25 years and due to health preferences have eaten fish for most of it. My daily diet however tends to be 5 out of 7 days veggie. I have always carried a little extra weight but never found carbs to be a big part of the reason why - its just I generally eat large quantities, or I used to. I recently spent 2 and a half years wheat and dairy free due to intolerance and can say that even though I lost weight it wasn't dramatic so have more reason not to believe the carbs caused my personal weight problem.

    I eat a lot of rice, no bread 5 out of 7 days, wheat free pasta maybe once a week. I eat a lot of eggs for protein - fritattas and risottos are great. Dhal, curried vegetables, cabbage, root vegetables, vegetable stews etc are all really filling too. I don't eat enough calcium or iron but my cholesterol is non existent. I love a mixed bean salad and tend to cook with strong veg flavours such as aubergine, beetroot and fennel.

    Due to the quantities of veg I use I don't miss carbs that much.

    Did someone say there was a veggie group on here?
  • islandjumper
    islandjumper Posts: 369 Member
    hi there, i am training to be a nutritionist and i can add some tips. Carbs are the main source of energy and fibre so they should not be omitted from a diet. The idea is to go for complex carbohydrates like brown rice, whole grain or wholewheat bread and pasta. Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet and also nuts, seeds, pulses and lentils. Unfortunately, even if you have fruit whole day and not do anything, you will still put on weight. So we have to exercise to burn those calories. Protein should also be consumed in moderation, about 0.8g x weight in kg. You only need extra if you are seriously working out. Other then that eating too much protein can be bad for you and can be turned to fat. Hope this helps.

    I think you gave the longer winded, slightly more academic plea for not cutting out carbs than I did above. I get so pissed off at things like Atkins for cutting carbs out completely. Then people think it's what they should be doing and that it is healthy, when it is far from it!


    I don't think any of us are suggesting to go all Atkins no carb....it's more a matter of cutting out bad carbs. When you first go veg you're left with such a deficit mentally trying to figure out what to eat. I know personally that was turned into carbs like bread, rice and sugary things. While over the years I've learned to take it easy with those it's a recipe for weight gain. What I'm sure most people are talking about here is switching from bad carbs over to a more fruit and veg based diet
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