vegetarian dieting....do i still have to get to 1200 cals a

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kirsty2276
kirsty2276 Posts: 9
in Food and Nutrition
hi im new here and i thought id write my first post.
ive been a vegetarian for over 27 years and im finding the diet advice hard to get to grips with as i cant make up the 1200 cals.
since dieting ive cut out butter, bread, cakes, and my beloved evil doughnuts (that got me into this state!) i dont eat chocolate or crisps anyway.
my food and drink intake comes to max 900 daily, i was eating nuts and seeds to snack on but i gained 3lbs whilst doing this! so they are out too.
are there anymore veges out there with diet advice as this seems to be a world aimed at meaty dieters.

kir

Replies

  • lulabellewoowoo
    lulabellewoowoo Posts: 3,125 Member
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    I'm also a vegetarian, albeit only one year. Bananas are great sources of potassium and are a high caloric fruit at like 110 calories a banana. How about peanut butter with less salt? Did you cut out all grains? Oatmeal? BTW, if you combine the three above foods, what a yummy breakfast!
  • kirsty2276
    kirsty2276 Posts: 9
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    hi, i tend to have low fat yoghurt and granola for breakfast or porridge if its cold out.
    bananas are a good idea they fill you up too. i love all my veges im bit more fussy with fruit.
    i also need to try and get as much iron in my diet as possible as im always deficient in this and have iron infusions every few months...im still not going to eat liver though!! uuuggghh

    how do i get my weight loss ticker up it seems to only add the code when i copy and paste
  • lulabellewoowoo
    lulabellewoowoo Posts: 3,125 Member
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    I don't know if you like watermelon, but since it's summertime, watermelon is very rich in iron. You probably know the obvious, kidney beans and spinach and soy.

    As far as the ticker is concerned, you should be able to just copy and paste. If the the BBCode doesn't work, then use the HTML. :)
  • Scubachick
    Scubachick Posts: 54
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    I'm Veggie for nearly 20 years (yikes, am I really THAT old! :embarassed: )

    I think when you start a new way of eating there are some old habits that have to be replaced with new healthier alternatives. That's a learning curve for all new dieters - carnivores and herbivores alike. You are going the right direction, as you have identified the "problem foods" from your old life. But now, you need to identify ways to replace these with healthy alternatives. Don't just cut out the butter, bread, cakes, and "beloved evil doughnuts" - replace them instead. Butter, for a low-cal dairy spread, bread, cakes and doughnuts in smaller quantities and lower cal options. By replacing them you are less likely to break-out of the diet and binge on the foods you love but had been denying yourself.

    Funnily enough, I still struggle to remain under my 1300 cals each day. I thought that as I was a "herbivore" I had to constantly graze to fill my 4 bellies! Instead of meat my plate was packed with starch (rice/ pasta/ potatoes etc) and/or cheese and/or nuts and seeds to fill me up. That's what got me to the size I am now! I now watch my starch servings but pile up the plate with the veggies - especially the greens.

    I could probably take a leave out of your book though. How do you stay at around 900 cals? Are you not Starvin Marvin most of the day? I struggle with my 1300 and I am starving now, 150mins after breakfast! Can you list a sample day?
  • Scubachick
    Scubachick Posts: 54
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    .... try and get as much iron in my diet as possible as im always deficient in this and have iron infusions every few months...im still not going to eat liver though!! uuuggghh
    Have you tried Quinoa? Its a grain that you can cook and use like rice, but it is high in protein and iron - though I am not sure of the exact levels.

    Also, try combining your greens with something high in Vit C. I love spinach/ cabbage/ broccoli/ kale in a tomato based sauce. Alternatively, have an orange for desert! The Vit C helps you absorb the iron.
    Failing all of that, there are some iron supplements for pregnant women that are easy on the tummy.
  • kirsty2276
    kirsty2276 Posts: 9
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    265648.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

    thats great i love watermelon and i will stock up on it, and i ve never tried quinoa but i will give it a go,umfortunately i cant take oral iron as the dr's say im allergic to oral versions ..i am strange!

    the typical diet for a day is :
    yoghurt and tiny bit of granola and pumpkin seeds, 1 egg omlette and salad , baked potato and homemade chilli baked beans, muller rice /custard. and a tea in the morning and water the rest of the day , this type of diet keeps me feeling full all day.
  • July
    July Posts: 239
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    If you're just not hungry, a drink is a way to fit in calories. Soymilk has a ton of good isoflavins, protein, vitamins, etc.

    Also, having extra calories left over is a great opportunity to fit in healthy fats. If you limit your nuts, make them dry roast without salt (salt retains water, which could make your weight go up), you should be able to eat them without gaining. Flax seeds on a salad are yummy, too.

    These are good ideas because they're easy to cut out if you find your calories going higher.
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Bananas, rice, protein smoothies, avocados, milk, there's nothing wrong with butter so long as you teach yourself proper serving sizes (I make my own so i know whats in it), peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, yogurt, etc etc.

    There's a ton of healthy things you can add to your diet to get up over 900. There really are. I like to keep homemade guacamole, baba ganouj, and hummus around and some pitas in the freezer for nights I need some extra calories.
  • Scubachick
    Scubachick Posts: 54
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    kirsty2276, been thinkin about ya over the weekend :bigsmile: Are you sure you are just taking in 900 cals? Are you keeping track of everything? My Weight Watcher Leader is always saying "If you Bite it, then write it"!

    I am a fiend for snatching french fries off the hubby or kids plates and forgetting to write it down :embarassed: Or that little taste of birthday cake or lick of someone's icecream etc.. Also, are you counting the oils you use to cook your food? And the sauces on the top? Are you weighing/ measuring your food so that your diary accurately records the right portion? Its very easy to slip into the guessing game rather than take the time to weigh and measure. I am certainly guilty of the illicit bites and unmeasured dollops myself! I had reached goal weight twice before and although I continues what I thought was a fairly healthy diet I failed to continue measuring and the weight crept back on. :brokenheart: Oh well, I am learning from my past mistakes, and this will be the last time I will let it creep back!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    yeah, 900's not enough. not unless you're 4' 9" tall or so (if you are, then disregard this). You're calories should be at a minimum, bare minimum, your BMR, unless you have a high body fat percent (in the mid 30s or higher). while 1200 calories is an average based on a very large sample done by the World Health Organization about 20 years ago, and may not be the baseline you need, it's still a pretty decent gauge on where you should be at least trying to shoot for. FYI, if you've been around 900 for a while, when you do up your calories don't be surprised by weight gain for a few weeks/months, this is normal, your body is actually going to try to recover from being at a reduced metabolic rate, and at the beginning won't know what to do with the extra energy, so it will store it as fat. That's ok, it's necessary. I'll warrent once you start eating more you'll notice more energy, a better complexion, and your hair and finger nails will start looking healthier.

    regards,

    -Banks
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    yeah, 900's not enough. not unless you're 4' 9" tall or so (if you are, then disregard this). You're calories should be at a minimum, bare minimum, your BMR, unless you have a high body fat percent (in the mid 30s or higher). while 1200 calories is an average based on a very large sample done by the World Health Organization about 20 years ago, and may not be the baseline you need, it's still a pretty decent gauge on where you should be at least trying to shoot for. FYI, if you've been around 900 for a while, when you do up your calories don't be surprised by weight gain for a few weeks/months, this is normal, your body is actually going to try to recover from being at a reduced metabolic rate, and at the beginning won't know what to do with the extra energy, so it will store it as fat. That's ok, it's necessary. I'll warrent once you start eating more you'll notice more energy, a better complexion, and your hair and finger nails will start looking healthier.

    regards,

    -Banks

    What he said.
  • kirsty2276
    kirsty2276 Posts: 9
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    hi , yes i have been writing down everthing i eat and drink and i also weigh my food whilst preparing it.

    what your saying does make sense as ive been dieting for a month previous to joining MFP and i weighed myself after a month and id gained 3lbs! very depressing .
    ive been adding fruit juices and an extra snack into my diet the past few days and bringing my cals up to 1200.
    i hd a really bad day the other day as i walked past freshly baked donuts and it made my mouth water i even tried to visulize them as raw kidneys! but i still wanted one all night and ate a load of stuff which really depressed me , would one very occasionlly still be ok as long as i allowed for it in my cals count ?? this is my only weakness!!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    look for calorie dense foods like nuts, yams, whole grain rice, whole wheat pasta,and whole grain breads. These all make it quite easy to reach your goal calories throughout the day. I would steer clear of the fruit juice though, very high in sugar, it's really something you want to drink a lot of. I realize they contain a lot of vitamins and antioxidants, but so do the fruits they originally come from, and they also contain fiber to slow down the metabolic breakdown of the sugar.

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