I'm going vegetarian for the summer!?

Question

I'm trying to lose weight. Any tips/recipes?

NO tofu.

Answer 1

Proteins: Body's protein needs can be provided by either animal or plant sources. Mixed protein diet obtained from various plant sources is better than animal protein and is recommended in diabetes, renal diseases and liver diseases. Mixed protein diet from different plant sources has been the pattern of diet in India for all vegetarians.

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are mainly found in plant foods; like cereals, grains, fresh and dry fruits, legumes, vegetable, greens, nuts etc. plant carbohydrates include' large amounts of starches, sugar and fibers which are important for gut functions. The body is better suited to a high carbohydrate diet than a low carbohydrate diet. In fact 55% of the food intake should be carbohydrate. All animal products do not contain carbohydrate which is essential for body.

Fat: Plant fats differ from animal fats in two different ways 1) they are cholesterol free 2) they generally contain more polyunsaturated fat and less saturated fats. Plant fats usually have higher polyunsaturated fat value than animal fats.

A diet which is low in cholesterol and which contains fat of a high PIS value is associated with a lower incident of coronary health disease.

Vitamins and Minerals: plant foods are rich in many vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is obtained by exposure of skin to sun light and this is not a problem in India.

Calcium: The vegetarians can meet their needs for calcium from dairy products. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Dark green vegetables are good sources of Riboflavin as are legumes and whole grain cereal.

Iron: The problem of iron deficiency is relatively common but vitamin C significantly enhances absorption of iron hence it is advisable for vegetarians to include with each meal a food high in vitamin C which as lime, citrus fruits or juices.

Zinc: Zinc is found in large number of plant foods.

Fiber: Fiber is found only in vegetarian food like whole grain cereals, legumes, greens, fruits, vegetable etc.

Thus in vegetarian foods all requirement of nutrition for body growth and maintenance is fulfilled. One can have a complete and balanced diet provided we take enough food which is as close to nature as possible in maintaining sturdy and disease free body. It is equally helpful in curing many diseases.

ADVANTAGES OF VEGETARIAN DIET:

More & more evidence is surfacing that directly links a prolonged non- vegetarian diet to diseases as cancers, heart diseases, diabetes, asthma just to name a few.

1. LOGEVITY: Vegetarian can expect to live 4-10 years longer then the non-vegetarians.

" Source: Seventh day Adventists study

2. LESS HEART DISEASE: Because of low fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content of the vegetarian diet the risk of heart disease is lowered. High blood cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease.

3. LESS CANCER: Up to 40% of all cancers are diet related. Cancer death rates have been associated with obesity and high fat / low fiber diet. Vitamin A & C are thought to be protective against colon cancer. Low fat diets protect against prostrate and breast cancer. Indoles, lignans, isoflavones, protease inhibitors which are present in plant foods and shown to be potent anti carcinogens.

4. LESS BOWEL DISEASE: Diverticular disease and appendicitis occur more frequently with low fiber intake as in meat diet.

5. LEES OBESITY & LESS INCIDENCE OF DIABETES: It is easier to plan a low fat diet for a vegetarian then for a meat eater. The fiber in plant food dilutes the energy & provides a satisfying meal without all the calories. Diabetes over the age of 40 seems to be related to

dont eat junk food try and eat home mdae boiled food for 4 week and see the diffrence

Answer 2

Don't do it to lose weight...because you won't.  You can lose weight on any diet as long as you cut back your calories and get more activity.

Do it for the animals www.meat.org.

Do it for our environment.

Do it for your health.

Don't think of it as a fast easy way to lose weight though.  It takes a lot of work and isn't a decision to be taken lightly.  It's not a game and it can be dangerous if you haven't read up on everything you need to know.

Answer 3

Eat herring, kidney beans, garlic, garbanzo beans, anchovies, onions, and romaine lettuce.

Do not eat beef, pork, or fig Newtons.

Drink Belgian beverages like Duvel, Gulden Drak, Gueuze, Affeigem, and Lambic.

Answer 4

To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in.  Being vegetarian does not automatically mean weight loss.

Answer 5

Why not for the rest of your life?  A lifestyle change is the only way to maintain healthy body and weight.

Answer 6

You should really think about making it a lifelong change. It may be difficult at first (though it wasn't for me), but you'll get used to not eating meat. And if you do it in a healthy way, weight loss will come hand in hand with it. Just eat a vegetable and fruit rich diet, get protein from beans, nuts and seeds, soy foods, and tofu. and before you say NO TOFU, you should actually try it first, because I'm sure you haven't. It take the flavor of whatever spice/sauce you put on it, so it doesn't taste gross, and it only takes a couple minutes to prepare on the stove. And if you buy light tofu, it's about 200 calories for the entire package, so you could make two meals worth of stir fry for around 300 calories. Tofu is your friend :) But if you absolutely DISPISE tofu, then you can try veggie burgers like morning star and boca, and other soy "meats". Most of them, like Smart Dogs and Smart Bacon, were made to have lower fat and calories anyways. And just like any other diet, you need to exercise to lose weight, no matter what you are and aren't eating, so try and exercise for at least 45 minutes a day. And you'll probably find vegan/vegetarian frozen entrees like Amy's brand, which are healthy, but limit youself to only one a day, because they are high in sodium. Drink lots of water, and good luck this summer!!

Answer 7

Good for you.  I've been veggie for 10 years now and I only gave it up for lent, just never went back.  Be careful though, being veggie doesn't means you will definately lose weight.  You can still be very unhealthy as there are so many meat replacement products available now.  You should still stick to a varied diet, fill up vegetables rather than bread or pasta.

I do have a friend who wanted to lose weight and so he tried the vegetarian option and he has been pretty successful but remember, losing weight isn't just about your diet but also about your lifestyle such as exercise. (hope it don't sound patronising as you are probably well aware of this)

As for recipes... I'm an unhealthy veggie, one of my favourites being a vegetable lasagne.  But basically eat what you would usually eat but replace the meat with a hearty vegetable like an aubergine.

Good luck to you.

Answer 8

I recently went vegetarian and it is quite hard to keep up with eating.  Make sure you eat a balance of fruits and vegetables and tons of nuts and things that contain protein.  I actually had to stop being a vegetarian and then go back because the first time I did not eat enough protein and I became very very weak, if your not going to be strict you can eat fish like some vegetarians do.

Answer 9

if it's weight loss you're looking for, limit your intake of carbs, dairy, and fruit.  DO NOT cut them out of your diet, just make sure you're eating more veggies than anything else.  try veggie soups like minestrone, big garden salads with low-fat dressings, grilled veggies, etc.

try to stay away from the prepackaged stuff....those will hinder your ability to drop pounds because of high levels of sodium.

good luck, and please stay healthy =)

Answer 10

You're doing a great thing for the animals of the world and yourself!

But, weight loss doesn't really have anything to do for vegetarianism.  I mean, it could, but it only works for some people.

My tips:

Exercise every day, rain or shine.  A must for everyone!  It could be dancing, walking, running, playing with a cat or dog, ect.

Keep an open mind about what you are going to eat.  Not just chips!  Before you crack open that bag of potato chips, think veggies or fruit.  Celery and peanut butter or apples and cinnamon can beat a bag of chips or box of cookies.

My recipes:

Allrecipes.com has lots of great recipes including falafel, which is like meat but SOOO healthy!!!

Snacks:

Veggies

Shakes

Smoothies

Crackers/chips

Hummus and pita bread/chips or veggies, ect.

Good luck!!!

Answer 11

a vegetarian diet is not going to help you lose weight, a well balanced diet with exercise is.

eat plenty of fresh whole foods, only shop the perimeter of the grocery store monitor your portions and exercise.

Answer 12

first have you tried tofu? or you just think it sounds bad?  cuz it really isn't bad.  there's a ton of things you can do with it, just experiment.  my biggest tip for going veg is to experiment bc you'll find a lot of new things you didn't think you'd like.  try different versions of things in different ways.  

also if weight loss is your goal- veg is not a one stop answer.  calories in has to be less than calories out, that is the bottom line.  you still need to watch what you eat and exercise.  veg alone might do it temporarily and then it will all be back.  also you need to watch your carbs and fat intake just as much, pizza and ice cream and fries are all veg right? and pasta? if you start relying on stuff like that your in trouble!

look online for healthy veg recipes.  try out the "fake" meats. try tofu.  incorporate beans in your diet. eat a lot more fruits and veggies too!  once you find what you like you might even decide to do it for longer :)