Losing Weight on a Vegetarian Diet
Dieting and weight loss go together like - well - dieting and weight loss. You can have weight loss without dieting, but it's not going to be as easy, and almost certainly won't be as healthy. Since losing weight is a matter of calories in, calories out, the food you eat has an enormous impact on your physical appearance. That's why dieting is always encouraged as a part of a healthy weight loss regimen.
However, for those who are vegetarians, or are thinking of going vegetarian, the world of dieting may look daunting. Why? Because most diet plans, programs, and cookbooks place a heavy emphasis on meats, specifically lean meat, as a key component of a solid weight-loss diet.
There's good news, however: it is possible to lose weight while on a vegetarian diet, and best of all, you can do it healthily, cheaply, and without ever feeling like you're starving.
The Advantages of a Vegetarian Diet
When it comes to losing weight, there are a few advantages that the vegetarian diet has.The first one is that, by and large, a vegetarian diet is cheaper than one that includes meat. Vegetables can be purchased cheap, and staples like rice, flour, legumes, grains, and potatoes can be bought at rock-bottom prices. While some vegetarian foods can be a little costly, such as fruits and vegetarian "meat" alternatives, chances are you'll end up spending less on your grocery bill.
The next advantage is that a vegetarian diet can be naturally low-calorie. Vegetables often have negligible amounts of calories: for example, a cup of rice is 216 calories, a cup of chopped carrots is only 53 calories, and a cup of spinach is 7 calories. By comparison, a cup of cooked chicken comes out to about 335 calories.
Eating a vegetarian diet, especially when you're eating whole vegetables, legumes, and starches, also gives you a lot of nutritional bang for your buck. With a well-rounded veggie diet, your body will be getting tons of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. That means your body has what it needs to keep you going.
The Pitfalls
As with everything related to weight loss, you need to keep in mind that this isn't a quick fix. Why?Just because you're eating vegetarian does not mean you're necessarily eating health. You can gain weight on a vegetarian diet just like you can on any other diet, which is why tons of people end up shooting themselves in the foot by not paying attention to what they eat.
The main pitfall? Lots of vegetarian foods are bad for you. Just think about french fries, onion rings, hush puppies, falafel, chocolate cake, donuts. Notice anything? They're all vegetarian, and they're all packed with calories. Staying vegetarian doesn't necessarily prohibit you from indulging in these foods, and that's why it can be tempting. One serving of french fries is about 365 calories - more than the 1-cup serving of cooked chicken we listed above.
Lots of processed foods can be vegetarian too, but that doesn't meant they're good for you. Check out the frozen food section next time you're at the grocery store, and you'll find all sorts of meals, sides, and foods that contain corn syrup solids, xanthan gum, carageenan, sucralose, refined flour. These foods can no only end up being high in calories (due to sugar and dairy, for instance) but can be low in nutrients. That means they won't fill you up for long, and this lack of satiety can lead to overeating.
What To Do
At this point, we've seen both sides. On the one hand, a vegetarian diet can help you lose weight, but not all vegetarian foods are going to be good for you - and many will help you gain weight. How can you make sure you're doing vegetarian right? Here are some tips:Get lots of fiber: Fiber is found in many vegetables and grains, and is a key component in appetite control. Fiber makes you feel sated, and the more full you are, the less likely you'll be to feel the urge to snack or overeat at meals.
Eat whole vegetables: Juicing your food can be good on occasion, and supplements containing vegetable extracts can give you some nutrition, but there's no replacement for eating your vegetables whole. You'll be filling up on food that is low-calorie and nutrient-rich, allowing you to take in fewer calories while still being satisfied by a meal.
Get lots of protein: Protein is vital to maintaining and building muscle, and a key component in satiety. That's why you can't subsist on salads alone: make sure you get plenty of protein, whether it be from beans, cheese, lentils, soy products, quinoa or any of the dozens of other healthy vegetarian protein sources.