Why does being a vegetarian make you gain weight?

Question

I have been a vegetarian for a few years now and can NOT fit into some of my clothes anymore. I think it's because of lack of protein and too many carbs...what can i do? Trying to be healthy!

Answer 1

If u eat too many carbs it will be converted into fat by the body, that is very true. The catch is to eat low fat foods and veggies that are not hi carb or mix. Eat salad with little or no dressing; eat veggies, eat fruit but not in syrup, no ice cream, drink skim milk not whole milk, if u eat fish choose for example Tilapia (cheap, clean, and delicious). If u eat too much rice u will get hi carbs converted to fat. Same outcome as eating hamburgers. Good luck.

Answer 2

My God, what a load of crap people write about both diet in general and vegetarian diets!

Okay, first off, basic fundemental rule of thermodynamics...if calories in and calories out balance, you remain at constant mass. If calories in are larger than calories out, you gain mass and if your calories out are greater than calorries in, you lose mass.

Secondly, all this rubbish about whether you should eat more carbs, protein etc. Human diet should be about 60-65% carbs (preferably complex carbs like wholefoods), about 15-20% protein and about 20% lipids (fats). To mess with this will mess with the overall smooth running of the human body - see The Atkins disaster, for example. If you want to either gain or lose weight, you simply eat/more less calories - the proportions of carbs, proteins and fats should stay pretty much the same (although a reduction in fats to around 15% is often beneficial).
That includes all those of you trying to bulk up on supplements - the only thing they bulk up are the marketers' pockets!

So, on to a vegetarian diet...and a special hello to all of you who want to call me pasty, weak and unathletic, etc. I weigh 190lbs, can bench 275lbs, squat 375lbs and deadlift about 400lbs. I have played non-league football and university basketball and have national competition jiu jitsu medals. I work as a personal trainer. I have been vegetarian since the age of nine and have been vegan for 18months.

A vegetarian diet does not have to be high in fat, or low in protein - but many vegetarians do fall into this trap. There is a general belief that vegetarians do not need to watch their calorie intake because they don't eat a lot of fat naturally. Unfortunately, cheese does contain a lot of fat and is the commonly used ingredient in a lot of vegetarian food to "replace" meat. To eat healthily, whatever your diet type, takes a little though and some time - which is why so many people choose the fast food option these days.

Try using soya and tofu in your cooking, cutting down on cheese and making sure you use wholefoods - wholewheat pasta and breads, brown rice etc. They will fill you up more, contain more fibre and protein and have a lower GI (Glyceamic index) that white flours, rices etc.

Hope this helps give you a few pointers. However, if you feel you require a more thorough look at your diet, it is worth consulting a properly qualified nutrionalist. They are expensive, but don't be tempted to go to a cheap one. A properly qualified nutrionalist has at least a Masters level degree qulaification. Anyone who has simply done a 12 week distance learning course knows no more than I do - and although it covers the basics, I wouldn't dream of trying to tell you exactly what to eat, because if you get it wrong you can severley screw with a person's health!!!

Answer 3

As a teeneager, I was a vegetarian. My mom is a nutritionist, so she was able to make sure I wasn't deficient in anything. I have a hard time picturing someone eating lots of veggies, whole grains, and fresh fruit gaining weight, but be careful not to eat simple carbs (doughnuts, 'fake' food, or sugar). I grew up in an active family, and though I occasionally do eat meat now (mostly seafood, though), I am a long distance runner, running about 30 miles a week. I also cycle, averaging 100 miles per week. If I'm not running on the treadmill, I'm walking on it watching TV:-) I have to eat a large amount of complex carbs, but I eat tons of fiber, consume almost no sugar or bad fat. I have a hard time keeping weight on, but I'd rather suffer from that than the reverse. Nutrition is so complex; don't forget to count calories, too.... Just excersize and eat good-it's hard to get fat chowing down on asparagus or mushrooms...

Answer 4

Being a vegetarian does not automatically make you lose weight. Losing weight needs certain disciplines like working out regularly, and choosing how to make veggie food properly. You might be vegetarian but if you cook it with too much oil, or too much dressing on the salad - it defeats the purpose. Cut down on carbs as well because if you don't work out or exercise yet you take in too much carbs, the carbs turn into starch and become "sugary" in your system. Maybe try whole wheat seven grained bread or pasta made from spinach.

Answer 5

If you eat cheese and eggs, that may be the issue. A chicken breast has way less fat than a hunk of cheese. Once you hit your 30's you need like 100 less calories a day, that can add lbs. I suggest fake meats. They are way less fatty than eggs and cheese. Also, eat only whole grain carbs, you will naturally eat less due to the fiber filling you up. Add exercise. Limit things with sugar including beverages. Drop the corn/potato chip habits. I added 30 min/day on the elliptical and did all the listed changes. I curbed my middle age spread. I didn't really lose weight, but my fat turned to muscle.

Answer 6

Yeah, that happens. I lived in a vegetarian house for a couple of years and I found myself eating lots of delicious pasta dishes, and cheese, and gaining weight. I don't think there's anything that would stop a vegetarian from coming up with an effective way to diet, though. Weight Watchers is pretty helpful, you get this little booklet that ranks all sorts of foods (including fruits and veggies) by how caloric they are - so that way, you can start thinking about effective ways to modify your own recipes to make them less fattening. If you cook at home, I've always found homemade soup to be a nice, satisfying, relatively low-cal dish. There are nice vegetarian soup recipes in "Greens" by Deborah Madison, "Verdura" by Viana LaPlace, and lots of other cookbooks. And of course ya gotta exercise. And skip butter and cheese while you are dieting. And cut way down on bread. And cut down on fruit juice, which is way caloric, though whole fruits are fine. Good luck to you!

Answer 7

Our taste buds are designed to make us crave efficient foods, ie fat and sugar. The main reason why vegetarians put on weight is that when you cut meat out of your diet, you are leaving out something which satisfies your taste buds, but which contains a lot of protein and nutrients in addition to fat. As protein substitutes, vegetarians often eat a lot of nuts, which are of course high in fat and carbohydrate, and assuming you're not a vegan, you may also consume a lot of fatty dairy produce such as butter and cheese. You may even be tempted to do things like having a salad as a main course and then a big dessert.

The key is to eat things which you find tasty, and to eat a variety. Use herbs and spices to add flavour, and make appropriate use of oil/butter. Don't eat too much of things like pasta, bread, potatoes and rice to compensate for the lack of meat.

Try to avoid processed foods where possible, as they often contain a lot of sugar.

Answer 8

Because you don't know what you are doing. I'm vegetarian and have stayed the same normal (52kg 5'3") weight. Get back to the books and do your research. Good protein sources are: beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds, tempeh, chickpeas, peas. Many foods, such as whole grain bread, greens, potatoes, and corn add to protein intake.

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/nutshell.htm

Answer 9

Its all down to your metabolism. Ive been a veggie for over 10 years, I weigh 8.5 stone and am size 8-10. Its nothing to do with a veggie diet that you are overweight, you obviously eat loads of fatty crap foods. As they say you are what you eat.

If you pig out on bread and lots of carbs, then you will put on weight. Eat regular meals and cut out fatty stuff.

Answer 10

I think vegetarians have roasted food that normally done with oil or ghee both leaving fat. I could still remember my thin friend always used to have ghee roastd food and left the school as a cotton sac! :-) And more vegetarian normally don't work out much! They refuse bodily strains (and accept mental strains!) !