What are the benefits to becoming a vegetarian? Would it help me loss weight and keep it off also?

Question

By becoming a vegetarian do you have "more energy", loss weight faster? feel better as a whole??

Answer 1

Whether or not you lose weight will depend on more than you just going vegetarian. Losing weight requires lowering your fat intake, lowering your calorie intake, eating balanced meals (so you're getting nutrition out of the calories you consume) and ideally, exercising.

Simply going vegetarian does not assure any of those things. As a vegetarian, you could still choose to eat fattening foods (cheese pizza, store-bought frozen cheese enchiladas, etc). However, if you eat a truly healthy vegetarian diet, then yes, most likely you will lose weight.

It took me about a year after going veggie before I started losing weight. Why? Well, since I didn't really know how to cook vegetarian meals, I ended up trying out lots of recipes. I later realized how much cheese was in them! I was consuming at least a pound of cheese per week! Now that I'm more comfortable with cooking meatless meals, I use much less cheese.

I have recently lost 15lbs (over three or four months)without changing anything and without exercise. It's just that I'm learning new foods that don't require as many fatty ingredients (stuff like stir fry, tacos, french bread pizza with small amounts of cheese, bbq'd veggie kabobs, etc). NOW I feel like I have more energy and I feel healthier overall. I also have fewer headaches than I did in the past (which ironically were due to various deficiencies in my meat-based diet).

So anyway, yes, a vegetarian diet CAN help you lose weight and feel better... but it will only do so if you eat properly.

Answer 2

It can help you lose weight, but it depends on what you eat. If you eat chips and cookies, you most likely will not lose weight. If you eat lots of veggies and cut back on high calorie snack food and get some exercise, you more then likely will lose weight. You don't have to go to the gym (although it helps). Don't park your car in the parking spot closest to the store, park furthest from the store..always take the stairs instead of the elevator. It may not seem like much but those few hundred feet of walking add up over time (each calorie you burn counts!)

I actually lost 45lbs between May of 2004 to Dec of 2004 by becoming a vegetarian (I did it for health reasons only..I'm not an animal activist). I have kept off every pound for the last 2 years. I am a vegetarian which means I don't eat meat, but I do eat cheese (2% only) and meals with cheese in them(I dislike eggs and milk so I don't eat them anyways). I have cut out junk food, quit eating butter (I replace it with one slice of 2% cheese) and I eat nuts and veggie burgers for protein. (The portebella mushroom burgers seem to be the best tasting to me.) I don't eat any fattening dressings like mayonaise or ranch dressing. Basically I watch what I eat. I've replaced chips with Trail Mix, especially when I hike. Sure I've splurged and gained a few pounds, but the next week, I make it up by walking a little further, or cutting back on my calories a little more. I've managed to maintain a weight of 104lbs for 2 years. My dieting buddies (who tried atkin type diets) have lost weight quicker then me, but also managed to put the weight back on.

It's a simple rule of thumb. Take in less calories then you burn and you will lose weight, no matter what you eat. The tricky part is making sure that what you take in is healthy and has enough vitamins and protein to keep you healthy.

Talk with your doctor first before going on any diet.

Eat right and exercise is the key. I have just found out thru the various years that a vegetarian diet is the only thing that has helped me lose the weight and keep the weight off.. That's me tho and all people are different.

Good luck with your weight loss.

Answer 3

I found the book to be very informative and easy to read.

I've lost 17 pounds in 12 days, I'm just concerned that I'm losing too much weight, too quickly. I will admit I haven't followed the guide exactly. I'm not sticking perfectly to the listed foods and meal plans (but mostly) and doing very little exercise, but the weight keeps flying off.

It clearly works and if I'd followed it exactly I think it would scare the living daylights out of me because of the amount that I'd lose. So thanks again for the information. I've never purchased anything like this before because they are usually full of trash, but 3WD has been a pleasant surprise.

Get started today!

Answer 4

no not necessairaly, you shouldn't become a vegetarian to loose weight because that is taking a step backwards. tho it may seem like a good alternative because you eat a lot of veggies and healthy foods you are more often going to run out of options and have less of a variety in your diet esp if you are not properly educated on being a veggiterian. you could start eating more greasy foods-french fries, or more sweets, cake, candy and things like chips and anyother kinds of junk food because those are all foods that are worse for you then a regular sized meal of some chicken and pasta and greenbeans. as long as you eat in moderation and don't indulge yourself in sweets you can eat a controlled balanced diet that in the long run will be healthier and more stable. also being a vegetarian is hard work you have to make sure you get all the protein one needs to stay healthy and you may need to take vitamins go to the doctor more to make sure your staying healthy. as long as you eat everything in moderation and pass up you nightly desserts and go walk ,stretch and maybe jog for a little while in the evenning you will be healthy and start to loose weight in a healthy way where you don't end up with a whole bunch of stretch marks and worse off then you were be4.

Answer 5

If you want to go vegetarian for health and social reasons there are definantly many reasons to do so, as people have sugessted.

If you want to look into this strictly for a weight loss tool this is what I've heard. Vegetarians on average weigh less than meat eaters. However there is many more factors to this than lack of meat. Vegetarians, generally, are more aware of what they put into their bodies and as a result make better food choices. They did find, however, the biggest weight loss secret vegetarians have is eating beans, lots of beans. They have found that meat eaters who incorporate beans in their diet are skinnier as well. Beans are awesome for a diet, they contain a good combonation of carbs and protien. They are really high in fiber and sustain you for longer periods of time then other foods in their calorie range. They are awesome!

Answer 6

!5 years ago I was overweight and had no energy. Then I became a vegetarian, and started walking and riding my bike everywhere. I lost the weight and have kept it off. I have considerably more energy now. Meat takes a long time to digest (it's never fully digested most research suggests) and that takes energy. I felt the difference in the first week! It's not for everybody, but it won't hurt to try it out.
Not to mention you will avoid all the growth hormones and antibiotics that are constantly given to farm animals, which can't possibly be good for you.....

Answer 7

Perform a websearch on Covert Bailey for overall great advice on diet and exercise.
Cutting out meat will initially make you feel less "loaded down". It may mean consuming less calories (meat usually comes with fat to make it taste better) and thus losing weight, but it depends on what your substitute is.
If you need more energy, then you are not getting enough exercise. Balance cardio with weight training... your energy levels will rocket. But don't restrict your diet while you are doing that. It will just make you crazy and will only last breifly. Do make sure that you are eating enough of a large variety of foods so you get the full spectrum of nutrients.

Answer 8

Vegetarian eating is overall healthier. But going veggie will not necessary help you loose weight. Just think of how many calories are in beans, rice, breads, nuts, etc.
It's all in how MUCH you eat.

Answer 9

Not necessarily. If you eat french fries and oreos, they're vegetarian but you won't lose weight. You have to eat right, exercise and drink lots of water. Eat your fruits and veggies.

Answer 10

You are taking LESS from the earth which is under siege to provide food for everyone. You are skipping a whole layer from the "toxic chemical "pyramid by leaving meat out. You aren't risking mad cow disease or bird flu. You are less likely to get arthritis pains in your joints because your diet is much less acidic without meat. No living thing has to suffer or die for you to eat. Your percentage of body fat ought to decline (unless you replace meat with dairy) over time. You still have to eat fewer calories to lose weight. Your cholesterol should go down also, again as long as you replace meat with lentils and extra vegies instead of dairy.
Its all about what you replace the meat with.