Does being a vegetarian help you lose weight?

Question

I like meat, but I'd almost ALWAYS being willing to trade in a New York Strip for a killer salad or a spiced up tofu dish.

Will going vegetarian help with weight loss if I almost always eat lean meat anyway?

Has anyone gone vegetarian and lost weight whether that was reason for cutting out meat or not?

Answer 1

If you have a lot of weight to lose to begin with it may take a while. But if you eat a balance Vegetarian diet, and not just eat what people commonly associate with veg lifestyle which is salads, which actually don't have that many nutrients if it's mainly iceberg lettuce, you will feel a lot healthier and the pounds will start to come off. Don't forget about exercise, because that is still important in maintaining a healthy vegetarian lifestyle. Just like a meat eating lifestyle the main things that are important are a balanced diet and exercise.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

We went vegetarian about 3 years ago, and everyone in the family lost at least 40 pounds each in 6 months. We did it to try to get healthier and the wieght loss was a bonus.
It also meant that we weren't doing the fast food thing and read labels on everything. It is amazing the things that contain meat and meat byproducts.
Now, we eat fish, lots of legumes. There are do many great cookbooks out there now. and some GREAT substitutes. I love MorningStar Farms.
The biggest change was when the kids moved out to college. I still cook the same way, but right away, I put half in the fridge for the next day. We used to snack on it for an hour after dinner. You do have to become aware and think before you stick it in your mouth and not sit down with a big bowl of anything, just make some small changes and you'll be fine.
Exercise is very good, small amounts is great (use a small plate - easier to gauge). What I have done for convenience is "pre-package" things I buy.
Once a box is opened, I put a 'serving size' - like 6 crackers or whatever, in little baggies and the empties go back in the box to get refilled. Sounds silly, but it does truly work. If you are trying to space out your meals and snacks, you can go grab a bag with a serivng of crackers and a bag with 12 grapes, etc. and have a snack without having to think about it (and avoid eating half the box or all the grapes). And it becomes as easy as reaching for those chips.
Spacing out your meals help keep your metabolism running and cutting out the meat will make a big difference in energy.

Answer 4

It almost always effects your weight. However, it depends on how much you ration each day. People usually eat 2 to 3 times the normal serving than should actually be consumed per day. Fat itself is not the only cause of obesity. You can overeat without knowing it, even if you are vegan or vegetarian. If you want to lose weight, try portioning your meals. Money will be saved and your waist line will get smaller. Yes, a vegetarian diet can majorly reduce your fat and cholesterol intake. It will not do the job alone, but it can help. It all depends on your diet, whether vegan, vegetarian, or omnivorous.

Answer 5

When I cut out meat from my diet, I ultimately lost 60 pounds in about 7 months...

While the vegetarian diet isn't the only thing I did, it did help me lose the first 20, it was my energy level that soared that made exercise so much easier (which really is the way to lose weight... healthy diet and exercise... if you want to keep the weight off you need to make it is a lifestyle change, or it will all come back...

And just like in an omnivorous diet, stay away from junk foods and pre-prepared over processed meals.

Answer 6

Initially, it did, some ten pounds. But then I found that vegetarian meals can be soooooooo delicious, too, so I ended up gaining some of the weight back. My body had perhaps adjusted to the meat-free diet.

But I'm sure that if I had stayed an omnivore I would have weighed so much more than I do now.

FYI, I'm 40 years old, five feet tall, and 102 lbs.

Answer 7

"Does being a vegetarian help you lose weight? "

-Well a vegetarian will generally eat fewer calories a day than a meat eater without even trying so it's possible, yes.

"Has anyone gone vegetarian and lost weight whether that was reason for cutting out meat or not?"

- I lost about 10 pounds just by going vegetarian with no exercise, and another 15 since I went Vegan with exercise (I needed to loose that weight).

Answer 8

I've tried many diets and couldn't make anything work. Since having my first child, I've been carrying around an extra 30 pounds. This diet just made sense and showed me that everything I was doing before was wrong and a waste of my time.

The plan was so refreshing and so simple to follow. I did everything plan said and lost 23 pounds in the first three weeks. I'm now starting the diet again to lose 7 more pounds. This plan has changed my life.

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Answer 9

Not in and off itself, it depends on what you eat. However, most people lose weight when they are vegetarian because they are also educating themselves about good food choices. Also, you are cutting out meat fats, and are less likely to have fried foods. Personally I lost over 40lbs when I became vegetarian, and have kept that weight off for over 20 years.

Answer 10

I'm a male and I went from being vegetarian, at a lean weight for my height of 170, to eating a meat based diet for two years and spiraled up to 230. I went back to a vegetarian diet, and without depriving myself of food at all I went back to 190 within a year. No excercise. This is just my experience, but it seems to me that a plant-based diet is always healthier. There is far less risk of heart disease and heart attack, too.