Low carb for vegetarians?

Question

I need to lose about 20 lb, and everyone tells me the quickest way is to do a low carb or Atkins-style diet. Has anyone got any ideas to help a vegetarian? There's only so much cheese a girl can eat...

Answer 1

Low carb and vegetarian do not mix.

Vegetarians get nutrients from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Fruits are not allowed on Atkins because of the high carb content. Also, vegetarians get protein from beans and whole grains. Neither are allowed on Atkins due to the high carbs.

With Atkins, the fat comes from meat sources and butter. Neither are allowed on a vegetarian diet.

With Atkins, you have to follow the diet exactly. The first 2 weeks, you eat a lot of meat and 1-2 cups of dark leafy greens per day. Any variation from that and the diet will not work.

Answer 2

Don't just replace the meat in the Atkins with cheese - it's full of fat as well as protein.

You know there's been some very adverse press coverage of these high protein/low carb diets? However if you're keen to try it, there's a site called AvidLite - I'm not recommending it, but it does contain some advice that you may find useful. They're obviously selling their own products, so if you can see through the hype, you should be OK.

Answer 3

Carbs aren't bad for you! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. There are two types of carbs - simple and complex. Simple carbs are found in things such as sugar, soda, white bread/pasta, fast food, cookies, etc. Complex carbs are found in things such as whole grain bread/pasta, Fruits and Veggies, Peanut Butter, Oats, Etc. Once it comes to carbs stick to the complex! Making the switch you will find that you won't be eating as much of the crappy stuff. But here are some of my favorite vegetarian lunches/dinners: - Mixed Greens, 1/4 cup of strawberries, 6 stripes of morning star farms chickn. Top with italian dressing. - 1 can of chickpeas, drained. 1/2 bottle BBQ sauce. (Mix together. Microwave for about 2 minutes. This makes about four servings) Serve on top of brown rice. - Veggie Burgers are extremely low in carb. Switch to whole grain for the bun and you should be perfect. Serve with veggies like broccoli, green beans, etc.

Answer 4

to be honest the atkins diet is more for meat eaters than vegetarians...stick with being a vegetarian and just exercise...unless you have a medical condition ( such as a slow thyroid or whatever) you should eventually see the weight come off.

good luck!

also...cheese? cheese is one the most fattening foods there is..sure its good for you in small amounts but too much is just asking for it.

Answer 5

It is a quick way, but unhealthy and once you lose the weight and go back to your regular way of eating, it will all come back. It's the BAD carbs that put on weight...switch to good carbs like whole grains.

Answer 6

well firstly you definitely avoid carbs like starches in white bread and potatoes. cut down your intake of these and other refined sugars like soft drinks. cheese isn't gonna help your diet cos it does contain fat. opt for low-fat cheese. and veggies! usually when one goes on a diet they jus eat lots of veggies and fruits. i think the sugars found in fruits are better and different from the ones in sweets and drinks. the one from fruit is fructose, not the same as processed sugar called sucrose. so i think you're safe to eat fruits in moderation too. and try being a little more active, it should help to burn up some excess fats. good luck! :)

Answer 7

Go to the library and get the book "Eat to Live."

The recipes in it kinda suck, but it is one of the only safe restricted calorie plans out there.


You're not going to lose weight eating tons of cheese.

Answer 8

Try a cleanse process - it worked for me, no I'm not a vegetarain, however my brother & girlfriend are and they loved it. I learned about it from them. Then I got a coach to work with and love it to.

You can contact them through