How a vegetarian can lose weight

You might choose to be a vegetarian for many reasons, such as to be healthier, to help the environment, or because you love animals.

A vegetarian diet can have less calories and saturated fat and more fibre, which can make you less likely to get heart disease, diabetes, or cancer.

It can also lower your risk of being overweight, but if you make a few mistakes, it can be hard to lose weight.

“Even though vegetarian diets are good for your heart, they can make it hard to lose weight because so many of their calories come from carbs,” says Julia Zumpano, RD, a registered dietitian.

You can lose weight on a vegetarian diet, but you have to work at it.

Zumpano tells you what you might be doing wrong and how to change your diet to lose weight.

What is a vegetarian diet?

The main thing about a vegetarian diet is that you don’t eat meat, but there are a few other differences. Here are the three different kinds of vegetarian diets:

Vegan. Vegans don’t eat things like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, honey, or honey from bees.
Lacto-vegetarian. People who follow this diet don’t eat meat, poultry, fish, or eggs. Instead, they eat dairy products.
Lacto-ovo-vegetarian. A lacto-ovo-vegetarian doesn’t eat meat, fish, or poultry, but they do eat eggs and dairy products.

“Because a vegetarian diet is so strict, it’s important to make sure you’re still getting enough nutrients like calcium and B12 that are easier to get from animal sources,” says Zumpano.

Why you may not be dropping pounds

People who eat a lot of fat, a moderate amount of protein, and very little starch and carbs tend to lose weight better.

In fact, an analysis of 53 randomised, controlled trials showed that people on low-carb diets lost weight much better over time than those on low-fat diets. People who ate more fat also did better than those who ate less fat because they ate less carbs.

Many studies show that your lean body mass goes up when you eat good-quality protein and fat and goes down when you eat starch and sugar.

Here are some reasons why going vegetarian might not help you lose weight.

You consume too many calories.

Beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds, which are all vegetarian sources of protein, have a lot of calories when eaten in large amounts.

Zumpano says that a vegetarian needs to eat more of these foods than meat in order to get enough protein. “For example, a 4-ounce piece of lean meat has about 200 calories and 28 grammes of protein. To get the same amount of protein from beans, you would have to eat more than 2 cups of cooked beans, which have close to 400 calories.

Nuts have the same problem: 1 ounce of nuts has 200 calories and the same amount of protein as 1 ounce of lean meat, but the meat only has 55 calories.

“So, if you eat beans, think of them as your source of protein and carbs for the meal. “Don’t add another carbohydrate like potatoes, pasta, or rice,” says Zumpano. “Instead, give yourself more beans so you can meet your protein needs better.”

Another great tip is to choose vegetarian sources of protein like tofu, seitan, tempeh, or dairy products like Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs, or egg whites that don’t have as many carbs.

You eat too many simple carbohydrates.

Yes, you can eat carbs on a vegetarian diet. But most of us make a mistake when we eat too many refined carbs. Yes, we do mean pizza, pasta, and bread.

These options don’t have fibre, so you’re likely to still feel hungry. You tend to eat more of them because of this.

Instead, try to eat more sweet potatoes, butternut squash, oatmeal, beans, and lentils. These complex carbs, which are full of fibre, are better because they don’t make your blood sugar rise as quickly.

“It’s fine to have a slice of pizza or a bowl of pasta once in a while,” says Zumpano. “But keep your portions small and always include a protein source and lots of vegetables to keep you full.” “For instance, you could make pasta primavera with a variety of vegetables and add chickpeas or lentils for protein. Try a veggie pizza with fresh mozzarella and have a side salad.”

You eat too many foods that are high in calories.

You might eat more nuts, nut butter, seeds, avocados, and coconut when you’re on a vegetarian diet because they are naturally high in fat. These foods are healthy and will fill you up. Even though a small amount goes a long way, calories can add up fast.

Zumpano says that keeping track of what you eat and drink can help you figure out which foods are giving you extra fat and calories that might be stopping you from losing weight. “If you want to keep track of calories, you could use an app or a notebook.”

You eat foods that have been processed a lot.

When you stop eating meat, you are more likely to eat more processed foods.

Even though granola bars, chips, vegan cream cheese and yoghurt, and meat substitutes like meatless burgers, sausages, veggie nuggets, and breaded patties are considered vegetarian, they can be full of additives, added sugars, sodium, and preservatives.

Zumpano says, “These foods are easy to get and taste good.” “Keeping track of how many calories you eat can help you eat these foods in moderation and not eat more than you need.”