Vegetarian Diet Without Weight Gain

Question for Savvy Vegetarian: How can I eat the proper veg diet with out weight gain?

Answer:

Vegetarians tend to be thinner, on average, particularly vegans, but the same principles of weight loss apply to a vegetarian diet, as to a non-vegetarian diet. There are quite a few variables, but there are lots of ways to eat a proper, nutritious vegetarian diet without weight gain.

First, some of the main variables:

1. Your lifestyle and activity level: If you're physically active, especially if you spend time in outdoor activity every day, you won't have as much problem with weight gain, whether or not you're vegetarian, because you'll be burning calories as you eat them. Exercise is an inescapable component of weight control.

2. Vegetarian or Vegan: Vegans tend to be leaner, as a balanced vegan diet tends to be higher in fiber and lower in calories, because of the absence of dairy and egg. For example, beans and whole grains are protein staples of a vegan diet, and the protein/fat/carb balance in those foods fall more into the recommended balance of 10 - 20% protein, 15 - 35% fat, and 50 - 70% carbohydrate per 100 calories. Tofu being the exception. Nuts and seeds are very high in fats, but a little goes a long way, and they are prime sources of vital nutrients.

3. Your physical characteristics and metabolism: If you tend to gain weight, and be a slow moving, earth mother type, then you need to eat accordingly, and not like your friend who eats everything, never exercises, and is a stick. Ayurveda is based on the principle of three basic constitutional types, plus seasonal and life cycle variations, which means that you're unique, just like everybody else, and should cater to your unique individual needs.

Ways to control your weight on a vegetarian diet:

1. Favor vegan sources of protein. That doesn't mean you have to go all vegan, just go easy on the high fat, low fiber foods.

2. Make every calorie count, nutritionally, with high quality, fresh, organic whole foods, and very little processed food or instant food - that way you control the contents of your diet.

3. Maintain 50 - 70% of your diet in carbs, to keep your metabolism and your blood sugar steady and avoid food cravings.

4. Get plenty of liquids, especially warm liquids, like teas, but very little soda, cold or sweet drinks. Favor high liquid, but nutrient dense foods, like soups, salads and fruits.

5. Exercise daily, consistently, with at least 30 minutes of moderately vigorous excercise.

Dietary Don'ts:

1. Don't cut fats and carbs out of your diet. High protein diets of any kind are harmful. You still need a good protein/fat/carb balance. For more info on this topic, read the SV Article: Vegetarian Protein - Myth and Reality

2. Don't starve and binge, or adopt a punitive exercise routine that you can't maintain. Think long term, and be consistent. Have realistic expectations and goals. Size 4 may be unattainable, but last I heard, size 10 or even 12 was perfectly respectable.

3. Avoid extreme diets, like strict vegan, raw food, macrobiotic, or high protein, low carb diets. It's better to learn what your individual body needs, on a daily basis and go with that. Think sustainable.

4. Don't take diet pills, or other chemical or herbal weight loss aids. That goes right along with starving and binging.

5. Don't overeat - quit before you're full, don't snack, and eat light at night.

Here are some more thorough, detailed sources of information on a balanced vegetarian diet without weight gain:

1. The books 'Becoming Vegan', and 'The New Becoming Vegetarian', by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis - excellent and indispensible vegetarian nutrition primers - they cover the weight issue pretty well.

2. Anne Collins has a vegetarian weight loss diet support site, which seems sensible and reasonable, and costs $20 to join.

3. Ayurveda is an ancient system of preventative medicine from India, and there are some excellent guidelines for healthy eating and weight control. The MAPI site has some helpful suggestions - you don't have to buy the products.

Here's an article by Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf M.D., on ayurvedic weight loss. She's written several excellent ayurvedic books for women.

4. More SV Weight Loss Advice Letters:

Thanks so much for writing. Your question was short, but significant - I'm inspired to expand this letter into an article or report. I hope it has helped.

All the best, Judy Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian.