Will A Vegetarian Diet Help With Weight Loss?

Question for Savvy Vegetarian:

I am 40, 5'4" and currently weigh 220lbs. I am concerned about my weight obviously for health reasons and I'd like to fit into a normal size pair of jeans in this life time. Additionally I'd like to be healthy enough to play in the yard occasionally with my 10 year old son. I'm considering a change to a vegetarian diet, but have some reservations about going full blown vegan. Also how do you go about committing to a vegetarian diet in a house full of meat eaters? I had the opportunity a couple of years ago to eat nothing but vegetarian meals for a week...I truly enjoyed them and thought then that I might give it a try...I'm also concerned about the expense involved...vegetarian vs. "regular" diets and the cost. - M.A.

Advice From Savvy Vegetarian:

Dear M.A.,

You bring up a number of issues in your letter - let's take a look at them one at a time.

Vegetarian diet and Weight Loss: It can be easier to lose weight on a vegetarian diet, but it's also easy to gain weight, depending on what you eat. If you substitute large helpings of cheese, eggs and soy products for meat, and otherwise don't change your diet, being vegetarian won't help. And if you can change to a healthier diet that has more whole grains and veggies, and less calories, and exercise more, and maintain that consistently, you'll tend to lose weight, whether or not you are vegetarian.

Full Blown Vegan: In spite of the ethical and health benefits of a vegan diet, and the fact that vegans do tend to be thinner, I agree it's a bit much for most people to go completely vegan right off the bat, or make any sudden full scale dietary changes. In my opinion, it's better to change your diet gradually.

Being vegetarian in a house full of meat eaters: That's not as much of a problem as the general unhealthiness of a meat based diet. It's not just that people eat meat, but that they eat far too much meat, and not nearly enough, or often any, of whole grains, veggies, fruit, and plant based protein. If you could change your family's diet in that respect, it would make your life easier. I've attached another report for you, Veg and NonVeg Eat Together - veg/nonveg cohabition is one of the major topics.

The Expense: Again, it isn't a question of vegetarian vs non-vegetarian. A nutritionally superior diet can be more expensive than one that isn't. For example, organic food costs more. Better quality anything tends to cost more. BUT, processed food (frozen, canned, packaged - pre-cooked food, and fast food, or restaurant meals) always costs more, whether vegetarian, organic or not. And costs you your health - you are what you eat, etc. In my experience, it costs less to make your own food from scratch, with fresh quality ingredients, as well as being more satisfying and nourishing on all levels. And you have complete control over what you eat, which makes dieting easier.

I'm not an expert on weight loss; there are many aspects to consider, and I don't know what might apply to you. Also, you've indicated that this isn't just a matter of a few extra pounds for you - it's a serious health issue. Please find a professional who can help you put together a diet and exercise program that will work for you to gradually lose weight, and control your weight over the long haul. Gaining cooperation and support from your family would be a big plus, and again, you might need help with that, as in counselling.

As you say, the important thing for you is to lose weight, get healthy and improve your physical fitness. Whether or not you go vegetarian in the process is up to you, but a lot of doctors and dieticians agree it's a good direction to take for weight management. For a detailed reference on plant based nutrition I recommend 'The New Becoming Vegetarian' by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis, also 'Becoming Vegan', by the same authors - they also talk about weight control on a vegetarian diet.

I wish you all the best in meeting this challenge, I'll be thinking of you, and I hope you'll let me know how you're doing.

Judy Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian