A lot of people who are trying to lose weight think that if they just go vegetarian, they are all set. But the vegetarian diet is not inherently low calorie. If you are considering vegetarian hoping to drop pounds, you need to be sure to do a vegetarian diet for weight loss.
Trying to lose weight is taxing and tedious. Lots of people these days are not thrilled with their waistline and what the scale says. Trying to lose weight can make you feel desperate – especially if your efforts have not been successful. If you have tried everything, you may start thinking about becoming a vegetarian. After all, you have nothing to lose, except your unwanted weight, right?
But don’t think just because something is vegetarian it is healthy. The vegetarian diet includes carbohydrates, which can be high in calories and they also raise your insulin levels, which can be disastrous to your dieting efforts.
So if you want to do vegetarian diet for weight loss, you need to make the foundation of your diet fresh, whole vegetables. Avoid falling back on juices as a means of eating quickly. You want whole foods, not a processed version. Any time a food is processed, it is less healthy for you.
You want to limit your diet to fruits and vegetables as your main dish. Then add high fiber foods. Beans and nuts are great choices. Beans are filled with fiber and nuts give you good fat. Whole grains are fiber rich as well. Whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, and whole wheat tortillas work well. Brown rice is a good choice as well. Barley will serve your purposes.
There are so many people considering vegetarian diet for weight loss, there is even a Skinny Vegetarian book, which allows people to load up on desserts as long as they use raw sugar and maple syrup. This is likely not a great idea for people who want to lose weight.
The vegetarian diet for weight loss is full of whole foods and heavy on vegetables. Do not fall back on simple carbs, like those made from white flour. Pasta made from white flour, for example, is a simple carb. This will not do your waistline any favors.
It is important in a vegetarian diet for weight loss that you make sure to eat whole foods and make the healthiest choices.
Also be wary of soy. It can actually slow down your weight loss efforts. And it has been connected to some hormone conditions, such as thyroid disorders. Many vegetarians eat soy to serve as a source of protein, but be careful about eating too much.
You can have fats in your diet, as long as they are unsaturated fats. Olive oil, for example, is a heart healthy fat. Olives are also a good source of fats. Eating good fats help you feel sated, which is important in your weight loss efforts.
Make sure you don’t skip out on protein since you are not eating meat. Nuts, soy, and meat substitutes are good alternatives. (Just not too much soy!) Dairy products are also a good source of protein for the vegetarian as well.
Vegetarians are not all automatically skinny. They have to watch their diets just like the rest of us. Those who eat healthy have good waistlines.