Vegetarian Weight Loss: How to Lose Weight for Vegetarians

For many of us, the question of "how to lose weight for vegetarians" may sound unusual because we would never expect a vegetarian diet to get people fat. There's no high calorie fried chicken, no cholesterol clogging greasy bacon and no fatty meat in a vegetarian diet. So how can a vegetarian get fat? To be honest, that was what I thought too. Until one day, I saw what I believed is a typical Indian vegetarian diet at lunchtime.

The gentleman sat next to me. On his lunch tray are the following dishes:

1. One chapatti (Indian flatbread)
2. One serving of potatoes with curry
3. One serving of white rice
4. 2 servings assorted vegetables with gravy
5. 2 Papadums (Indian crackers)
6. 4 small servings of different accompanying gravy

One thing that hit me was how carbohydrate dense the lunch was! Not only was it packed with carbohydrates, it was packed with high glycemic carbohydrates - the type that will send you straight to snooze Ville shortly after lunch.

Oh, by the way, I haven't even added the can of soda he was drinking.

Out of curiosity, I calculated an approximate energy composition of his lunch (excluding Coke) and it was at least 900 calories and 160gm of carbohydrates. (Source: Health promotion board website).

Now, that's not a lot. Not for someone who works out regularly and needs the calories to replenish his energy stores and to repair and grow his muscles. But for a desk jockey, a continued diet like such will grow nothing but your belly and butt.

If you are vegetarian and are struggling to find the quickest way to lose weight, below are 3 useful tips which can help you to get slim. If nothing else, it will prevent your belly from expanding any further.

Vegetarian Weight Loss Tip #1: Know the GI of your food

All foods have a glycemic index. The glycemic index, to put it simply, is a measure of the blood sugar response in your body in relation to the food you eat. The higher the glycemic index, the greater the response of blood sugar in your body. When we consume food with a high glycemic index, it sends a rush of sugar into our bodies. Because we cannot have excessive sugar floating in our bodies, insulin is produced to store away the excessive sugar. This excessive sugar often ends up getting stored in our belly.

But when you consume low glycemic food, it does not trigger a high blood sugar response and as a result, there won't be a need for insulin to come in a store the excessive blood sugar. Remember, an excess of anything, whether calories or carbohydrates, all end up getting stored as fat. So as a general rule, avoid all white carbohydrates such as white rice, white potatoes, white bread and table sugar.

If you are looking for the fastest way to lose weight, this is it. Follow your diet based on the glycemic index and you'll never need to count calories or carbohydrates again. 

Vegetarian Weight Loss Tip #2: Have protein in every meal

Getting sufficient protein is one of the biggest challenges of vegetarians, especially vegans. If your current weight loss plan is anything decent, there will be an exercise component and an emphasis to build muscle to aid fat loss. In order to build muscles, you need to ensure that you consume sufficient protein in every meal.

For vegetarians, make sure you include eggs and milk into your diet. Eggs are one of the cleanest and cheapest sources of protein you can find. One large hardboiled egg contains about 6-7 grams of good quality protein.

Plant sources also contain protein but unlike the animal sources, they are mostly incomplete protein. Incomplete protein means they do not have all of the eight essential amino acids. But don't fret. You can also get complete protein from plant sources by pairing up complementary plant proteins.

You can get complete protein by pairing up the following sources:

Grains

Barley, Corn, Rice, Oats, Pasta, Wheat

Legumes:

Dried beans, Lentils, Dried peas, Soy beans, Chickpeas, Green beans, Red, beans

Seeds and Nuts:

Brazil nuts, Cashews, Sesame seeds, Walnuts, Sunflower seeds

Combinations to get complete protein:

Grains + Legumes (E.g.: Barley with green beans)

Legumes + Seeds/Nuts (E.g.: Trail mix)

Grains + Seeds/Nuts (E.g.: Oatmeal with sunflower seeds)

Vegetarian Weight Loss Tip #3: Little things make big differences

Something seemingly insignificant like dipping sauces, gravy or condiments can make a big difference in your daily calorie intake. A completely clean vegetarian meal can be easily made unhealthy by the introduction of the sauces and condiments. A vegetarian diet is typically low in calories. So watch out for those sauces, gravy and condiments which can add a significant amount of calories, sodium and sugar into your diet. Don't believe it? Take a look at the ingredients in your ketchup bottle or mayonnaise bottle. There is an unexpectedly big amount of sodium, sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

Weight loss for vegetarians doesn't have to be difficult. Although the food you eat may differ from a non-vegetarian but the principles of weight loss remains the same.

I hope the tips above have helped you to gain a deeper understanding of how you can have easy loss weight for vegetarians.

If you a vegetarian struggling to lose weight and looking for the best vegetarian weight loss plan, you can download your free fat loss starter kit which helped the author, Daniel Ho, lose up to 5 pounds in just the first week

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6930049

Vegetarian Weight Loss Diet

Vegetarian diets are usually low in calories and in fat content too than in meaty diets, also finding obese individuals are quite rare in vegans. But this doesn't mean that vegetarian diets are totally healthy; there are quite a number of vegetarian diet that can be quite as fattening as the non vegetarian counter parts. So what is a goods vegetarian weight loss diet?

Having a balanced diet even in a vegetarian diet is important to be considered as a vegetarian weight loss diet. Sufficient research has shown hat a typical vegetarian diet contains more than 500 calories less than the meat variant but there is a tendency to eat larger quantities, so watching the portion sizes are very important

when you choice to go for a vegetarian weight loss diet.
Vegetarian diets also compromises of large quantities of carbohydrates, so its very important to cut down on the amount of carbohydrates, but the use food that are made with complex carbohydrates are healthy as they are rich in legumes and other vegetables mixed in grain.

Elimination of meat alone doesn't mean that there is total weight lose, as the alternatives such as milk products, cheese and sweets can compensate for the lose of calories from the meat products. Eating the wrong food can actually cause a weight gain than a weight loses when it comes to a vegetarian diet.

Planning your diet ahead around a lot of fruits and vegetables and grains is a huge secret in adding it into a vegetarian weight loss diet. It's not only nutritious but also adds greatly in weight lose.

Looking for healthy vegetarian diets are not at all difficult, there is a wide variety available in groceries that could be popped straight into a microwave, or loads of great easy to cook recipes which are not at all expensive in books and on the internet. There are looks of food out lets that give you the options of vegetarian variants such as vegan burgers and other meat products such as the use of soya meats instead of meats that can be a great replacement adding in weight lose.

Vegetarian Weight loss diet can be very healthy and palatable with chosen and eaten in the proper quantities.

Your Weight Loss [http://www.weightlossstuff.com/signup.html] guaranteed, Lose 14lbs in 14 Days, by eating more! Get access to more weight loss diet [http://www.weightlossstuff.com] tips from my blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1671758

Vegetarian Diet Plan for Weight Loss - Healthy Fat Loss Tips for Vegetarians

The vegetarian diet is a diet without meat, but there are several gradations. Some vegetarians do without red meat and poultry, but still eat fish, while others only eat eggs and dairy as animal products. And then there are vegetarians who completely do not even eat eggs and limit themselves to yoghurt and cream. Another type of vegetarian is a vegan, who completely forgoes on animal foods. If you are a vegetarian and want to lose weight, you might be surprised that this works in the same way as if you were a meat eater. Nevertheless there is one pitfall, you have to be more careful with the nutrients you need.

Overweight as a vegetarian

It is a myth that vegetarians do not get fat because they "only" eat plant food and maybe a bit of milk. As vegetarians there are many calorie rich ingredients, because in these meals the meat is often replaced by nutrient-rich dairy products: like cream and cheese sauces which are real calorie bombs. And those who eat breaded and fried Camembert, as vegetarian alternative to a pork chop, digests a lot of fats. If vegetarians want to lose weight, you have to - like everyone else - identify the fattening ingredients in your meals and replace them with lower calorie ingredients.

Pay attention to iron

If you are losing weight you should pay particular attention to iron! The biggest risk is lack of iron for vegetarians. This essential element is accumulated in the body and is primarily gotten by eating meat. Although many plants also contain the mineral, they are far from the required amount. Iron is needed for healthy blood and can especially occur with vegetarian women. Permanent iron deficiency leads to anaemia and other health risks. Even riskier is the nutrition for vegans, besides the risk of lack of iron in the daily meals is also the risk of B12 deficiency.

The vegetarian diet

A vegetarian diet is still possible, even with these pitfalls. They are available in different versions, one which all other diets have in common: the calorie content of meals is reduced and the intake of fat is limited. If you want to lose weight as a vegetarian, you can also customize a "non-vegetarian" diet to your own: replace the meat ingredients in the recipes with soy products. Although this should not be industrially processed as vegetarian soy sausage, or other meat substitutes because sugar and fat are added as a flavour enhancer - and that increases the calories in the meal. You could go for soy granules, which are available in different forms in health food stores. You want to make sure that your soy dish is GM free, buy biodynamic products.

Furthermore you should continue to take iron-rich vegetables. Make sure that you do not simultaneously digest dairy products, as these interfere with the iron absorption. Iron is present, for example, in green spelled, oats, raspberries, carrots, potatoes or whole grain bread.

Are you a vegetarian struggling with weight loss? Read our effective vegetarian weight loss diet plan for tips how to lose weight and keep it off.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7469503

How to Approach Vegetarian Weight Loss the Right Way

People generally diet to look better, feel better, and enjoy the health benefits. However the main reason for dieting is to lose weight. Unfortunately though, many people actually increase their weight whilst on their diets.

Following a healthy vegetarian meal plan can help to overcome this issue, and support your weight loss goals.

There are a couple of common diet mistakes that you can avoid during any diet program:

Why a Diet could Make you Gain Weight

Diets can make the human body more adept at storing fat supplies. Our bodies were designed to preserve fat during times of famine, to support us during times when food was not readily available. However now a days, most of us have replaced famine with diets.

People will often go on a diet, lose a bit of weight, come off the diet, and regain what they lost (and maybe some extra!). Their body did what it was designed to do, ie deposit extra fat to help survive periods of famine (even though they are self-induced).

Good news though - avoiding this problem is easy. Adopting a healthy vegetarian lifestyle, using easy veggie meal plans, means you can settle your body into a new healthy routine without the yo-yo effect.

The "Skinny Fat Person" Syndrome

Becoming thin and healthy is best achieved by maintaining a balanced diet (vegetarian or vegan being the best) combined with regular exercise and some strength based exercises.

Weight is only one factor in dietary success or failure. Muscle is heavier and denser than fat, and therefore a healthy slender person could weigh more than an unhealthy person of similar stature.

Starving the body can lead to being unhealthy under-weight. As a dieter eats less calories, their body stores fat due to the famine effect described above. Weight may decrease, as their body feeds off of their healthy, lean muscle mass.

Percentage fat measurements can be taken electronically, and your local gym should be able to help you with this. A low weight with a high body fat percentage means you need to improve your nutrition and start a strength-training regimen. Weight-gain is normal as you become leaner however in this situation it's actually a good thing.

A vegetarian weight loss plan will have a much lower amount of saturated fat than that of a meat-eating dieter. Therefore managing a healthy balanced approach to weight loss is much easier.

Weight Loss for the Long-Term

Diets do not result in lasting weight loss. Diets come to an end, and when you return to your old eating habits, you will most likely go back to your previous weight as well.

The problem with diets is that they're diets. They are usually started to solve a problem such as weight or healthy issues. We all know that we can't live on a fruit juice only diet forever, but it makes us feel good in the short term.

What we need instead is a sustainable healthy diet and lifestyle that will allow us to live a healthy life over the long term.

So if you can't trust short-term diets to help you lose and keep off that stubborn weight, what can you do? The answer is in making a sustainable lifestyle change. Focus on eating nutritious meals, regular exercise and stress management. It can also be helpful to identify things that trigger eating habits, such as comfort eating or boredom.

The lifestyle change may not make you lose weight as fast as you would on an all-juice diet, but the weight you do lose will be sustained. A good vegetarian weight loss plan will help you achieve your goals much more easily.

For more information on how to achieve healthy sustained vegetarian weight loss, join us at http://vegetarianrecipeplans.com/vegetarian-weight-loss

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7026263

Vegetarian Weight Loss Plan - The Fat Inferno

The perfect addition to any weight loss or fat burning program is to incorporate the vegetarian weight loss plan to cut our fat intake and lose the weight fast. A vegetarian diet can be a very healthy style of eating but you should add variety, balance, and moderation to your new diet. What we want to do is have a lean healthy body without feeling run down and tired from too much exercise.

A vegetarian is someone who avoids all types of meat products and can be categorized into two camps. The lacto-ovo vegetarians will avoid animal flesh completely yet will eat eggs and most dairy products. The vegan on the other hand will avoid all foods that have any animal origin.

Because vegetarians avoid animal flesh they often wonder how they will get enough protein. For the lacto-ovo vegetarian dairy products are an excellent source of protein. Vegans will have to get their protein from nuts, seeds, and soy products.

The Protein concern: Vegetarians can get their protein from beans including green, peanuts, lentils split peas, pinto, soy beans, kidney and many more. Nuts are higher in fat than beans so enjoy them in moderation. Low sodium cottage cheese and tofu also are also high in protein. Make sure when shopping for these products that you are getting at least 15mg of protein per serving.

Other nutrient concerns are vitamin B12 Calcium and vitamin D. To have an adequate intake of vitamin B12 vegetarians should consume vitamin B12 supplements or foods that contain B12 such as soy products or milk. For calcium vegetarians can drink orange juice or soy milk to get the required amount of calcium. Although all types of vegetarians rely on simple food groups controlling your vitamin and calcium intake is something you should always do.

Morning Activity: Be sure to get up and have something for breakfast. Have oatmeal, or fruit and maybe a smoothie for breakfast. I like oatmeal with peaches and a few cups of my favorite green tea. Get out and go for a walk or go shopping. I can't emphasize enough about morning activity, doing something in the morning will get your metabolism going and it will help you burn fat all day.

By becoming vegetarians for our weight loss period we are eliminating saturated fats from our diets and this will facilitate fat burning and faster weight loss. After 60 to 90 days on a vegetarian diet you will like the way you feel, and may decide to make being a vegetarian your new life style. You will sleep better, feel better and have more focus. Here's to your success in your weight loss and fat burning goals.

To get more vegetarian weight loss tips visit http://vegetarian-weightlossplan.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7411193