How to Lose Weight as a Vegetarian

A common misconception about vegetarians is that we eat healthier than other people. Some even adopt vegetarian diets to try to lose weight. And while there are health benefits to eliminating meat from your diet, losing weight as a vegetarian takes careful planning. Like most things in life, it’s all about finding the right balance.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Vegetarian cookbook
• Multivitamin
• Variety of produce choices in fridge

1. Fill up on fruits and veggies. Binging on strawberries is a lot better for your weight and health than binging on potato chips.
2. Fill up on protein. Meat substitutes contain very little fat, and will give you that satisfying full feeling.
3. Watch what you order. Going out to eat can be difficult for a vegetarian, especially when it feels like your only choices are fries or fried cheese. Ask if you can get a fried dish baked instead. Choose salad and stir-fry over grease and fat. And if you do need to splurge, ask for a carry-out container and split your meal in half so you don’t overdo it.
4. Control your portions. If eating vegetarian is new to you, it may feel like you need more food to replace the meat. Practice dividing pre-made meals and snacks into Tupperware containers so you can keep track of exactly how much you’re eating over the course of a day.
5. Eat good carbohydrates and minimize refined sugar. There’s a world of nutritional difference between whole grain bread and white bread. When you shop, avoid buying foods that are just empty calories.
6. Control your juice intake. It’s hard not to love juice, and for a vegetarian, juice can be an awesome way to take in essential vitamins and nutrients. The problem with juice, though, is that it’s not just fruit. A glass of juice can easily contain two hundred calories, and it’s not even a meal. On top of that, most juice contains a lot of sugar, usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup. Stick with all-natural juice if you can, and don’t drink it with every meal. Look at juice as a treat, and not as a dietary supplement.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy a variety of produce so you don’t get bored of eating the same thing every day. You’re more likely to reach for something healthy if you’ve got options.
• If you have food cravings you can’t control, your body may be trying to tell you that you’ve been missing out on something you need. Try taking a multivitamin to make up for any nutritional deficiencies and to find out if the cause of your cravings is physical or psychological.