Could being a vegetarian be the reason you’re not losing weight even though you’re trying?

 

Vegetarianism is not a weight loss silver bullet. While many people go vegetarian for health reasons other than weight loss, those who give up meat with hopes of rapid weight loss often end up disappointed.

Here are the main reasons why going vegetarian to improve your weight loss results isn’t working out so well.

 

  • You didn’t go vegetarian. You became a “starchatarian.”

We know that “starchatarian” isn’t really a word. However, it accurately describes how many of us eat after giving up meat. It is common for newer vegetarians to eliminate meat without adding a significant source of vegetables to their daily intake. What does that leave? Starch. Many new vegetarians eat lots of it.

Starch based meals become the standard fare. Breakfast is oatmeal or cereal. Lunch is bean soup. Dinner is a vegetable stir-fry with rice. Sometimes dinner is cheese pizza or a plate of pasta for those at a loss for what to order while dining out. Snacks include fruit, crackers, or pretzels. The steady consumption of foods that break down into sugar in the body makes it unnecessary for the body to use stored body fat for energy. For some of us, our body just stays the same. However, it’s common for this way of eating to produce weight gain.

 

  • Your lack of protein intake is making you hungry.

Protein is one of the most satisfying macronutrients. It is also one that many vegetarians struggle to consume in amounts that support weight loss. With lower protein intake often comes higher hunger levels- especially if our daily intake of fibrous vegetables is low. This leaves us to either battle with willpower to avoid overeating or graze incessantly in efforts to feel full.

 

  • You’re eating too many calories.

While vegetarianism can lead to lower intake of saturated fat, cholesterol, and hormones present in commercial processed meat, calories still matter. Eliminating meat can significantly decrease calorie intake. However, when we mismanage the increased hunger caused by lower protein intake, we can easily replace and surpass the calories that we eliminated.

 

  • You’re eating high carb and high fat at the same time.

Did you know that you can mimic the nutrient profile of junk food with healthy food? It’s true. Most of us know that junk food is simultaneously high in fat and starch or sugar. However we are often unaware of how easy it is to create this same macronutrient mix with healthy foods.

Meals like vegetarian Mexican bowls, toast with peanut butter and banana, and vegetarian lasagna have macronutrient levels similar to burgers and fries, candy bars, and pizza. While the ingredients are healthier than junk food, the impact on weight loss is similar.

 

Your overconsumption of soy-based meat substitutes is deregulating your fat loss hormones.

Sometimes we give up meat without really embracing plant based eating. Instead, we replace all of our former meat products with soy based meat substitutes. While making this swap will reduce the intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, making soy a dietary staple has drawbacks. According to Dr. Jillian Teta, “soy is a SERM (selective estrogen receptor modulator). It acts as an estrogen in the body and increases the body’s burden of estrogen, which can interfere with other hormonal signaling. Soy slows thyroid hormone production and the conversion to active thyroid hormone.” Slowing down thyroid production is definitely a barrier to weight loss.

Now that you are aware of the reasons why going vegetarian to produce weight loss may not be working, you can make the necessary changes to get results. Also, it’s important to remember that you can enjoy many of the benefits of vegetarianism by following a mostly plant based diet which also includes fish and organic meat.

You can learn more about Concita via http://www.concitathomas.com/