Hardly seems fair … here you have made a healthy lifestyle change and have decided to embrace vegetarianism, but the scale isn’t budging. In fact, it’s going the wrong direction. C’mon! I mean, what gives?! Well, math.
First of all, let me applaud you for deciding to go vegetarian or vegan. Whatever your reasons are for making this change, I think it’s a positive, healthy choice. Maybe you’re sensitive to the plight of the animals used in our food chain, or maybe you believe that consuming non-animal products is a sure-fire key to weight loss, or (insert your reasoning here) - bottom line, veggies, nuts, fruits, etc. are all healthy, nutritious, nourishing and, in a word, “good” for you.
But, again – a recurring theme on our blog here – the numbers don’t lie. And, that applies to vegetarianism weight loss, too. If your goal is to lose weight and eating only vegetarian/vegan items, that’s great. But, in order to see results, you still need to stay within that 1,200 calories per day guideline. You may think, “Well, I’m eating mostly fruits and vegetables, how many calories could those possibly have?” Well, honestly, they can have a lot. If you want to dine on truckloads of lettuce, you’ll likely stay within your 1,200 calories per day budget, but I bet you’d be pretty sick of lettuce in a short amount of time.
Let’s take a look at this example – one that I learned firsthand, in fact. Say for lunch you decide to open a can of black beans, top those with some salsa and heat up your entree. You might have a banana for dessert and maybe some almonds, just for good measure (you want to make sure you’re getting some fat in your diet – your body really does need some fat to function properly.) Healthy lunch, certainly, but you’re also looking at approximately 600 calories – half of your daily budget – in just your lunch! So, be careful with what you’re consuming and always keep in mind that you have a limited supply of calories within which to work each day. Make it a game, a puzzle to be solved – “How am I going to make the most nutritious vegetarian meals today while staying within my caloric budget?” That can actually be kinda fun to think about – it challenges you to come up with new, exciting ways to blend your two interests (weight loss and vegetarianism) creatively so that you don’t become bored with the same foods over and over, while watching the pounds slip away. AND, added bonus, all healthy stuff for you, too, so GO TEAM YOU!
Just remember, that 1,200 calories per day is what it all boils down to – no matter who you are, omnivore or vegan. If you stay within those guidelines, continue drinking your water, continue moving your body, your body will start thanking you and morphing into the shape that it wants to be. You’re gonna feel (and look) great!
Have a great day, Everyone! Happy 1,200!
Donna
Site Recommendation: VegWeb.com - great recipes and tips for the vegetarian lifestyle
