Vegeterian, From a proud meat eatin texan Options

[The Fanatic]

So, i'm thinking of becoming a vegetarian for a month or two just to see if maybe my fat ass can lose some weight doing it. In actuality, it's more of an experiment to see how my body reacts to no longer eating meat every meal. Any suggestions and helpful hints from those who have tried vegetarianism? I'm esepcially interested in still staying meaningfully healthy. And if you don't want to contribute anything meaningful that's fine, please don't post. I DO NOT have any sort of PETA affiliation. I will post my results in this forum as time progresses. I probably won't start this trial until monday of next week.

[kcroxyoursox]

It's not directly related, but if you are on Facebook, there's an application called My Diet that I have been using. You keep a food journal and an activity journal, and you weigh in and it keeps track of your goals and stuff. Honestly, the best part is the food journal - I have kept myself from so many temptations because I didn't want to add it to my journal and see those calories on paper!

[chook]

just make sure you have enough protein and minerals like iron or iodine that is usually found in meat. If you went fish only, its not a bad idea.

[James]

Just eat various nuts instead of meat.

[impala454]

No way in hell I'd give up meat, but I did give up all carbonated drinks (including diet drinks) for a couple weeks and noticed I felt better and slept better. I gave in though

Let us know how it goes.

[Spectatrix]

Don't gorge on pasta.
Don't gorge on cheese either, though I presume you're including milk/eggs in this diet?
Stay away from most of the hyper-processed vegetarian foods (i.e. Boca, Morningstar). They're often no better than their corresponding hyper-processed non-vegetarian counterparts.
Try new foods (fruit/veggies/grains).
Possible sources of protein will be: beans, nuts, tofu, seitan, tempeh, dairy, and eggs... but you don't actually need as much protein as you think. Most Americans eat about 3x as much as they need.
If you want to invest any money, I'd recommend a cookbook called the Veganomicon (it's vegan, but has super-tasty stuff). If not, tell me a little about your tastes and I could forward you some recipes.

[The Fanatic]

I'll already eat pretty much any fruit or vegetable. I'm not giving up milk and eggs. My tastes? Hmm, I don't know... there's not much that I won't eat.

[Mommy]

I think there is a lot that you could do. Until I started eating some chicken, I was mostly vegetarian. If you're wanting to do this to be healthier, that's cool. I think it's a good way to cleanse the body. Once you start eating meat again, try meats that are lower in fat. Turkey bacon, for instance, is 55% less fat than regular bacon. I have gotten a lot of people to start eating it. It's pretty tasty. Stay away from red meat. Chicken is a lot healthier, and you can do so much with it. It grills up nicely so you have less fat. Fish and shrimp are also good. Basically, just stay away from red meat for a while when you go back to eating meat if losing weight and staying healthy is your ultimate goal. Plus, when you haven't eaten meat in a while, it's a BAD idea to eat a giant juicy steak. You'll have a bad stomach ache for a couple of hours.

As far as the vegetarian thing, I'm not big on stuff mixed together or tofu so a lot of your typical vegetarian meals I don't enjoy. I make spaghetti all the time, and it's still pretty good without meat. If you want a super healthy treat, you could try making the sauce from scratch, but it takes a while.

Try making vegetarian pizzas from scratch too. I mean, the fact that you are using all fresh ingredients instead of processed already makes it healthier. Plus, you can chose a cheese that is reduced fat. They sell pizza dough made by Pillsbury in the section that has slice and bake cookies and stuff. That's probably a little more simple than trying to make the dough yourself. Just chose ingredients that are fresh and are reduced fat.

The thing that will make this easier for you is making choices that aren't too far off from the way you regularly eat, but still making healthy choices. Completely turning your food habits around just sets yourself up for failure. Just go fresh, limit your carbs (I don't see carbs as that big of a deal, but apparently they cause weight gain... I've never had this problem and carbs are all I eat), reach from all areas of the food pyramid, and be creative.

[The Fanatic]

Yeah i've made my own pasta sauce before... it's time consuming but well worth the effort. I used fresh tomatoes, minced garlic cloves, onions, bell peppers, various Italian spices, mushrooms, some tomato concentrate. Sauteed the vegetables and then I let them simmer in the tomato juices/spices for awhile, of course when I originally made this the sauce also included Italian sausage and ground beef. Thanks for the tips. I am defiantly rather carbohydrate heavy right now but I plan on cutting back my bread and pasta consumption but not eliminating it. Thanks for the tips!

[chook]

Yeah i've made my own sauce before... it's time consuming but well worth the effort.

[The Fanatic]

[Spectatrix]

How's the vegetarianism experiment going?

I had a fantastic meal last night... Asian marinated tofu (baked), wasabi mashed potatoes, and asparagus. My very carnivorous boyfriend liked it too, though we did agree that the marinade would be good on chicken as well.

[Seeker]

if you want to lose weight then eat six small meals a day spaced out about every three hours and do some weight training along with some form of aerobics like running

if you want to be a vegetarian i would recommend that you buy some quinoa which was a staple food of the incas and is cosidered a super-food in south america... it has a huge protein content and the protein is a complete-protein (very rare), so you get all the protein you need despite not eating meat

quinoa cooks and tastes like rice to me

[impala454]

yeah weight training is a huge part of it people tend to overlook.

[Spectatrix]

I second the recommendation for quinoa. It's tasty and fantastically versatile. Your best bet in Lubbock would probably be to buy from the bulk dept. at Market Street.

[chook]

Where do you get quinoa and what is the costs? I want to try it.

[Spectatrix]

Where do you get quinoa and what is the costs? I want to try it.

You can find it at most grocery stores. The HEBs I've been to carry it. The boxed stuff is more expensive, I dunno... about $4 for a small-ish box? If you can find it in the bulk bins (definite at Whole Foods, possible at HEB), it's cheaper. I'd say the cost is comparable to cous cous.

[Jim]

Go with the small box first simply because what if you don't like it? There money downt he drain.

[Spectatrix]

You can buy the same quantity from the bulk bins as you'd get in the box (or less). No reason to get the boxed stuff unless you can't find it otherwise.

[The Fanatic]

So... the vegetarian thing lasted about 4 days. I got drunk at the bar and afterwards I was hungry and went to McDonalds, after that it was over. I'm going to try again but I am going to ease off meat slowly. I think i'm going to start by removing beef from diet.

[Mommy]

Yeah, just start with beef and then remove other red meat later. There is really no use removing white meat. It's pretty healthy.

[impala454]

I'm a little curious as to what exactly these health benefits are of not eating meat. Can someone enlighten me?

[chook]

I'm a little curious as to what exactly these health benefits are of not eating meat. Can someone enlighten me?

There is for not eating red meat, and americans eat too much meat anyways.

[Mommy]

From what I understand, red meat is hard to digest, stays in your system a while, is high in cholesterol, and gives you no nutrients that you can't get elsewhere. I'd have to read up on it though. I just figure with all the beef scares, it may be something to learn to avoid in case it gets worse in the future.
My husband doesn't eat red meat except occasionally a steak from Texas Roadhouse or a burger from Sonic. The entire time we have been married, I think I have seen him eat red meat less than 10 times.

[The Fanatic]

Yeah, i have also heard that not eating meat is easier on your digestive system. I'm just going to cut out red meat for now.

[chook]

Yeah, i have also heard that not eating meat is easier on your digestive system. I'm just going to cut out red meat for now.

if you look at history the stronger people always had meat in their diet, but too much is bad!

[FORSAKENR320]

if you look at history the stronger people always had meat in their diet, but too much is bad!

i'm pretty strong and i eat a fuck-ton of red meat.... hahaha

but i'm a fat bastard on top of that....

[chook]

i'm pretty strong and i eat a fuck-ton of red meat.... hahaha

but i'm a fat bastard on top of that....

I think we ate too much of Zach's fresh cooked sausage!

[Oasis]

So... the vegetarian thing lasted about 4 days. I got drunk at the bar and afterwards I was hungry and went to McDonalds, after that it was over. I'm going to try again but I am going to ease off meat slowly. I think i'm going to start by removing beef from diet.

hahahahaha

[impala454]

What are these effects of red meat on your digestive system vs other meats (or no meat)? And what about the cholesterol amount vs other meats?

Just asking because frankly I think the "red meat is bad for you" or "there's health benefits to quitting eating red meat" stuff is bullshit. Obviously eating a 32 oz steak every day isn't good for you, but neither is eating 32 oz of just about anything.

[Spectatrix]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_meat#Health_effects

But... I think the anti-red meat stuff is largely bullshit. If you're going to eat meat, you should eat a variety. Eating just T-bones or just bacon or just boneless, skinless chicken breast... any of those extremes is bad. If you're going to be hugely preferential on meat, I would go with eating more organ meat -- more nutrients for the calories consumed.

IMO, that's what nutrition boils down to: balancing nutrient density against calorie density. The big strength of a well-balanced vegetarian diet is that you're concentrating on foods that have a lot of vitamins and fiber for the calories you're consuming, whereas the typical American omnivorous diet includes a lot of muscle meat, which is not the best nutritional bargain.

[impala454]

yeah I read the wiki thing before posting in this thread. my answer to it is:

1. what doesn't cause cancer nowadays?
2. saturated fat is in a lot of foods other than red meat, many of which those who swear off red meat still eat. and saying saturated fat = cardiovascular disease is stupid. eating shittons of saturated fat, sure. having a few servings a week or even a serving a day (provided some of them are fairly lean) is fine.

but merely the consumption of red meat in itself is not some poison that people make it out to be. it doesn't decide how healthy you are, or mean that red meat is inherently unhealthy. go up to an NFL running back and ask them how much red meat they eat. or even just a better than average, fairly fit person in a gym. I know back when I dropped about 60 lbs, I definitely still ate red meat. but it was stuff like grilled pork chops and meals using 80/20 beef instead of fast food burgers & 16oz ribeyes.

I just don't see any valid reason for completely removing it from your diet in order to be healthier. If you completely replaced every red meat calorie, gram of fat, carbs, protein, and fiber, you wouldn't really be any healthier.

Now the people who don't eat meat because they think it's gross or because they don't like eating fuzzy cutesy animals, while a stupid reason IMHO, that is more of a valid reason.

[Mommy]

I think it's just a lifestyle that aids in losing weight. I mean, IMO red meat bulks you up. If you don't exercise enough, that protein will just become fat. If you lift weights and shit, though, that protein becomes muscle. I don't even know if what I am saying is scientific, but that's how it seems to me. If you eat too much protein, it's just going to be extra shit you don't need. By cutting your consumption of red meat, you lower your intake of protein and saturated fat. You can find what you need in fish and chicken. I just seem to notice a trend between people who eat a lot of red meat and those that don't. The ones that do are bulky (whether it be fat or muscle). That's what I am basing my assumptions on. I am too lazy to research if my assumptions are correct. Let's just say, I eat a VERY VERY high carb diet, and 5 days after having my son, I had already dropped almost 30 pounds of the 35 I put on during my pregnancy. I have eaten 1 bite of red meat in the past 8 years. Carbs aren't the enemy. Either that or I have the metabolism of a 4 year old. All I can say is YAY! I'm cute and small again. I just need to tighten my tummy a bit, and I'll be back to the old me.

[impala454]

there is no one particular food that is "the enemy". fat, carbs, protein, none of that is the enemy either. it's the portion that's people's problems. it's having a 16 oz steak when a 6 oz steak would have been plenty. but merely ingesting some red meat does not somehow throw off your whole plan or hurt you in any way, in fact it's good for you in the right quantity. just like red wine is supposedly good for you. well it's not so good for you if you drink a bottle per day and destroy your liver. it's exactly the same thing, it doesn't mean staving off red wine will make you healthier. it's always been funny to me, it's the ones who don't eat red meat who like to tell those that do that it's unhealthy. just stick to your own reasons for not eating it... you don't like it, think it's gross, don't want to eat mammals, etc, those are fine reasons. but unhealthy, it aint.

and red meat does not "bulk you up". exercising is the only thing that bulks you up. all that you require is to eat enough calories to get your body through the workout. some protein might help, and red meat has some creatine in it that will help you recover, but that's not going to make that big of a difference for any of us (short of maybe zach or anyone else who's doing specific training for a sport).

and yes, you probably do have the metabolism of a 4 year old . we'll see if that metabolism still holds when you're 30

[Mommy]

Red meat in moderation is definitely not bad. I never meant to suggest that if I did. My point is that for some people, weaning themselves off of overeating a particular food sometimes means cutting the food out all together.

[impala454]

yeah, cutting out a particular food is fine, but IMHO and through my own experiences, it's much easier to eat less of something than it is to completely cut it out. especially if it's one of your favorite foods. in my particular experience it's the exercise that effects the diet, not the other way around. i.e. once i get a good routine going, my cravings actually change and i don't care for the fried foods and such. anyhow if you just look at how the red meat is served, i think that's where you find the problem. eating a hamburger isn't that unhealthy. it's having it on a buttered white bread bun, with 1-2 TB of mayo, a thick slice of cheese, 3-4 strips of bacon, 2 handfuls of fries, and a 64 oz full sugar soda that's unhealthy. but people associate eating a hamburger with all of those things. if you go and look at a place like whataburger's nutrition info, if you have just a reg old hamburger w/o cheese (or hell, even with) and mustard instead of mayo (i think you can get a wheat bun too?), it's not all that bad at all.

[Mommy]

Exercise is definitely the key... along with a good sleep pattern. Once you get those down, the body usually craves nutrients and you eat better.

[The Fanatic]

Trying the vegetarian thing again.

[Spectatrix]

Cool. I'm moving towards a more vegetarian diet.

Last night I made a yummy salad... pear, blueberries, and strawberries in poppyseed dressing, over arugula, topped with gorgonzola crumbles and maple-candied walnuts.

[Mommy]

How much money do you spend on groceries in a month?

[Spectatrix]

How much money do you spend on groceries in a month?

Who, me? About $400 for the two of us. $100 of that is deliveries of local, organic produce from a Community Supported Agriculture program we belong to. Last month we spent closer to $500, but that was with entertaining, making stuff for the holidays, etc.

[Mommy]

Oh. that's not so bad. You eat a lot of stuff that seems expensive.

[Spectatrix]

Yeah, I really don't spend much more now on groceries than I did in grad school. If I really cared, I'm sure I could pare back the grocery budget to $300 or less. We spend as much or more on eating out, though, which we're gradually trying to change. It's not that we eat out a ton so much as go to higher-priced places (sushi, steakhouse, etc.) when we do.