anyone has any links for vegetarian diet plans? i haven't been able to find any. thanks in advance =)

Here's one that a friend of mine swears by. Vegetarian diet plan

i know that the Zone diet offers alternatives for vegetarians. as a lifelong vegetarian, what i found helped me to lose the most weight was going vegan, eliminating processed foods and white flour/rice from my diet, and only drinking water or smoothies/fresh juices.

unfortunately, this diet requires a ridiculous amount of self-control, is incredibly hard to do, and is in the long run quite expensive. that is why i'm no longer doing it, and am now looking to lose weight again and not empty my bank account.

thanks for the quick posts guys, i'll check them out

My wife and I have slowly been migrating towards full-fledged vegetarianism. We've both been trying to lose weight, and it seems that cutting out all of the fatty meats should make a difference.

We eat a lot of soy-based substitutes. Soy burgers. Soy milk. Soy cheese. Corndogs, sausage links, hot dogs, chicken nuggets... all made from soy and other vegetable products. They taste good enough that I don't care much for meat. But I can't help but think I may be missing out on some essential nutrients or proteins that meat has been providing me.

My question is, how successful have others been by trying this approach? How healthy is it in general, and have you been able to keep weight off?
Can you still build muscle this way?

I've lost lost about 30-35 pounds in the past 3 months, but I attribute it more to my exercise routine (lots of running and weight training) than to my choice of foods. I've kept my caloric intake pretty low overall.

You can, but its harder. As i said in your other post, i have a vegetarian bodybuilder friend, who lives on protein shakes and nuts. However I don't see any role of vegetarianism in true muscle building/massing up for bodybuilding, but if your question is just is it possible to have a nice 'beach' body being a veggie, then of course.

Nick

If you want good information on vegetarianism I recommend the site for the Vegetarian Resource Group (www.vrg.org).

I am a vegetarian and am following The Rice Diet Program. Don't let the name fool you, it isn't about eating rice. Also, most of the people on it aren't even vegetarian. It does work well for vegetarians though and it's a balanced diet. That's why I chose it.

I lost 22 pounds in 7 weeks and then went on the maintaince part of the program. I didn't want lose too much too fast and get sagging skin. Meanwhile, I was weight training and I know I added some muscle. Therefore, I'm sure that I lost more than 22 lbs of fat.

You don't have to buy special products or even the book, although personally I recommend reading the book. You could get it from the library. Also, I would say I spend less money on food now that I'm not buying junk or processed food.

If you are interested, all of the basic information is at their web site (www.ricedietprogram.com). There is a clinic at Durham University in North Carolina, but it's expensive and you don't have to go there to follow the diet.

Any vegetarian bodybuilder out there?

I'm vegan and I'm trying to build more volume. I eat lots of nuts, cereals and soy milk. Apart from that nothing special. Shakes of vegetable derived protein are really expensive as far as I know.

I know for a fact it is possible. I can think of Tony Robbins who is massively built and vegan, but I would appreaciate some tips.

Thanks!

Jack LaLane is the original vegetarian body builder.

He's been a veggie since he was like 17 or something.

I'm a vegan... but I haven't been one long.. I was a lacto-ovo veggie, but I really ate way too much dairy and fat, so I didn't lose weight as a veggie... but, as a vegan, I'm also being careful not to load up too much tofu, meat analogs (they can be pretty high-fat), or high-sugar treats.

Lots of salad, lots of veggies, some fruit, and trying to keep the protein foods in balance. It's all about balance.

YMMV

WeightWatchers offers vegetarian meal ideas.

I just bought a ton of books from Amazon on McDougall, Fuhrman, and Ornish vegetarian diets -- including two cookbooks. I've completely converted breakfast into a vegetarian meal, but am having great difficulty with lunch.

Does being vegetarian make you so hungry all the time? I'm eating roughly the same amount, but just different kinds of food. I still feel hungry several hours after a major meal. It's driving me nuts, especially when I'm at work. I'm worried I might actually start losing muscle mass.

Or is this an acclimation period? I feel like I'm always on edge and I can't stop thinking about food. I'll wolf down an apple/pear/banana and still not feel satisfied.

Help!

I have been a vegetarian all my life and I am beginning to think that it definitely makes you feel hungry fast. I must add that I am not a big salad eater, but I think that meat keeps you full longer. Yes, I can eat a banana and be hungry in 10 minutes. I can have a pack of oatmeal and feel like I have not had anything.

One problem is that I don't think my diet is very high on proteins, perhaps adding more tofu will help.. I dunno. I am just used to eating South Indian fare and don't take to the time to optimize my meal in terms of protein. My stomach can only tolerate so much of lentils and dried beans..

I think eating huge salads and including more protein will keep you fuller.

What are you eating? That's the key to determining if you should feel so hungry or not. Are you eating enough protien? Fat? Give us some clues and we should be able to give you some advice. I've been vegetarian for years.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en& q=vegetarian+bodybuilder&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
google search on "vegetarian bodybuilder"
Because I know there are some around.
The link to a (iirc, don't hold it against me if I'm wrong, it's been a bit) halfway decent bodybuilding.com article. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/vm7.htm
THis one http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/vegetarian-bodybuildin g.aspx also seems good after a quick glance.

Been veggie for a long time. Get plenty of protein, it just requires paying attention to what you eat, like anyone else has to do. Gained weight as a veggie (there are lots of things that aren't meat that will still plump you up, of course) and got lean as a veggie.

I'm a lazy veggie though. Often my meals come from Boca or Amy's... or Morningstar Farms. Or Gardenburger. Anyway, most of those are pretty high protein, low fat, moderate carb with decent fibre... which is generally my preferred way of eating. Food that is low cal and filling and doesn't involve cutting up a cow or a pig is fine by me...

Dried TVP (soy textured vegetable protein) breaks down as follows
50% protein.
30% carbohydrates
16% dietary fibre
300ish calories per 100g, it's an easy way to get additional protein into your diet without boosting your calorie intake by too much.
Also, it's very cheap ^_^
The only down-side is that it looks like kibble. Well, because it is.

Thanks! I suspect I may not be getting enough protein or fat as you say. So far, I've been eating oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, and vegetarian soup/wholegrain bread/veggie sandwiches for lunch. I've been leaving dinner alone for now.

I know that 1 gram of fat has roughly 9 kilocalories and 1 gram of carbs/protein has 4 kilocalories, but I didn't expect the caloric difference to be huge when I switched.

What I forgot is that veggies have a lot more water and are "fluffy" in the sense that they take up a lot of space on the plate. So a huge plate of salad may look like a lot, but it's really a lot of empty space and water.

Found an interesting site on vegetarianism, with a section called Frank Talk About Vegetarianism. Haven't done much reading yet, but I will.

I'm currently trying to ease into the McDougall program, which is essential pure vegan with additional restrictions on fat (no nuts, no avocados, etc.). I think Ornish may be less restrictive.

I am starving and it's just about lunchtime, so I'm off!

I didn't know that Microsoft did anything with Vegetarianism.
Just kidding. But the link included does go to the Microsoft website.

Oops, trying to work and goof off at the same time.

Frank Talk About Vegetarianism.

@All: WeightWatchers's vegetarian-related links.

here's a good link www.ccmhi.org

Protein! The key to feeling fuller longer is protein. I posted this in another forum, so sorry if it's a repeat... protein produces more of some enzyme that makes you feel full (or maybe it inhibits a "hungry" one, don't remember which).

Though I can't imagine getting my protein from anywhere but meat; you're on your own there ;)

(I said the word "protein" 5 times in this post. goddamn.)

The USDA has a report that says less than 30% of people in India regularly consume meat. For economic and religious reasons (Hindus at least) a very large part of the remaining 70% are very likely vegetarian.

There's got to be a way all these people are getting their protein!

I haven't tried these yet, but here's a nice list of vegetarian Indian dishes. I'm lucky -- there's a pretty well-stocked Indian supermarket near me. Now I need to find out how to use it!

Oh yes.. our food uses lentils ( of different kinds, I just call everything lemtils) a lot and we eat yogurt, but there is no way we eat the amount of protein that a meat eater does. The problem is that lentils also have a fair bit of carbs associated with them or we add rice/other carb-based ingredients to make an entree..URL

I am not anti-carb.. but it has to be balanced.

se fode porra samerda

Getting enough protein for vegans/vegetarians isn't usually an issue, UNLESS you are doing some serious weight training. Most people get enough, if they eat a wide variety of foods.

I'd suggest going to this site: http://www.vegsource.com/food_groups.htm

and, for a reality check:
http://www.vegsource.com/articles/milk_pyramid.htm

One thing that people sometimes don't realize, is that meat (and dairy) sits in your gut, for hours, sometimes for days.
This is actually a BAD thing.
When you switch to veggies, your digestive tract starts working the way it's supposed to, and thus, you get hungry a little more often.

So, plan on eating more frequently. Include a variety of things in your diet, veggies, fruits, nuts, grains, healthy fats, and the occasional treat to keep your hopes up.

Vegetarian Shepard's pie, with ground boca instead of ground beef -- is perhaps the most satisfying, filling thing I eat. You can't beat potatoes for fullness. It's so ridiculously easy and cheap to make. You can fix a small one and then eat on it for the next day or so, because it's so good after it sets up for a night. And Boca is a complete protein, and peas and corn makes a complete protein as well, so it's all good.

Layla, do you have the recipe for the Vegetarian Shepard's pie? That sounds amazingly tasty!

Shepardess Pie

- 1.5lbs good "mashing" potatoes. I like Yukon Gold.
- 1lb equivalent Boca ground beef substitute (n.b., this is vegan )
- 8 oz frozen super-sweet white corn (or fresh)
- 8 oz frozen petite peas (or fresh)
- 1/2 normal-sized onion, diced to bits
- 1 1/2 cups of vegetarian/vegan brown gravy.
Optional, for mashed potato topping:
- butter (or margarine, for vegans/strict vegetarians)
- milk (or soy milk)
- salt


PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees

Prepare mashed potatoes, set aside. Emeril's tip for making good mashed potatoes: after boiling and draining, return cooked potato to saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, on medium-low heat until most of the water from potatoes evaporates -- then add ingredients and mash. This keeps them from being runny.

Prepare gravy per instructions and set aside.

In a skillet (don't forget nonstick spray or butter), sautee onions and ground Boca until onions are browned and Boca is warm (though it's not really important that the Boca be warm, just that the onions are cooked.) Add gravy to Boca/onions and stir.

Put Boca and gravy mixture into bottom of a rectangular or square baking dish.

Layer 8oz frozen corn on top of Boca.

Layer 8oz frozen peas on top of corn.

If you know how to ice a cake, use that method to spread mashed potatoes on top of peas. If not, here's some basic instructions. Empty all mashed potatoes into a large pile into middle of pan. With a spatula of some persuasion, spread potatoes progressively OUTWARD (away from the "pile") towards edges of baking pan -- returning to middle for more potatoes when the topping gets thin. While spreading, if you must pick up your spatula, do so at a 45 degree angle, not by picking the spatula up directly. Picking up the spatula will result in taking peas and corn with you. (Alternately, if you have a pastry bag, you can simply pipe the potatoes onto the peas.)

(Optional) When topping is spread, put small pats of butter on top of mashed potatoes in an even pattern. If your pan is fairly small, you can do 2 rows of 2 evenly spaced pats . . . if it's larger, 3 of 3, and you get the idea.

Bake in oven for about 40 minutes, or until potatoes are nice and golden on the edges. Do not allow to catch on fire!

Let sit to cool, then enjoy, but don't eat it all -- because it tastes better tomorrow!


Depending on how you make it, this can be good for you -- with nice, complete proteins, complex carbs, the works. The way I make it, with heavy cream in the potatoes and butter on top, it's probably not so much -- but it's all up to you.

get barry sear's 1st book about 'the zone' then also buy 'the soy zone' - tons of people have used the zone with great results!