Paging Vegetarians Re: Body Fat, Pls.

B

beanqueen

Cathlete
Hello,

I am a vegetarian, and have been for the past several years. I love this way of eating, and feel much healthier. I don't eat any sugar, and consider myself relatively healthy. :)

I have been an avid exerciser all my adult life.

However, I have noticed that over the past couple of years, it has been more difficult, to rid myself of excess bodyfat. Despite alot of cardio. I'm wondering if it might have something to do with all the 'carbs' involved in my diet? Or maybe just an age thing? (I'm 37, with 2 children).

Although, I do consume alot of soy protein, tvp, combine carbs for a complete protein.. etc..I'm sure my protein consumption (i.e. chicken breasts etc) is probably a bit less, than those who workout and watch their diets.

Are there any other vegetarians out there, that workout..and find that the vegetarian diet effects your body in terms of fat, and muscle?

I'd really appreciate your thoughts and opinions. Thank you very much.
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jan-09-02 AT 02:23PM (Est)[/font][p]I have been vegetarian since 1975, and mostly vegan for a couple of years and am 44 with one child. I eat high protein supplements like brewer's yeast in shakes, spirulina, lots of soy stuff, occasional eggs. But portion control is very important. And watch out for high carb/low fiber things like rice, flour tortilla shells, bagels and such. Keep your grains whole grain and eat them in small quantities. I am about 10 pounds over model weight, and just don't want to deprive myself any further, I am just settling for my current lumps and blobs. Email me privately if you want tips or moral support or good recipes. My overall health is so good I am sure the diet has something to do with it. I take no meds, have excellent cardiovascular numbers, no PMS, and the diet is better for the environment and for animals, so I also get to feel virtuous. Heck I am probably even helping the poor lemmings that Amy Steppe hates so much.
 
I feel like I'm coming out of the closet with a dark secret, but I don't consume the levels of protein that it seems most fitness enthusiasts eat. I've done my research - classes, sports nutrition books, American College of Sports Medicine papers & determined a good level for me is about 70 grams/day. That takes into consideration my high activity level (endurance sports).

I've been a semi-vegetarian for about 25 years. When I've been unhappy with my physique, it's been attributable to too much food &/or too little movement. I can be quite lean & sculpted on a vegetarian diet. I make limited use of protein powders or energy bars. I do find them useful on long training days or events when I'm exercising 3+hrs because they're easy to digest & convenient.

I focus on eating healthy. A wide variety of fruits, vegies, grains, legumes, & nuts. Dairy too. I like real food. But one can eat healthfully and still have a portion control problem.

Because of your age, do some reading on perimenopause. Check out Deborah Waterhouse's book - "Beating the Mid-life Fat Cell". (If I've posted the wrong title, I hope someone corrects me.) You might need to adjust your eating pattern due to hormonal changes.

Oh, you mention cardio but not weight training. Are you pumping a little iron on a regular basis?

Debra
 
Debra

The book is Outsmarting the Mid-life Fat Cell. I haven't read that one but I did read an earlier one called Outsmarting the Female Fat Cell. I thorooughly enjoyed it and recommended it to my clients.

Someone one this board a few months ago read the Outsmarting the Mid-life Fat Cell. I remember that this person didn't agree with such statements in the book similar to, "You'll be 10 pounds heaver, just learn to love it." I will never learn to love 10 extra pounds.
 
Thank you so much, Mogambo, Debra and Kim :)

I really appreciated your responses and support. :)

That book sounds very interesting, I think I'll try and find it, and check it out.

Re: weight workouts..I used to do more weight work (Cathe's MIS, PS series) but found that I got "bigger". Not in a good way. :( I think, due to the 'fat layer' on my body, (that I couldn't seem to rid myself of..) that my muscles got bigger, and "I" got bigger. Didn't look too attractive. So I ditched the weight workouts. :(

I think, re: my diet, "portion control" is probably an issue, as well. ~sigh~

And re: that "extra 10 pounds"...I don't think I can learn to live with it, either! ;)

Boy, aging is rough! lol

Thanks again!
 
My gripe

Please, please, please don't use the term "vegetarian" if you eat chicken or fish. ;-) I know a lot of people do (some confusion with the terms "pollo-vegetarian" and "pesco-vegetarian" invented in the 80s to describe "semi-vegetarian" ways of eating) but it blurs the distinction between what is vegetarian (no creeping, crawling, flying or otherwise moving critters) and what is not. My gripe is now over!
 
types of carbs

I think it matters what types of carbs you eat. The more processed they are (white bread, pasta, sugar), the more easily they can end up as body fat. I once went a bit overboard on the whole "no refined carbs" thing (no flour products--bread, most cereals, pasta), and I had skinny knees for the first time in my life! Unfortunately ('cuz I really liked my legs at that time) I didn't have the willpower to stick with it. Of course, you don't have to go to extremes, just make sure that most of your carbs come from vegetables, fruits, whole grains (better to have whole oats for cereal than oatflakes, which are in turn better than cereals made from oat flour, etc.). You might try some other things, like breaking your daily food consumption up into 5 chunks, and not eating more than 500 calories at a time. I've read in several different places (by different people) that the body can't easily process more than about 500 calories at a time, so excess calories are more apt to end up as fat. Also, by eating more often, you will help keep your metabolism up. (And don't skip breakfast. Mom was right--actually in my case it was Dad.)
 
RE: types of carbs

Thanks, Kathryn :)

I am a "non-eater" of 'creepy, crawly or flying food sources' LOL...i'm sometimes vegan-ish..but pretty much 'totally vegetarian'. :)

Thanks for the info re: the type of carbs. I tend to make alot of homemade bread ..uh oh, "carb alert"!!! (whole grain...but still bread! :eek: ) Carbs are my weakness, and my body shows it. :(

Oh well! Thanks again!
 
Amen, kathryn

I'm so tired of people who say they're vegetarian, but still eat fish. I remember a light-hearted article in Vegetarian Times years ago that listed all the variations they'd heard, including the two you listed, and two that always struck me as funny: bovo-vegetarians (vegetarians that eat beef) and omno-vegetarians (vegetarians that eat everything).
 
I agree!

I have been fed fish accidentally so many times because people just assume vegetarians eat fish cuz of all the people running around saying "i'm a vegetarian, BUT I eat fish." Don't say you're a vegetarian, just say "the only meat I eat is fish." Save the rest of us from being secretly fed oyster sauce and the like. Oh rant ahead --> WHY do so many restaurants have vegetarian stir fry with oyster sauce??? What planet are they from! This has got be one of my biggest pet peeves. *end rant* :-shy

vegetarian:

n : one who eats no meat or fish or (often) any animal product
 
RE: types of carbs

Sorry, I misread your initial post (but my gripe remains ;-)) You DID mention chicken breasts as one of your protein sources, n'est-ce pas?
 
Carbs

A follow-up on the simple vs. complex carbs idea. I find it's easier to follow a way of eating (I hate to say "diet" because of all the associations with deprivation, etc.)if I make simple guidelines for myself. My carb guideline (if I'm good, but I'm sometimes bad!) is to make sure that carb foods have at least 2 grams of fiber per serving. That automatically cuts out most refined foods, most crackers, breads, etc.
 
RE: I agree!

Can I add a little more to this? I have in addition to being served vegetarian stir fry with oyster sauce, ordered from the vegetarian menu a vegetarian risotto only to find that the risotto is cooked in chicken stock. :( Eewww! Spew time!
How hard is it to put vegetarian stock in instead of chicken stock? Not a lot of chefs out there who truly 'get it'.

The definition of vegetarian from my vegetarian magazines is one who eats no meat (this includes beef, chicken, fish or any flesh)but may add dairy to their diet.
 
RE: My gripe

(Wow, it's been a long time since I posted!)

Thank you Kathryn! I have run into this problem BIG TIME the past couple of months. I've been a vegetarian for 4 years now and was a student (homebody, no money). I now have a job where I (we) represent a lot at restaurants and in Sweden, if you say vegetarian, you're likely to get fish because of the number of people who say they are "vegetarian" but eat fish. It has created a few irritating and embarrassing situations!


Marcia, freezing in northern Sweden
 
RE: Vegan Bodybuilding!

Thanks Kathryn and Nicole! :)

Btw, I'm sorry, I think my post wasn't clear re: the chicken breast factor. I was just using that as a protein source example for others that are "not" vegetarians. ;) I don't eat chicken. :)

And Nicole, thanks for that article. I'm going to go check it out right now!

Thanks so much! Have a great weekend!
 
No oysters in oyster sauce

Nic0le,
I'm pretty sure that oyster sauce does not contain oysters or any oyster by-product. I learned that in a cooking class I recently took. I don't know why it's called oyster sauce--that's wierd. I could be wrong, but maybe that is why you have been getting vegetarian stir-fry with oyster sauce. Has anybody else heard of this?
Cruncholi
 
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