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I've been a vegetarian since I was 18 and always was very slim, until a couple of years ago (mid thirties - actually not a strict vegetarian anymore in recent y
by Tichy 14y ago
I've been a vegetarian since I was 18 and always was very slim, until a couple of years ago (mid thirties - actually not a strict vegetarian anymore in recent years). The vegetarian diet was of course very rich in carbs. I don't see a way to go low carb as a vegetarian.
That I was slim with a "high carbs" diet for 20 years also makes me doubt the carbs theory a bit. There seem to be other factors. I exercise less, but there were stretches of time when I didn't exercise a lot, too. My wife having a baby gave a big boost to my waistline, too. Might even have to do something with hormones (men's hormones change during pregnancy, too)?
I've also heard that changing one's diet in any way is likely to cause weight loss at first, so I'd be careful with evaluating anecdotal evidence.
I'm curious about the energy aspect, just wish there was another way. The thought of eating 4 eggs for breakfast makes me sick. I just feel repulsed by eggs and meat most of the time.
I actually have a hypothesis that human digestion might be very adaptable. Humans managed to hold on in very diverse environments, from the arctic to the desert. Presumably they had to dwell on different kinds of foods depending on the environment. So it makes sense if digestion can adapt to a huge variety of food. Might be that industrial food is a main culprit after all (lots of sugary foods that have only been around for about 100 years).
Another thing: how did people manage to eat the equivalent of four eggs for breakfast in paelo times? I've read that gathering was more effective than hunting, so presumably they had more vegetables and fruit than meat on average?
- kunil 14y agoHow can you be a non-strict vegetarian?
- Tichy 14y agoBy slipping now and then. I'm not really a vegetarian anymore - happy now? I've actually gained weight since not being a vegetarian anymore, but I think that is a coincidence. I very rarely eat meat (once every two weeks or less). So I am a vegetarian for stretches of several weeks at a time.
- shaunxcode 14y agoJust my anecdote/experience - but I've been vegan since I was 18 (now 30). I knew that as I got older my metabolism would drop off but a little over a year ago I weighed 248 (I am 6'1") which was a wake up call. To rectify things I picked up running on the reg again and cut the shit from my diet e.g. no added/processed fats at all (you can get more than enough from whole grains, legumes, and vegetables) and I am down to 185. Meaning I am actually lighter, healthier and more "energized" now than when I was 16. I can recommend the rave diet book and the mcdougal books for recipes/theory. I also keep a photo blog if you want an idea of what my average diet looks like on http://www.stoicvegan.com http://www.stoicvegan.com
- Tichy 14y agoVery cool, thanks! I actually never really planned my diet, for most of the time as a vegetarian I consumed a lot of dairy products and bread, both things I'd rather cut out of my diet. It is not so easy to find suitable replacements, though. In recent years I have also consumed more and more sweets, which are probably a factor, too. Currently I'd like to lose ~15kg (about 33lb I think?). 10kg of that I gained in the last three years. It's not that bad, but it's scary that I don't really know how to reverse the trend.
- narag 14y agoThat I was slim with a "high carbs" diet for 20 years also makes me doubt the carbs theory a bit. Not all carbs are the same. Sugar, potatoes and refined flour are very concentrated, fast to digest and process. Also there are the interactions. You can lose weight eating only steaks. The thing is that carbs diet is effective for the people that are already overweight. It's not as if you need to do them to stay slim. Actually I don't do it anymore (I eat less, avoid fats and prefer fruit and salads, also works). But I can witness it works.