Medical studies and evidence reveal that vegetarians are comparably slimmer as compared to non-vegetarians. Meanwhile, cases of obesity among those who practice a vegetarian diet are almost non-existent. Efforts to fully understanding whether the lack of meat in your diet could really contribute to loss of weight are still out.
Medical Studies and Analysis
A vegetarian diet has always been associated with low fat, and thus low body weight. As it promotes the intake of fruits and vegetables, it also emphasizes the fact that there is lack of cholesterol and saturated fats involved. Here are some basic studies that support the idea related to this inquiry:
– A study done in the UK reveals that over 30% of both male and female vegetarians were found to have lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than those who are meat eaters.
– Another study reveals that those who avoid other types of meat but eat poultry, vegetarians who eat dairy products but not meat, and vegans are at lesser risk of becoming obese or overweight.
– Young kids who practice a vegetarian diet were found to be at lower risks of becoming obese.
– More people are practicing vegetarian diet over weight loss diet.
Hence, this might indicate that switching to a vegetarian diet will produce instant results. Instead, it is a long term diet maintenance, which is free of meat, that enables you body to shed off the unnecessary fats.
Weight Loss
Before you join the bandwagon of a meatless diet, you need to understand first whether it is indeed capable of leading to lose weight. It could potentially be an isolated case. However, you need to back up your vegetarian diet plan to achieve more success. Here is a lowdown on how vegetarianism assists in a healthier diet.
1. By transitioning from a diet filled with meat to more fruits and vegetable intake, it will immensely decrease the amount of calories you intake. On the other hand, you will also increase your intake of carbohydrates, ensuring a healthy diet and a natural way to lose those extra fats. It is important for you to understand that loss of fat does not necessarily translate to weight loss. However, it is achievable if vegetarians observe certain dietary recommendations aside from following their typical diet plan.
2. Perhaps when you plan on quitting meat but are hesitant to do so, you can opt to switch to eating fish instead. Research reveals that those who eat fish instead of meat gained the least weight. Hence, it is just as effective a plan.
Strategies to Help You Lose Weight
Eating vegetables should not be a burden. There are ways that you can spice up this diet and make eating vegetables a habit. Before long, you should not even think about meat anymore.
As research studies point out, you can get desirable results over time. Hence, patience when it comes to determining the nutritional content of your choices of food is crucial. You need to ensure that you are getting only the nourishment your body requires.
Incorporating Vegetarianism Into Your Diet
– Prepare main vegetable dishes. Whether you follow an old recipe or create your own, preparing dishes made out of pure veggies is really fun and delicious. Chop up some tomatoes, zucchini, onions, garlic, or whatever is in your refrigerator. Add vegetables that will bring in more color to the dish so you’d be more enticed to eat them.
– Introduce some beans. Food from the legumes family are good sources of protein and fiber, hence you must include them in your diet more often. Aside from that, they also make you feel full easily. Therefore, it readily gives you the satisfied feeling. Plus, there are lots of varieties of beans available in the market so you can add variety into your meals.
– Say no to cheese. Although meat is a good source of vegetarian protein, you still need to consume them in limited amounts. When including cheese in your dish preparation, do not go for high amounts of cheese.
– Use faux meat. Vegetarians can now turn to meat substitutes that are widely available in most supermarkets. Because they are made up of plant food sources, you can be assured that you are not deprived of great tasting meat substitutes without the harmful elements associated with real meat products.
The Bottom Line
Because there are several variables involved, it is difficult to pinpoint whether a vegetarian diet directly leads to weight loss. However, evidence that attest to this is building up.
Experts, however, believe that a vegetarian diet is indeed very capable of producing such results. You need to strike a balance between following the daily recommendations required for a vegetarian diet and closely monitoring so as you do not intake foods that contribute to higher levels of fat or cholesterol.