Weight loss for vegetarians

[LargeInCharge]

Hello!
I’ve been a vegetarian nearly all my life and I want to lose weight to be healthier (and to look better in my clothes) so I thought I’d create a space where fellow veggies (and vegans too) can share their weight loss journeys, food ideas, recipes and how they are feeling.

I started my journey on Tuesday so this is day 4 for me. My daily calorie limit is 1200.

Weight - 15st 4 (weighed on day 1)
Height - 5’ 9
Goal weight - 10st 7

How I gained weight - not exercising, eating crisps, cake, too many carbs and booze.
Positive changes - trying to be more active, ditched the crisps, cake and booze. Limiting my carbs as much as I can.

No pressure to reveal weight or anything that’s personal to you.

Good luck. 🥗🌽🥦🥬🥕🥒🫑🥑🥭🍅🍑🍓🍌🥥🫐

Hi again. I'm loving all these recipe ideas!

I started off calorie counting to 1200 but realised thats about my usual calorie intake - it's more what type of food it is for me that's the issue I think. I am using MFP to keep a food diary. Over the last month I have massively reduced my carb intake but MFP still tells me I'm going over the carbs slightly but too low on protein and vitamins and minerals. I know this is just because I'm bored with my current meals so not bothering to eat properly.

So my plan now is to not worry about the calories too much but to up my fruit and veg and protein and further reduce my carbs. I have to get on board with tofu - my friend also recommended the Tofoo brand. I have upped the exercise a lot - daily walks and Les Mills vids.

I will try and write on here more frequently. Have decided on a weekly weigh in.

Today so far:

B: Omelette made with 80g chestnut mushrooms, 60g courgette, a handful of babyleaf spinach and 1 egg - 120cal
Mid-morning snack - 2 little bites of "nibble" low sugar brownies (50cal)
L: 2 ryvita, one with butternut squash pate, one with fennel pate (recipies below) + 4 cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks & lowcal houmous, an apple and a choc ricecake. 520 cal

So total so far is 690 cals.

But (unfortunately)/(excitingly)/(yeeep) in about an hour we are going out to an Actual Pub for dinner and I do not think that I will be restricting myself to less than 710 cals of food and drink. However, I am currently ahead of schedule for weightloss since last weigh in so I think it will hopefully be OK. And if not, I will focus on having an Extra Specially Good day tomorrow.

Butternut Squash pate - peel a butternut squash and cut into 3-4cm chunks. Toss the chunks in c5ml olive oil and spread over a baking tray to roast in a hot oven for c30 mins or until soft but not too blackenned (you don't want a lot of black crispy bits in your pate. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork and stir in c50g Philadelphia Light (or extra light) with seasoning to taste - salt & pepper, paprika, and thyme are my go-to favourites but other herbs and spices work too.

Fennel pate - slice up a bulb of fennel, a couple of eschallion shallots and a few cloves of chopped garlic and saute them all in a few squirts of fry-light oil and seasoning (salt, pepper, rosemary). When nearly done, stir in a few handfuls of babyleaf spinach and allow to wilt. Transfer the cooked veg into a blender along with c50g philadelphia light or extra light, and liquidise to a smooth consistency. Transfer the liquid back into the pan and stir in 15ml of dry wholewheat couscous and heat gently for c10 minutes - not allowing it to get too hot but keep it gently steaming, so that the excess liquid is all either evaporated off or absorbed into the couscous grains, so that it gradually gets a more solid texture.

Those pates sound nice. Enjoy the pub. @KihoBebiluPute

Maybe look into high protein yoghurts or cottage cheese @Inchagoill

Let us know how that frozen yoghurt goes @purplegirl13 i looked at a couple of recipes online using Greek yoghurt, honey and vanilla.

B - coffee, water
L - 300g of the same soup as yesterday, with two boiled eggs this time and a high protein yoghurt
Snacks - two coffees

Total so far 433

For dinner I’m going to polish off the tofu I marinated yesterday with sugar snap peas, asparagus and the last of the cauliflower.

Love the idea of this, just place marking for when I get my head into loosing weight properly

You’re welcome anytime @MusicWithRocksIn1t

Yesterday my total was 999.

Dinner was tons of tofu, asparagus and cauliflower. I had two dark rye ryvitas with Philadelphia cheese and chives all weighed. I even had a pack of Burtons fish and chip snacks (122) to bump it up a bit.

Hope everyone’s week is going well.

@KihoBebiluPute how was your trip to the pub last night?

I went off plan yesterda as met a friend who was in the area - had a cocktails and chips for lunch, and then bought doughnuts and ice cream. Stopped at 1 ice cream cone (after saying no ice cream this week!) and 2 doughnuts. Was upset at the mindless eating but am drawing a line over it.

B - vanilla yoghurt
L - marinated tofu/veg stir fried with cauliflower rice
D - tbc - possibly soup from the freezer

I picked up some quorn picnic eggs yesterday so will have a couple later as a snack. I am trying to wean myself off quorn processed foods but for now, it's a convenient protein snack as I am waiting on a grocery order later today.

@purplegirl13 it was lovely! I had beer, a nacho chilli starter and a mushroom pasty and chips for main, then a chocolate dessert. It must have been way over 2000 calories all-in but my smartwatch said I had burned 2350 cals yesterday as I did quite a bit of walking, and the scales have only wobbled up a little bit, not too bad. I haven't been hungry for any breakfast this morning and will have some veg soup for lunch in a bit and hopefully a good long run, and that should absolve me of the extra I hope.

B - 2 egg scrambled eggs with a tbsp of fresh chives and 49g quorn bacon with a coffee = 218
L - butternut squash lentil dhansak soup = 171
D - sugar snap peas and asparagus with 2.5 ml extra v olive oil and 2 garlic cloves with a quorn cottage pie = 411
Snacks - 2 protein chia seed and buckwheat ryvitas with 30g philly with chives, a coffee and 169g of strawberries = 205

Total 1005 and 195 remaining so I’ll have a high protein yoghurt later.

B: nothing
L: soup plus a slice of bread, plus a handful of popcorn and an apple. Total 500cal
Mid afternoon snack - rice cake & apricots 150cal
Supper - butternut squash & black beans with rice 450 cal serving.

Just now mini apple crumble (I make them in little tiny ramekins) with a spoon of raspberry sorbet - 250cal and a bit of chocolate 50cal

Total 1400cal.

I can’t believe it’s Friday already. This week’s gone so fast. I hope everyone is doing well.

I had 1254 calories yesterday, 54 over but I had a couple of low calorie days this week so I’m not too worried.

Having breakfast makes me feel hungrier throughout the day compared to coffee breakfast days so I think I’ll stick with coffee.

I had 83g of protein yesterday and 36g of fibre. I noticed my potassium is always low and as I don’t like bananas I’ll have to google alternative sources.

@KihoBebiluPute that sounds like a lovely evening!

@LargeInCharge good job on protein intake! you'll have to double check online but I'm sure I've reached for coconut water when I've needed to up my potassium.

If you've not tried cauliflower rice I recommend www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/297395359
I've only had it twice before, each time cooked as egg fried 'rice with tofu so a good high protein meal.

Today:
B - cherry yogurt
L - half a tub of groceries.asda.com/product/soup/yorkshire-provender-mushroom-soup-with-wholegrain-black-rice/910002989388
D - possibly veggie sausages, mash, peas and gravy
S - quorn picnic eggs and whatever else I need to bump up calories.

Friday is my weigh in today:

05/03/21 10st 8.8
12/03/21 10st 8.4
19/03/21 10st 7
26/03/21 10st 6
02/04/21 10st 5.2
09/04/21 10st 4.2
16/04/21 10st 4
23/04/21 10st 2.8

Total loss 6lbs

Thanks @purplegirl13 and well done on your weight loss.

Your soup looks delicious and I’ll try the cauliflower rice for sure. I’ll add coconut water to my next shopping order too.

Today so far:

B: 3 bits of quorn bacon and an egg, done in a squirt of 1cal spray oil (140 cal)
2 mushrooms and banana after (call it 100 cal but I didn't weigh)

Mid morning- a dark chocolate digestive and half a bag of mini cheddars 150 cal

Lunch: 2 ryvita with patés as above, 4 cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks & houmous, lettuce leaves and 3 slices quorn turkey. 8 dried apricots and a chocolate rice cake all comes to 450 calories and I intended to stop there but I was still hungry so had another couple of mushrooms, a small apple and a mini square of chocolate tiffin so that's another 160cal.

So total so far is 1000 calories.

Plan for dinner will be half a tub of Easy Bean lentil & sweet chestnut ragout with 2 Richmond veggie sausages, 150g potatoes as wedges and some broccoli, total
400 calories so I will either need to be super-restrained about any late-night after dinner treats or will need to do some additional exercise before dinner.

I stuck to plan with the addition of a cappuccino, a little twix ice cream bar and a babybel.

My calories have come in at just over 1000 and I'm done for the day. Most days are at least 1300 - 1350 so I''m ok with a lower calorie day today as I am full! Plus I'm planning on 2 large glasses of wine tomorrow eve so will be higher on the calorie front then.

@KihoBebiluPute I've not tried the Richmond veggie sausages - do you recommend them?

tbh the Richmond sausages aren't as good as my favourite quorn Best of British but they have the advantage of being lower calorie. They have a good flavour but their texture is a bit mushier than I like.

I haven't had the best week. People keep bringing cakes into work and I have no willpower. Today I ate:
B- 2 Oatabix with milk and a sliced banana
S - an apple
L - half a tub of sweet chilli Philadelphia on 5 Ryvita Crackerbread crispbreads, 6 dried punes and an activia yoghurt
D - wholewheat pasta with the rest of the Philadelphia, a very small bowl of Branflakes with milk

I also ate half of an Easter egg at work this afternoon!!!

I have loads of lovely fruit and veg coming with my Ocado order tomorrow - I really need to get back on track. Sounds like you are all doing so well.

Today I felt so lazy and couldn’t be arsed cooking so I ate high protein ryvitas and philly with chives for lunch, a Tesco vegetable lasagne for dinner and one of those arla protein on the go yoghurts oh and a kiwi.

Total 985 and I’ll probably have a coffee.

I was watching “Why are we Fat?” On Prime last night and I’m even more annoyed with food manufacturers than I was before. I felt so sorry for the people in hospital too.

It opened my eyes on some things.

@KihoBebiluPute My Sainsburys have stopped selling those Quorn best of British sausages and I haven't found them anywhere else. I've been eating the Linda McCartney ones.

@Yourownpersonaljesus do what you can for the rest of the meals, it's not realistic to say you'll never have cake. Are you having enough protein to keep you full?

B/L - 2 scrambled eggs, 1 veggie sausage, 3 hash brown
S - daim chocolate bar, cola ice lolly
D - the other half of yesterdays soup

I was going to have wine tonight but won't have any alcohol as not feeling great today. Calories are low today so might have some bread with my soup.

I have a few cans of refried beans - any suggestions what I can do with one can this week? I would normally have it as a quesadilla with cheese but would like to have limited bread and pasta this week?

Also have a few cans of sweetcorn - am thinking of sweetcorn fritters with poached eggs for lunch this week. Any other suggestions?

That's a good point about the protein purplegirl13. I have some Skyr natural yoghurt and frozen berries coming with my online shop as I was thinking that I need to up my protein. I weighed myself this morning and surprisingly I hadn't put any weight on so that's something.

I'm a big fan of the Richmond sausages btw, as is my DD who isn't vegetarian.

B: nothing
L: Veg soup, 100g bread. Apple
600 cals
Mid afternoon: veg snack non-crisps, some lettuce with a tiny dab of mayo and 1 Malteser nicked from DS - 150cal

So 750 so far.

Dinner will be a 400cal serving of massaman risotto so I will have a little leeway for a final snack later on, keeping to 1500 total for the day.

Massaman rice (makes at least 6 servings depending how much veg you use)

2 large or 3 smaller aubergines
4-7 sweet peppers
A small head of broccoli
500g chestnut mushrooms
1 cup rice
Half a tin light coconut milk (freeze the other half for next time)
Pot Blue Dragon massaman paste (can use 1.5 or 2 pots if you like it spicier. Jars of massaman paste also exist but many are not suitable for vegetarians)
Tbsp peanut butter
Juice of a lime
Bunch fresh coriander

Cut aubergine and peppers into bite size chunks. Toss in a drizzle of oil and roast. Cut up the broccoli and put in a steamer basket above a pan into which put the rice with 2 cups boiling water, use a lid, and boil for 10 mins then turn off the heat and let the rice finish cooking in the remaining steam so don't take the lid off.

Meanwhile saute the mushrooms in a couple of squirts of spray oil and liquidise the massaman paste, coconut milk and peanut butter with a blender. Add the liquid to the mushroom pan along with the chopped coriander and lime juice. As and when the roasting veggies and the rice and the broccoli each finish cooking (which should all be broadly at the same time) they get stirred in too. If you have the calorie budget to spare you can top the serving with a sprinkle of nuts (cashews or peanuts) but I don't usually bother.

Not sure how I’ve not noticed this thread before, but I’d love to join!

I’m calorie counting and doing 16:8, but as I’m tall and active (not to mention overweight 🙈), I’m aiming for around 1600-1700 calories a day. It’s going pretty well so far. I didn’t weigh myself when I started, but have lost 1/2 stone over the past 3 weeks.

I’m trying not to weigh myself more than a few times a month, as I don’t want to get too focussed on the numbers on the scales (and risk demotivating myself in the process). As long as there’s a general downward trend, it’s fine with me!

I seem to struggle to eat less than 1500 calories a day without becoming completely obsessed with food.

I'm trying to write up my msc dissertation so maybe when I'm done with that I will be more able to have willpower.

I'm exceeding 10 000 steps a day. Fitbit says I can eat about 2200 calories so I'm hoping 1500 is ok.

I'm not exactly losing much weight. I have lost 1 pound since this thread started.

But like I'm a) not gaining weight and b) working out how to cook fairly healthy food.

Today I woke up and made the pinch of nom breakfast muffins which have banana and chocolate in them. I left out the chocolate chips.
I swapped half the wholewheat flour for rye flour which I think is tastier.

Tonight we are having sushi. I've had avocado, cucumber, egg. I worked out I could eat less rice and more veg if I made a poké bowl.

Yesterday I made an aloo ghobi (cauliflower and potato) roasting tin curry. It was easy and tasty. I am having less rice and more veg and seeing how I get on.

The day before, I had smoked tofu in satay sauce with steamed carrots.