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. 🥗🌽🥦🥬🥕🥒🫑🥑🥭🍅🍑🍓🍌🥥🫐

@SuperLoudPoppingAction Hope the interview went well!

@LargeInCharge - well done on the weight loss. I think losses aren't always linear too so it might not be anything you did or didn't do.

I love oatly barista @Undersnatch. It's delicious. I try to use it just in little splashes with other milks but I know what you mean about how lovely and creamy it is. I hope your DC is feeling a bit better and you get more sleep.

I was horribly hungry yesterday night and I think I might have set my calories a little low in relation to my activity levels. I worked out my total daily energy expenditure again and I'm going to add 200 kcal a day in and see how that is for a week.

Foodwise, I've had porridge, omelette and steamed veg (sort of asian style omelette with sesame seeds and chilli), and then a quorn escalope, courgette and salad followed by fat free greek yoghurt with seeds on. The lack of fruit is pretty normal, I don't like many types of it but will happily eat all vegetables! Oh and popcorn for a snack. I'll have wholemeal toast before bed to avoid last night's hunger again.

1 lb is good @LargeInCharge and maintaining is great too @Themadcatparade. I've lost 3 stone since last August and it has come off very slowly but don't they say that's the best way - whoever 'they' are! My lunch was lovely - might try making it again next week with quinoa to up the protein. I live alone so it's easier for me as I don't have to cook or see anyone else's calorific food. My DD is sometimes back from uni but she'll eat the same as me. It must be hard if you're living with others eating foods that you want to eat.

Haha yes, yourown, I had plans because of my munchy day to just have lentil soup for dinner, but made the kids sausages and mash and couldn’t resist joining in. It wasn’t the worst meal calorie wise as I had much more veg than mash but I feel overly full now and know I could’ve had a smaller portion. How many veggie sausages would you all serve? I had 3 and think 2 is probably what thin people eat!! But maybe not.

I meant to post this recipe after the aubergine chat - doesn’t actually taste strongly auberginey but is absolutely delicious and presumably fairly low fat www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/burnt-aubergine-veggie-chilli

I’ve never actually checked out calorie wise how oatly compares to milk - just assume it’s more as it’s so creamy but I hope not!!

I have 2 sausages @Undersnatch but I'm definitely not a thin person!

That chilli looks lovely btw.

That chilli looks lovely! I'm saving the link so l can make it one day.

I normally have 2 sausages.

I've stuck to my plan with the addition of some nuts, and a hazlenut coffee. My internet has been down all afternoon so I'm now in bed with a book. Hoping for an early night

Ah glad I asked - I do feel too full, think my body is used to eating a bit less so hopefully better portion control is naturally evolving.

Let me know how you go with the chilli - even my fairly fussy 5yr old will eat it as it has some dark chocolate in it and I call it ‘chocolate chilli’ and she gets all excited

Hullo. Sorry I have been absent for a few days too ashamed of my (entirely intentional) larger food intake than was sensible over the long weekend. I told myself very firmly in the mirror "no snacks today" this morning but haven't managed to achieve that.

B - Mushroom omelette with 2 rashers quorn bacon - 250cal.
L - quorn chicken and lettuce wrap, carrot sticks w houmous, 60cal portion veg crisps, apple. Should have stopped there but had 2 chocolate biscuits oops. 550cals

Mid afternoon - baked some snack rolls for DC to take to school, which I genuinely wasn't intending to eat any of myself but then one got burned and DC said they wouldn't eat the black one so I did.

Then I just had some popcorn just now but only a handful.

So something around 950 cals so far.

Dinner will be a small jacket potato with chilli-non-carne.

Later on I will have a teeny-tiny apple crumble which is only 100 cals. I have some mini ramekin dishes and I make them in a batch like this:

1 courgette (trust me) - I chop off a couple of mm worth all around taking off the green skin and a bit of the flesh to use in other savoury dishes, and just use the white middle for this. Courgette is lower calorie than apple you see so it reduces the calories of the whole thing. Dice the courgette and weigh how much you have, then you want about twice as much apple (cooking/bramley/granny smith) as you have courgette. Pop in a pan with a tsp cinnamon, a couple of tsp brown sugar, 3 tbsp water and a tbsp lemon juice. Cook till sticky jam-like consistency. Then divide the mixture between ramekins (or you can freeze in a thin layer on a baking sheet and freeze then cut up into portions once solid if you have more mixture than ramekins).

For the topping, crush equal amounts of shortbread biscuit, oatcake and ryvita to a powder and put a sprinkle of the mixture onto each ramekin. Serve with a spot of creme fraiche or yoghurt or even a bit of icecream.

Thanks for the good interview vibes, folk.

I was v wired from the adrenaline so I've walked 20,000 steps!

One more tomorrow then it,'s back to applying.

I had another 2/3 of a cup of macaroni cheese but this time with kale.
I made it my very high calorie usual way with a bit of olive oil and butter alongside garlic, lemon, soy sauce. But it made me v happy.

.

Yesterday stats

Sw: 155lbs
Cw: 150lbs
Gw: 147 short term, 140 long term.

Breakfast: skipped, fasted
Lunch: tofu scramble with flat mushrooms, garlic and herb ‘cheese’ and spinach. - 370kcal

Post workout snack: blended frozen berries, tbs of almond butter and marmite - 78kcal

Dinner: quorn chilli, no beans, with a side of fine green beans, brocolli and sprouts with violife cheese. -482 kcal

Exercise was C25k run and 35 minutes of swimming. Despite the run earlier I managed 50 Lengths of breaststroke in that time with isn’t bad!

My total is 930kcal it’s saying which I know is way not enough especially if I’m exercising but I’m struggling with fitting the right amount of food in and staying low carb too. I’ve just realised how many carbs rather than fat is in that cheese too so I need to tone it down I’ve been eating it for fun thinking it’s more fat than carbs 🤦🏻‍♀️

@SuperLoudPoppingAction that sounds delicious, macaroni cheese is my fave!!!

I’m envious of you exercisers I was a right lazy sod yesterday 😂

Total calories for yesterday = 1189

Going to try and get over 6k steps today.

I had one day this week when I did about 300 steps.

Today might be a good day though with yet more interview adrenaline.

I think the key to future macaroni is a bit more veg. Dp put a bit of broccoli and carrot in, but I think maybe 30% veg would be good.

And also kale.

@Undersnatch I am going to make the chilli at the weekend, I'm trying to use up what I have so will use this www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/Product/merchant-gourmet-puy-lentils--sun-dried-tomatoes---basil-250g in place for puy lentils/red lentils listed. I think it should work

@KihoBebiluPute how today is reasonably snack-free for you.

@SuperLoudPoppingAction that's a LOT of steps! Glad you were happier with your dinner yesterday.

@Themadcatparade are you going lower carb or very very low carb? Can you add in nuts/seeds or is that a no-no? I remember being very surprised how many carbs are in beans/lentils which I think would be so difficult on a low-carb diet? I am trying to reduce refined carbs so pasta once every couple of weeks and actively avoiding bread, but not rice or potatoes

Today's plan:
B - vanilla kefir drink
L - puy lentil salad with cottage cheese and kimchi
D - egg fried cauliflower 'rice' with tofu and a frozen steam-bag of veg thrown in.
S - graze lime & chilli nuts

My weigh in day is Friday and last week I gained 0.2lb so hoping for a small loss this week, which mean it should keep me on track today and tomorrow.

I weighed in today and a 1lb loss for me today. My scales are kg and but my mind thinks in st/lb so always trying to work it out!

Would’ve liked a bit more off so feeling motivated, have fasted this morning and brought the leftover sausage and mash (with 2 sausages!!) in to office with me so feel I’m on to a good start today, plenty cals left for a sensible dinner.

I’m having a low exercise week so far though too...

Defo the lentils sound fine in your chilli, purple, hope you like it

@Undersnatch www.thecalculatorsite.com/conversions/charts/kg-to-stones-pounds-table.php

@Undersnatch 1lb loss is great! I think you need to remind yourself you are 1lb lighter than you were last week. 1lb is approx 450g so hold something of a similar weight to see what that feels like.

I've lost a total of just over 2.5kg (6lbs) in about 9weeks, and even though it doesn't feel like a lot, holding a 2.5kg to see what that feels like is a nice reminder

@purplegirl13

I am struggling but it’s not impossible. Rules are I’m trying to stick to 50g and under a day and beans/bread/rice/pasta/potatoes is a no go.

I’m eating more tofu and vegan meat replacements than I usually do, a lot are surprisingly low carbs so I’m having stuff like Aldi vegan meatballs on skewers with a huge salad for lunch at times and it fills me up nicely!

I’m struggling with the fruit the most I think - I like to have blended frozen fruit as a treat and i have to be really careful about what fruit I have because fruit is mega for carbs.

Also I was a bit dizzy and so hungry in the first week, but now I’m full of energy and struggling to eat big meals like I used to I can feel my body adapting. I don’t feel hungry really only after I eat for an hour. I feel like this is a problem (apart from the no hunger!) because it’s easy to not get enough calories in. I had to adapt my meal plan today because my meals added up to just under 600kcals for loads of food which is ridiculously low. For example...

I had a stuffed pepper with a bit of violife Greek cheese and a tiny salad and I couldn’t finish it today. It was only 339 kcal for the whole meal... and I had to force add an avocado with it to make sure I was eating more fats which was 120 of that total!

Nuts and seeds I have found are fine in moderation... there are low cal nuts so I choose to pick them. I will have a spoonful of almond butter and marmite for an afternoon snack if I’m flagging!

Not-quite-Breakfast (about 12:00) - a banana and a ryvita cracker with pate, 200cal

14:30ish - another ryvita cracker with pate, some salad and 50cal of vegetable crisps, 250cal.

Will hopefully be too busy to snack. I currently have no access to the larder due to a plumber in the kitchen and I have a load of "mums taxi" trips between now and 7pm which is the time I tend to start snacking.

Did a weigh this morning to find out whether I am on track for my friday weigh-in and I am still heavier than I was last friday morning. I need to be very determined today and tomorrow to have a chance of even just getting back down to the same weight and have a "no progress" week.

@Undersnatch congrats on the 1lb!

“No progress” is really maintaining so it’s still a positive @KihoBebiluPute but best of luck for Friday.

B - a coffee (with measured milk 😕) - 26 calories
L - 2 boiled eggs in 325g tomato/basil soup - 217
D - roasted aubergine with light soy sauce and extra virgin olive oil, sriracha quorn pieces, asparagus and raw spinach - 333
S - 45g of medjool dates - 126 and 2 Pepsi max cherry cans - 4

Total - 706 which leaves me 494 for snacks while I enjoy The Sewing Bee 🐝

Evening all, horrible weather here today!
I forgot to post yesterday:
B - Alpro Greek style yoghurt & grape nuts
L - hummus & pitta
D - loads of baguette whilst working late 😒

Today
B - trek bar
L - discovered spaghetti hoops at the back of the cupboard so them on toast, salad
D - soup and a more appropriate serving of baguette
The mango and raspberries I was going to eat went off in the fridge think I am going to start doing smaller more frequent shops to prevent this, I would be going on foot so that’s extra steps too.

@Themadcatparade I have noticed by cutting down/lowering carbs my sugar cravings have eased. It's not sustainable for me to go low carb but I try where I can especially as I'm calorie counting. Do you post your meals on here? I'd love to see what lower carb meals you're eating for ideas.

@KihoBebiluPute how did you get on yesterday with snacks?

@LargeInCharge Are you feeling full on your meals during the day? I'm not surer I could but I suppose this is where the protein comes in right?

@PattyPan I read your post in bed last night and had an immediate craving for a baguette. Lucky I had no bread in!

Today's plan:
B - vanilla kefir yogurt
L - using up what I have in so avocado, salsa, goats cheese with a couple of rye crackers
S - cucumber, onion houmous
D - using up a sprouting potato to make homemade chips, served with quorn nuggets, baked beans