When I try to go vegetarian - except for fish & eggs - I gain weight.

I eat quinoa, but generally find I must leave beans and rice alone. I’m 68, in good shape, and very active outdoors, hiking, snow shoeing and camping.

How can I control my weight and still be mostly vegetarian? Thank you! B. B.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi B. B. - I’ve gotten many similar questions over the last 8 years - including a letter from last year ^[1] which sounds like it was from you.

I don’t have much to say that’s different - except, please consider taking the leap and going all the way vegetarian or vegan.

5 Weight Control Tips for (Mostly) Vegetarian Diet

1. Reduce dairy consumption, and go for low fat dairy options. Salmon and eggs are high calorie, so reduce the portion sizes and frequency. Eat a lot more veggies and fresh fruit in relation to the amount of grains and protein foods (2/1 is a good proportion). Include some raw, e.g. salads or smoothies. Eat little sugar, processed foods, added oils (empty calories). Steam or broil rather than fry. Eat more whole grains and much less bread.

2. There are many types of legumes and whole grains. Explore a bit and see if you can find some you can tolerate. Millet, barley, oats, buckwheat, spelt, amaranth, rye, corn are examples of grains. Mung beans and mung dahl, red lentils (masoor dahl), and urad dahl are some legumes that are easy to tolerate. Also black eyed peas and adzuki beans. Sprouting grains and legumes makes them easier to digest and more nutritious. Also, how you cook and prepare them makes a difference.

See the Savvy Vegetarian Nutrition Report ^[2] and the Beans Without Gas Report ^[3] for more information. Visit Savvy Vegetarian Recipes ^[4] for tasty ways to cook those foods.

3. A handful of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or chia seeds, ground or whole in cereals or smoothies every day will give you vital nutrients while supplying good fats which you need in small quantities. Same with walnuts and other nuts, and avocados.

4. People often don’t know just how many calories they’re eating. It’s a great reality check to eat as usual for a week, but write down everything you eat, then run a calorie count, using a service like nutrition data.com ^[5], or the usda nutrition data tables ^[6].

5. Try going vegan for a week or two and see what happens to your weight.

Or establish a vegan day once or twice a week, on which you eat no dairy, egg or fish, but lots of veggies, fruits and whole grains.

I give much more detailed advice in other weight loss advice letters. Rather than repeat myself even more, I’ll list those most relevant to your situation:

Healthy 60 Year Old Vegetarian Wants to Lose Weight ^[7]

Hidden Calories and Vegetarian Weight Gain ^[8]

Take Control Of Your Weight With a Nutritious Vegetarian Diet ^[9]

Related Posts

^[10]How to Gain Healthy Weight on a Vegetarian Diet ^[10]

^[11]Vegetarian Weight Loss & Anne Collins ^[11]

^[12]Lose Weight on Veg Diet: Cut the Cheese ^[12]