Considering..

[tinks_88]

Hi everyone, I dont write on here very often but love reading all your posts, they have helped me so much - especially the recipes !!

I'm considering doing just green days from now on and going vegetarian - slimming world has inspired me so much that I can enjoy foods without the red processed meat which i used to live off! Has anyone else gone vegetarian since doing sw? Have you found many health benefits to it?

Thanks

 

[louisedan]

I like meat too much but Ian definately eating healthier especially the amount of superfree food I guzzle.

 

[elizabeth]

I'm considering doing just green days from now on and going vegetarian - slimming world has inspired me so much that I can enjoy foods without the red processed meat which i used to live off! Has anyone else gone vegetarian since doing sw? Have you found many health benefits to it?

Thanks

Yes, me! I loved Green days from the word go and decided to go vegetarian, something I'd wanted to do for years for ethical reasons, but couldn't stick with when I was bingeing chaotically on a daily basis. SW really made the difference for me there, and in fact six months ago I went one step further and became a vegan.

I'm very happy and very healthy eating this way, and my conscience rests a lot easier now knowing that I've effectively opted out of the culture of treating animals as products. This is why I wanted to become a vegetarian in the first place, and I'm very grateful to SW for helping me get there.

 

[tinks_88]

Wow Elizabeth, looking at your stats you've lost soo much weight? Its nice to see those sort of numbers from a green day girl! How long did that take you to achieve - do you eats lots of pasta nd rice ect or do u tend to bulk out meals with veggies - just wondering what a typical day of eating is for you?

 

[elizabeth]

Wow Elizabeth, looking at your stats you've lost soo much weight? Its nice to see those sort of numbers from a green day girl! How long did that take you to achieve - do you eats lots of pasta nd rice ect or do u tend to bulk out meals with veggies - just wondering what a typical day of eating is for you?

Thanks for the kind words.

I started in November '08 on the plan, so it's been about 18 months from there to here. Along the way I've radically changed my eating, which I think is the key - I stopped looking at the plan as a 'diet' a long time ago, when I realised it was an amazing way of permanently reforming my eating habits forever. The difference between how I eat now and how I used to eat is astonishing.

At the moment I am living on lots of rice and pasta because of my economic situation, they're the cheapest way to eat that I can find. However, I have the wholegrain versions of both, gave up the white versions ages ago, and I also have pulses a lot which are an essential food for vegans. They're also incredibly cheap! I make delicious homemade soups with them, and also use lentils to thicken my veggie curries.

I do eat as much veg as I can afford, I live on things like stir-frys, veggie curries, pasta with homemade sauce, risotto (the only time I have white rice!), big pots of soup, baked chips and beans etc. I love it, and I never go hungry.

I even still have a vegan version of one of my old favourites from the bad old days - a sausage sandwich. These days it's made with Linda McCartney sausages, red pepper humous and wholewheat seeded bread, and it's rather more delicious than the white-bread-beef-sausages-loads-of-butter ones I used to consume in vast quantities.

 

[tinks_88]

wow that is so incredible, you really a poster girl for what slimming world is all about, thank you so much for ur reply - I'm definately gonna try it now :-D

 

[elizabeth]

Glad to have helped, good luck!

 

[Alia]

Hi there

I'm not vegetarian as such but I do only do green days and never use my HEX B choices for meat - it was n't a conscious decision but after WLS my stomach does nt tolerate meat or chicken very well so rather than take the risk of eating it and ending up ill for days I just don't eat it.

I do eat quorn, not a huge amount but I'll use the chicken style pieces in a stir fry or a rice dish and I love the peppered beef sandwich slices - I have those nearly every day in a sandwich. I've even cooked for the family using the mince and chicken pieces and they have n't even noticed.

I love the fact that I can eat the things I really enjoy freely such as rice, pasta, pulses and potatoes and they leave me feeling so satisfied I dont think that even if I was able to that I would ever go back to a red day.

Good luck with what you choose to do - if you need any help don't hesitate.

Alia xxx

 

[elizabeth]

I love the fact that I can eat the things I really enjoy freely such as rice, pasta, pulses and potatoes and they leave me feeling so satisfied I dont think that even if I was able to that I would ever go back to a red day.

This is what I found too, I loved eating that way so much I was quite happy to stick with it for good.

I also found that, contrary to what many people experience, my metabolism seemed to go into overdrive when I began living on these good carbs. I've lost weight at a good rate from the word go, and I'm convinced it's because my metabolism works better off carbs than protein. Anyone else found this?

 

[elizabeth]

You will need to find other sources of protein than meat that you enjoy, good sources are:
* Dairy
* Grains, pulses and Cereals
* Eggs



There's nothing saying you can't be a healthy veggie, but you will need to find the balance xxx

Very true, and I would add that nuts are also a fairly essential source of protein for veggies/vegans. Brazil nuts are the best ones for us to have because they are the only plant source of 'complete' protein. Lots of people avoid them because they think they're high in fat - well, they are comparitively, but some of the fat is Omega 3 and 6 which are also essential for our bodies. A vegetarian can have 4 or 5 brazils a day.

 

[Rissole76]

i do mostly green,, cant eat too much meat,, and dont enjoy having ham salads all the time! x

 

[tinks_88]

wow, thanks for the feedback guys! I intend on making sure pasta ect is wholemeal and also bulking out my meals with lots of veggies! I find that on a green day i have more veggies anyway as i find them easier to incorporate into meals such as veggie bolognaise ect than on a red day. I'm hoping it wont affect my losses too much but I'd rather lose at a slower pace if it means i am getting more healthy foods in my diet! I find on red days i fill up on bacon all the time lol

 

[Purple_Star]

I stopped eating meat a long tiime ago, and recently stopped eating chicken. Still eating fish tho for now, so am not vegetarian.

I eat a lot of lentils, chickpeas, butter beans, etc... and also eggs, flax seeds, baked beans etc.

I personally feel much better for stopping meat.

I would def give it a go if I were you.

 

[hastalavegan]

I've been vegan 3 years and just started SW and so far I've found it so easy. The green plan really suits my diet as it allows me to have carbs! A lot of the reason I put on weight is because I made a diet change and didn't really research beforehand, I just dove straight in. You've made a good start asking questions on here, but you can always check out the vegetarian or vegan society online to find answers to any questions, there is so much help out there, it's great!

Following SW will also help you keep track of what you're eating anyway. Good luck with it!

 

[jaylou]

Do vegetarians eat eggs? Or is it vegans who don't eat eggs?

Just a slightly O/T question I know.

I have a lot of green days but do eat meat, sometimes often. I'm not sure I could give up a bacon sandwich or chicken but I do think I could go without the other meats.

I love green days and how much they fill me up.

 

[hastalavegan]

Do vegetarians eat eggs? Or is it vegans who don't eat eggs?

Vegans don't eat eggs or any other animal products (so meat, dairy, eggs, fish, honey etc). Most vegetarians I know do eat them, but I know a few who refer to themselves as 'strict' vegetarians and don't.

All the different types of vegetarians can get a bit confusing!

 

[elizabeth]

Ooh, finally another vegan on the board! I love your name by the way.

It's surprising how many people call themselves vegetarian without actually being one ... my daughter for instance has been 'vegetarian' for years, but will happily eat fish if there isn't any veggie food available when she's out. She also chomps down on things like Liquorice Allsorts and other sweets that contain beef gelatine!

Still, being veggie some of the time is better than none of the time, I guess.

 

[hastalavegan]

Ooh, finally another vegan on the board! I love your name by the way.

Thank you! I won't lie, I made a little squee noise when I saw there was a vegan on this thread Always good not to feel you're the only one!