Having a Meatless Day
Have you ever considered going meatless for a day? Or even becoming a Vegetarian? This has been a controversial topic in weight loss. No offense to all my vegetarian friends who have lost weight, I just cannot stand seeing people who lose weight and then become a vegetarian. In my mind, that equates to the saying that it wouldn't be possible if they were a carnivore like myself. However, after some research, and after reading my MFP friend, VeganGal84's blog, my view point has changed considerably.
According to a study that was in the latest weekly WW newsletter, vegetarians generally weigh less that us meat eaters and have a lower BMI. (Click here if you want to calculate your own.) One study showed that approximately 40% of meat eating women were overweight or obese while only 25% of our vegetarian friends were. That bothers me just a tad.
I will not preach to anyone that they should become a vegetarian in order to lose weight. But I will say, that it's not a bad idea if you consider having a meatless day once a week. Like a diet, I believe that becoming a vegetarian, in any form lacto-ovo, vegan, pescatarian, ect, is a lifestyle change. It takes a serious commitment and devotion. I don't think that I could become a "full time" vegetarian, but a day a week wouldn't hurt. I would just have to make sure that I don't eat potato chips all day and actually get some protein into my diet.
Let me know if you decide to try it out! If you want more info on becoming a vegetarian or you want to see what a vegetarian diet looks like, please check my MFP friend, VeganGal84's blog. She has a lot of great resources and information.
Sidebar: I was listening to the Gayle King Show rerun today on my way to work and she was interviewing a man who ate potatoes for 60 days and lost 21 lbs. He doesn't recommend the diet to anyone; he just wanted to prove a point that potatoes aren't always a diet's arch enemy. Click here to see the footage and read more.
I actually stopped eating meat for two months last summer while I was studying for a big exam and it was an interesting experience! It forced me to try new proteins, taught me to tolerate tofu and exposed me to a world of delicious fish dishes I wouldn't have tried otherwise. I don't think I could give up meat long-term (love a good steak!) but I've been thinking about doing this again. It's especially nice in the summer when you don't need to be eating super heavy foods anyway.
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