Slow Carb Dieting for Vegetarians

Paleo Weight Loss :

At first glance the slow carb diet can seem extremely meat heavy. Having many of its roots in the paleo style of dieting, eating as we are evolved to do so being a hunter-gatherer species, there is a great emphasis on animal protein as a source of calories and nutrition. So can you successfully and healthily slow-carb-diet as a vegetarian? Yes, you can. If you are vegan, and eat no animal-derived foods at all, it will be much more difficult - but lacto-ovo vegetarians should have no problems.

Slow Carb Dieting for Vegetarians

Every vegetarian is used to fielding that old chestnut of a question, 'so, where do you get your protein then?' Obviously most of us aren't wasting away, and just about have the metabolic energy to explain (again) about complete and incomplete vegetable protein, how there are amino acids in just about every plant cell we consume, and how we don't have to eat all the essential ones in each meal, etc. Vegetarians are less likely to suffer from health conditions related to over-consumption of protein, but actual deficiency is extremely rare in the developed world.

On the slow carb diet, the lack of dairy is a frustration that lacto-ovo vegetarians might have trouble adjusting to. Dairy produce is probably the main reason for vegetarians ending up overweight in the first place, particularly cheese - providing a solid savory taste, it's easy to use it as a protein source in many meals, without being overly aware of the huge calorie density it provides. But on the slow carb diet, your protein is going to come from...

• Those pulses you are eating at every meal - yes they are there to provide fiber, but also provide a high-quality vegetarian protein source, and you should judge portions accordingly
• Nuts and nut butters - but beware the tumbling of dominoes along with your willpower, and purchase in small portions only!
• Cottage cheese - permitted in small quantities. When purchasing from a store that has several brands, look closely at the indicated carb content and sugars, the variation may surprise you, and 'reduced fat' variants that might initially appeal to dieters are often higher in sugars as a result
• Protein shakes - check ingredients carefully for sugars, and also for actual vegetarian content
• Eggs - you are going to be eating a LOT of eggs!

Tim Ferriss is amongst many commentators and researchers who hold strong views on the appropriateness of soy protein in human nutrition - for many the jury is still out on this, but whilst the evidence gathering continues, it is wise to avoid over-dependency on soy in its many forms (for example tofu, tempeh, vegetarian meat substitutes, etc). This is particularly important if you are male and of reproductive age... and if you do want to eat tofu etc, then be sure to seek an organic source, as virtually all other soy beans have genetically modified origins in the US, and it may facilitate digestion to eat along with a fermented food such as miso or sauerkraut (or a probiotic supplement).

Most importantly though as a vegetarian is to learn to love eggs. Find an animal-friendly source of free-range organic eggs, and explore the multitude of ways you can prepare them - fried, poached, scrambled, boiled, hard boiled, baked, they can be enjoyed in so many different ways simply cooked alone, and once you start finding some great recipes to use them in then the sky is the limit. Sometimes people are concerned about eating 'too many' eggs due to their high cholesterol content, but the most recent research has debunked that direct correlation between personal cholesterol levels and the amount of cholesterol consumed, so you can safely consume several eggs a day as part of a balanced diet, particularly if it's not done in conjunction with a load of meat.

Don't forget to add your PAGG supplement for additional vegetarian enhancement of your slow-carb-diet - the plant derivation of all elements of the PAGG stack are another successful indicator for the effects of a plant-based diet on weight loss. Above all don't let the 'meat-heavy' aspects of the published slow-carb diet put you off attempting the plan as a vegetarian, because there is a growing canon of delicious and healthy vegetarian recipes to support your successful and healthy weight loss. And if you can break your Edam Cheese addiction into the bargain, it's got to be a win-win.

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Forego Dieting And Choose A Healthy, Sustainable Weight Maintenance Diet Instead

Paleo Weight Loss :

Are you dieting? In today's vernacular, dieting has come to mean trying to lose weight. Yet Diet is the food and beverages you consume, and can lead to weight loss (Paleo Diet, South Beach Diet, etc.), weight gain (bodybuilding diet, etc), or weight maintenance (any healthy diet).

Forego Dieting And Choose A Healthy, Sustainable Weight Maintenance Diet Instead

While it might seem like it's all just playing with semantics, there really is a big difference between the two. If you're dieting to lose weight, you're probably making a mistake - most dieters find themselves trapped in the 'yo-yo diet' syndrome, forever losing a few pounds then gaining them back over and over again, often with the result of their weight slowly increasing overall.

Most diets start you off heavily restricting calories and drinking a lot of water. Restricting your caloric intake heavily only works for a very short time - usually your body will slow down its metabolism (the rate it uses energy at) by the end of the first week to compensate for the reduced intake. You may lose a pound or two of true bodyweight, but most of the loss will be from the increased water intake.

You body is truly efficient in its operations, and water is the single most important part of your nutritional intake. People can go up to about 30 days without food, but your system would shut down without water for 6 or 7 days. As a result, your body stores water based on need and available supply. When you drink more water regularly, your body doesn't see the need to store as much of it, so it releases more of its water stores. Since you've increased your water consumption while dieting, your body is lighter more from carrying less water than from burning body fat.

And what happens when you've reached your weight target and end your diet? You go back to your 'normal' number of calories, but now your metabolism is slower so you're actually creating a bigger caloric surplus than before you started dieting. Unless and until your metabolism catches back up, that excess will be stored as body fat as insurance against the next caloric deficit. And it's the same with water - if you start drinking less, your body will go back to storing more of it.

Net result? In short order your weight has gone back up surpassing your starting weight, and you're facing another weight loss diet. Not really what you were hoping for, was it? It's time to break that cycle and get to and maintain your healthy bodyweight.

To start, evaluate your current eating habits and make any necessary changes. You should be eating 3 meals a day, each with a mix of fibrous carbohydrates, quality protein and some healthy fats. Replace white bread with whole wheat, including any buns, etc. Be sure to have a good breakfast - not sugar-laden cereal, salt-laden instant oatmeal or toast & coffee. Instead go for bacon & eggs, oatmeal & eggs or a grapefruit & a protein shake, for example.

Lunch should be tuna, salmon or a small portion of lean red meat, with a side of roasted or steamed vegetables or a salad - but skip the useless calories of the thicker dressings and opt for either oil & vinegar or just a drizzle of olive oil. Supper should be fish, chicken or lean red meat and green vegetables or beans. For best results, fill half the plate with steamed green vegetables.

If you find you need a snack mid-afternoon or after dinner, choose fruit, unsalted peanuts or walnuts. Just remember that while healthy, each has calories so limit the amount you allow yourself. If you're still peckish an hour before bedtime, treat yourself to a cup of cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is high in the phosphoprotein casein, a slow digesting protein that not only helps to curb your hunger but keeps the body burning more calories while you sleep as it your body digests it.

Check your weight about once a week to see if you're headed towards your weight loss goals. It's always best to check first thing in the morning upon rising, before getting dressed. Your weight fluctuates by a few pounds throughout the day, so best to always check it at the same time of day, and doing it first thing helps to eliminate fluctuations based on that day's food intake.

If you're making progress, just keep doing what you're doing - don't make any changes to try & hurry the process. Let your body adapt and continue at it's own preferred rate. On the other hand, if you're not yet losing, try either reducing the calories slightly at each meal, or replace a bit of the carbohydrate portion with additional protein.

Once you're at your target weight, keep monitoring yourself for another few weeks. If your body is still dropping weight, up your portions slightly until you reach a maintenance level. Now when you reach the weight you want to stay at it's easy to maintain, since you're already eating right to maintain that weight - no further changes are necessary as you're now living a more fit lifestyle and eating a healthy diet. And should you slip up the odd time, increasing your exercise level, even going for a couple of walks a day, can usually help to cover up your caloric indiscretions!

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