Vegetrian Dieting

Question
I need to lose a lot of weight.  My doctor wanted me to go on the Adkins diet but the thought of it made me feel queasy!  We compromized and I stayed on the Zone diet for 5 months.  Fell off it and can't get back on.  I actually don't want to eat meat as I love animals and also my body feels sluggish when I eat meat. Is there such a thing as a vegetarian weight loss diet?  My doctor believes that everyone needs to eat meat.  Help!  

Answer
Hi Helene,

It's unfortunate that your doctor has so little knowledge of nutrition. Neither the Atkins or Zone diet (or any other "low carb diet") is a particularly good choice for weight loss. The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada clearly state in their position paper on vegetarian diets that they are safe and adequate to meet the needs of individuals throughout the life cycle. In fact, vegetarians are less likely to be obese than non-vegetarians. A well-balanced vegetarian diet can easily be designed to promote weight loss, since most plant foods are lower in fat and calories than animal foods. You should emphasize fruits and vegetables (try for at least 8 servings per day) as they are low in calories, but high in fibre so they will help fill you up! Make sure to choose whole grains rather than refined products (like white bread). Include lots of legumes (lentils, black beans, chickpeas, etc)-they are packed with nutrition and their fibre content will help you feel full and satisfied. You should also try to get 1000 mg of calcium daily, as it has been found that a high calcium diet helps promote weight loss. Try adding calcium fortified orange juice to your breakfast, and add several servings of other high calcium foods to your daily diet (skim milk or soy milk, almonds, broccoli, kale and figs are some other good choices).

Also, make sure to be as physically active as possible, as regular exercise is key in losing weight and keeping it off.

For reliable information on healthy approaches to weight loss, visit www.thedietchannel.com. They are also offering a free eight week weight loss program right now.

Hope that helps!

Karen  

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