*newbie alert*

ellenmelon

hi there...i will hopefully be becoming more active on this forum so i thought i may as well introduce myself. im a 23 year old vegetarian who wants to get fit and loose weight. the reason for this is because 1) i feel a heck of a lot better for it 2) i want to be able to buy clothes from anywhere and 3) i want to be able to fully participate in my college course...its highly practical and very physical and my weight and fitness problems hold me back.
ive always had body image issues, and its sad because looking back at old photos i was so skinny oh well! live and learn.

im looking to loose a good bit of weight (would rather not say) but initially i want to lose 10kg.
my first step to doing this has been walking at least three times a week for 40mins (started this two weeks ago), upping my water intake again (which is grand during college time but has slipped over xmas), given up my coke zero habit (woohoo! two weeks clean LOL) and eating less.
giving up coke and the walking has already made me feel good.my skin is already looking better . even though its always been good, i just need to keep going (i had a 'slip up' day today but oh well!).

ill be looking for ways to get more protein into my diet. i could live on light cottage cheese (seriously..some consider it a diet food, ive loved it my whole life. am i a freak? ), i have beans on toast the odd day and i love beans and lentils. Meat replacements are a no-go for me, as is tofu. i only eat brown/seedy bread but this week im going to cut it out so i dont feel gluggy. i have no problem eating fruit/veg. portion size is something i need to look at.

im hoping if i make gradual, small changes i will keep it up. i hope this post makes sense!! its late here...

any ideas/comments/support is welcome..

g'em

Hi ellen !!!

Congrats on turning over the new leaf. Getting extra protein will be problematic as a veggie, but by no means impossible. Cottage cheese is wonderful so eat it to your hearts' content, as is dairy. All pulses, nuts and beans will also contribute towards your protein quota.

I'm usually loathe to recommend supplements straight away but if you are finding it hard to keep protein levels high (and it really is *so* important to get enough in when you're losing weight) you may like to try a whey protein supplement. Whey is a by product of cheese-making (think curds and whey?) and it's a high protein, low-carb, low-fat "food". Tehre's a range of them out there but one I product tested one recently - Slender-Pro by Nutrition X and I loved it. One shake a day would dramatically improve your protein intake.

Khannie

I would also recommend whey to a veggie. I find it hard to get enough protein in as a meat eater! I use mint choc Pro-X with milk and find it delicious.

ellenmelon

g'em wrote: »

Hi ellen !!!

Congrats on turning over the new leaf. Getting extra protein will be problematic as a veggie, but by no means impossible. Cottage cheese is wonderful so eat it to your hearts' content, as is dairy. All pulses, nuts and beans will also contribute towards your protein quota.

I'm usually loathe to recommend supplements straight away but if you are finding it hard to keep protein levels high (and it really is *so* important to get enough in when you're losing weight) you may like to try a whey protein supplement. Whey is a by product of cheese-making (think curds and whey?) and it's a high protein, low-carb, low-fat "food". Tehre's a range of them out there but one I product tested one recently - Slender-Pro by Nutrition X and I loved it. One shake a day would dramatically improve your protein intake.

Hi G'em,

Thanks for the warm welcome. Ive seen your 'face' all over boards so I was looking forward to getting some help from you

im really glad cottage cheese is ok. its my favourite food! i get sick of some foods but i can always eat CC, its a constant hehe. thanks for not insisting i try meat replacements straight off!
those shakes sound good..my mum (a nurse) said i should track down a protein shake as a protein top up so ill see is that brand down here in NZ. if i cant find it, should i just go for something that has whey as a major ingredient?
do you have any tips on how to beat the sugar cravings? i heard its due to a vitamin or mineral deficiency..

thanks for your help..im off to get ready for my walk (what? did i just say that? voluntary exercise!?) before it gets too dark.

g'em

ellenmelon wrote: »

those shakes sound good..my mum (a nurse) said i should track down a protein shake as a protein top up so ill see is that brand down here in NZ. if i cant find it, should i just go for something that has whey as a major ingredient?

I like your Mum

Coincidentally enough, NZ is one of the World's biggest whey producers (big dairy industry) so there may be a chance you can get it at a good price (although that's a guess, I don't know if it's actually the case or not!!). A quick Google shows that you can get the big well-known brands without problem there (see this on-line supplement shop in NZ as an example). EAS, Muscletech, Optimum Nutrition... these are all big brandds. Nutrition X is an Irish company so you probably won't get it over there, but instead just check for a whey that's high in protein (80g of protein per 100g or above) and low in carbs and fats, and preferably with very little extra sugars and other additives. If you come across one you like the look of put up a link to it and we can check it out.

ellenmelon wrote:

do you have any tips on how to beat the sugar cravings? i heard its due to a vitamin or mineral deficiency..

stop eating sugar Generally speaking sugar consumption is what induces sugar-cravings in the first place. If you strip your diet of sugar you actually tend to want or need it less and you find that the occasional piece of fruit or juice will satisfy a sweet tooth. Don't get me wrong, there are days that I indulge in a little bit of chocolate to sooth my weary soul (is there anything it *can't* do!?!? ) but I make it 70% cocoa dark chocolate and I do only try and eat it sporadically. Otherwise I try my best to make sure my diet consists of veg, salads, meats, eggs and a small bit of dairy. My chocolate whey also curbs any cravings - I mix it with only a wee bit of water and it turns into a really, really tasty mousse - Yum!!

G86

Hi Ellen,

I'm a veggie and like you I won't eat meat substitutes, so I take the protein shakes to make up for it. Its definitely the way to go. Would you take Omega 3 fish oils too? Thats what I was advised to take to help with weight loss, and I don't mind as its in tablet form. I also take a multi vit. You would be surprised at how little things like that do help, I've lost weight by making some really small changes like cutting out bread and pasta(which I know is hard as a veggie!!trust me!-I had to be literally weaned off it!)
But now I don't miss it at all, and I'd have lettuce with my veg stir frys instead of rice and ryvita or oatcakes instead of bread - everything has a subsititute!

Best of Luck:)

ellenmelon

hi guys...just realised i hadnt replied to your comments. feel so rude! will get to them tomorrow!!