From the article: How can I get enough nutrients on a vegetarian/vegan diet?
Have you lost weight or improved your health on a vegetarian diet or a healthy vegan diet? Share your stories and your tips! Share your success!
Social Carnivore
- I eat very little meat--on occasion (like at a relative's funeral reception) I will join others, but I never bring it home and if there are options I select veg. I have not lost any weight but I feel so much better it's like taking narcotics without the side effects (constipation/addiction). James Brown must have been a vegetarian. "I Feel Good!"
- —Guest Dave
Becoming vegetarian
- I stopped eating meat & drinking milk a month ago & feel great. I am 47 & feel like I did in my 20's. I discontued my SSRI meds & inderal for headaches. I haven't had a headache in a month & my mood has been great. I have energy after work & don't have to make myself go to the gym or exercise. I require little sleep & simply can not believe the difference it has made in my overall well being. I also stopped eating processed foods & pay attention to all ingredients before purchasing at the store. I never eat fast food & i switched from slim milk to Almond & soy milk. All I can say is it has been life altering for me. I did it after I read the book skinny bitch... It will change the way you think about food & give you more energy than you ever thought possible. Give it a try, I promise you will be grateful you did.
- —Guest Paris McKidd
Whole Foods and vegetarian celebrities
- Hi Jan,Sorry, I didn't mean my comment to sound as a criticism of celebrities or anything like that! I'm obviously passionate about nutrition and exercise, my sincere apologies. What I meant was, aside from their nutrition and exercise majority of celebrities take a few extra steps to feel and look good. They represent a certain lifestyle or certain products but behind the curtains there are teams and teams of people helping them along the way. I mentioned Kombucha (a drink tons of celebrities were pictures drinking too) because I used to drink it quite often and all of a sudden it was pulled off the Whole Foods shelves. I used to swear by Whole Foods items after they stopped selling groceries containing high fructose corn syrup (I thought I didn't have to think twice before I placed anything from their shelves in my shopping basket). Now I'm trying to trust myself with those choices. The book I recommended actually talks about people who stopped listening to what their bodies were telling them (nutrition-wise) and started reading about various current diets and studies online and relying on those instead. It also talks about people who know exactly what's good for them and have a long-term healthy relationship with food. It took you a long time to get to where you are with healthy eating habits and I admire you for that. I think you'd still love the book though! :)
- —Guest yMvtLKzOtuVYhIJjF
Vegitarian by accident!
- I was doing a routine cleanse and was going to try for a fourteen day run. After nine days i was at a gathering and became overwhelmed with hunger. I thought it wouldnt be to bad to nibble on some "rabbit food" and contine the following day. Lets just say i ended up quitting the cleanse the next day and opted for some rice and hummus, the next day a salad candied walnuts with strawberries and pears and the next day.... lets just say that my energy level was through the roof ( im 41 and work two jobs), and my weight is ideal. I lost my appetite for meat of any kind and have never looked back. I am working on eliminating dairy from my diet and as for eggs, i have never liked them anyway so there you go!
- —Guest christina
gotta have milk
- I've always hesitated to call myself a vegan or a vegetarian because I still have the occasional burger or steak and eggs once in a blue moon, but after reading some of these responses I realized that yes...I am healthier because of my diet. I've lost many pounds, can't really say how many, but I'm smaller now than I was in high school. I find that it's hard to live without a glass of cold milk occasionally and cheese , well, it's not a spectator sport and I have yet to find a substitute worthy of the name. But I have very few issues with diverticulitis now and my hair, my nails, my skin, especially my facial skin, are all healthier than ever. No more splitting nails and acne is finally going away. That has been a problem all my life, but since I stopped eating red meat , the acne has cleared up so that I have pretty skin. And I agree with bluewormy, all around me my friends are getting old and have health problems galore and I still get up and leave them in the dust!!
- —Singing.Swan
Multiple Sclerosis
- I was diagnosed with M.S. in 06/2011. After reading several books & studies that drew several ties between M.S. and diet, the choice to go vegan was easy. It has only been a few months so I'm not ready to scream "cure", but I'm feeling better than I have in 15yrs (I'm 33), I'm sleeping well, my focus has improved and all symptoms have disappeared. My neurologist responded by saying that this may be the natural progression of the disease (ie: symptom relapse, followed by remission), but let me just say that I'm very encouraged by how quickly they went into full remission, almost immediately, after I changed my diet, overnight & cold turkey (no pun intended). I have not taken any M.S. "disease modifying drugs" yet, and considering the price (in excess of $3500 per month), low efficacy (0 to 30%) and side effects (many of which are as scary as the disease itself), I may never take any if this strict diet (along with exercise) can keep me walking, talking, and working for the next 35yrs.
- —JB
The vegetarian advantage
- I went vegetarian two years ago. I'm 42, within two months of starting my life changed completely, I lost an excess of 17kg and my entire outlook on life changed. Now i consume only raw veggies and fruit and the occasional cheese carefully chosen by their manufacturing process. I do not consume cooked food any more and i actually see ovens and cookware as antique collectables. Who ever decided that we have to consume cooked food? ( As if the creator made a mistake somehow) !. and i no longer use harmfull chemicals to clean excessive dishes and cookware. I do not buy packaged processed food and in so doing i dont contribute to excessive waste.I often do research on food and health and the conclusion i got is that the food we eat should be a simple selection of what we actually need and modest in quantity relative to our activity levels and weight maintenance requirements. Living healthy and being well is a matter of common sense. Think and be well.
- —Guest Peter
Approved Vegan Diet
- I live in a community where everyone is vegan. This is our way of life. I have been eating healthy like this (vegan) for 39 years.I would be more than happy to share a great deal of success stories (or trues) with you. Live Forever
- —Guest Ahtuarh Ahkdeyah
Losing pounds... but who's counting
- I went vegetarian about 6 months ago and have lost 3 pant sizes. I have not taken up a regular exercise regiment (other than daily walks with the dog) or started counting calories or pounds. I just know it is having a very positive impact on my waistline.
- —Guest Luke
Better health with vegetarian diet
- And I feel at least 10 years younger than others my chronological age! And now I work at the Book Company that has over 250 vegetarian books!
- —Guest Mary Ellen Bowen
pleasant suprise
- I'm 58, and had been a vegetarian all my life. Recently, at a ILAT conference, I was pleasantly suprised with a 10 course menu and the only non-veg served for others was grilled salmon and carrot cake.Each and everyone enjoyed the vegetarian experience. Being a vegetarian is a joyful healty choice which needs self-discipline and persistence.
- —Guest Vani Nair
The Switch
- I actually went vegetarian for 4 months in 2009 to lose weight for a job. That combined with excercise really worked. But what I am noticing now that I've gone back to being a vegetarian is an increase in energy. I am a truck driver and I remember when I used to drink energy drinks to combat fatigue. But going vegetarian has actually helped me as far as bowel movements, health, mental thoughts, and I have to attribute this to God. I agree with the people here that are saying that they are against eating flesh. The US government has even recognized that meat can be interchanged with beans on the food pyramid. In sum, this is a great lifestyle and I hope to be able to maintain it for at least 1 year this time (hopefully longer). God bless you all.
- —kashbmaryd
Gloria's story
- I have been vegetarian for the last 45 yrs. because I dont like the idea of eating animals. I am very healthy, no cholesterol, blood pressure. There is no reason to eat animals, there is more than enough other food in the world. I am a very healthy almost 70yrs. young grandma, & I really know that humans do not need to eat animals to live well. I live in Queensland, Australia.
- —Guest gloria
Have lost 20 pounds!
- I decided to go vegan 5 weeks ago. I have lost 20 pounds already - it just seems to melt off! My nails and hair are much healthier. My skin is in such great shape that I don't need to use a moisturizer anymore. My energy level as increased dramatically; I actually love to exercise now!! I do not crave my SAD (Standard American Diet) way of eating at all.
- —Guest Kim
I lost weight!
- I have been a vegetarian for a month now and I want to never quit! I have lost weight in my STOMACH!!! WOW!!! I never knew that changing the way I eat CAN have a major difference in my well-being! I should have become vegetarian a long time ago! My energy has also soared!!! I am glad I am a vegetarian!
- —Vegetarian4forever
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