Cutting out red meat....

[Mermaid02]

Same with DH and his knees. He is only 47 and needs at least one knee replacement. Those sports injuries, just keep giving. ANyway, his ortho told him he could elliptical but not run, and really doesn't even want him walking on the treadmill because of the pounding, so the cycle or elliptical for him.

I had a hip replacement just over a year ago- and a torn meniscus repaired. The doc said there wasn't a whole lot of cartilage left in the knee and there was NONE in the hip he replaced. He said my knee problems aren't over- another reason to take off the weight!

 

[gillep]

About a year and a half ago DH and I revamped the way we were eating and tried to cut down on all of our meat consumption and up our vegetable consumption and switch to different types of proteins i.e. lentils and beans. I have pretty much been able to adapt the volumetrics way of eating to most of the recipes that we already loved. For instance if I make tacos I use about 1/4 of the meat and switch ground beef for ground turkey I add a whole red pepper a whole green pepper an onion some frozen corn and a can of black beans. As a result DH and I both feel much better we are fuller longer and have more energy. Just be aware of your downfall foods, for me it certainly is not meat or sweet drinks I am a carb freak so I make sure that I don't have stray carbs lying around the house.

 

[rie'smom]

I eat a steak and chicken once a month-no pork at all. Seafood on a weekly basis. Since I started doing this in January, I've lost 10 lbs and I wasn't trying to lose weight so it's a bonus. Nothng else in my diet has changed.
OP, cutting out the red meat along with your exercise and other dietary changes should be a great help to you.

 

[epcotprincess]

Hi there! We are a family of vegetarians-- me (on and off, admittedly) for 10 years, and DH just recently as of January. Congratulations on taking steps towards a healthier you and a healthier planet.

As with any diet, there are ways to do it right and wrong, so it's good you know that there are junk food traps that are easy to fall into. However, this is true for everyone from Atkins dieters to vegans and everyone in between. As long as you know what to avoid, you'll be fine.

In fact, I lost the remainder of my baby weight after returning to a vegetarian diet. My DH and I look and feel younger and have gotten so many compliments!

I am also an advocate of the pescetarian diet for those who don't desire a 100% vegetarian diet.

I think breakfasts and lunches are easy to figure out and dinners are harder, so I will give you an example of what we eat for dinner for a week-- if you want any recipes, encouragement, or breakfast/ lunch ideas, please feel free to PM me! I would be more than happy to help.

Dinners:

Eggplant Parmesan (baked, not fried-- healthier!) http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Eggplant-Parmesan-II/Detail.aspx

Vegetarian Tortilla Stew topped with crushed tortilla chips, Greek yogurt, and Mexican cheese: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegetarian-Tortilla-Stew/Detail.aspx (You could make this with rotisserie chicken, the faux chicken, or leave that out all together and just add a can of black beans, that's what we do.)

Italian Stuffed Shells: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Stuffed-Shells-III/Detail.aspx You could add ground turkey to the sauce if you wanted to use meat.

Refried Bean tostadas, with beans, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, Greek yogurt, cheese, etc. A Mexican salad on the side with green olives, onion, fresh avocado slices, green peppers.

Potato Curry with Naan: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spicy-Vegan-Potato-Curry/Detail.aspx I buy the Naan frozen. You could add chicken to this curry.

Fattoush salad with pita and three dippers: Fattoush salad has parsley, lemon, crunched baked pita, and an olive oil dressing. The pita is served with three readily available accompaniments: Hummus, tabbouli, and tzatziki/ raita. I also serve lentil soup on the side.

It is the easiest to vegetarianize Italian and Mexican foods. Many Indian and Middle Eastern dishes are already vegetarian. I think it's best to transition in phases as you are planning to do. Again, if you have questions about transitioning or just want support, feel free to PM.

 

[EeyoreEma]

Haven't read all the responses, but you might want to try counting calories. I've lost almost 20 pounds since Jan just by counting calories/watching what I eat and using my treadmill. I set a goal of 20 lbs and I am just 1.4 lbs away from reaching it!! loseit.com really helped me since it keeps track of the calories for you and tells you how many you can have per day based on your weight/how much you want to lose/how fast you want to lose it. Anyway, good luck to you!

 

[wvjules]

Hi there! We are a family of vegetarians-- me (on and off, admittedly) for 10 years, and DH just recently as of January. Congratulations on taking steps towards a healthier you and a healthier planet.

I'm not following...how does not eating read meat = a healthier planet?

OP, also start a food journal. It will really help you too.

 

[epcotprincess]

I'm not following...how does not eating read meat = a healthier planet?

OP, also start a food journal. It will really help you too.

Hi there wvjules. I want to mention that I agree with the suggestion of a food journal, that is an excellent point and a great tip for the OP and any dieter. So many times we are forgetful of all we are eating throughout the course of the day, and a journal definitely keeps an individual more mindful! Good thinking.

If you are interested in learning about the way consumption of red meat impacts the environment, there are several articles, books, and documentaries on the subject that you can easily find through an internet search. In brief, many people believe that modern practices of raising animals for food contributes significantly to air and water pollution, land degradation, climate change, and loss of biodiversity. In fact, there are entire groups of vegetarians who have no concerns about personal health or animal cruelty, but are vegetarian solely for environmental reasons.

Of course, my disclaimer is that every opinion has an opposition, both of which can be argued without reaching an unquestionable conclusion, so while my personal opinion is that yes, eating red meat does negatively impact the environment, it is up to each individual to reach their own conclusions on the matter.

If you would like book or documentary recommendations, I'd be happy to offer them.

 

[bjgrazi]

There is some great advice here. I know with speaking to my Dr. "diets" don't work. It's making an effort to eat healthy well balanced meals and portion control. With that you can eat just about anything and lose or maintain weight.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

My daughter has changed her diet to the point where her only meat is poultry, and we accommodate her by used ground turkey wherever we would normally use ground beef.

But you really need to understand that EXCESS CALORIES is what causes extra weight. Not any one particular type of food. Red meat, and meat in general, is pretty dense in calories. Although mostly it is from protein (assuming the meat is lean), so that makes you feel more full.

Certainly this is your body, and I'm not saying it's a bad idea to not eat red meat, but a vegetarian diet (or no red meat) does not guarantee weight loss. You must burn more calories than you take in. That's all.

 

[Mermaid02]

My daughter has changed her diet to the point where her only meat is poultry, and we accommodate her by used ground turkey wherever we would normally use ground beef.

But you really need to understand that EXCESS CALORIES is what causes extra weight. Not any one particular type of food. Red meat, and meat in general, is pretty dense in calories. Although mostly it is from protein (assuming the meat is lean), so that makes you feel more full.

Certainly this is your body, and I'm not saying it's a bad idea to not eat red meat, but a vegetarian diet (or no red meat) does not guarantee weight loss. You must burn more calories than you take in. That's all.

Of course. Thanks.

 

[pezheadmeg]

I cut it years ago. And I still eat a high protein/low starch diet. Yes I do eat a lot of poultry, but I still pull off a veggie day a week. Go for the beefier vegetables. (Pun intended ). A portabello mushroom can easily be the base for a meal. I eat them all the time with tomato and mozzarella and use it as a full meal.

Also I always add extra veggies to pasta. Typically I do half roasted red peppers and half pasta. Once it's in sauce, it's barely noticeable.