I’ve written before about my easy vegan weight loss plan and you can check that out for some more tips and strategies on how to lose weight as a vegetarian and vegan. Today I’ll give you another quick and easy weight loss diet for vegetarians that will be another feather in your cap. Another option for vegetarian weight loss that works. It’ll be easy and simple. As it should be for long term and sustained vegetarian weight loss.
Unlike my previous post on an easy vegan diet plan, this one will focus on rules. Some of you like being able to follow rules and stricter guidelines so if that is the case then this’ll be for you. You can do this weight loss diet for vegans and vegetarians for as little as one week or as long as several months if you want. It is flexible and healthy.
I know from personal experience that you can lose at least 3 pounds per week on this vegetarian weight loss diet if you are diligent and strict. Many of you will lose more than that in the beginning especially if you have more than 25 or 30 pounds to lose.
There are two options to this diet that will help vegetarians and vegans lose weight.
The first is a 1,200 calorie option which is recommended for women and I have also included a 1,700 calorie diet option for men.
Rule #1
You must count calories every day that you are on this diet. Anything that goes into your mouth that has calories must be included and written down and added to your vegetarian diet log.
The best way to do that is to sign up at FitDay for their FREE online software. This will help you search for and enter all food you take and allow you to monitor your weight and measurements and any exercise you’ll be doing.
This is the most important part of my vegetarian losing weight diet that must be followed. Coupled with Rule #2 if you adhere strictly to them both, you will see great results.
Rule #2
You must not go under the recommended calorie intake of either 1,200 calories for women and 1,700 calories for men. However, if you are losing weight very quickly on this vegetarian diet and find that you are very hungry then you may increase your calories by around 15% to 1,400 calories for women and 1,900 calories for men.
Think carefully about this though, because to lose weight you must create a calorie deficit and usually for most of us, creating a calorie deficit will reacquaint us with mild hunger pangs.
Rule #3
Exercise is recommended but is not required. If you stick to 1,200 calories for women and 1,700 calories for men you will lose weight.
If you do exercise – good for you 🙂 – then add that to your fitness journal at FitDay, however, it does not allow you to bump up your calories other than as allowed in Rule #2.
Rule #4
On this vegetarian weight loss program there are some rules related to food intake. The 3 Day Vegetarian Diet for Weight Loss menu that follows is a guideline. You can eat whatever you want on this vegan weight loss diet except for the following.
Being vegan you obviously exclude animal products. You also EXCLUDE all oils, salad dressings that are oil based as well as high fat foods and deep fried as well as fried foods.
I’ve got nothing against a moderate amount of fat in the diet, but when you’re looking to lose weight, you’re limiting calories and the best way to do that is to cut down on fat. Fat is usually empty calories (‘cept for omega 3s and 6s) and can quickly add up in your diet.
So when cooking stir fries and general frying, you will use wine, beer, water, veggie stock etc. instead of oil. You are allowed however up to 0.25 cup of nuts OR half an avocado a day.
You are also going to have to use common sense and limit the high fat packaged foods that you buy. Hash browns are a case in point as are frozen french fries that you bake in the oven. They usually have at least 30% calories if not more.
Rule #5
Now wet calories. To help make it easier for you to succeed on this vegetarian weight loss diet, don’t drink any of your calories. If you binge on your calories you will quickly see how easy it is to break from the diet as the calories add up and the belly stays hungry.
So no soy milk to drink, no wine or beer, no juices etc. You may have a tablespoon or 2 of non dairy creamer in your morning tea or coffee with a teaspoon or 2 of sugar but that’s about all the liquid calories you should allow yourself. And of course you write it down in your daily calorie log book.
Drink as much unadulterated herbal teas and water as you like.
Sample Vegetarian Diet Weight Loss Menu
The foods that are in the [square brackets] are the additional foods allowed for the men’s 1,700 calorie diet. All other food is around 1,200 calories. So for the female vegetarian weight loss dieting stars, just omit the food in the [square brackets]
Day 1
Breakfast
2/3 cup [1 cup for men] of oatmeal (dry then cooked with hot water) with one banana and 1 tsp of sugar (370 [500] calories)
coffee or tea
Mid-morning snack
0.25 cup of walnuts (200 calories)
herbal tea
Lunch
4 cups of salad greens with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (50 calories)
1 tomato (30 calories)
0.25 cup onions (20 calories)
1 soy chicken breast like Gardein’s Tuscan Breast (160 calories)
1 orange (80 calories)
Mid-afternoon snack
[Clif bar] [250 calories]
apple (70 calories)
Dinner
1.5 cups of lentil soup (200 calories)
1 slice [2 slices for men] of whole grain bread (100 [200] calories)
Total for vegetarian women’s weight loss diet = 1,280 calories
Total for vegetarian men’s weight loss diet = 1,760 calories
Day 2
Breakfast
1 cup [2 cups for men] of Raisin Bran (180 [360] calories)
0.5 cup [1 cup for men] of soy milk (50 [100] calories)
banana (100 calories)
coffee or tea
Mid-morning snack
3 stalks celery with 2 tablespoons [3 tablespoons for men] peanut butter (200 [300] calories)
Lunch
1 slice [2 slices for men] whole grain bread with 1/2 an avocado spread on it (250 [350] calories)
2 cups mixed salad greens (25 calories)
1 tomato (30 calories)
Mid-afternoon snack
1 apple (70 calories)
chamomile tea
Dinner
0.5 cup cooked whole grain brown rice (100 calories)
1 cup steamed broccoli (100 calories)
1 cup steamed carrots (80 calories)
1 Gardein BBQ Skewers [2 skewers for men] (80 [160] calories)
Total for vegetarian women’s weight loss diet = 1,265 calories
Total for vegetarian men’s weight loss diet = 1,775 calories
Day 3
Breakfast
1 cup [1.5 cups for men] Nature’s Path Optimum cereal (200 [300] calories)
0.5 cup [1 cup for men] soy milk (50 [100] calories)
1 orange (80 calories)
coffee or tea
Mid-morning snack
1 slice whole grain toast with 1 tablespoon peanut butter (200 calories)
[1 banana (100 calories)]
Lunch
1.5 cup [2 cups for men] minestrone soup (180 [240] calories)
1 slice whole grain bread (100 calories)
1 apple (70 calories)
Mid-afternoon snack
1 orange (80 calories)
herbal tea
Dinner
4 cups salad greens with fat free dressing (50 calories)
0.5 cup [1 cup for men] of chickpeas (195 [290] calories)
0.25 cup onions (20 calories)
1 tomato (30 calories)
Total for vegetarian women’s weight loss diet = 1,255 calories
Total for vegetarian men’s weight loss diet = 1,660 calories
Some Cheat Sheets
- Spread your food out over the day. Try to leave at least 2 hours in between each meal/snack to keep you fuelled and satiated longer.
- If you get hungry drink a glass of water. Add the juice of half a squeezed lemon if you like, or brew some herbal tea.
- Drink a glass of water before each meal as this will help keep you fuller longer.
- If you really need to cheat eat raw spinach, red peppers, celery or salad greens.
- If you’re really tempted to do something naughty go out for a 15 minute walk or do 20 push ups or 50 squats. Journal your feelings if need be.
Listen, gaining weight took some time so the key to vegan diets for weight loss or any vegetarian weight loss plan is to persevere. It will take some time to lose the weight. You need to be kind and patient with yourself.
It might be a good idea to keep repeating this sample 3 day weight loss menu over and over again. Coming back to similar foods every 3 days should not make it boring. We usually stick to a handful of favourite recipes anyway. You can do it. Don’t get discouraged if you plateau. With this vegan diet weight loss plan and menu you are eating healthy foods and you will soon start to feel way better. Trust your body to take care of you now that you are taking better care of it.