Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
How vegetarian diet may be effective in losing weight
If you have been trying to lose weight and wavering between counting calories and cutting carbohydrates, it may be that neither approach is best.
A vegetarian diet might be the most effective way for people, especially those with diabetes, to lose weight.
A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that those following a vegetarian diet lost nearly twice as much weight as those on a conventional diet for diabetes. In addition, study participants on the vegetarian diet had a reduction in intramuscular fat, the body fat within the muscles.
Researchers believe that this type of fat loss is important for improving metabolic changes associated with diabetes. Plus, leaner muscles helps increase mobility and muscle strength.
The vegetarian diet followed in the study included vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, nuts, and one serving of low-fat yogurt per day. Other studies have shown that vegetarian and vegan diets can help people, including those with diabetes, lose weight, improve cardiac health and reduce blood sugar levels compared to other diets for weight loss and diabetes management.
It appears that vegetarian and vegan diets are as effective as or possibly more effective for weight loss compared to low-carb and low-fat diets. These results show a striking difference compared to the current trend of using high protein diets for weight management. While a high-protein diet for weight loss is typically low in carbohydrates, a vegetarian diet is void of excess animal fat, often resulting in an overall intake of less saturated fat and moderate amounts of carbohydrates.
An important part of losing weight and keeping it off is maintaining the implemented healthy eating habits. One’s ability to sustain the diet is key to long-term weight loss success. Therefore, it is likely that not just the balance of foods in the eating plan, but the feasibility to stick to the plan impacts pounds lost and other health improvements.
Keep in mind that the quality of foods consumed matters when it comes to weight management and overall health. To benefit from a vegetarian diet, one must not just remove meat and other animal products from their lifestyle, but follow a way of eating that is based in minimally processed, whole plant foods.
Although there is no one best diet for everyone, science consistently shows that eating patterns
based in plant foods that emphasize minimizing animal products and processed foods, such as the Mediterranean diet, tend to be associated with longevity and better health outcomes.
If you are not vegetarian, but would like to try plantbased or vegetarian eating, here are some strategies and considerations to get you going:
• Eating vegetarian is more than just steering clear of meat. Vegetarians must consume the right balance of essential nutrients from a variety of foods.
• There’s no one right way to eat and there are many ways to be vegetarian. Lacto-ovo vegetarians consume dairy and eggs, pescatarians eat fish, vegans completely avoid animal products, and plantbased eaters eat heavily in plant foods, but often include different types of animal products, meat and seafood.
• Be cautious of fake meats. There are seemingly endless options for vegan meats substitutes made from soy, vegetables, grains, and other beans. While they provide a source of vegetarian protein, they can be highly processed, high in sodium and other additives.
• Portion control still matters in vegetarian diets. Eating too much food, despite how healthful it is, can cause weight gain or difficulty losing weight.
• When making major changes in your eating habits that involve restricting groups of foods it can be beneficial to seek guidance from your physician or a registered dietitian.
LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. She can be reached at RD@halfacup. com.