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I gained weight?

4K views 35 replies 14 participants last post by  Mandyy 
#1 ·
Okay so I became a vegetarian a little over a week ago, and in that time, I've gained 5 pounds. I really thought I would lose weight being a vegetarian but I can definitely feel that extra weight and I just weighed myself. I don't see why either. I've been eating so many fruits, veggies, protein, and wheat. For example, today I had a pancake in the morning, a veggie burger for lunch with a fruit bowl, and I just had vegetable fried rice for dinner. Oh and I do cardio every day. I've maintained the same weight for a long time but as SOON as I stopped eating meat, I gained weight. I don't know what I'm doing wrong
I also feel hungry all the time, literally.

Any recommendations? I think I might be consuming too many carbs and starches but fruits and veggies just don't fill me up. Before I went veg, I'd have meat to fill my stomach, but now I'm not sure what to eat to "fill up" and get that satisfied feeling haha.
 
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#3 ·
Are you eating refined sugar/wheat? For example, in your pancake you should use whole wheat unrefined flour. If you had a bun with your burger, it should be whole wheat. Fried rice is not healthy (anything with 'fried' in the name isn't healthy). Also try to eat foods that are more "filling", or nutritionally dense. Baked potatoes, oatmeal, nuts and nut butters, beans, etc.

Is that ALL you've been eating? You may want to keep written track of everything you are eating if you are very concerned about your weight.

Also, you should be doing strength training as well as cardio to lose weight.
 
#5 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by pugwrinkles View Post

Are you eating refined sugar/wheat? For example, in your pancake you should use whole wheat unrefined flour. If you had a bun with your burger, it should be whole wheat. Fried rice is not healthy (anything with 'fried' in the name isn't healthy). Also try to eat foods that are more "filling", or nutritionally dense. Baked potatoes, oatmeal, nuts and nut butters, beans, etc.

Is that ALL you've been eating? You may want to keep written track of everything you are eating if you are very concerned about your weight.

Also, you should be doing strength training as well as cardio to lose weight.
Yeah the pancake and bun I ate were not made with whole wheat. I'm trying to switch over to that, but I just hate the taste. I'm trying to discover more healthy foods that actually make me feel like I ate. I feel like I'm starving right now as I'm typing this. And I do also do strength training in my workout along with cardio (I have routines). My biggest problem right now is just trying to find food I like that will fill me up. And not to mention my cravings are so intense. I could eat a chocolate bar the size of a truck right now hahah.
 
#6 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by dormouse View Post

Five pounds in one week is an awful lot! Are you sure it's not just a weird time in your cycle? Maybe you've been eating a lot of salt and therefore are retaining water?
I actually wondered if it was my period making me feel like this (since I feel it coming) but it's weird because I don't tend to gain weight on my period and it's almost a week late. And no I don't think I ate any more salt than the usual. Not only do I feel bloated, but I just flat out feel fat.
 
#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by dormouse View Post

Five pounds in one week is an awful lot! Are you sure it's not just a weird time in your cycle? Maybe you've been eating a lot of salt and therefore are retaining water?
Its actually not...especially for females. 5 pounds can be fluctuations in water weight, especially around menses time.

I'm not totally ruling out dietary changes attributing to TRUE weight gain. Sure, if you go from an omni diet to a veggie one and replace animal-based foods with higher calorie starches and fruit juices, you'll gain some.

Vegetarianism isn't by any means a weight-loss diet, its a choice to make a cruelty-free lifestyle.
 
#9 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scorpius View Post

Its actually not...especially for females. 5 pounds can be fluctuations in water weight, especially around menses time.

I'm not totally ruling out dietary changes attributing to TRUE weight gain. Sure, if you go from an omni diet to a veggie one and replace animal-based foods with higher calorie starches and fruit juices, you'll gain some.

Vegetarianism isn't by any means a weight-loss diet, its a choice to make a cruelty-free lifestyle.
Very true, it's still important to make sure you're eating well.

And personally gaining 5 pounds of water weight around my period isn't uncommon, our bodies can be weird. Eating more salt than usual can make you retain water too. 5 pounds of actual weight gain in a week is a lot though, especially if you have been eating fairly well and exercising. Maybe give it time and try the scale again in a few days, you never know, this could just be an adjustment period.
 
#13 ·
It could indeed be muscle mass but probably not in a week, lol!

Maybe the things you are eating are bloating you- tinned products can contain a lot of hidden salt and beans of course are notorious for bloating. Also, packaged products such as veggieburgers etc might have more salt than you realsied. Still, I doubt that's all of the problem.

You might just physically be eating more volume as the foods you have been choosing are not high in energy density/ protein? That would mean you weight more on the scales and could account for a pound or so I reckon.

A lot of people eat tonnes of cheese and pasta when they first go vegetarian and put on weight because of that; make sure that's not the problem, perhaps? Stick to wholegrains and keep an eye on packages for calories; because you may be eating foods which are unfamiliar to you, maybe you assume they have fewer calories than they do. A vegetarian burger can be anything from 100-350 cals for example; just make the 'right' choices. And try to cook from scratch if you can; it's fun and is always better as you know what you're putting in things.

I think you should concentrate on getting more protein; there are tonnes of nutritious, vegetarian proteins out there for you to try


I obviously don't know what food you like or how many cals you need per day (depends on your height etc) but how about-

B) Oatmeal cooked with protein powder, some fruit and yoghurt on the side (protein powder is a brilliant thing and really fills you up for ages)
S) Hummous and crudites
L) Salad with roasted vegetables, cottage cheese or tofu, cooked pearl barley or other grain, sprinkle of seeds
S) Fruit and a few nuts or nut butter
D) Chickpea curry with quinoa and veggies
S) Yoghurt and fruit

I think the answer is this: eat protein with every meal, and the above diet would do that. The number of calories it contains depends entirely on your portion sizes, obviously! You will need different amounts depending on metabolism/if you want to loose weight/your activity/build/height etc. Use a calorie calculator online to estimate your calorie requirements, perhaps.

Oh, and WELL DONE for making the change to vegetarianism, give it time and I'm certain you'll find it's a healthy choice which will keep your body healthy and fit, long-term. This is just some weird blip- stick with it
 
#14 ·
I agree with others, don't worry about 5 lbs, that is normal fluctuation (and even could be poop...are you going regularly since switching to veg?)
My personal weight can fluctuate between 1-7 lbs throughout the day just depending on what im doing and eating.

Its a good idea to not even weight yourself anymore, its not important... AT ALL! what is important is how you feel, how your clothes fit, and overall percent body fat.

Are you eating veg to lose weight? or other reasons?

what kinds of foods were you eating before going veg?

Eat potatoes to feel full, they have a high satiety percentage.
 
#15 ·
Agree with everyone about the water weight. I also gained 5 lbs 2 weeks in. It is now 2 weeks later and I'm down 10 lbs from 2 weeks ago. This is my normal low weight. If I lose any weight from this point, I will consider that true weight lost. My weight always fluctuates 10 lbs up and down depending on the time of the month.

You might want to try weighing yourself at the same time everyday, preferably first thing in the morning, for a true measure.
 
#16 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mandyy View Post

I actually wondered if it was my period making me feel like this (since I feel it coming) but it's weird because I don't tend to gain weight on my period and it's almost a week late. And no I don't think I ate any more salt than the usual. Not only do I feel bloated, but I just flat out feel fat.
You don't have to eat more salt to retain water and any food thats high in sodium will do it not just foods that taste salty. Have you tried tofu/soy meat they wont help with weight loss but they fill you up more than fruits and veggies - as does tea compared to water.
And being bloated will make you feel "fat". When I get bloated I look close to pregnant cause my stomach swells and sticks out.
And someone else already said this but weight fluctuations are normal esp for women, you just changed your diet give it sometime.
And (last and I swear) how much did you weigh before you gained weight? and how tall are you (if you dont mind me asking)
Chart on bodyweight vs height:
http://www.nowloss.com/Height_Weight_chart.htm - if your 5/10 lbs different than what your height class should weigh don't sweat these are general guidelines, everyones body is different
 
#17 ·
I gain almost 5 pounds every time my period comes, weight fluctuation is very normal. Don't stress, weigh yourself again later, watch your sugars, eat more greens, and watch your salt temporarily
It's impossible to gain 5 pounds in a week, that's 15,000 EXTRA calories
You would know if you ate that.
 
#18 ·
@Littlelove Well I don't think it's muscle mass because my body looks the same and I haven't done any more exercise than the usual. I'll try to eat more of the things people have mentioned in this thread, and not so much pasta and bread. My biggest problem is that I really dislike most of the food vegetarians eat but I've been trying a lot of new things and I'm starting to expand my foods a little bit and I'll definitely try to add more protein in my meals.

@luvourmother Yep everything's normal. I went vegetarian not to diet, but because I found that what they're doing to animals is cruel and I just don't want to eat meat anymore. I sort of expected to possibly lose, not gain weight though. And before my switch I ate pretty much the same foods, but with meat of course.

@vegansarawr I've tried soy meat. I wouldn't say I really enjoyed it, but I'd still eat it and I'm trying to get used to it. Before I gained weight, I was at 113 lbs and 5'5.5". Haven't checked since yesterday but it said 118

@danakscully64 Haha I hope you're right about it being impossible to gain 5 lbs in a week and I REALLY hope it's just bloating, but like I said before, this doesn't usually happen when I get my period. Anyways, I'll find out in a few days.
 
#19 ·
Do you usually weigh yourself daily? I would say that most people carry a little extra weight when they're on their period. You might do it too and not even have realized it. Any change in bowel movements too can add a few pounds. I don't even weight myself 3 days before my period until after it's over! I made that mistake this month and I almost fainted
It's impossible to weigh exactly the same amount of weight every day of the month, your weight fluctuates naturally. Does your scale save your weight? My last scale did that and it was a huge problem when I was weighing in at 123.3 every single morning. I had to reset it every time I wanted to weigh myself to see changes.
 
#21 ·
@danakscully64 Yes, I weigh myself almost every single day. I'm starting to think it might just be my period after all because I still fit comfortably in my clothes which doesn't happen when I do gain weight but those numbers on the scale are saddening since I usually weigh less. I'm still working on trying to healthier though haha.

@peacefulveglady Well I'm not overweight, people actually tell me I should "eat more". And my bones are fairly normal sized so it's most likely not that :p
 
#22 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mandyy View Post

@vegansarawr I've tried soy meat. I wouldn't say I really enjoyed it, but I'd still eat it and I'm trying to get used to it. Before I gained weight, I was at 113 lbs and 5'5.5". Haven't checked since yesterday but it said 118
By no means are you over weight I'm the same height as you and at 106 lbs I want to get to 120
 
#23 ·
Im curious, why are many of you weighing yourself so often?

Does it help in anyway?

How do you feel when the weight is different? is it healthy to have a number determine how you feel about yourself?

weight doesn't mean ANYTHING, it really doesn't. please don't put value to the number on the scale, it is not a good judge of health, it is sad to see how many people worry themselves over the number on the scale. please don't worry about how much you weigh.

I'm barely 5'4" weigh about 135-145 lbs, with around 7% body fat (very low), I fit into size 6-8 dresses, pant size 27-28, my waist measures 26-28 inches. Im thin and fit and everyone that sees me would never be able to guess I weigh more than 120 lbs, if I was going just off the number on the scales I would consider losing 10 lbs. Last time I got a check up the nurse was even surprised by my weight, she jokingly asked if I had rolls of quarters in my pockets
 
#24 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mandyy View Post

@danakscully64 Yes, I weigh myself almost every single day. I'm starting to think it might just be my period after all because I still fit comfortably in my clothes which doesn't happen when I do gain weight but those numbers on the scale are saddening since I usually weigh less. I'm still working on trying to healthier though haha.
Be careful about weighing in daily, that can create an unhealthy habit. Keep in mind that your body is still changing and your periods will continue to change (I'm almost 25 and my periods are still changing - bloat, no bloat, long, short, heavy, not, etc). No reason to stress, it's just a number on a scale


Quote:
Originally Posted by luvourmother View Post

Im curious, why are many of you weighing yourself so often?

Does it help in anyway?

How do you feel when the weight is different? is it healthy to have a number determine how you feel about yourself?

weight doesn't mean ANYTHING, it really doesn't. please don't put value to the number on the scale, it is not a good judge of health, it is sad to see how many people worry themselves over the number on the scale. please don't worry about how much you weigh.

I'm barely 5'4" weigh about 135-145 lbs, with around 7% body fat (very low), I fit into size 6-8 dresses, pant size 27-28, my waist measures 26-28 inches. Im thin and fit and everyone that sees me would never be able to guess I weigh more than 120 lbs, if I was going just off the number on the scales I would consider losing 10 lbs. Last time I got a check up the nurse was even surprised by my weight, she jokingly asked if I had rolls of quarters in my pockets
I don't weigh myself daily, otherwise my whole day can be ruined by a fluctuation, especially if I've been working hard to lose weight. I become obsessive when I do it too. I focus more on how my clothes fit and how I feel more than my weight.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...hen.html?cat=5
 
#26 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scorpius View Post

Vegetarianism isn't by any means a weight-loss diet, its a choice to make a cruelty-free lifestyle.
This. I think it's funny when people assume once they go vegetarian that they would lose weight. Unless you were eating a diet of bacon and sausage, I can't see how that is possible. In fact, weight gain seems more logical. When I was omni, I was eating chicken breast and white fish which are low cal, low fat. When I went vegetarian, I over compensated with carbs and fats to get that full feeling I was missing from the lack of meat and sure enough I gained some too. So maybe tracking what you eat (online diary works best for me) might give you some indication as to why?
 
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