lOW CARBS FOR A VEGGIE

[thewestbou]

Hi, I'm new to low carbs, its still under a great deal of scrutiny here in the uk and I'm curious. A "naturally chubby" friend of mine who after enjoying a bit too much of good USA cuisine tipped the scales at 190. He's just returned to the UK for Christmas a lean 160 pounds singing the praises of the Atkins diet.
I was stunned, he hasn't looked like this since he was fifteen!
I've already read a couple of books on it and it sounds fine but the thing is I'm a vegetarian, and have been for decades so I have no desire to give it up now.
Is is possible to still follow a low carb plan provided I steer clear of the usual rice , bread, cereals and pasta and allow myself cheese, tofu and quorn?
If there is a vegetarian out there who has successfully lost weight on any low carb plan I'd love to hear from you and would gratfully receive any advice you may give.
Cheers then, :wave:
Lou (thewestbou)

[Kristine]

Is it possible? Absolutely! Atkins is about the only plan that *isn't* vegetarian-friendly. Protein Power, the Zone, and others work nicely. In fact, there's a "Soy Zone" book available.

The main reason that Atkins won't work veggie style is that vegetarian protein sources (wheat gluten, soy) have a fair amount of carbs, so a higher allowance than 20 g daily is necessary.

I followed Protein Power and my protein staples were eggs, cheese and soy products such as Yves brand. You just have to read the labels of veggie products carefully, because some are surprisingly high in carbohydrates. :exclm: Even different brands of tofu, for example, will have big differerences in carb count.

Not to nitpick, but just for the record, low carb diets are *not* high protein diets. *Adequate* protein and adequate fat would describe most of them more accurately. ;)

[thewestbou]

Kristine,
thanks very much for taking the time to reply its all very useful info.
Having cut out all carbs (other than those naturally found in appropriate fruit and veg) I'm already adjusting to this new way of eating. I have to say I'm struggling with the sugar cravings but I guess that will subside eventually.

thanks again for the support,
Lou

[Kristine]

Hope those sugar cravings are diminishing. ;) I like to eat a spoonful of peanut butter when I'm craving a dessert. Usually works.

[Ratgirl]

Hi there! I'm also in the UK and a vegetarian. Well, actually I eat fish. But I'm on Atkins so I would dispute that its not veggie friendly. I can eat eggs & cheese. Some soy products are low carb - you just need to look at the backs of all packets and go to Holland & Barrett or a local health food store - they should be helpful.

Keep us posted with how you get on, and feel free to contact me direct.

[wcollier]

Hi Lou:

Dr. Schwarzbein's Principle is also low carb, vegetarian-friendly. She uses more grains than most of the other LC plans. She even has a Schwarzbein 340 page vegetarian cookbook. If it's anything like my regular Schwarzbein cookbook, it's wonderful.

That reminds me, I was supposed to buy it for my neice. :eek:

[hawx]

I live in wales and am really missing bread, and its only my 2nd day! I am veggie and have been using quorn as a substitute check labels though because the southern fried grills are very high carb. I baked some coconut cameroons from the recipe at the back of the atkins book to beat sugar cravings. Only 3 grams carb each. Hope that helps :spin:

[etoiles]

Hi there,

I am a vegetarian following the Atkins plan. I have been on it for almost three months. I know many nay sayers and DR. Atkins even have said its not a plan for vegetarians and my relatives and husband also thought I was crazy, but it actually worked and is still working.

I just had to adjust what I normally would eat because everything, and I mean everything I used to eat was carb loaded. So I did a lot of time searching for recipes, meals, etc. I would be happy to share some with you just let me know.

One thing I found helpful is the Atkins low carb substitutes like the corn muffin mix (yum!) or I just got some low carb tortillas, and these open up more doors than vegetarians normally have. The only thing I have found hard is eating out. All the vegetarian menu items usually include lots of carbs.

We do not eat out often normally though, so it works out ok. I would definitely use the quorn products if they are low carb, I also use lots of meat substitutes.

Last point, I do not do Atkins as strictly as some meat eaters, because of the limited selection. Even though I am on 'induction' and eating 20 carbs a day yes I do eat nuts and occassionally a strawberry or other fruit, it has still been working out and I do not have the carb cravings I used to.

Good luck with it!

[Mary H.]

etoiles,

Thank you for your upbeat comments! My daughter, who barely has time to sleep because she works full-time and is in college at night, is a vegetarian. Like me, she needs to lose weight. She asked me if I knew anything about low-carbing in a veggie life style. (Not really, I'm in the Atkins forum!) She doesn't want to leave her veggie way of life to become a carnivore, so I've been searching through the various forums to try and find some inspiring posts to encourage her. So glad I found yours!

I also found a cookbook for her that is on sale at amazon.com at a low price: "The Schwarzbein Principle Vegetarian Cookbook"

Perhaps others on the Vegetarian Forum have read this book and would care to comment on it, or maybe it's just a useful bit of information for you guys to know about it.

I ordered it, but won't receive it for a week or so. I'm hopeful that it will have great recipes!

I might even be persuaded to join you Vegetarians. (Maybe!)

Good luck to all!

[keetch]

I have been doing "The South Beach" for about two months now. I have lost 15 lbs, mostly in the first few weeks the last 5 in the middle. I have been doing this while I have been substituting veg. meat for the real stuff. I may be eating a bit more carbs because of this but it has been very easy. The only thing I miss is pizza so I may give in once in a while. The snacks in "south beach" have kept me on this diet. I feel like I eat all the time which is good cause you really feel like your on a diet. I will probably keep this way of eating forever. Cheating once in a while will not hurt you as long as you get right back on. Good luck to all of you. :wave:

[jamaica]

I'm a fledgling vegetarian (no meat and dairy) and I'm considering starting the Atkin's diet principle for some weight loss.

I eat so much carbs on a daily basis, I had no idea that it *may* be the culprit behind my weight gain.

So much info here, I'm reading, making notes and ready to start.

[etalia]

Wow it's so nice to hear i'm not the only veggie starting this and improvising with soya and tofu stuff...on my way to Holland and Barrett now! : )
It's really scarey stuff though./..taking in all this fat that used to be "no WAY"!!
The worst part of this diet though is a.m.....no cereal or yoghurt! I had to literally force feed myself an omlette this morning which i definetly did not fancy...yuck!!
Take care
Etalia

[Paleoanth]

Once you get past induction, you can have some plain yogurt. I think as long as you get at least 3 active cultures-they digest most of the natural sweetners in yogurt so that you only end up with 4 g of carbs per cup. I have gotten some, sweetened it with Splenda and some fresh strawberries.

[etalia]

That's great news! One thing I'm not sure on is can the time of the indiction vary for each person? Today is only day two for me, but I can feel it working already! I have sudden energy and I know it sounds silly...but i think i can see a slightly slimmer me!! Does that mean i can quit the induction in one week...do you think? Or just add a tiny peice of fruit more or something? I'd love a cup of tea wigth milk! Also I had some nuts last night cause i felt really low, have i ruined the induction?
Your view is much appreciated : )
Etalia

[spiderdust]

You probably don't want to go off of induction just yet... you want to go the full 2 weeks.

As far as the nuts go, you probably haven't ruined anything, but try to stay away from the nuts until the 2 weeks are up.

If you want tea with milk, have some tea with a little cream. http://adsl-209-204-178-126.sonic.net/~morg/food-smiley-010.gif

[Paleoanth]

I agree. Give it the full two weeks. It takes a while for your body to adjust to fat burning versus carb burning and induction also helps to break cravings.

However, if you are finding Atkins too restrictive, you might want to check out the Carbohydrates Addict Diet. I think they start you out on 30 g of carbs.

[LadyBelle]

While Atkins only allows 20g of carbs on induction, I've found it extreamly hard to get near that with veggies. You can subtract the fiber from the total carb count, so a cup of broccoli only ends up being around 1.5 g net carbs. If you get the 'lite' tofu, it is also very low in carbs, as is the soy based cheese I've found. My only problem is I have a hard time meeting my protien requirments, and I do eat some meats. I'm not a vegitarian, but I try to get the majority of my meals centered around veggies. I do eat lean meats and eggs, just no dairy. To keep my fat requirments up, I've discovered the use of various oils and soy lecithin. Avacados are also a wonderful source of natural fats, though I save them for occasional treats.

In his book Atkins states that a veggitarian can do Aktins, just not a vegan. I am tempted though to attempt at least 1 weeks worth of vegan recipes just to see if I can manage it.

Try finding Soy Slender, it's a soy milk sweetened with splenda that only has 1 Net carb, plenty of protien, and some fiber. It works great in recipes that call for cream. Cauliflower can be made to resemble and taste like rice or mashed potatos. Coconut milk has some carbs, but very few and can be used to make a great curry using meat or tofu. There are also Soy Protien shakes that have very trace amounts of carbs. You can't get 0 carbs on a veggie only diet, but it isn't that bad staying within the 20g carb to start, and after 2 weeks you can go ahead and start to raise that anyway :)

[etalia]

Thank you that was very helpful and may save me from quiting!
I have survived 1 week and 1 day now.
The tofu curry your styley sounds great, i will make it tonight!
One thing i'm not too sure about is: since day 4 i have found low carb bars at GNC health store (UK). I have been having 2 a day and last night had 3!!!! (time of the month!) So i think i may not loose any weight doing it this way,..but I'm addicted to the wow kinds high feeling i get after them, it helps me chill forget about food and relax : )
What do you reckon?
Thanks info much appreciated : )

[Ella Mae]

Speaking from experience, I'd be careful with the protein bars. They're great as a quick-fix when you're on the go but I'd try to avoid having more than one a day. They're still very high in calories which will end up having an impact if you eat too many.

I was speaking with a pharmacist the other day (who apparently worked at a health food store to put themselves through school) and she was telling me that some protein bars have 'hidden' sugars in them that aren't counted in the carbohydrate count. So apparently a bar that says it has 5g of carbs may actually have up to 20 g. Can anyone confirm that?

[etalia]

Yes, the ones i was having say 20g of carbs but only 3 net carbs for low carbers!!! So aparently they are fine for this diet but I don't think they are very healthy they are so so so!....artificial and i think i got addicted cause they do taste really sweet and gave me a buzz : ) I spent £40 on them in one week!!!!!
As from last night i have know quit the atkins after 11 days!!
I don't feel bad though. Cause now I realize that you can't survive or loose weight with low fat and not enough protein.
Now i will balance everything and in small amounts spread through the day.
I felt so good having a large bowl of rasberries and a pot of yogurt and mmm museli!! yum yum....(sorry guys!)

[michelle8]

Well, I am amazed but this is working for me at day 10, I have lost 7 pounds! I have had to modify induction a bit as I have inherited diverticulosis and I have to have 30g of fiber a day and refuse to take supplements, so I have been eating berries and almonds as a snack in moderation and I either have a piece of 100% whole wheat toast or a whole wheat tortilla. it has 16 carbs, but 14g of fiber so it's perfect. It is really weird to eat cheese and eggs regularly.

The most important thing I've been doing is exercising (walking) regularly again and watching everything I eat. I had no idea that my fruit popsicles had 48 carbs!

[sweetmango]

[I][IMG]Is it possible? Absolutely! Atkins is about the only plan that *isn't* vegetarian-friendly. Protein Power, the Zone, and others work nicely. In fact, there's a "Soy Zone" book available.

The main reason that Atkins won't work veggie style is that vegetarian protein sources (wheat gluten, soy) have a fair amount of carbs, so a higher allowance than 20 g daily is necessary.

I followed Protein Power and my protein staples were eggs, cheese and soy products such as Yves brand. You just have to read the labels of veggie products carefully, because some are surprisingly high in carbohydrates. :exclm: Even different brands of tofu, for example, will have big differerences in carb count.

Not to nitpick, but just for the record, low carb diets are *not* high protein diets. *Adequate* protein and adequate fat would describe most of them more accurately. ;)

:thup: :thup: Protein Power / Is this book for vegetarians/ do you remember the author , I would like to purchase it , the name has beem poping up a lot!!! :) :)

[sweetmango]

[I][IMG]

:thup: :thup: Protein Power / Is this book for vegetarians/ do you remember the author , I would like to purchase it , the name has beem poping up a lot!!! :) :) :) I am a pesco vegetarian, no red meat, poultry, or pork, some dairy and fish!! :yum: :yum:

[sweetmango]

What are some low carb vegetables/ and also just berries are low carb. correct!

[pushka]

[QUOTE=michelle8]I either have a piece of 100% whole wheat toast or a whole wheat tortilla. it has 16 carbs, but 14g of fiber so it's perfect.

Re: the above, I am going on holiday next week, I will have just finished my induction by a few days and am wondering about what I will be able to eat while away from home. I will be staying in a UK bed and breakfast which is giving us a "continental breakfast" (booked before I started the diet!!) and will have to eat out for the rest of the day...will not be able to store products to eat as snacks in the evening as I don't think the b/b would be pleased if I tried to fill their fridge with all my salad stuff...so what do u suggest please? I eat dairy products but I don't eat chicken or fish or any meat...I usually have quorn meat subs or the Linda McCartney range of meat sub foods. Is the calculation above correct re: whole meal toast? and would that be a correct formula to use for sandwiches or things offered to me in cafe's if cheap veggie meals without bread are not available? I do want to stick to the diet as much as possible while away, but I don't want to end up being hungry at night without my supply of Quorn slices/cheese to fall back on and end up eating hi carb snacks from the shop instead... :q:

Michele

[nicolasix]

My boyfriend and I both did strict vegetarian Atkins induction (no nuts, no soy/tofu, no yogurt). Actually we were over the Atkins 20g a bit on some days because we felt like we needed more veggies. We were bored silly with eggs, and felt like we were going to turn into huge chunks of cheese, but we both lost weight.

Having read around a lot more since starting Atkins, I decided to switch us to Protein Power, which we're doing now. It's a bit easier to get lots of veggies in that way, and it doesn't totally rule out any foods.

Looking back, I'm glad we did a "clean" induction just so we could see what that was like, but if I had to to over, I'd do Protein Power from the beginning just because eating all that cheese/egg fat felt kind of yucky, and I hated depriving myself of salad (of all things)!

Now that we're on PP, we have tofu and soy sausages and soy yogurt and berries...it's wonderful. In fact, I've become a much better cook, and feel like I'm eating more treats than I ever have in my life, and still losing weight. Woohoo!

Good luck, and be sure to keep in touch with all the wonderful veggiepeople on this board!

[pushka]

Thank you Nicola, I will check out Protein Plus...I must find something that I can use when I go to a cafe/restaurant so that I'm not piling in the carbs...I know I can take mini cheeses and packets of nuts to my room in case of any hunger pangs, but it would be good to know I've managed to fill myself up during the day without breaking too many rules...

Michele

[sweetmango]

Another good book , that I like is Get Healthy Now by Gary Null, it has a lot of good info, about everthing, also a vegetarian plan, I Am also going to pick that Protein Plus ! Book Up, love to read !! :thup: :thup: :thup: :thup:

[knees]

Hey
I'm a newbie to the forum but not to low-carbing. i've found that as a vegetarian it's not only possibe to low carb but also has made me much more aware of what i eat. before i was filling up on rice, bread and pasta and very little protein at all which was surely not good. Now I think about where I get protein from with every meal. I looked at atkins but didn't feel that it was possible for me (I was living in India at the time - nice to live in a country with 700 million other vegetarians!) I've moved to hong kong now and there are lots of tofu options - aargh trying to get to grips with draining it right so that it's not all soggy.
I read several different lc books and adapted them to veg. I use quite a few recipes from the soyZone. I haven't done Atkins induction (which has meant avoiding the horrible eggs and cheese only nightmare) but found that the weight loss was steady at 1-2lbs a week.
It's good hearing what other veggies think - has anyone tried that schwartzbein book?
Kim

[innermusic]

If there is a vegetarian out there who has successfully lost weight on any low carb plan I'd love to hear from you and would gratfully receive any advice you may give.
Cheers then, :wave:
Lou (thewestbou)

I guess that would include me. Have a look at my website for lots of info on how I did it.