No diet can enable weight loss unless you decrease your calorie intake while simultaneously increasing your calorie expenditure. For the majority of individuals, this amounts to eating lower-calorie foods and exercising on a regular basis. A vegetarian diet may facilitate weight loss because plant-based foods are generally lower in calories than animal-sourced products. However, vegetarianism is not guaranteed to promote weight loss.
Weight Loss Benefits
According to Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky, people who do not eat meat generally have a lower calorie intake and lower fat intake than non-vegetarians. As a result, vegetarians have a lower-than-average body weight and less body fat. Zeratsky attributes these effects to the low-calorie-density nature of plant-based foods. On average, meats contain significant quantities of fat and calories, while vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes contain lower amounts per serving. For this reason, you may expect to lose some weight while pursuing a vegetarian diet.
Other Health Benefits
A vegetarian diet can offer several health benefits aside from weight loss. Vegetarians appear to be less prone to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, osteoporosis, dementia, kidney disease and certain forms of cancer. A meat-free diet may also offer benefits for both the prevention and treatment of diverticular disease, rheumatoid arthritis and gallstones. More well-designed studies are needed to confirm the overall benefits associated with a vegetarian diet.
Considerations
A vegetarian diet does not always lead to weight loss. In some cases, it may actually cause weight gain. Some vegetarian diets are actually higher in calories than conventional meat-inclusive meal plans. If you replace meat in your diet with full-fat cheeses, vegetables oils, sweets or fried vegetables, you may actually find your waistline expanding rather than shrinking. For this reason, it is essential to follow the guidelines of a healthy diet, regardless of whether it contains meat or not.
Guidelines
Balance your calorie intake to enable weight loss on a vegetarian diet. Limit your intake of fried or oil-basted foods. Instead, seek foods that are baked or steamed. Select nuts and legumes as your primary source of protein, and limit your intake of eggs, cheese and milk. When selecting grains, always choose whole grains over white grains, which have been stripped of fiber and protein. As always, engage in regular physical exercise to increase your calorie expenditure and facilitate healthy weight loss.
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