Many types of vegetarian diets exist but all share the common characteristic of avoiding animal flesh. Some vegetarians, however, might eat both dairy and eggs while others might only eat one or the other. Some include fish while the strictest vegetarians, known as vegans, exclude any food of animal origin from their diet. Eating a proper vegetarian diet can aid in weight loss efforts as it naturally increases your intake of foods linked to weight loss.
Do Vegetarians Weigh Less?
According to registered dietitian Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic, research indicates that vegetarians tend to weight less than nonvegetarians, and they generally eat fewer calories and less fat. This indicates that following a vegetarian diet will probably help you lose weight provided you follow a nutritionally-balanced eating plan. Simply cutting out meat and other animal products in and of itself offers no guarantees.
Research on Vegan Diet
A study led by Dr. Neal Barnard of George Washington University and published in the "American Journal of Medicine" in 2005 found that a vegan diet -- completely devoid of animal products -- resulted in greater weight loss than a diet aimed at lowering cholesterol. While both groups reduced their daily calorie intake by about the same amount for 13 weeks, those following the vegan diet lost about 14 lbs. versus 8 lbs. in the low-cholesterol group. Barnard noted the women following the vegan diet improved their insulin levels -- which can influence weight gain and experienced an increase in the amount of energy expended to digest and store food. Even if you cannot completely go vegan, this study indicates that making plant foods the majority of your diet has some merit for weight loss. Just make an effort to cut back on the animal foods.
Getting Enough Protein
Protein serves as the building block of every tissue in your body and you need it for good health. If your vegetarian diet regularly includes animal foods like eggs and dairy, you will probably have no issue with meeting your protein needs. If you severely restrict these items or exclude them altogether, make sure you regularly include plant proteins in your diet. Rich sources include soy, beans, whole grains, quinoa, nuts and seeds.
Considerations
Eating vegetarian can help you lose weight -- the majority of foods are low in calories and high in fiber, which can help increase feelings of fullness and cause you to eat less. However, simply cutting out animal foods like meat will not necessarily suffice. Eating lots of high-fat foods like full-fat dairy, salad dressing or nuts can lead to weight gain as they contain more than twice the calories per gram as carbohydrates and protein, regardless of the type of fat. Also, many foods considered "vegetarian" do not necessarily qualify as healthy such as grease-laden French fries and sugar rich foods and drinks. A poorly planned vegetarian diet can contain as many calories, fat and sugar as a standard poorly planned diet.
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