Avoid Weight Gain When Becoming a Vegetarian
If you have seen some of the headlines surrounding actress Kirstie Alley recently, you may be feeling a bit offended. The fact that the actress has struggled with her weight has never been a secret - particularly after she managed to lose 40 pounds as a Jenny Craig spokesperson only to put that and more back on later. Now that Alley has resolved to shed the pounds once more, she has been quoted as saying that she packed the pounds back on because of a vegetarian diet.
“For seven months, I was a vegetarian, and I can’t tell you how much weight I gained being a vegetarian!” she is quoted as saying.
Unfortunately, much of Alley’s quote is being placed out of context and being used by anti-vegetarians in an attempt to prove that being a vegetarian is not a healthy choice. But, to get the full picture, you need to read the rest of what Alley had to say.
“A vegetarian would probably be eating vegetables. But, to me, being a vegetarian meant I’m going to eat enchiladas with no meat, and I’m going to eat lots of bread, lots of carbs,” she went on to say.
The reality is that you still have to make smart food choices even as a vegetarian if you hope to lose weight or to maintain your body weight. By definition, you would be a vegetarian if you at nothing but cake and cookies, but this certainly would not be very healthy for your body. Therefore, if you are hoping to follow a vegetarian diet in order to drop off extra pounds, be sure to keep the following guidelines in mind:
· Eat a variety of foods so you can get the proper balance of vitamins and minerals
· Go easy on cheese, as it is quite fattening
· Don’t snack on sugary foods between meals - if you get hungry between meals, choose healthy foods to satisfy your hunger
· Steer clear of unhealthy foods that are full of sugar and fat, yet have little nutritional value
By keeping these four basic tips in mind, you won’t have to worry about experiencing a ballooning waistline in the way Alley did, but you can still enjoy all of the benefits associated with following a meatless diet.
Tags: Jenny Craig, Kirstie Alley