to all vegetarians...questions!!!

okay, so i was a vegetarian for several months (because i did not like the taste of meat and actually was going through other eating problems at the time) but now i eat some meats 2-3x a week...or at least try to

BUT i was just wondering...out of pure curiousity (im not considering going vegetarian again or anything because right now i have to try to eat balanced meals and make sure i get the right nutrients etc.)...BUT when someone decides to become a vegetarian do they typically lose weight? i'm not even interested in losing weight i just know this girl at school and people said she went vegetarian because she was a little bit on the heavy side and the only reason she is vegetarian is to maintain her slim figure...is this true at all?

okay, thats all :-P thanks!

well vegetarianism is healthy because oyu get oyur poteins from other natural sources that don;t have as much of the added hormones etc from meat.
HOWEVER, being vegetarian doesn't necessarily make you lose weight, i know many friends who actually gained weight changing because they didn't eat balanced meals, since i've been vegetarian my whole life, i know several recipies and substitutes so i can still eat well :)

no, you do not suddenly become skinny by eating vegetarian. she probably lost weight because she was either undereating or because she also stopped eating junk like fries. although, it is probably easier to lose weight as a vegetarian because meat can be very fatty and caloric.

i had a close friend from college, wait, two of them, who hid their EDs behind being vegetarian or vegan.  (i am veg, so i am not in any way promoting eating meat.)  one girl turned out to be allergic to gluten and have IBS.  seeing a nutritionist was helping her last time i saw her.  the other girl actually suffered cardiac problems due to her starving herself and had to leave school and be at a hospital near her parents.

however, you don't say this girl looks undernourished, just "slim," so maybe she's in it for real and is trying to eat protein, carbs, fat, and fiber while changing her outlook on meat.

thanks for the responses! i was just curious, because ive also noticed lots of vegetarians have nice bodies as well so i wasnt sure if the reduction of the fatty meats contributed to that or anything!

There's no guarantee that vegetarianism will change your weight.  Plenty of omnivores are a healthy weight and in good physical shape and plenty of 'cheese sandwich' vegetarians are overweight and in poor physical shape.   I know this is a vegetarian board but meat isn't intrinsically unhealthy.... like everything else it's fine in moderate amounts.

Meat doesn't necessarily make you fat - it just clogs up your arteries and gives you chronic diseases.  Your weight really all depends on calories in and calories out.  You can eat a "vegetarian" diet of french fries and beer and you are not likely to lose weight!  One the other hand you can eat cheeseburgers and donuts all the time, but work out a lot to keep the weight off, and be skinny.  Doesn't mean it's healthy either way, though.

I would think that being slim is less about vegetarianism specifically and more about what you are eating/drinking, how much you are eating, how much exercise you are getting and your genetics.

Almost anyone who is eating mostly lean protein and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly and has a healthy metabolism and no health issues will probably tend to be on the leaner side, or lose weight eating this way if they had previously been overweight and out of shape.

I did lose a few pounds when I became a vegetarian, but I have a feeling that once you decide to stop eating meat you become more aware of all the other garbage you have been eating like cookies, fries, packaged foods. I think most vegetarians have a pretty good knowledge of nutrition, while I know many omnivores that think their bodies can process just about everything and then are shocked when they find out their cholerstrol is higher than normal.

My father has been pescetarian for years, and hasn't eaten red meat in over a decade, and he's been getting steadily fatter the more "bad" things he tries to cut out of his diet. (:

Oreos, coke, peanut butter, chips, creamy sauces and salad dressings, etc. are all vegetarian, and very high calorie.  Just because they don't have meat doesn't mean they're going to magically make you skinny.

THANKS GUYS! great responses :) its interesting to hear what everyone has to say.

brighteyes-i think your so right! you said it like it is :)

Haha Fuzzys - I call that a "chiparian" -