Snacks – the bad and the good
Not everything that’s vegetarian is low in fat. Eat the following in moderation when trying to lose weight:
Almond butter
Avocados
Coconut
Falafel
French fries
Hummus
Olives
Packaged vegetarian meals
Peanut butter
Potato chips
Tahini
There are, however, lots of snacks that for into your vegetarian eating plan and are great for weight loss diets, too. When you want something between meals, reach for one of these:
Air-popped popcorn
Bagels
Bean soup
Fresh fruit
Fresh vegetables
High-fiber cereal
Nonfat crackers
Pita bread or chips
Potatoes – baked, broiled or grilled
Pretzels
Rice cakes
Whole grain rolls and muffins
Healthy doesn’t always mean skinny
Your body type is dictated by your genes – some people are naturally small and slender, others are destined to be thicker of build. If you’re a woman, this may mean that you’re a little heavier in the thighs or that your general build is athletic, even if you’d prefer to be lithe. The truth is, there’s little you can do about that. And you may have a genetic tendency to be overweight, passed on from your parents and grandparents.
Eating well and exercising will get you into better shape no matter what your body type, but you may never be truly thin without starving yourself. If you’re fixated on a specific number on the scale but you can’t reach it no matter how much you work out and how little you eat, it may be time to accept that you’re where you’re supposed to be.
That’s not to say that, if you have either a moderate amount to lose or a lot, you should give up and accept your overweight state. If you come from a family of overweight people, genetics is only a small part of the picture – do you have the same eating habits as your parents? Were they sedentary, spending all their free time on the couch, eating fatty snack foods?
By developing healthy eating habits now, and exercising, you can break the cycle and become the best you that you can be. There are no guarantees where weight loss is concerned – but a low-fat vegetarian diet can get you to where you’ll be healthier and happier, whatever your weight.
