Confessions of a vegetarian carb queen

When I look back, I laugh at the looks I'd get when I told people I was a vegetarian, because that was the normal response: a look. But one person came out and said it: "I thought vegetarians were supposed to be thin."

When I became a vegetarian 20 years I wasn't trying to be one; I just couldn't digest red meat well, so I stopped eating it. Then I stopped eating chicken, then tuna, then seafood - for me it became a challenge and with each meat group I dropped it got easier; and I felt great!!! I didn't feel as tired; I had more energy and I wasn't full of shit anymore! LOL!

THEN I got comfortable. My thoughts revolved around not eating meat; not necessarily about what being a vegetarian means. So the carbohydrate demons wormed their way into my diet with a vengence. Spaghetti, lots of bread - my favorite sandwich was a veggie burger, fried egg and cheese sandwich. Ummm delicious and deadly! More favorites? Sandwiches - portabello mushroom and cheese veggie burger, peanut butter and jelly, or just plain cheese. I loved pancakes on Sunday mornings with all the trimmings; macaroni and cheese; pizza; muffins and corn bread. In one year I went from a size 14 to 16; then up to a size 18. At my peak, five years later my clothes size jumped to a size 20 and was reaching for size 22.

Exercise didn't help because I was still eating the same carbohydrates but that didn't dawn on me. It took me a full 12 years and a 25 pound weight loss to realize what I was doing wrong back then.

So if your goal is to make the switch to a vegetarian lifestyle, let me help you avoid my mistakes to avoid weight gain.

1. Know your carb definitions: There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Simple carbs are your sweets: cakes, candies, sugar, icecream, puddings, sodas, chips, pretzels and more. Carbohydrates break down into sugars in the body and increase energy. But too many backfire and increase fat. Complex carbohydrates include all the other foods we eat: vegetables, potatoes, beans, whole grains. Complex carbs are the "good" ones but they still convert to sugar in our bodies so moderation is key.
2. Be a label reader: Saturated fats, high carbohydrate content and salt poison most processed foods. Even with vegetables (a complex carb) paying attention to carb amounts is necessary because the higher the carb count the higher the calories. A boiled potato alone is a high carb food - about 18 grams of carbs in one plain. When you add butter, margarine, sour cream, or cheese you raised your carb and calorie count as though you'd fried the potato. www.lasting-weight-loss.com provides a list of veggies and their carb/calorie counts.
3. Adopt a portion control habit: Even vegetarians need to watch how much we're eating. Saucers instead of plates; smaller bowls, particularly if you're eating high carb products. Filling a saucer with macaroni and cheese, corn on the cob (a high carb product - about 12 grams per ear) and a bread product will net fewer calories than if you filled a full-size plate. The visual is important. The spaces we see putting less food on a full-size plate make us feel we haven't eaten enough.
4. Stockett's rule: "Eat it slow:" A corned-beef and mayonnaise connoisseur, Thomas Stockett loved teasing me about my vegetarian status whenever I walked past his desk. I never knew if he was actually giving good advice or just making a comment, but "eat it slow," works. It takes the stomach about 20 minutes to send a message to the brain that it's full. Eating on the go or eating while distracted leads to fast eating; which leads to overeating and then weight gain. Slow down. Small portions and chop sticks forced me to slow down. Picking up less on your fork or spoon yields the same results.

Best wishes for your vegetarian transition or even if you just want to eat to live, rather than live to eat.