Being vegetarian, shouldn't you be skinny?

So, as some of you may know if you read my introduction, I have been a vegetarian for 8 years. 8 Years ago I was a skinny little girl, but now still being a vegetarian I am a little bigger now. Would you not think you would be skinny if you are a vegetarian…I never eat sweets like chocolate…I always eat salads and tend to eat healthy…why am I still fat? Does this mean I am not getting enough of something?

I once read that most people lose on average 2 stone when they first become vegan, but then their weight stabilises.

I was always at the top of my weight bracket or overweight once I became vegan. There are a few reasons in my case:

  • soy milk (and cream / yoghurt) can be very high calorie: about 400 kcal for a glass or soy latte!
  • bread and breakfast cereals still need to be eaten in moderation - I limit myself to 4 slices wholemeal bread, or 2 slices and a small bowl of cereal, per day.
  • a lot of products like veggie burgers and sausages are high in fat (even higher if you fry them in lots of oil!) Even some noodles, pasta and oven chips are coated in oil.
  • fruit juices and cereal bars can be very high in sugar - not only does this make them high calorie, but they can make you feel hungrier by unbalancing your blood sugar levels.

One thing I learned is that I wasn’t getting the right kinds of oils before, and not enough protein. Then I felt tired and ate more bread / drank more sugary drinks :slight_smile:

OMG… soy milk have lots of calories, I will try to limit it to my diet… Fruit juices have lots of sugar… what else can I drink?