With all the focus on avoiding carbs and on meaty diets for weight control these days, you would think vegetarians must be the fattiest people on earth! The research shows just the opposite. In general, vegetarians are slimmer than meat eaters.

There is no great secret about how to lose weight: Eat less, exercise more. It's hardly surprising that Americans are more overweight than ever since studies of eating habits show that we consume more calories than we did a decade ago. Americans are also less physically active than in times past.

Calories come from three nutrients–carbohydrate, protein, and fat. (Alcohol also provides calories, but it is not a nutrient and its contribution to caloric intake–in healthy diets–is small compared to the other three.) Fat is twice as calorie-dense as either carbohydrates or protein. Despite this, low-carb proponents say it's carbs that make us fat–not fatty foods. They point to the fact that rates of obesity have gone up over the past few decades while people were focused on restricting fat in their diet. But the fact is that Americans are not eating less fat–they are eating more. Fat intake as a percentage of calories has gone down–but total calorie intake has gone up. So we eat less fat relative to the number of calories in our diet–but we are actually consuming more fat and more calories than ever.

Calories are the real issue in weight loss and gain, but where you get those calories may affect your dieting success.

The Carb Connection

Carbohydrates cause increases in blood glucose. When blood glucose rises, the hormone insulin is released into the blood. Insulin helps cells absorb fat and glucose from the blood–allowing the cells to use these nutrients for energy. Those who promote low-carb diets say that surges in insulin levels make us fat.

People on very low carb diets do often lose weight. Some people on this diet may eat less because their high protein intake helps to suppress appetite (more about that below.) But more likely, since so many foods are taboo with this way of eating, people end up eating less through sheer boredom and lack of variety. Studies suggest that people eat less when their diet is monotonous.

It's unlikely that the average person can stick to a low-carbohydrate plan for a long period of time–and that's a good thing. Very low carbohydrate diets can be high in saturated fat and cholesterol and they lack many compounds that are important for good health.

Boosting protein intake a little may give you an advantage in weight control, but avoiding carbohydrate-rich foods is misguided. A better idea is to choose carbohydrates with a low glycemic index. These are foods that result in smaller and more gradual elevations in insulin. Choosing these foods may help delay hunger. Eating a diet with a low glycemic index may also promote use of body fat for energy–which could help with weight loss.

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Fat and Weight Control

Ounce for ounce, fat has twice the calories of protein or carbohydrate. Advocates of very low-fat diets note that the less fat you eat, the fewer calories you are likely to consume and the slimmer you will stay. For those who choose whole plant foods, eating very little fat does usually translate to fewer calories and it's an effective way to lose weight. The problem is that over the long term, people have problems sticking with this way of eating and aren't very successful in keeping the weight off. Also, some types of fat are good for you, and limiting these may not be the best approach to health.

Some recent research suggests that including moderate amounts of fattier foods in diets helps people to feel more satisfied and therefore, more likely to stick to a lower calorie menu. So including a little bit of fat in your diet may help you lose weight and keep it off.

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Plant Protein for Weight Control

There is some evidence that protein has greater satiety value than either carbohydrate or fat–that is, it can help you feel satisfied with fewer calories. Boosting protein intake during weight loss may also help to spare muscle tissue resulting in loss of more body fat.

It's easy to get these effects in a vegetarian diet by eating more protein-rich plant foods like legumes, soy products, and nuts. These foods represent the best of all worlds: They are high in protein but also rich in many protective compounds like fiber and phytochemicals. They also happen to have a low glycemic index.

For the most part, if you cut down on calories and increase exercise, it doesn't really matter where you get your calories. But good food choices can help control hunger, making it far easier to lose weight and keep the weight off:

Foods with a Low Glycemic Index:

  • Breads made with coarsely ground grains (rather than those made with finely ground flour).
  • Pumpernickel, oat, and sourdough breads.
  • Sweet potatoes, pasta, and barley.
  • Whole grain cereals like rolled oats or muesli.
  • Whole raw fruits.
  • Raw and lightly cooked vegetables.
  • Regular (full-fat) soymilk.
  • Foods flavored with with acidic ingredients: lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar, vinaigrette dressing, and tomato sauce.
  • Cooked beans (cooked from scratch is better than canned)
  • Soy products, like tofu and tempeh
  • Nuts

Eat the following foods less often since they have a higher glycemic index: Breads made from ground flour (even whole wheat flour), white potatoes, processed ready-to-eat cereals, cooked and canned fruit, fruit juice, dried fruit, nonfat soymilk.

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Tips for Healthy Eating for Weight Control

  • Include a good source of protein with each meal or snack. Some evidence suggests that protein helps keep hunger at bay. But a diet high in animal protein is unhealthful so choose plant foods that are rich in protein. These foods are low in saturated fat and they provide antioxidants and other compounds that are important for health.
  • Don't let your diet get too low in fat. Some people find that they are more satisfied when they add some high fat foods, like nuts, peanut butter, olives, or avocado to meals.
  • Choose foods with a lower glycemic index. The easiest way to do this is to concentrate on eating whole, unrefined plant foods. It doesn't mean avoiding foods that contain carbohydrate.
  • Don't go too long without eating. If you find yourself getting hungry often, then plan your intake around five or six small meals or large snacks rather than two or three bigger meals. It's harder to eat reasonably when you are famished.
  • Eat plenty of fiber. Foods with bulk and weight seem to be the most satisfying according to satiety experts.
  • Eat a vegetarian diet: Research shows that vegetarians consume fewer calories and are slimmer than meat eaters. While becoming a vegetarian may not be enough by itself to shed pounds, it is clearly a very good first step.

And don't forget about exercise!. You can lose weight without it, but exercise will speed up your weight loss and enable you to shed pounds without starving yourself. Aerobic exercise–walking, biking, running–burns the most calories. Activities that build muscle, like weight lifting, are also good for you and will help tone your muscles.

The following sample menu plan is an example of a healthy effective approach to weight control. It provides about 1600 calories, slightly fewer than 90 grams of protein, and enough fat to help you feel satisfied. It uses carbohydrate-rich foods with a low glycemic index. Although this is somewhat more protein than vegetarians usually consume, it is still a moderate, healthful intake that allows you to eat a diet that is balanced, satisfying and rich in health-protecting compounds.

You can decrease the servings of added fat–vegetable oils–if you'd like to cut down on calories a little bit. Those who need more calories than this plan provides–and most men will–can get them by boosting intake of protein-rich plant foods like beans and whole grains. Depending on specific food choices, those who follow this menu plan may need to supplement their diet with calcium.

You can tweak this meal plan using the vegetarian food guide. For example, replace the baked tofu in the snack with a serving of any other food you prefer from the Legumes, Nuts, and Soyfoods group.

Breakfast:

1 cup cantaloupe chunks
1 veggie burger
1 slice bread with 1 tbsp peanut butter

Snack:

3/4 c cooked oatmeal with 1 tbsp walnuts

Lunch:

1 cups black bean soup
1 slice whole wheat bread
Salad with 1 tbsp vinaigrette dressing

Snack:

4 ounces baked tofu
1 apple

Dinner:

1/2 c seitan ("wheat meat" or wheat gluten)
1/2 cup sweet potato with 1 tsp soft margarine
1 cup cooked kale sprinkled with herb-flavored vinegar
1 cup cooked green beans sautE`ed in 1 tsp olive oil

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