I've stopped eating meat and lost weight

[Accy cyclist]

I stopped eating meat about 9 months ago. Ok when i say i've stopped eating meat i mean i've cut my intake down to about 15% of what i used to have. My intention was to phase it out my diet altogether gradually. The thing is i've lost a stone in weight over the last 6 months. I don't want to lose weight, i want to gain weight! Should i start to eat red meat again to put the weight back on?

 

[ColinJ]

I think THIS is probably the main reason for your weight loss!

Assuming that you don't want to reduce the amount of cycling that you do, then you will have to increase the amount of food that you eat to fuel those miles.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I think THIS is probably the main reason for your weight loss!

Assuming that you don't want to reduce the amount of cycling that you do, then you will have to increase the amount of food that you eat to fuel those miles.

Yes but what about the meat? I take in the calories, maybe not enough fat though? I'm thinking along the line of meat equals protein. My skin seems to be more wrinkled all of a sudden . Age, or lack of proper protein? I eat loads of nuts which are supposed to be high in protein and fat, but is vegi' protein as good as "the real thing"?

 

[Accy cyclist]

[QUOTE 4313079, member: 9609"]if you are doing a lot of cycling then it can be difficult to keep it on, see this time of the year when I'm probably knocking out 150mile a week, no matter how much I eat I just loose weight; with me I think there is a threshold with exercise where my body decides its not going to bother turning anything to fat. I've just dropped below 13 and don't want to go much lower, last year I went down to 12st 8 and people were starting to ask me if I was well "you're looking very thin, are you OK ???)

Out of curiosity what is your height and waist size (completely relaxed belly when you measure it)[/QUOTE]

My weight is my worry! I'm down to ten and a half stone. My waist is 31 inches, i don't have a belly like i had ten years ago. I'm a little over six foot in height. According to a chart i saw in the health centre if i drop below ten stone i'll be classed as underweight.

 

[ColinJ]

Yes but what about the meat? I take in the calories, maybe not enough fat though? I'm thinking along the line of meat equals protein. My skin seems to be more wrinkled all of a sudden . Age, or lack of proper protein? I eat loads of nuts which are supposed to be high in protein and fat, but is vegi' protein as good as "the real thing"?

Well, I haven't eaten meat since 1983 and I don't have problems putting weight on!

Are you SURE that you take in enough calories though? You could easily be burning 5,000+ calories on a 100 mile hilly bike ride.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Well, I haven't eaten meat since 1983 and I don't have problems putting weight on!

Are you SURE that you take in enough calories though? You could easily be burning 5,000+ calories on a 100 mile hilly bike ride.

Maybe i don't take in enough calories but i'm thinking that my loose skin is because my muscles are wondering where the flesh protein had gone? When i weight trained before the cancer stuff, i got up to nearly 14 stone, but i ate 3 tins of tuna a day.

 

[swee'pea99]

I would've thought that if you've dropped that much weight at the same time as you've cut your meat consumption by 85% (but nothing else apparently significant has changed) then it would seem reasonable to suspect a connection. I guess the only way to test properly would be to go back to eating meat like you did before and see whether the weight loss is reversed. If that doesn't appeal, for whatever reason, you might consider eating lots of pasta - I believe it's a good way to pile on the calories, and although it sounds boring, there's any number of ways you can cook it.

 

[slowmotion]

The answer to your problem is....bacon rolls. They have the advantage of being a highly palatable, tasty, and enjoyable form of medicine. Go for it.


^^^^^^^^ Never even consider pasta. What's the attraction of eating flour???????

 

[Accy cyclist]

The answer to your problem is....bacon rolls. They have the advantage of being a highly palatable, tasty, and enjoyable form of medicine. Go for it.


^^^^^^^^ Never even consider pasta. What's the attraction of eating flour???????

By coincidence i fancied a bacon butty last night. I went to the already opened packet of bacon in the fridge only to find it had fungus spores on it! That bacon must've been sat there opened for a month at least.

 

[PeteXXX]

Are spores meat or veg?

 

[k_green]

You can get plenty of protein without meat and there's also no need to worry about combining. Even vegetables contain protein.
i think the best vegetarian source of protein is beans (which also have a good amount of fibre and iron so triple whammy). I try to eat at least one serving a day, usually two. That can be beans on toast for breakfast (1/2 can beans has more protein than an egg), hummus or falafel in my sandwich for lunch or beans in my evening meal (kidney beans in bolognaise, kidney/black beans in Mexican dishes, chickpeas in curries, bean salad etc.)
Also, make sure you're getting enough calories. Meat is calorie-dense so you need to eat a lot more without it as well as including things like nuts and avocado.
Might be worth tracking a couple of days using something like my fitness pal. Would give you a good idea of what you're really getting or not getting.

 

[subaqua]

Protein is protein. You could try lots of beer to put weight on. Works for me !

 

[mustang1]

I think THIS is probably the main reason for your weight loss!

Assuming that you don't want to reduce the amount of cycling that you do, then you will have to increase the amount of food that you eat to fuel those miles.

 

[srw]

Calories are calories. If you're losing more weight than you want (I should be so lucky) you'll need to eat more stuff, in a balanced way - but it doesn't matter much what, as long as your overall diet is reasonably balanced and you're getting enough micro-nutrients. Since you're knocking out 100-milers you are. Just eat a bit more - oils and nuts are pretty calorie-dense and easy to eat.

 

[mjr]

Maybe i don't take in enough calories but i'm thinking that my loose skin is because my muscles are wondering where the flesh protein had gone?

Unlikely. If you're eating a reasonable mix of nuts, seeds, beans, mushrooms and so on, spread throughout the day, there should be more protein available than your body can absorb.

Ask your doctor to refer you to a dietician. I suspect they'll tell you to eat more olive oil.

I'm not a vegetarian but I don't eat much meat. My weight has been low but tends to be steady just over the "underweight" limit. I don't usually ride quite as far as you but do some weeks and eat more, not lose weight.