What should a weight loss plan for vegetarians look like? Or more to the point, how should you devise a vegetarian weight loss plan that fits just for you so it's safe, healthy yet effective to help you say goodbye to the extra fat clinging to your body? Check these out...
1. How Many Pounds to Lose?
Set a realistic time frame for yourself. Heck care about those who mock your "swollen" figure for now. If you're so desperate to look good and shed too much weight in a period shorter than you should, few undesirable outcomes can occur:
a) Stretchy or even loose, sagging skin depending on how many pounds of weight you've lost in that particular time frame. Droopy skin will look extremely ugly on you.
b) Symptoms such as chest pain, irregular heartbeat, etc for myocardial infarction.
To avoid these harmful effects, lose weight gradually, like 1 - 2 pound loss per week. Your skin takes time to expand in accordance with the body's increasing size. Hence, if you want your skin to go back and fit nicely onto your new shape, your vegetarian weight loss plan should include ample time for your skin to shrink back as your size drops.
Even better, you don't give a chance for the fatal myocardial infarction to take its toll on you. This can be deadly. What's the point of losing weight when you might not have the life to enjoy?
2. Skip No Vegetarian Meals
Let's say you take normal meals regularly. Your body will probably convert 40% calories to energy for use, store 20% as reserve and pass out 40% as waste. But when you start eating after a prolonged period of skipping meals, due to sluggish metabolism resulted from starvation, your body may convert as low as 10% calories to fuel your bodily functions (to conserve energy), stash 80% calories in fat store and excrete 10% out of your body.
This is our body's natural response to prolonged starving. As it doesn't know when the next meal will come, it'll do with all its might to turn down metabolism to conserve energy and stock up more calories for rainy days.
Now you understand why those who skip meals gain more weight than when they were eating regularly. Even better, when you prepare your meals in smaller portions and spread it in 5 meals. This will keep your metabolism active throughout.
3. Watch Your Food Intake
We need energy to survive. And energy comes from the calories broken down from food. You gain weight mainly because your calorie intake has far exceeded your daily calorie needs. But it's also harmful to consume way below your daily calorie needs as this will slow your metabolism and make you feel weak.
Having said that, balance up your calorie intake in your weight loss plan to make sure you have enough carb (50 - 70%) to perform your daily tasks. Not forgetting that various nutrients from food are as important to keep your organs function healthily. So, eat healthy vegetarian foods bursting with vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients like omega-3. Keep junk foods to the minimum if you ever crave them.
Last but not least, plan out exercises suitable for your ability in your vegetarian weight loss plan. Be sure to advance to next higher intensity progressively for more effective fat loss. Allow your body enough rest if you feel you've over trained. This will ensure you lose weight naturally without hurting your body.
Laura Ng introduces the 5 simple steps in her free vegetarian plan to lose weight to help you burn fat safely and healthily. She invites you to download the vegetarian fat loss meal plan that contains delicious low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods so that you can achieve your fat loss goals easily and effectively. You'll also increase your energy levels and get in shape without suffering from loose skin and weight rebound. Get more vegetarian fat-burning tips at iNotFat.com now.