Monday, May 3, 2010

One Hungry Vegetarian

I’ve hit a bumpy patch in my meatless 40/40/40 challenge. I am hungry ALL THE TIME. I have been making sure to keep plenty of protein and fats in my diet; it’s not like I have been living on carrot sticks. I am really not liking this trend. Any advice from you vegetarians out there?

4 comments:

  1. It’s possible that you’re overcompensating for a perceived protein deficiency, and not getting enough complex carbohydrates.

    In my experience, CCs keep hunger away longer than do the same number of calories in proteins and fats. For breakfast I’ve found that a bowl of multigrain cereal with dried fruit, a banana, some peanut butter and a little jam or molasses and soy milk can keep me going until mid-morning without even thinking about food (unless they’re making microwave popcorn in the break room!)

    You (or most people in developed countries) do not need to worry about getting enough protein. That vegetarians might develop kwashiorkor (know anyone with it?) or other protein deficiency diseases is a myth that the animal exploiting industries have been perpetrating since the 1950s, with great success.

    Don’t worry about eating the right combinations of protein (i.e. complementary amino acids) in the same meal, either. Dieticians and nutritionists once thought this was necessary – it’s recommended in the early 1970s book Diet For A Small Planet – but they have since discovered it’s not.

    I’ve found the nutrition information offered by the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine to be helpful. Here’s a link to their 21-day vegan kick start menu. Their website may be able to answer more specific questions you have.

    http://kickstartdev.pcrm.org/resources/index.cfm

    ReplyDelete
  2. Behold, the power of cheese.

    (If you're not doing vegan. Then...)

    Behold, the power of dark chocolate.

    Seriously, sometimes deprivation is psychological. Some cheese enchiladas with a side of chocolate cheesecake will clear those cravings right up.

    ReplyDelete
  3. @Charlie, Thanks for the link. There is some good stuff in there.

    @TK, gotta love the cheese. I don't think I would make it throught the 40 days without it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm also a vegitarian, for almost six years. I'm always hungry, even after big meals. I don't know what to do! I'm constantly snacking, but I'm very skinny. Please tell me what I can do.

    ReplyDelete