So yesterday I filled you all in on my long weekend at Yogaville. I gave you a little run-down on the vegetarian diet which is considered to be an important part of the yogic lifestyle there. The food they serve is all organic, natural, and very high quality. Much of the fresh produce is grown right on their own organic farm.
During my 3-day stay, I ate all my meals at the ashram cafeteria. Because no meat, eggs, or fish was available, I had to substitute other sources of protein. These sources (beans, sprouted grain bread, whole milk yogurt, tofu, peanut butter, cheese, etc.) were much higher in carbs (and some were higher in fats) than the foods I normally eat. I ended up eating plenty of raw and cooked veggies, which was a good thing, but also way more whole grains than usual.
How would you guess that this change in diet affected my weight? Would you think that substituting organic whole grains for meat might help me lose weight?
Nope. This morning, I weighed a whopping 4 pounds over my pre-ashram weight!
Now I am not suggesting that a vegetarian diet is always going to cause weight gain. Many people can maintain a healthy, ideal weight while not eating meat. However, if you are a person (like me) who is concerned about getting enough protein, the challenge is finding excellent sources of low carb protein without turning to meat. Tofu, tempeh, and edamame are soy-based products that contain protein without too many carbs. Eggs are probably the best vegetarian source of high quality protein, along with whey, which is found in dairy products like cottage cheese. (Unfortunately for me, eggs and cottage cheese were not to be found at the ashram!) Wheat has about the highest amount of protein in a whole grain, (5 grams per half cup serving) but wheat is problematic for many people with allergies, sensitivities, and celiac disease. Quinoa comes in second place with about 4 grams of protein in a half cup serving.
I can tell you from my own experience that substituting whole grains for meat caused water retention, bloating, and weight gain. Of course, the 4 pounds I gained are made up of water and those will drop off over the course of the week, as long as I cut way back on the grains. And there is nothing dangerous about carrying around a few extra pounds of water weight. However, if you want your muscles to show and your pants to fit, you might not want to be bloated!
I also recently posted a blog about Michelle Obama's arms. I talked about diet being a major factor in revealing muscle definition, but I failed to mention the bloat factor. If you are already at a healthy weight, but you eat grain-based products at every meal, try substituting a little more protein (lean meat, fish, eggs, or dairy) and a little more veggies for those grains. Drink at least 3 liters of water per day as well. Cut out the grains completely for one week and check out your muscle definition. Let me know what you discover!
During my 3-day stay, I ate all my meals at the ashram cafeteria. Because no meat, eggs, or fish was available, I had to substitute other sources of protein. These sources (beans, sprouted grain bread, whole milk yogurt, tofu, peanut butter, cheese, etc.) were much higher in carbs (and some were higher in fats) than the foods I normally eat. I ended up eating plenty of raw and cooked veggies, which was a good thing, but also way more whole grains than usual.
How would you guess that this change in diet affected my weight? Would you think that substituting organic whole grains for meat might help me lose weight?
Nope. This morning, I weighed a whopping 4 pounds over my pre-ashram weight!
Now I am not suggesting that a vegetarian diet is always going to cause weight gain. Many people can maintain a healthy, ideal weight while not eating meat. However, if you are a person (like me) who is concerned about getting enough protein, the challenge is finding excellent sources of low carb protein without turning to meat. Tofu, tempeh, and edamame are soy-based products that contain protein without too many carbs. Eggs are probably the best vegetarian source of high quality protein, along with whey, which is found in dairy products like cottage cheese. (Unfortunately for me, eggs and cottage cheese were not to be found at the ashram!) Wheat has about the highest amount of protein in a whole grain, (5 grams per half cup serving) but wheat is problematic for many people with allergies, sensitivities, and celiac disease. Quinoa comes in second place with about 4 grams of protein in a half cup serving.
I can tell you from my own experience that substituting whole grains for meat caused water retention, bloating, and weight gain. Of course, the 4 pounds I gained are made up of water and those will drop off over the course of the week, as long as I cut way back on the grains. And there is nothing dangerous about carrying around a few extra pounds of water weight. However, if you want your muscles to show and your pants to fit, you might not want to be bloated!
I also recently posted a blog about Michelle Obama's arms. I talked about diet being a major factor in revealing muscle definition, but I failed to mention the bloat factor. If you are already at a healthy weight, but you eat grain-based products at every meal, try substituting a little more protein (lean meat, fish, eggs, or dairy) and a little more veggies for those grains. Drink at least 3 liters of water per day as well. Cut out the grains completely for one week and check out your muscle definition. Let me know what you discover!
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