Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by LauraCBower on March 4, 2010 at 8:42pm

Ha ha ha. Yeah, and failing to eat vegetables and not exercising makes you gain weight as a carnivore too. It's funny that she worries that vegetarians will be prone to eating fewer vegetables.

Obviously this is true and it's true for anyone. Vegetarians should be mindful of protein, but as diabetics we are mindful of our meal balance anyway. The benefit of being a vegetarian is that you are getting protein sources with fiber; always a plus for diabetics. My endocrine was thrilled when I told her I was vegetarian.

Permalink Reply by David on May 21, 2010 at 8:07am

You could say the same thing about non-vegetarians' diets too! The thing with a vegetarian diet is that one food group is being omitted and this could lead to overconsumption of the other food groups to compensate for that (e.g eating lots of full fat dairy like milk or cheese to replace meats) or filling up the empty spot on your plate with pasta or rice. The key thing with any diet is to make sure it's balanced and you're getting the nutrients you need without excess fat, sugar, salt.

Permalink Reply by Zoe on September 25, 2011 at 6:26pm

I have been struggling as well not to gain weight. I lost 40 pounds at diagnosis of type 1 but have gained 10 back in the last 2 years which I don't like. When I was first diagnosed I claimed I didn't need to change my diet as I "ate healthy" - vegetarian, no sugar, no processed foods. But I ate lots of pasta and rice. I no longer do that but I do eat a lot of cheese, besides loving good cheese I find it an important source of protein in my diet. Not sure what the alternative to this is.

Permalink Reply by emckechnie on April 30, 2013 at 6:11pm

I suppose you need to use cheese as a condiment and not a staple. So, you sprinkle a little on instead of chowing down on wedges...Dare I say, weigh and measure?

Either that, or go vegan.

Permalink Reply by Zoe on May 6, 2013 at 4:54pm

Cheese is a staple of my diet. I find it pretty hard to find protein sources that are also low/no carbs. I have found that it's both calories AND insulin that make me gain weight, so I try and cut both. I've finally started to lose weight since this post was written but it's not easy. For me remaining a vegetarian, keeping my carbs down, eating healthy, fresh foods, finding recipes that satisfy my foodie tastes, and eliminating foods that are bad for my acid reflux is all a major balancing act. I recently cut out nut butter which I loved and was a good source of protein but way too caloric. Personally, I'm not interested in going vegan as I already have way too few foods I can eat. I don't care much for "substitute foods" but have added a couple: almond milk and vegie sausage.

Permalink Reply by emckechnie on May 6, 2013 at 5:02pm

Have you tried 'textured soy protein'? It's what veggie sausage is made of, but can be bought in unflavored little pellets. Bob's Red Mill sells it in smallish bags. I make spaghetti and chili with them and they can fool a true carnivore. The advantage is that they pick up the flavor of the sauce and aren't pre-flavored. It's low calorie, has little fat and no sodium before you flavor it. Four bucks for a small bag of it.

Permalink Reply by Zoe on May 6, 2013 at 5:07pm

Thanks, but not my thing. I never really understood "fake meat" as I don't care for the taste of meat. I'm a gourmet cook so I give things taste using fresh herbs and seasonings. I just eat the vegie sausage to have something else a bit solid to eat with my eggs. I don't like most of the substitute foods that many vegetarians and diabetics eat. I prefer natural fresh foods. But thanks for the suggestion. I don't eat spaghetti or chili due to the carbs. I guess we're all different.