Over the years I’ve helped hundreds of vegetarians and vegans reduce their waistline eating primarily carbohydrates. Most people assume that vegetarians and vegans would naturally be lean and healthy, but that’s far from the truth.

For instance, my mother decided to become a vegetarian and gained 50 pounds eating only fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Years ago when I was vegan, my body fat soared up to 24 percent, obese for a man. Obviously, practicing a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle does not guarantee weight loss. I’ve always had a special concern for my vegetarian and vegan family; this is why the Food Lovers Fat Loss System makes it adaptable to vegetarians and vegans.

The key

The key to making the Food Lovers Fat Loss System both vegetarian and vegan friendly is to master the Fat Loss Plate. Simply put, if you’re a vegetarian and aren’t eating a Protein source like tofu, soy, tempeh or some other meatless product – getting an adequate amount of Protein without eating too many Carbs is challenging.

Let’s face it, you can get enough Protein eating corn on the cob, but that would mean eating five ears for instance. The problem with that is five medium size corns on the cob also equate to 125 grams of carbohydrates and less than 15 grams of fiber. Eating five ears of corn on the cob will, without question, shift your body into fat storing mode.

When making a Fat Loss Plate, part of your goal is to have at least 15 grams of Protein and 15 grams of Carbs. It’s easy to get the carbs, but again, it can be challenging to get the Protein without exceeding a total of 45 grams of carbs for women, and 50 for men in a meal.

The how to …

If you have a slice of corn bread that only has 2.5 grams of Protein and 22.3 grams of carbs, then by eating it with 1 to 1 ½ cups of boiled pinto beans you would then be consuming about 20 grams of Protein, and a good amount of carbs and fiber. The addition of pinto beans provides you with the added Protein that you need to make a Fat Loss Plate when combined with the corn bread. This is just one example where you can make a Fat Loss Plate without a major source of Protein.

In my seminar “The FAT Vegetarian” I share many recipes for Fat Loss Plates made solely with carbohydrates. Over the coming weeks I’ll be sharing more of these recipes in my weekly newsletter.

My Recommendation

Become familiar with the Food Lovers and Vegetarians section on page 50 in your “How to Make a Fat Loss Plate.”

In Health,

Robert Ferguson, M.S., C.N.