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Americans are obsessed with weight and weight loss. Much of this is due to our idea of the ideal body type. Hollywood has skewed our thinking and brainwashed many of us into believing rail-thin, bony frames are the epitome of beauty. Females compare themselves to the starlets they see in movies, TV and magazines. Men are also held to high standards while trying to balance a lean and muscular combination. Guys like Brad and Leo make this seem extremely appealing, as well as simple.

Due to our thinking, many Americans are constantly concocting and following new and bizarre diets. From carb-free to sugar-free to spending 2 weeks consuming only liquids while having colon-cleansings each of the 14 days, fad dieters, and the menu they follow, keep me constantly scratching my head in confusion.  While these are blatantly outrageous and appear to set the victim up for failure from day one, there are some ways of eating that are tricky and deceiving.

A prime example of one of these is vegetarianism. Wait…before you clench your fists and declare me ignorant, let me elaborate. Living a vegetarian lifestyle is wonderful, and when done right, is extremely healthy and beneficial. It is not, however, a diet. Diets are meant to be temporary, and becoming a vegetarian is usually a long-term or life-long switch. Another issue is that upon this conversion to the meatless church, you are not necessarily cutting a bazillion calories and exponentially reducing your fat content. The aspects of food that add or subtract pounds do not automatically disappear when you trade your meat in for Boca. In fact, many unsuspecting souls find themselves gaining weight from their diet change. But why, you ask? After all, eliminating fattening foods like red meat and pork should instigate a fat-melting effect, right? Wrong. Most vegetarians subtract meat from their dinner plate, but continue to eat dairy and eggs.

Ok, let’s think about this logically. When a person, let’s call him Bob, eliminates something from his life, let’s say soda, he is most likely going to fill the void in some way. Whether this is drowning himself with water or iced tea or counting the tiles on the kitchen floor, it doesn’t matter. The point is, when you lose one thing, you often compensate by adding another, or increasing the frequency or quantity of an existing thing. So, let’s apply this to our novice vegetarian. Meat is lost, so consumption of cheese, pasta, bread, or other fatty and high-carb edibles increases. Those who set down this path with caution and knowledge know to avoid this slippery slope of compensation and void-filling. These smarties will curve their appetites with healthy goodies like raw veggies, roasted almonds or an apple with a dab of peanut butter. The less informed newbies will satiate their hunger with cheese or bread, both of which are fine in moderation, but can pack on the pounds if frequently consumed in somewhat large amounts.

So, what have we learned? Vegetarianism is a GREAT lifestyle choice, but it is just that, a lifestyle. It should not be used solely for the purpose of losing weight. Most vegetarians have made their decision for ethical or health reasons, so please do not trivialize this choice with pure vanity. Next, if you create a well-balanced, high protein and high fiber vegetarian diet, you may very well lose weight, but these are not rapid results. It takes time for your body to adjust to the new fuel you are pumping into it. So, for you serial dieters, there is no instant gratification in this method. Lastly, there is no guarantee that you will lose any weight at all, despite how long you stick it out. If you cave and give into cravings or temptation, chances are, you’ll fill your meat void with an even unhealthier substitute. If you are wanting to make the switch, I say go for it. Think over your reasons and make sure they are valid and realistic. Don’t lie to yourself regarding your primary motivators. This is a fairly tough lifestyle to take on and maintain, so be sure you’ve given it a lot of consideration. Next, talk to other veggies, nutritionists or someone with some knowledge of the do’s and don’ts of a meat-free diet. Have them teach you the proper amounts of protein, fats, carbs, etc you should be eating. Create a well-balanced diet that incorporates foods or supplements that will compensate for the lack of meat. Be smart about it. If you jump into this and just start haphazardly eliminating meat, you will wind up overweight or underweight, and all around unhealthy.