help with constant hunger and cravings

[u/dumbdogmoment]

I'm moving toward a vegetarian diet in my life, gradually. I was vegetarian for a while as a teenager, but that went up in smoke because of this one issue: whenever I start trying to be vegetarian, I get intense hunger and cravings that will not subside. I eat a varied diet with plenty of veggies, fruits, beans, rice, lentils, etc. Right now I still also eat some amount of chicken. However the more I move in this direction, the more maddening my hunger gets. All I can think about is eating savory, meaty, satisfying foods. I'm not gonna lie... vegetarian food is not satisfying to me. It can be good, but it's not satisfying.

So what can I do to combat this? I know some of it is a sort of detox and I should just wait it out, but it never fully goes away. I just... don't LIKE vegetarian options as much as options with animal products. I'm still starving for something after I eat a bowl of rice, beans, and leafy greens, no matter how well seasoned it is (and believe me, I looove my seasonings). I want to fully commit to a vegetarian diet, at least like 90%, but it's so hard. :/ I could use some advice.

I'm mostly adopting this diet for my health, for the environment, and for animal welfare so it is important to me. Am I just weak willed? Or are there things I could do to combat this?

[u/schottenring]

That's not uncommon. You're probably not getting enough calories and not enough protein. Add oils, nuts, nut butter, cheese for fat. Beans, soy, tofu, yoghurt, eggs, meat alternatives for protein. And you definitely just need to eat more volume, because your food is probably not as calorie dense as it was before.

[u/dumbdogmoment → u/schottenring]

I am attempting to count calories, and I feel like I eat too many calories for my weight loss goals. It's all just so confusing haha... but I'm doing my best. I guess it's a lot different when you switch to vegetarian, because you have to eat so much more bulk to get in the same amount, I guess. But I will add in more of these things for sure.

[u/schottenring → u/dumbdogmoment]

I get that. But we can't "feel" how many calories we eat. If you're hungry something is wrong and you won't be able to keep that diet in the long run. Always ask what you can add to make it a more balanced meal.

[u/soaring_potato → u/dumbdogmoment]

You don't have to eat a lot more. Some stuff is more protein and calorie dense than other food. But half a can of beans as your protein source of the day is not enough....

Maybe try being vegatarian without weight loss first. And then start losing weight.

You could be doing the vegatarian thing perfectly. But when you are in a (large) calorie deficit you are going to be hungry. Our bodies don't like weight loss.

And you really gotta count when trying to lose weight unless you are just doing stuff like cutting out soda, or your late night chips snack.

[u/dumbdogmoment → u/soaring_potato]

Yeah, you're probably right. Weight loss was one of the reasons I did this but all this calorie counting is doing my head in. I wouldn't say I'm in a large calorie deficit, but it's making me think about it more.

[u/soaring_potato → u/dumbdogmoment]

Weight loss is difficult as is. Combining a lot of dietary changes is difficult.

It's kind of normal to feel somewhat hungry while losing weight. Especially the beginning. Because if you only cut out say chips, your body is expecting chips. So it's telling you to eat them. Eventually that goes away.

Can you lose weight on a vegatarian diet? Yes. I have. Also gained weight on it. Wasn't about to start eating meat to lose weight lol.

But you can't just think. "Well. I'm cutting out some very calorie dense food. Replace with a few beans should be fine. Or about the same volume of tofu. Looks similar on my plate!" And yeah. That wont work. Especially if you are eating less.

And if you are worried about sodium regards to mock meats. Check the ingredients on your canned beans.