March 28, 2024

Should you stop eating meat to Lose weight? It depends on how you approach it. You can eat a healthy vegetarian diet that can help you to lose weight.

However, simply giving up meat will not by itself make you lose weight.

Some people, in fact when they give up meat end up eating more carbohydrates, which can have the opposite effect.

Meats are High in Fats

Meat and animal products are generally high in protein and saturated fats. Saturated fats were, for a time, considered unhealthy and a cause of many diseases. They were also blamed for obesity.

Now, however, they are gradually being recognized by many nutritionists as necessary, if derived from high quality sources (such as organic or natural animal products).

Eating a diet with a moderate amount of saturated fats will not make you fat.

The worst things you can eat if you are trying to lose weight are foods that are high in sugar, low quality carbohydrates and trans fats. Low quality carbs are those made with processed white flour.

When you buy or make foods like bread or pasta, look for whole grains, preferably organic. Avoid refined white sugar. Also avoid foods made with hydrogenated oils and trans fats.

Stop Eating Meat – Become a Vegetarian?

The decision to eat a vegetarian diet and stop eating meat or not is a personal one. The fact is, you can lose weight as a vegetarian or as a meat-eater. Or you can gain weight on either diet.

There are good arguments for becoming a vegetarian. One is ethical, which is something you have to decide for yourself. Another has to do with the unnatural way most meat is produced today.

This, however, can be avoided by buying organic meats and animal products (though these are more expensive).

If you are overweight and a meat-eater, it is probably not meat that is making you fat. It is more the overall number of calories you are consuming, the amount of sugar, carbs and unhealthy fats.

There is also, of course, the amount of physical activity you are getting, which can make a big difference, almost as important as your diet.

One reason why a vegetarian diet and stop eating meat may appear to be good for losing is that it is often part of a general effort at eating a healthier diet.

Stop Eating Meat is Healthier Anyway

There is nothing wrong with this, and I am certainly not trying to discourage anyone from becoming a vegetarian, only saying that it is probably not a decisive factor by itself when it comes to losing weight.

For example, many people start eating more fruits and vegetables when they become vegetarian, which is healthy. You can, however, eat more fruits and vegetables without becoming a vegetarian. The choice is yours.

Stop eating meat and you can in fact get a lot healthier, because with all things being equal there are a lot more nutrients per calorie in a carrot than a steak.

Good Arguments Either Way for Eating Meat On A Diet?

In looking at the comments below the argument comes that we are not as humans built to be vegetarians. I have to agree. I am not the biggest fan of any kind of strict style of diet.

I know of raw vegan eaters that should have amazingly high amounts of vitamins and minerals but have a lack of iron and B12 and Zinc. Although these vegans can get these if careful as well.

The best idea in real life over the long term is to try and change your diet over time to allow you to be an omnivore at times, a vegetarian at other times, and to be careful to always look at the cleanliness and preparation of meals at all times

33 thoughts on “Stop Eating Meat to Lose Weight?

  1. Humans are omnivores. End of story. Whether or not you choose to eat meat is a personal preference. It is not vital to our survival, but it is not necessarily detrimental to our health either. Our bodies all require certain nutrients that can be obtained from both plant and animal sources. By the same token, consuming too much of certain nutrients can be harmful. If you choose to eat meat, most of your meat consumption should be from lean meats, and red meat should only be eaten in moderation. You will also need to consume fruits and vegetables in order to get nutrients and fibers that are not found in meat. If you choose not to eat meat, you will need to consume foods like nuts and beans to substitute the fats and proteins you would normally get from eating meat. This is not rocket science; as with everything else, moderation and balance are keys. Regular exercise is also a vital component to any healthy lifestyle. Remember, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Regardless of whether you eat meat or not, you should avoid fried, refined and processed foods as much as possible. Avoid trans fats and empty carbs. Avoid things like hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup.

    As for the ethical arguments against eating meat, some animals eat other animals. Like it or not, human beings are animals. We can eat other animals just as we can be eaten by other animals. However, I would agree that factory farming is a terrible practice and that all meat eaters should strive to eat only “organic” / free range animals; if not for ethical reasons, then for health reasons. Eating an animal that has lived a healthy, active life is going to be far tastier and healther than eating one that spent its entire life in a cage. It’s kinder to the animal and it’s the way they were meant to live. You can argue that it’s unnatural for humans to be vegetarians, but just the same it is unnatural for us to consume animals that have been “grown” in a factory. By instinct we are hunter / gatherers, not farmers and livestock breeders.

    1. Humans may in fact be “omnivores”. That is, an animal CAPABLE of digesting both plants and meat.. However, it seems to me that humans are much closer to a plant-eating animal than any carnivorous animal like a bear or a cat.

      Let’s be honest here, not even the fastest human could chase down an animal and rip the flesh from its body without tools/weapons. Our early African ancestors probably had a plant-based diet. The only meat they could have possibly acquired without adequate tools/weapons would be meat scavenged from carnivores, and even that would be difficult considering all the vicious pack-hunter animals present in Africa.

      My point here is that while humans may be capable of digesting meat, they are naturally ill-equipped for obtaining it. Humans lack the natural tools commonly found in carnivorous animals.

  2. Everyone body is different that’s why some diet pills work for some and some don’t. Same way with this issue. We can’t tell someone how to be or what they should do. Our own opinion is just something helpful for those who need help. For those leaving disrespectful comments the topic is not “was not raised with respect for others ”
    I just became a vegetarian, I just cut meat out only. Its been 2 months and I’ve lost 7 pounds ( I’m small already) but it gave me more energy. I’ve always had digestive issues ( not able to breakdown process foods) but I have less issues now. It’s you’re choice, body, and never change because someone criticized the situation.

  3. Omnivorism

    The key category in the discussion of human diet is omnivores, which are defined as generalized feeders, with neither carnivore nor herbivore specializations for acquiring or processing food, and who are capable of consuming and do consume both animal protein and vegetation. They are basically *opportunistic* feeders (survive by eating what is available) with more generalized anatomical and physiological traits, especially the dentition (teeth). All the available evidence indicates that the natural human diet is omnivorous and would include meat. We are not, however, required to consume animal protein. We have a choice.

    Fermenting Vats

    Nearly all plant eaters have fermenting vats (enlarged chambers where foods sits and microbes attack it). Ruminants like cattle and deer have forward sacs derived from remodeled esophagus and stomach. Horses, rhinos, and colobine monkeys have posterior, hindgut sacs. Humans have no such specializations.

    Jaws

    Although evidence on the structure and function of human hands and jaws, behavior, and evolutionary history also either support an omnivorous diet or fail to support strict vegetarianism, the best evidence comes from our teeth.

    The short canines in humans are a functional consequence of the enlarged cranium and associated reduction of the size of the jaws. In primates, canines function as both defense weapons and visual threat devices. Interestingly, the primates with the largest canines (gorillas and gelada baboons) both have basically vegetarian diets. In archeological sites, broken human molars are most often confused with broken premolars and molars of pigs, a classic omnivore. On the other hand, some herbivores have well-developed incisors that are often mistaken for those of human teeth when found in archeological excavations.

    Salivary Glands

    These indicate we could be omnivores. Saliva and urine data vary, depending on diet, not taxonomic group.

    Intestines

    Intestinal absorption is a surface area, not linear problem. Dogs (which are carnivores) have intestinal specializations more characteristic of omnivores than carnivores such as cats. The relative number of crypts and cell types is a better indication of diet than simple length. We are intermediate between the two groups.

    Conclusion

    Humans are classic examples of omnivores in all relevant anatomical traits. There is no basis in anatomy or physiology for the assumption that humans are pre-adapted to the vegetarian diet. For that reason, the best arguments in support of a meat-free diet remain ecological, ethical, and health concerns.

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