Before starting any endeavor though, it pays to have some facts. Although I am not a vegetarian, here are some things that I learned through my research.

There are several types of vegetarians. First there is the vegetarian who adheres to a strict plant-based diet of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and grain. A vegan, whom I consider the hard-core vegetarian, is a vegetarian who doesn’t eat meat or seafood or use products tested on or derived from animals, such as honey, eggs or any type of dairy products.

A lacto-vegetarianism diet, however, allows for dairy products but does not include eggs, while the ovo-vegetarianism diet is just the opposite. Their diet allows for eggs, but not milk. If you decide to keep eggs and milk in your diet, than you would be considered a lacto-ovo vegetarian.

You can also become a semi-vegetarian. This type of diet allows for fish and some poultry. However, many vegetarians do not consider this a type of vegetarianism.

Planning
If you plan on becoming the type of vegetarian who gives up all forms of meat and do not plan your diet well, you run the risk of having some nutritional deficiencies. Although plant-based diets are more natural, they do not supply all of your nutritional needs. To avoid deficiencies, the following are a list of nutritional sources that you need to pay close attention to.

Protein
Protein intake is typically lower for vegetarians. This is not a problem for lacto and ovo vegetarians, but for strict vegetarians or vegans, the essential amino acids may be lacking in their diet. Food sources such as soy, hempseed, and buckwheat provide a complete serving of the eight essential amino acids. However, by combining foods such as brown rice and beans, the amino acids your body needs can also be obtained.

Iron
Iron in your diet typically comes from meat sources. Vegetarian diets usually have enough, but the bioavailability is lower, which means it absorption may not be as great. That being said, there are a wide variety of plant-based foods that are rich in iron including: oatmeal, raisins, soybean, black beans, cashews, chickpeas and whole-wheat bread.

Vitamin B12
When it comes to having enough Vitamin B12, lacto-ovo vegetarians can obtain theirs from dairy products and eggs. For the strictly plant based vegetarians, dietary supplements will be necessary unless you choose to consume fortified foods. This may not be a big concern for many though. An article in Vegetarian Nutrition reports that the body can preserve stores of the vitamin for up to 30 years without needing for its supplies to be replenished.

Fatty acids
Fatty acids play a critical role in brain function and other body functions. An excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids are fish. Instead of fish, many vegetarians prefer to supplement with sources such as flaxseed, pumpkin seed and/or canola oil. These supply the alpha-linolenic acid, but lack the necessary eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. However, some companies have been marketing seaweed extracts that contain these acids. Whole seedweed is not suggested because of their high iodine levels.

Calcium
Calcium deficiency, though not common, can occur if you do not consume enough green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin D
The lack of Vitamin D is mentioned because the general population as a whole does not get enough of it. Your Vitamin D needs can be met easily with soy milk or regular milk, and it also can be met with sensible exposure to the sun.

So after reading this and you still think vegetarianism is right for you, then I suggest you make the conversion gradually. Weening yourself off of meat may not me easy. But if you take incremental steps towards your goal, your conversion to a plant-base diet will become more easily achieved.

And one last point. Do not think that by just becoming a vegetarian that you’ll automatically start losing weight. I know of several people who are vegetarians and they are all overweight. Take this as a reminder that this diet does not give you a license to eat all you want. This is because with any weight loss diet you choose, the bottom line has to do with the amount of calories you consume. Period.

Vegetarian diets can be healthy because they are normally lower in saturated fats and high in fibre. However the any diet has to be carefully chosen to make sure that it contains all the nutrients needed by your body. Vegetarian diets can easily provide the recommended daily amount of all the important nutrients. Plants, notably, fruit and vegetables, are normally the main source of nutrients in vegetarian diets. Certain types of vegetarian diets contain animal sources, I include eggs and dairy products in this. While the vegan diet has no animal foods. Nutrients that are normally present in animal products and sometimes lacking in a vegetarian diet are iron, calcium, vitamins D and B12, and zinc.

Below are just some of the foods that are rich in the above nutrients :

Iron: cashews, tomato juice, rice, tofu, lentils, and chick peas.

Calcium: dairy products, fortified soya milk, fortified orange juice, tofu, kale, and broccoli.

Vitamin D: fortified milk and soya milk, and many cereals (check the box).

Vitamin B12: eggs, dairy products, and soya milk, cereals, tempeh, and miso. (Tempeh and miso are foods made from soybeans. They are low in calories and fat and high in protein. But in my view taste horrible!

Zinc: whole grains, eggs, dairy products, nuts, tofu, leafy vegetables (lettuce, spinach, cabbage etc), and root vegetables ( potatoes, carrots, celery, radishes, onions etc).

Protein is also very important and if you pursue the vegetarian option then you are strongly advised to eat a range of plant foods each day to get enough protein. Plant foods that have the the highest levels of protein include lentils, tofu, seeds, tempeh, miso, nuts and peas. There are some really good vegetarian diets out there! You just need to look.

I am personally not a total vegetarian, but I feel that there is a serious place for a vegetarian approach. I am currently working on a basic weight loss plan that will include a vegetarian option,if you want to receive details when it is released please sign up to my email list, see resource box below for details.

Geoff Dance has put together a complimentary 25 page report on Fast Weight Loss that cuts thru the hype that is around to give you the basics that you need to know on your weight loss journey. Always remember that weight loss is not a black art!

Step 1 – Step 1 – Decide why you want to become a vegetarian. There are as many reasons for becoming vegetarians as there are people out there. Whatever your reason is you need to clarify it. If you are one of those wanting to do it because it seems like a good idea or because your friends are doing it then you need to read and listen to as much information as possible on the subject of vegetarianism(is that a word?) in order to get a more substantial reason for continuity. So, no matter what your reason may be, for the most part the underlying reason behind most people becoming vegetarians is a desire for better health. Most health practitioners would agree that a vegetarian lifestyle is a healthier lifestyle.

Step 2 – Now you know the reason you want to become a vegetarian. Decide what type of vegetarian you are going to be. This is not going to be set in stone. You can make different choices as your learn and grow on this journey. Let’s discuss different types of vegetarians. The basic vegetarian eating plan is one that consists of mainly fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and grains. There are also as many variations of the major types as there are people because it’s an individual decision. You are the one who has to decide what goes in and out of your mouth. That said, let’s move on. The major types of vegetarians are the ovo-lacto vegetarians, pescatarians, lacto-vegetarians, vegans, ovo-vegetarians, raw vegans.

Ovo-lacto vegetarians – Vegetarians who include diary products and eggs in their eating plan.

Pescatarians – Pescatarians include fish.

Lacto-vegetarians – Vegetarians who include dairy products in their eating plan.

Vegans – Eat only plant based foods, no animal products or by-products.

Ovo-vegetarians – Eat eggs.

Raw vegans – Eat only raw plant based foods. Raw, meaning foods that are prepared at no higher than 115-120 degrees.

Step 3 – You’ve figured out what type you’d like to begin your vegetarian journey with, now you need to begin to eliminate the unwanted items in your eating plan and include more of the fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Some people go cold turkey and eliminate all the unwanted stuff right away. Others eliminate an item at a time. Again the choice is yours. If you’ve only associated being a vegetarian with eating big bowls of salad and nothing else, welcome to an exciting journey. Those times have long past and a vegetarian lifestyle is filled with delicious and mouth watering eats and the salads have come a long way. The only boundary is your imagination. Now you start to have fun.

Step 4 – Create a menu plan based centered around your new eating choices. Do internet searches for vegetarians menu plans, check out library books on vegetarian cooking, experiment with different types of vegetables. Try out a few that appeal to you. Take your favorite vegetable and start looking for different ways to prepare it. Don’t be afraid to try a combination you’ve never tasted before, you might be pleasantly surprised at the taste.

Step 5 – Never stop learning. The key to sticking with any decision is to keep yourself informed. The more you read and listen to materials on the health benefits of different foods and the vegetarian lifestyle, the more motivated you are to stick with it especially in the beginning stages. I find that if some time goes by without me reading or listening to something health related I begin to long for foods that I once enjoyed but have decided to eliminate from my eating plan.

Step 6 – Be easy on yourself and those around you. Eating an occasional piece of ‘whatever’ amidst an otherwise healthy eating plan is okay. Don’t allow anyone to make you feel guilty for occasionally indulging(notice I did say occasionally:) ). Go easy on those around you who have not yet made the decision to transition to a vegetarian eating plan. By your example they will be encouraged to take baby steps. Let them notice the weight loss, the increased energy, clearer skin and all the benefits that go with the vegetarian lifestyle. Answer their questions with a non-condemning or self-righteous attitude and share from time to time snippets from articles you read or audios you listen to. Don’t bombard them just be open to their questions and occasionally share what you are learning.

Step 7 – Rejoice in your decision! Enjoy the journey!