Hey! I was thinking about just going back to a balanced diet where nothing but red meat is restricted. I've been vegetarian/vegan(alternating) for the past year and have gained 10-15 pounds. Is a balanced diet better than a vegetarian one?

I have no idea, all i know is meat is delicious.

By better, I mean healthier

If God didn't want us to eat animals...he wouldn't have made 'em out of meat...

balance = healthy

imho

or made them taste so damned good after being over a flame...

I've heard of people being on every day diets but not a vegetarian one.

I mean from what I understood is people who are vegetarian do not eat any kind of meat at all, I could be wrong just what I thought I have seen and heard from different tv shows and people.

None the less any kind of balaned diet is better then none at all.

The choice is your's and what you really like to eat. If your not getting everything you need when your on the vegetarian diet then maybe you need to change your diet plan or something else.

Meat is murder

Tasty, delicious murder.

That's part of the problem. My family doesn't support it, so I really just live off of bread, vegetables, and fruit.

Too much pasta, bread, rice, or other carbs will make you gain....

Your diet is not the whole picture. You need to remain active.
I watch my diet as I am tied to a desk during the day, but i get out there and walk a couple of miles each day and do not eat red meat.

My diet consists of veggies and poultry and al of the other goodies, The only thing that I have cut out are the sweets and red meat and I have maintained my welter weight of 84 lbs for over three years.

No wonder you are as skinny as a rake. I couldnt say what is actually healthier, but you would at least look healthier with a bit more meat on you.

I am pretty active. I run four miles per day and I have a weight lifting class...I just read that some people have gained weight by being on a vegetarian diet

every vegetarian i know is overweight. they eat an abundance of bread, pasta, cheese, etc. meat contains proteins which are essential to your diet and good health...that's why we have pointed teeth, so we can tear sinewy flesh from the bone

Which means that your body is getting basically zero proteins. Great idea.

Yeah. I read something like that in my Nutrition book....that meat is the only protein source that is complete.

vegetarian diets can be worst because some veggies have a lot of sugar and or fat in them. Avocados are very fatty for example, Jicama has a ton of starch and sugar in it.

The idea is identifying FATTY foods, Sugary foods, and Starchy foods and restricting your intake of them. Meat in general is greasy and that is just fat waiting for a place to go.

With that you also have to evaluate how you cook your food as well. Frying is evil! Baked on a rack for meat helps get rid of a lot of fat period! Steaming is also good. Boiled is not exactly the greatest idea since it washes out a lot of nutrients. If you fry use very little oil and stir fry which is far healthier than letting food wallow in grease.

Also have yourself set up with fat free snacks to help curb your appetite between meals and serve yourself smaller portions of the fatty foods that you do eat.

Now for exercise. If you are not sweating your ass off and also you are not doing it until it hurts twice a week (DO NOT PUSH YOURSELF TOO HARD DANG IT!) you are just wasting effort and will not see results. If your belly is fat walking will do nothing for it. Sit ups (within reason because there are other exercises as well for the Abs) are the answer since the fat reserve is over that muscle group and your body being as conservation minded as it is will try to expend the fat from there first to fuel the belly muscles. Swimming is a very good exercise for weight loss for a number of reasons! Again you have to push yourself a little.

Ultimately Fats, Carbs, and Sugars/ Starches are your enemies!
Cutting them out completely is suicide because your body will suffer for it and also will grab a hold of any fat or whatever it can convert into fat defeating your purpose.

Drinking lots of water is a myth as well! Granted you need it BUT only to maintain hydration.

Another thing is patience. it took years to put it on and it will take years to get rid of it but you will gain physical strength for your efforts, tone up and have that sexy tush all us men like to appreciate at any distance!

I have seen it all and I have seen the greater percentage fail. I do know what works from those who succeed without medical assistance. Obese people take up to five years to shed any real amounts of fat. The average loss of twenty pounds can take two years depending on a number of factors. The initial losses are water weight but that is a misnomer. Some at is saturated with water. The hard fats are the hardest ones to eliminate. Figure your body can hold an extra five pounds in water weight so I never consider the first few pounds of loss to count. It is the loss after the initial start is where the tough journey begins.

All the people, espaecially my brother in law that is vegitarian gained weight....Eating meat is healthier because you need protein in your diet

PETA

People

Eating

Tasty

Animals!