Vegetarian Diets for Weight Loss

Skinny Vegan Diet
For ladies looking to achieve a model thin figure--and avoid highly processed fatty foods and meats--the Skinny Vegan Diet is a must. Drawing from the New York Times bestseller, "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch," this diet encourages women to subscribe to a diet of organic fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Eco Atkins Diet
This is the Atkins Diet gone vegetarian. The Eco Atkins Diet maintains the core element of Atkins:  high-protein, low carb, however this version forgoes the high-fat animal protein. The Eco Atkins Diet replaces animal proteins with proteins derived primarily from soy, gluten or vegetables.  Instead of meat, dieters dine on soy burgers, veggie-based bacon, deli meats, nuts, okra and eggplant.

Flexitarian Diet
For someone who’s always entertained the idea of becoming a vegetarian, but didn’t want to fully give up meat, there’s the Flexitarian Diet. The Flexitarian Diet plan incorporates more plant-based meals into the diet and fewer meals with meat. Dieters consume three meals a day and two snacks, consuming an average of about 1500 calories per day and a total of 50 grams of protein a day from either animal protein or plant-based protein sources like kefir, sunflower seed butter and others.

Eat More, Weigh Less?
The Eat More, Weight Less diet was created by Dr. Dean Ornish who became well known as the doctor who could reverse heart disease. Dr. Ornish’s approach was easy: lose weight not by restricting calories, but being mindful of the ones you take in. Moreover he encourages a high-fiber, low-fat vegetarian diet. Dr. Ornish says that if only 10% of your daily calorie intake comes from fat you will  lose weight and keep it off.      

Hallelujah Diet
This particular diet, the Hallelujah Diet, is considered by founder, Rev. George Malkmus as God’s way. The diet is a low-calorie vegan diet based on 85% raw organic foods and 15% cooked foods. The Hallelujah Diet also promotes juicing fruits and veggies as Rev. Malkmus suggests that the body will absorb far more nutrients (up to 92%) from food when it’s in juice form. This method brings people back to an original diet and therefore encourages significant weight loss due to the absence of processed foods and fatty meats.

The Kind Diet
Actress, activist and conservationist, Alicia Silverstone, created a hip and appealing approach to consuming a plant-based vegan diet. She encourages a diet completely free of meat, dairy, white sugar, alcohol and processed foods. In her book she shares dozens of seemingly appetizing recipes as well as tips on how to do your part to help preserve the earth. She calls eating vegan the “greenest” thing you can do, because it not only keeps you healthy and slim, but requires less fuel, water and other resources.

The Lean Diet
Designed by wellness expert, Kathy Freston, the Lean Diet is a 30-day plan that not only changes your weight, but your health and your overall outlook on food. This Vegan-based diet was created to help people ease into a healthier lifestyle, not with radical changes, but instead by taking gradual steps towards better eating such as finding healthy substitutions for “bad foods,” going meat-free for lunch, starting the day with 8 glasses of water and more. The program also requires you to address a food challenge or adopt a healthier habit. Kathy encourages dieters to eat nutrient rich and high-fiber foods to kick cravings. The Lean Diet is described as the “most gentle, easy, and automatic way” to jump-start weight loss.