A VEGGIE DIET

I don't think anyone would be surprised to know that my How To Lose A Stone In One Week Diet is the most popular blog post….who doesn't want to lose weight?!! It's my lifetime goal and I'm proud to say that sometimes I have reached my "ideal' weight' but then I can never sustain it as I am too much of a piglet.

Lots of people have asked about the vegetarian option which I haven't done as I am not veggie. I would suggest you could just replace the meat with quorn or fish however the diet might not be as effective as it is all about chemicals. I expect you will still lose a lot of weight though as it is very restrictive (700-800 calories a day). 

I searched for a vegetarian diet online and found this as an alternative. I hope it helps. It is a lot more complicated than the original diet as there is more cooking involved and it also has more calories but it will still help with weight loss. If anyone does give it a go please let me know how you get on & I will try & persuade myself to give it a go sometime.

Good luck everyone and I hope it goes well!!

DAY 1
Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option)
190g of reduced-sugar and reduced-salt baked beans with 60g grilled mushrooms and 65g grilled tomatoes followed by a 125g pot of diet bio yoghurt with 120g stewed prunes.(306cals, 2.2g fat) 


Lunch 
1 portion of brown rice salad with chickpeas (mix together 50g canned chickpeas, 100g canned tomatoes, 1tsp Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, a dash of Tabasco, 30g onion, 1/2 clove garlic, 200g boiled brown rice and 1tbsp fresh basil).(376cals, 4.3g fat) 


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit)
Beetroot, fennel and lemon risotto with aubergine salad
1 portion of beetroot, fennel and lemon risotto served with 1 portion of grilled aubergine salad. (547cals, 20g fat) 


DAY 2
Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option)
1 serving of baked summer fruits served with a 125g pot of plain very low-fat fromage frais, followed by a slice of sesame Ryvita topped with 150g sliced apple and 2 tsp lemon curd. For the summer fruits bake 60g raspberries, 70g peach, 50g strawberries and 40g blackberries in a slow oven for 30 minutes. (285cals, 2.8g fat) 


Lunch
1 bowl (250g) of canned potato and leek soup with 80g French bread. (346cals, 8.9g fat) 


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit)Ratatouille and baked potato
1 portion of Romanian ratatouille served with 1 medium (180g) baked potato. (591cals, 20.4g fat) 


DAY 3
Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option)
1 bowl (30g) Weetaflakes, topped with a handful of raisins and 125ml skimmed milk, followed by a glass of banana and strawberry smoothie (whizz 60g fresh strawberries and 250ml cold skimmed milk in a blender with 100g chopped banana; top with ice). (336cals, 0.9g fat) 


Lunch 
100g baked tofu burger served with 120g baked yam, 120g tomato and onion salad with 7g fat free dressing For the tofu burger recipe (serves 4), you need 350g firm tofu, 1 medium onion, chopped, 45g chopped leeks, 75g rolled oats, 20ml soya sauce, 25g breadcrumbs, handful of coriander leaves, chopped. Mix all ingredients together, season with celery salt and pepper, shape into burger shapes and bake at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 20 minutes.(408cals,10g fat) 


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit) 
Carrot and orange soup and broccoli flan. 1 bowl (300g) of carrot and orange soup, followed by 1 slice (120g) of wholemeal broccoli flan served with 1 baked yam (130g) and 1 portion of green vegetable medley. For the carrot and orange soup you’ll need 500g grated carrots, 1 litre of water, 1 medium onion, chopped, 60ml unsweetened orange juice, salt and pepper, a handful of chopped coriander, 20ml single cream or creme fraiche. Put the main ingredients in a pan and bring to boil, simmer for 1/2 an hour or until carrots are soft. Liquidise, season, garnish with coriander and cream. Serves 4. (568cals, 20.9g fat)


DAY 4
Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option)
1 bowl (30g) unsweetened tropical muesli with 125ml skimmed milk, followed by a slice of multigrain rye crispbread topped with 30g sliced fresh pineapple and 15g reduced fat cottage cheese. (270cals, 3.4g fat) 


Lunch 
1 portion of rice noodles with Quorn, followed by 100g mixed fruit salad. For the noodles, add 270g cooked rice noodles to 300ml miso-flavoured stock (miso paste is sold in supermarkets) and garnish with 90g Quorn fillets, shredded, 110g pak choi, 60g sliced carrots and 10g sliced spring onions. Season with Shoyu (low-salt soya sauce). (363cals, 5.5g fat) 


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit)
Vegetable moussaka, plus yoghurt dessert
1 portion of vegetable moussaka, followed by 1 pot (125g) of diet bio yoghurt with 120g stewed prunes. For the vegetable moussaka you’ll need 500g aubergines, thinly sliced, 120g corn oil, 225g onions, thinly sliced, 5g garlic, crushed, 225 chopped mushrooms, 280g cooked red split lentils, a handful of torn basil leaves, 2 bay leaves, 25g tomato puree, 250g tomatoes, sliced, 500g boiled potatoes, 500g white sauce made with skimmed milk, 2 small eggs and 150g grated mature cheddar cheese. Fry the aubergines with half of the oil and drain. Fry the onions and garlic in the remaining oil and add the mushrooms, lentils and tomato puree. Now add the bay leaves and basil leaves, season, cook for 5 minutes and spread onto the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Layer with aubergines, followed by the tomatoes and then the potatoes. Beat the eggs into the white sauce and pour over the potatoes; sprinkle over the cheese and bake at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 25-30 minutes. (Serves 4).(560cals, 21.2g fat)


DAY 5
Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option)
1 bowl of instant porridge (made with 1/4 pint skimmed milk) topped with 60g fresh chopped strawberries, followed by a bowl of fig, melon and banana salad with crystallised ginger (mix 100g sliced banana, 55g halved figs, 100g chopped honeydew melon and 10g chopped crystallised ginger together; chill until ready to eat).(307cals, 2.5g fat) 


Lunch 
1 serving of pea and pumpkin curry with 175g steamed Thai fragrant rice.(392cals, 7.5g fat) 


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit) 
Quorn korma and rice. 1 portion (250g) of shop-bought Quorn korma served with 1 portion (180g) of boiled Basmati rice and a tomato and cucumber salad (145g).(591cals, 18.4g fat) 


DAY 6


Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option)
2 slices (72g) of wholemeal bread topped with 30g reduced-fat cottage cheese and 40g canned pineapple chunks, followed by a bowl of crunchy tropical fruit salad (mix together 25g sliced papaya, 30g sliced kiwi fruit, 30g pineapple chunks and 1/2 passion fruit; top with 15g unsweetened muesli, lightly toasted under a medium grill for 5 minutes). (288cal, 3.4g fat) 


Lunch
150g boiled wholemeal spaghetti, served with 85g tomato and garlic pasta sauce and 15g Parmesan cheese, followed by a small serving (100g) of canned rice pudding topped with 30g fresh strawberries.(377cals, 10g fat) 


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit) 
Beanburger pitta pocket. 1 grilled beanburger (180g) served inside a large wholemeal pitta bread, stuffed with 90g mixed salad leaves and topped with a tablespoon of low-fat Greek yoghurt flavoured with a squeeze of lime juice. For the beanburger recipe (for the beanburger you’ll need 270g canned pureed red kidney beans, 20g vegetable oil, 90g finely chopped onion, 1 clove of crushed garlic, 90g grated carrots, 75g oatmeal, 1 tbsp Vegemite, a handful of basil leaves, torn. Fry the onion in half of the oil until brown, add garlic and the remaining ingredients. Form into 8 burgers, brush with the remaining oil and grill under a high heat for 5-7 minutes turning halfway during cooking.(559kcals, 12.9g fat) 


DAY 7
Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option) 
Any of the above breakfast meals


Lunch 
1 bowl (300g) canned lentil soup, followed by 1 plain toasted bagel (70g) filled with 30g hummus and 40g grated carrots.(352cals, 5.8g fat)


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit) 
Chickpea curry and salad. 1 portion (280g) of chickpea curry served with 2 chapattis (110g) and a green salad with yoghurt-based dressing.For the chickpea curry you’ll need 1 large onion, chopped, 2 garlic cloves, crushed, one and a half tbsp vegetable oil, half a tsp chilli powder, 1tsp ground cumin, half tsp ground coriander, half tsp ground ginger, 250g chopped canned tomatoes, 20g tomato puree, 650g boiled or canned chickpeas, 450ml vegetable stock. Fry the onions until soft, add garlic and spices and cook for another 4-5 minutes over a medium heat. Add the other ingredients and bring to the boil, cover and then simmer for 1 hour. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. (Serves 4).(576cals, 17.5g fat)


Snacks (twice a day)
Bio yoghurt - any flavour (125g contains 68 calories, 0.1g fat) Dried fruit - any kind (60g mixed dried fruit contains 160 calories, 0.2g fat) Vegetable crudites with low-fat soft cheese (30g celery, 30g carrot and 30g Tesco Healthy Eating Light Soft Cheese contains 49 calories, 2g fat) Fruit - any kind (80g banana contains 76 calories, 0.2g fat; 160g mango contains 91 calories, 0.3g fat; 112g apple contains 53 calories, 0.1g fat) Popcorn (30g contains 68 calories, 0.8g fat) Malt loaf (35g contains 108 calories, 0.8g fat) Breadsticks (30g contains 118 calories, 2.5g fat) Pumpernickel bread (33g contains 73 calories, 0.3g fat) Rye crispbread (30g contains 96 calories, 0.6g fat) Tesco Healthy Eating Currant Bun (55g contains 142 calories, 2.5g fat) Fruit teacake (40g contains 110 calories, 0.9g fat)

It does sound a lot more exciting than the original diet as it is a more varied, plus it is probably healthier as it contains a lot of fibre, veg & carbs however as I said before I do not know what the weight loss would be. You are eating 1200 calories a day rather than about 700-800. You could try exercising with it & burning off the extra calories or just try and stick at it for longer. I did a diet of 1200 calories a day & I lost 8 lbs in 2 weeks and Pascal lost 14 lbs in 2 weeks.

Good luck & please leave a comment if you try it!!