I really had healthy motives when I decided to try it. However, after nearly two years of lackluster results, I finally jettisoned my flexitarian diet.
What Are Flexitarians?
To my thinking, they’re people who panic at the thought of never eating meat again. According to the Mayo Clinic, they’re flexible eaters who don’t want to follow a completely vegetarian diet.
Unlike many nutritional regimens, which subtract certain foods or types of foods, this regimen allows you to add five food groups to your diet. U.S. News indicates that as a flexitarian, you can benefit from all the healthy aspects of a vegetarian diet but can add a juicy steak if the mood strikes you.
The Food Plan
Experts look to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released on Jan. 31, 2011, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as the inspiration for the flexitarian movement. These guidelines emphasized balancing calories with activity for weight management and eating more of specific foods and nutrients. They also encouraged eating fewer foods containing substances such as sodium, certain fats, cholesterol, added sugar, and refined grains.
The diet starts at a nutritional “ground zero” and adds five food groups to a person’s intake:
- “New meat” — beans, tofu, lentils, peas, seeds and nuts, eggs
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Dairy products
- Sugar and spice — herbs, salad dressing, certain sweeteners
The traditional flexitarian diet has a specific meal plan, but devotees who aren’t purists swap menus and adjust to meet personal preferences. The kicker is that you can enjoy a burger now and then.
Why I Went Flexitarian
I grew up in a German-American family in Ohio whose main dishes consisted of beef, pork, and fried chicken. I didn’t know until college that most people didn’t consider two pork chops a single serving.
Two years ago, I decided I wanted to lose 15 pounds. After three intestinal surgeries, there was no way I could digest a completely vegetarian diet.
Concerned about heart health and carrying excess weight into my Social Security years, I decided to become a flexitarian. This was a bit tricky, since any dairy products had to be immediately followed by an over-the-counter pill for lactose intolerance. The saving grace was meat now and then.
My expectations were modest. I wanted to do good things for my gut and cut the fat and calories in my diet, all with my doctor’s blessing. Beyond weight loss, I wanted to have more energy — enough to actually walk each day while accommodating some orthopedic limitations.
Another goal was lowering my blood pressure to get off medication. In short, I wanted what amounted to optimal health for me.
How It Worked
I ate two to four meals a week with meat, poultry, or fish. I consumed a lot of eggs, pasta, soups, and juices.
Even so, the fruits and vegetables I ate proved too much for my altered digestive tract. I had persistent bloating and flatulence problems. On some days, my abdomen just plain hurt. The more I cut back on “filler” foods like fresh veggies, the hungrier I got.
Did I lose weight? All of four pounds. Did I feel healthier and gain more energy? Not really.
I reluctantly jettisoned my flexitarian diet but not my attempts to become healthier. In the two months since I abandoned it, I’ve lost eight pounds by consuming meat more often but in smaller quantities than in the past. I’ve cut fat and calories. The result: hunger greatly reduced and gut happy.
