To eat or not to eat…meat that is…what is your take?

A WSJ article discussed a diet plan that cut out meats in order for people to shave pounds quickly. How do you feel about this?

Throughout my life, I have had several encounters with friends who are “fad” dieters, always trying the newest technique to loose weight. The truth is that there really is no one diet that fits all.

Personally, I have found that when I cut out meats from my diet and add more carbohydrates and breads, it makes a difference on the scale. But some people, such as athletes, perhaps should not take this approach. Are they really getting all of their nutrients?

My biggest concern when people cut out major food groups such as this is where their bodies get the needed fats and proteins from. If a person is not properly consuming the right amounts of these, when s/he works out or does any physical activity for that matter, his or her body begins to eat away at muscle in order to compensate for this. I recently read on a web page (that I found when searching for information on iron in breakfast foods) that since muscle allows you to burn calories, not getting enough nutrients is defeating the purpose of loosing weight, because the ultimate goal is o cut back/burn calories. Muscles need to be fed in order to burn calories.

But, I know of several people who are vegetarians and exercise frequently and “feel great.” It must be a matter of balance. Perhaps vitamins and iron pills do the trick.

What is your take on cutting meat out of a person’s diet so s/he can loose weight?