Hi Jericho and welcome!

I've been reading Schwarzbein and she does have a plan for vegetarians to reduce insulin levels, but she is emphatically against very low-carb programs like most of us here follow. Still, I think it might be a good option for you if you have tremendous patience. You should know, though, that her goal is not weight loss but improved health. She is against quick weight loss and says there is no healthy way to do it. Off the top of my head, one of her weight loss success stories was losing a pound a week and had another 1 1/2 years to go to lose 90 pounds. Another of her weight loss success stories started at (+-) 293 pounds and went down to (+-) 243 pounds. I don't remember any more successful examples in her book than those two. It's a good read anyway.

Another program that is designed to reduce insulin levels and is very compatible with vegetarian goals is Dr. Bob Arnot's Revolutionary Weight Loss Plan (or something like that). Again, like Schwarzbein, this is not a very low-carb plan. He focuses on the glycemic index of foods to reduce insulin levels and emphasizes high-fiber, lean protein sources like beans, lentils, and oatmeal. Most of us around here consider those foods high-carb rather than high-protein. But his plan works. I tried it for a week and lost 8 pounds. I just couldn't stand to face another bean.

Lastly, to answer your actual question, yes, I think you could do a very low-carb plan (like Atkins or PP) that is also vegetarian. ("Vegetarian" means many things to many people -- I know "vegetarians" who eat chicken but just not beef). Do you eat eggs? There are lots of things you can do with eggs. Cheese? That will diversify things (but watch out, don't go overboard on cheese). Nuts and peanut butter in small to moderate quantities are acceptable.

And there are LOTS of vegetarian products with a new consciousness of protein out there. The original Gardenburgers would be unacceptable but the new Gardenburgers (hambuger-style and flamegrilled-style) are very low-carb after subtracting the fiber. (We all subtract the fiber from total carb count). Morningstar brand Okara patties likewise are very low-carb after subtracting the fiber. (They taste like a cross between fish sticks and chicken patties). There are scores of similar products. Soy tempeh (but not other kinds of tempeh) is another good choice. You can make drinks from whey protein powder (or soy protein powder if you can stand it). It turns out that yogurt and kefir have much less carbohydrate than the labels say (use the search feature for more info).

Please let us know what you decide. We carnivores are not against you! Don't confine yourself to the vegetarian forum. We'd love to know what you decide and how it's going.

If you do decide to try it, let me know and I'll help you find more of those high-protein, low-carb products and give you ideas of what to do with them. I do some vegetarian meals myself.

Allison