Myjellybean.com

Dear Jellybean,

I'm a vegetarian (I've been one for about a year now) and I hate most meat substitutes. The other day, I had a veggie burger and I only ended up eating... well, the fries. I don't regret my choice to stop eating meat, but because I dislike stuff like tempeh (tofu is fine, but not all the time!), I've resorted to eating things like ciabatta and potatoes, because America's only everyday 'healthy' alternatives for vegetarians are salad and veggie burgers. Did I mention that I also find salad insufferably bland? People think I'm joking when I tell them I'm a vegetarian who doesn't like salad, but I'm not!

Because I've been subsisting on things like bread, soup, and potatoes, I've gained a lot of weight (5 to 10 pounds) since I became a veghead, even though taking meat out of one's diet is supposed to make them lose weight. I'm tall (5'6), but I have chunky legs, a bulgy stomach, and my butt kind of sags. I'm 13 and I weigh 120-125 pounds. I exercise (I do pilates, yoga, and fencing, and I also like to run, just not outside, because I don't like being exposed to the sun and I can't run with sunglasses) but I can't seem to take the weight off or regulate my diet to accommodate my lifestyle. I guess it doesn't help that I'm horribly finicky, either, but I need help! Please help me.

-Rayne