the weight lost thread

[Hetfield]

Morning People,

I know from reading the forum that several of you have lost loads of weight in the past and seem to have kept it off either since being vegan or before.
I am having a nightmare at the moment with my endless weight problem. Just thought we could have a thread of success stories where people who have lost weight get a pat on the back and I and no doubt others like me get a bit of inspiration.

Hope I am not repeating something already posted.

Have a good day
Hetfield

[absentmindedfan]

When I went vegan I lost half a stone in a fortnight. Since then (almost 18 months ago now) I have lost a further stone, through a wholegrain vegan diet with plenty of veg, about 10% fat, healthy snacks and clever craving-fighting. Interestingly despite running 2 miles 3 times a week as well as rowing, cycling, swiming and Yoga I have only lost about 3 pounds since starting to exercise. My main weight loss was due to diet.

Anyway, back to my craving-fighting. After reading Dr Neal Barnard's Breaking the Food Seduction (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Breaking-Food-Seduction-Hidden-Reasons-Behind-Food-Cravings-7-Steps-End-Them-Naturally/dp/0312314949/sr=8-3/qid=1157103577/ref=sr_1_3/026-0160806-0018024?ie=UTF8&s=gateway) I resolved to fight my cravings for fat, salt and chocolate especially when premenstrual. The book explains how sugar, fat and chocolate are addictive, as they trigger opiates to be relased in the brain in the same way as drugs and alcohol do. Cheese and meat have the same effect but obviously vegans have gone cold-turkey on those already. (BTW I would reccommend this book as a gift for vegetarians and omnis trying to be healthier and eating a vegan diet as it explains how to break the addiction)

Anyway, to stop these cravings you need to stop eating what triggers the addiction for 2-3 months. With chocolate it is the fat and cocoa butter in chocolate bars, cocoa is fine so to satisfy my taste for something chocolatey I eat Alpro choc soya desserts or make a low-fat chocolate muffin, or have chocolate soya. I now find when I do eat a chocolate bar it makes me feel a bit sick, and I no longer crave them.

Sugar is tougher, but replacing it with natural sugars like maple syrup, unrefined caster sugar, Agave nectar helps stop cravings for refined sugars. I already abstain from caffeine and alcohol and now I don't really crave anything. I still have a 'taste' for sweet things or savoury things but I don't crave them. I have a much healthier relationship with food now, I eat when I am hungry not when I crave it. By not eating junk foods I don't crave them, in fact when I do eat them I don't like them anymore as my tastes have changed.

As a result of eating this way I can eat whatever I want (and I find I have more of a taste for fruit and veg now as snacks) and not have to worry about my weight.

[RedWellies]

AMF, regarding your lack of weight loss due to excercise...don't forget you will be toning up and putting on muscle, which weighs more than fat. It will also help you in the long run as a more muscley person burns more calories.:)

[Hemlock]

Well I'm already porky and I've put on a stone since christmas. I know why, because the nursing home I work in is a veritable food fiesta, there is all types of fattening food there, great plates of roast potatoes (vegan) boxes of dark vegan chocs, crisps, boiled sweets. You do not escape even if you are vegan and I've just been grazing non stop.
Thank God I'm starting a new job soon where the only food I will have access too is the food I bring in and I won't have time to go to the shops in my lunch break.
I am an opportunistic fatty, if the food isn't there all is ok. It's very depressing feeling like a bucket of lard constantly and being vegan has not reduced my weight one iota!

[twinkle]

I've been all over the place, weight wise, since I turned vegan.

Initially, it didn't make a lot of difference. A couple of years after I went vegan I lost about 3 stone, partly through calorie counting and partly just through not taking very good care of myself. Then a few years later I started an MSc and piled it all back on (and more) so I was around thirteen stone (at 5'5"), now I'm back down to about ten and a half stone, but I could probably do with losing another 15-20lb. Technically I'm no longer overweight though :)

[thecatspajamas1]

I was just on vacation for two weeks, and there were a lot of great vegan restaurants and I overate SOO much (think: fried samosas, tempeh burgers, vegan milkshakes...), and feel really chubby now. So I'm trying to eat less now. I just started my fall semester of classes and I'm taking a nutrition course, which should be a good thing for me, I'll be thinking about nutrition more and avoiding junk foods I hope.

[sugarmouse]

I have recently lost about 7lb,thru eatng more fresh foods and less fatty processed ones, and running for longer at the gym.
Itdefinitly helps me when I tink about nutritian rather than weight loss..its easier for me to think I want to not fill my body with crap, for health reasons,than to lose weigh!
then if i go to the gym,I dont want to eat rubbish because it counteracts what good work I have done!If i just decide to do it for weigh loss reasons,I end up thinkin ' ah well I aint that fat!/my friends tlell me i lookl nice as i am/im not that assed about losing weigh...etcetc! lol

[vegamatic]

"its easier for me to think I want to not fill my body with crap, for health reasons,than to lose weigh!" I would have to agree with you on that Sugarmouse!

I was a cook, chef and baker for about 15 years. I owned a take-out restaurant and I made (and ate) pizza, pasta, breads, and just about every fried food you can imagine! Not to mention that I washed it down with a lot of BEER and about 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes and 4 -6 cups of coffee a day. I was always on the heavy side, but surrounded with all that crap I found myself growing really fast. After leaving the field, and giving a vegan diet a lot of thought and research, jumped right in. I'm 6 foot 4 inches tall. At my peak weight I was over 365 pounds. I don't know exactly how heavy I was, the scale at the doctors office only went up to 360 pounds! I lost 50 pounds right away, even though I was eating more than ever at this time, and still not what I would say was a healthy vegan diet. Still drinking beer and eating fried foods (and smoking). Still my health slowly improved. I no longer hade high blood pressure and felt better. About 5 years on the vegan diet I was down to 340, not nearly where I wanted to be. One night about 1 1/2 years ago I started having pains in my chest and my arm felt funny. Long story short, after a week in the hospital I was told I that I might have had a stroke or a heart attack. After more tests, they suspected a bad valve or a blockage. More tests..."OK you can go home now, nothing is wrong with you." What, are you kidding? What about the chest pain? More tests revealed that I have sleep apnea.
I did however discover the key to healthy vegan eating, how to quit smoking, and beer, and caffeine. Just spend a week in the hospital and have the doctors tell you that you had a heart attack! No beer, cigs, or caffeine, no fried foods, pasta, or added sugar and limited processed foods or white flour. I increased my intake of vegetables, and whole grain. With some walking for exercize, and around 1500 calories a day I went from 340 from the time of my hospital stay, to 240 pounds in 6 months. I averaged over a pound a day for over 30 days.
Went off the diet for almost 8 months. Quickly went up to 265 and stayed there until about 3 months ago. Started going up again quickly when I started drinking beer again. Up to 381 pounds so... back on the diet, off the beer now for 3 weeks. Back down to 265 pounds. My goal is 215, that will be a total loss of over 150 pounds. Only 50 to go. Piece of cake! (so to speak) Just need to stay away from the beer and keep eating healthy. At this point, I don't even feel like I'm on a diet. I really think this is just how I'll eat from now on, after all, "diets" really don't work, trust me, I've tried them all!

[hollybee]

Hi-I'm new. I've been vegan for about 6 months. I am 5'1" tall. Last November I weighed 152 pounds. I've always exercised, but ate way too much and all the wrong things. As of this morning, I weigh 108.5 pounds. I have about 1.5 more to lose, which will probably come off in the next week or so.

[Tangerine]

I became a v*ggie about 1 yr ago this month (September) -- I had the hardest time loosing any weight and I had the hardest time giving up cheese. I lost about 18lbs right off in the first month and half, that was an awesome feeling, but then I was stuck at that point for the next 6 months. I started to loose more weight when I finally gave up the cheese and limited my bread, I still have a ways to go but I feel awesome giving up that cheese crap! Also, I started walking about 5 times a week about an hour each time - excersize is always helpful.

thats my story :D

[VisForVegan]

Has anyone here who has lost weight, or even those that haven't, noticed that their body fat has been redistrubuted?

I wonder, becuase I think I read somewhere that vegans have smallers waists in specific which signifies less chance for cardio vascular disease.

I tend to gain weight in my upper body and midsection, increasing my risk for a lot of diseases and what not. Anyone know is the absense of animal products can help..iono, move fat around?

[Tigerlily]

I have noticed I carry most of my fat in my stomach region than ever before (and I weight lighter now as a vegan than an omni).

[sugarmouse]

I have always carried most of my fat around my middle. I wish it was different..when I gain weight I look like an easter egg on legs.lol

[hollybee]

I'm finally down to my goal weight: 107 pounds!! I'm only 5'1", so I'm just a little under the recommended weight for my height. I had to buy a pair of size 4 jeans this morning, because the size 6's I bought two weeks ago are so big they're falling off me.

[yasha]

Hollybee, what did you do to lose weight? (share with me so I can do it too!!) :)

[hollybee]

Hi yasha,

I've tried to think of what I did to lose the weight, and what helped me the most.
1. Lots of exercise. I run and swim, but any exercise is good. Don't be tempted to eat more after exercising. It burns up calories, but also makes your body more efficient at processing them.

2. Have your calories during the day. Always be sure to eat breakfast. Eat a lot of small meals, rather than three big meals. Make sure you pair carbohydrates with protein-the protein slows down the carbohydrate absorption and will leave you full and satisfied for longer.

3. Eat a high-carbohydrate snack at 3:15 pm every day. That will stop you from craving sugar after 4 pm.

4. Set modest goals. It's too overwhelming to think of the entire amount you want to lose. Focus on losing 5 pounds at a time. Don't think beyond that.

I did drink green tea, mostly because I like it. I'm not sure it made any difference.
Of course, the hardest part for me (or for any dieter) is resisting temptation when others are eating something yummy, but you know it will make you lose control. Yesterday, my daughter was doing a science experiment that involved reading package labels. Without thinking, I pulled out the vegan cookies. My kids each wanted one, and I looked into the package and imagined eating one. But I didn't. I had a banana instead. It's going to be a lifelong battle for me, but I feel so good about myself and am so happy with the way I look that I wouldn't give that up for the sake of a few chocolate chip cookies.
Good luck to you!! Let me know how it's going.

[yasha]

thanks for the info! yes, it is hard to eat healthy stuff when I watch my fiance eating yummy pizzas and such, but I just go make some healthy pasta or eat some fruit. Or, if I am feeling really weak, go and make a vegan pizza.
lol

[howdawg]

Hey Vegematic, that's an inspiring story! I'm 6'1", 205 right now, but a year ago, I was over 260. I basically quit drinking beer, and a huge thing for me was to stop eating in the evenings. I usually try to eat for the last time around 5 o'clock or so. Sometimes I'm up until the wee hours of the night, and if I get a craving, I'll have a pickle or something low calorie NO fat and salty! It was a bit dificult at first, but after a couple of days, I no longer felt hungry at night and noticed that I wasn't eating as much during the day either! Im still losing weight, having weighed in at 210 about a week ago. It also definately helps to get away from all the fried, processed foods.. I try my absolute best to eat only things I prepare myself at home from fresh foods.

[yasha]

that's awsome howdawg! I am 5'3" and about 197 lbs, as of this morning. Before going vegan and eating all of these healthy foods, I was about 211 or so. It's definately the way to go, huh? :)

[howdawg]

It's amazing how veganism and healthy can tie together like that, right? haha.. I was a very strict vegetarian for years before hand, and actually originally went vegan for mostly health reasons, about the same time I started losing weight :D.

[wmenke]

Howdawg,
That's a very inspiring weight loss story. I'm also 5'1" and I've recently gained about 12lbs (I blame it on the newlywed life). I'm stuck at 123lbs, but I'm going to take some of your advice and see how it goes!

[Roxy]

I have now lost 18 pounds since April. Admittedly, the last 4 or so pounds, were lost a little quicker than what is healthy (due to stress), but overall, I think I've lost it in a slow, healthy process.

I'm 5"3 and now 135 pounds.

I was just wondering.......weight loss can almost become an addictive thing. How do you know when you've lost enough?

[wmenke]

I personally think that as long as you are giving your body what it needs to function properly than you're ok. Once you start depriving your body of the essentials, you wont feel as good or be able to function as you are right now, then you've gone too far.

[hollybee]

I was just wondering.......weight loss can almost become an addictive thing. How do you know when you've lost enough?

I was struggling with that a little while ago. I am 5'1", and 106 pounds. I feel just right at this weight. At first, I only wanted to get to 120, but wasn't satisfied at that weight. I really wanted to get to the point where I could wear jeans comfortably. Now I've lost enough, and I feel strong and disciplined enough NOT to go back to my old ways. Exercise is a way of life for our whole family, so I know I will always exercise. And I am happy being a vegan, I'm very confident that I won't go back to my old eating habits.

[howdawg]

I personally think that as long as you are giving your body what it needs to function properly than you're ok. Once you start depriving your body of the essentials, you wont feel as good or be able to function as you are right now, then you've gone too far.

I think that while this is true, it's important to think about dieting as a health thing rather than a weight thing. We can look on tv and see these people who are way too skinny. It's not healthy. If you see dieting as a way to get fit, the pounds lost are only a benifet, and they tend to come naturally. Once you get to a proper place on the scale, your body should balance itself out if you're going for health. Honestly girls, guys like a little extra sometimes!

I think that if we are asking ourselves if we are getting to skinny, that may be a sign that we are. But at the same time, eat a balanced diet, get our vitamins, and enough calories to provide us with energy to get through the day, and we should be on the right track!!!