yay... and confused

[yasha]

Ok so tomorrow offically marks my one month of being Vegan. WooHoo! :)

However, despite how proud I am of my decision and dedication, and the fact that I have over this month lost about... oh 9 pounds or so...

I am feeling like I am still unhealthy. I feel better, but I notice that I get hungry quite often, and so I eat. And then I eat again. And, I try to make it as healthy as possible like veggies and water or some fresh fruit. Also, I am eating mainly orgainc stuff. And, drinking lots of water.

However, I don't know if I am doing something wrong or if my body is just adjusting or what, but I find myself craving cheese, MILKCHOCOLATE and sweeeet sodas! I can do without the cheese and maybe the chocolate, but the sodas get me everytime.

If I could avoid having them in the house alltogether, it would be much easier, but my live-in, omni boyfriend drinks mainly sodas and once in a while, water. So, he buys sodas and keeps the fridge stocked with them.

NOW, the main issue I have:
I am gonna be open with this: I am 5 feet, 3 inches tall, and I weigh 200 pounds at the moment. A year ago I was 155ish and wanting to lose about 15 pounds. (I am of a large frame and I have a lot of muscle tone under the chub!) But, due to the combination of a poor diet and taking antidepressants I have managed to gain all this weight in just under a year and now, I am chubby and I have stretchmarks on my hips and thighs. :(

I reallly really really want to lose weight for my health, not just for vain reasons. I would like to be fit and happy again.

So...
Suggestions anyone?
What foods should I exclude?
What are good foods that are filling and healthy?
Any supplements for energy?
How long is it generally before a lot of weight comes off?
I am eating the healthiest I have eaten in my life and I am pleased with the results, but I am just neurotic enough to worry that the weight loss will stop and I will gain more weight.

Thanks!
sorry for such a lengthy post

[Risker]

Try soda water and fruit juice mixed.

If you want to snack eat fruit, dried fruit (dried mango is lovely) and lots of different nuts (raw, not salted or roasted)

I went through the cheese craving, don't worry, it goes.

[yasha]

I went through the cheese craving, don't worry, it goes.
oh thank god!

[Seaside]

Read Breaking the Food Seduction (http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Food-Seduction-Cravings-Naturally/dp/0312314930), yasha. Its by Neil Barnard of PCRM, its vegan, and it not only will help you understand the chemical reasons behind being addicted to stuff like cheese and chocolate, it offers info on weight loss too. Its a really good book. :)

[Haniska]

I take soy protein powder 2 to 3 times a day when I feel like all I eat are carbs. I've dropped a few pounds in the past 3 weeks since I started.

[yasha]

that is something I have thought of doing. Now, the obvious question:
What are some good, organic protein powders?

[puffin]

I take soy protein powder 2 to 3 times a day when I feel like all I eat are carbs. I've dropped a few pounds in the past 3 weeks since I started.

Do you use it as a meal replacer? And do you work out a lot? Just want to lose a few pounds myself.

[flycat]

First, try and cut out sugar. sounds like you are on your way! The craving will go away! Good start avoiding the sodas. I just gained a lot by switching from diet soda (bad aspartame!!) to regular and just a few sodas a day I was gaining like mad! I was drinking Arizona iced tea but it still had 17 grams of sugar per serving (coke has 40!) so I am now making my own green iced tea and putting xylitol in it which is an arificial sweetner that is not bad for you like aspartame.

Any grains you eat should be whole grain, no "white" food like white bread, rice, etc. You should also probably limit the tofu since it's the "white bread" of soy.

The Weimar Institute's NEWSTART cookbook is good. they have an institute in Calif. where people go with diabetes, heart disease, obesity, etc and their health problems are totally reversed based on a vegan diet. The food triangle for vegans is GRAIN BASED and it is a great tool to figure our what to eat everyday. in other words if it says 5-6 servings of grain, and 3-4 of fruits and veggies, for me it's easy to figure out, what am I missing today? (other items on the food triangle are nuts, soy, legumes, fat, etc.) (I don't remember the exact number of servings per day but it's close)

You are like me!! I lost 10 lbs over the first few months of turning vegan! I NEVER have that gross stuffed feeling after eating a big meal . it is wonderful.

They have a great broccoli casserole recipe in the book.

Also has anyone visited this site? http://www.veganchef.com/

I don't think i've ever had a bad recipe from this site!~~
Why are you thinking of taking protein powder? the protein in vegetables, grains and legumes is the best!

Good luck to you ! I know you will be successful. Don't get discouraged!!

[yasha]

thank you for the encouragement. I am going to the bookstore tomorrow!:)

[Haniska]

I take protein powder because I have a high metabolism (maybe) so I eat a lot. I don't put on muscle -a possible medical condition that I am currently looking into. I eat a lot of whole vegan food and for some reason it doesn't always satisfy me. Also when I eat whole grains I feel like I need to take sugar with them, I don't know if they lower my blood sugar or if it is that thing that craving sugar after a meal is craving protein.
At the end of the day my carbs are high, even if I don't do the sugar thing. It is easy to do when all whole vegan foods contain carbs and I eat a lot. No, I don't use it as a meal replacement, but I don't eat many grains because they don't really agree with me. I also don't eat many nuts because I am allergic to some and have other problems with the others. I use the Whole Foods brand soy protein because it is cheapest and has no sugar. I usually mix it with carrot juice and I was mixing some ground pine nuts but they were giving me problems so I am going to break down and buy some hemp seed oil.

[Haniska]

Oh p.s. I think the protein powder makes me feel satified instead of eating a bunch of carbs all day. I think there is something to the adkins thing about carbs making you crave carbs.

[hollybee]

I have lost 44 pounds since last December. I had to cut way down on portions, eat very small meals often, not eat late at night. I rarely eat sweets. I exercise like a fiend (running and swimming), and have to resist the temptation to eat more JUST because I exercise. It's going to be a lifelong battle for me to stay at my present weight, but it's more important for me to feel healthy, look good and be comfortable in my clothes than it is to eat a bag of cookies every day. When I started losing weight, I was a size 14. Now I am a 4!
There's one thing that really helped me to get over late-afternoon, late-night cravings. I eat a high-carbohydrate snack every day at around 3:15 p.m. That way I don't crave sweets in the late afternoon, and I'm usually not hungry whan it's time for dinner.

[hollybee]

Oh p.s. I think the protein powder makes me feel satified instead of eating a bunch of carbs all day. I think there is something to the adkins thing about carbs making you crave carbs.

REFINED carbs make you carve more refined carbs. That's because the insulin your body puts out goes through the simple sugars really quickly, so when the sugar is gone you still have insulin zipping through your system looking for more sugar. Make sure you have a protein with your carbohydrate-that makes it go through your system more slowly and leaves you feeling full and satisfied.
The problem with low- or no- carbohydrate diets is that your body ends up producing MORE insulin in order to get what glucose it can to continue your basic bodily functions (such as keeping your brain going). So when you go back to eating carbohydrates, your body will keep/store more of them as fat because you have increased your insulin production.

[flycats]

Oh ok! I didn't understand about the protein powder but now I do! cool!

PS check amazon.com if you have trouble finding any of the books!