Weight

[beforewisdom]

I was at a 5 day vegetarian confrence this past July and Dr. Klapper mentioned the exact foods you did as being responsible for 'the fat vegan' syndrome.

If you want to lose weight drink water versus drinks with calories, eat less sweets, eat less flour ( even whole grain) products, eat less processed food, eat WHOLE grains, and eat lots of vegetables.

In the end it is all about calories.

Whole foods make it easier to eat less calories, processed foods make it easier to eat more calories.

A 250 calorie difference per day can mean a 1/2 pound difference per week, 25 lbs a year. A soda or a juice is close to this amount. FYI

[beforewisdom]

Thanks for your posts!
I would say I eat about 1500 calories a day. Sometimes up to 2000. I'm 5'2", so 105 is a healthy weight. And yes, I alternate days for weight training.
I'll usually have a bagel for breakfast and some type of tofu/bean/veggie dish with rice or on a bun for lunch and for dinner. So you really think switching to wheat/whole grain will be the difference between 105 and 115?
No. The fiber in whole grains lose their ability to regulate blood sugar( hence appetitie and weight ) when the whole grains are ground into flour.

Many "whole grain" flour products are simply made with white flour with some whole grain flour mixed in.

Steve

[ConsciousCuisine]

The only processed "whole grain" products I am in complete support of are grains that have been sprouted first and made into tortillas and breads (commonly considered Raw and Live, dehydrated at low heats) because they are high in protein, fiber and are easier to digest. The bagels and tortillas you buy at schoolor a grocery store is guaranteed to be the "white flour with some whole grains" type of thing.

[phillip888]

I was a vegetarian my whole life, and after going vegan, I gained ten pounds (105 to 115). This may very likely have been because it coincided with my infamous freshman year of college (the "freshman 15"). I work out every day (aerobics and lifting weights) and I've barely lost 2 pounds in 2 months. I don't eat any more than I did when I was vegetarian. I know that adding muscle can cause weight gain, but it still doesn't make much sense. It's true that everything I eat involves bread, rice, potatoes, tortillas, etc., but could the culprit really be carbohydrates? Does anyone know why I can't lose any of this weight?

Do you feel worse? Some people just get heavier when they work out. If you like the way you feel and look, ten pounds is just... well ten pounds. If you put on fat and you can see it (and you don't like it), stop eating grains. They're pretty much worthless for anything but calories anyway. Nutritionally they're inferior to so most fruits and veggies, and they're an acidic forming substances in humans (acid forming foods can cause a loss of calcium and other minerals and vitamins, water retention, dehydration, and a lot of other issues, even cancer according to some studies). Definitely eat more veggies and fruit whatever you do.

[Vivisanctor]

OrchidPrint:

I'm going to restate what phillip already touched on--

Do not automatically conclude that the extra pounds are 'unhealthy' or even bad in any way. I know you weren't really looking for advice, but I felt I should throw that out there. I gained weight naturally when I was in my early 20's. Just kinda goes with the territory.

[Fruitbat]

OrchidPrint:

I'm going to restate what phillip already touched on--

Do not automatically conclude that the extra pounds are 'unhealthy' or even bad in any way. I know you weren't really looking for advice, but I felt I should throw that out there. I gained weight naturally when I was in my early 20's. Just kinda goes with the territory.
I am a really really really active person and I eat huge amounts of fruit and veg and yet stay at the same weight whether i like it or not. I suspect that this is because I over-work my body and underfeed it alot of the time and therefore my body goes into starvation mode where it stores food as much as possible. This is not intentional - it's just that after exercise I am never hungry so dont eat as much as I should. Anyway what I am getting to is that I too have put on alot of weight since reaching my 20s (as well as being srisouly underweight before) and do not rule my life by my weight more by my appearance - if I like wots int eh mirror then great if not I work on it. Nutrition and health are an obsession with me. If you over-exercise and under-eat you will feel bad about yourself because your body is unable to make an release feel good molecules whereas if you are healthy you will feel fantastic. Some people naturally never have the stereotypical image of their sex i.e. in girls a beautiful flat stomach and sculpted arse - I don't and yet I have yet to meet a girl who does as many sit-ups and bum exercises as me and have the same physiological appearance as me!

[Vivisanctor]

I'm healthy, and exercise as well.. but I never take more than a passing glance in the mirror. I just don't worry about looks much.

[Mystic]

Firstly, this is not an attack on anybody's opinion...but I just want to put in my two cents worth.

I definately DO NOT agree that wholegrain flour products or potatoes (and I am not talking about fries) are bad. I definately don't agree that grains (as a whole) are nutritionally deficient and unhealthy. If they were - I would be morbidly obese. I eat bread everyday - sometimes even (gasp) white bread and I am 10kg underweight. (I am going to a dietician on Wednesday!) - True, that my weight is due to a severe eating disorder, but if you look at 'What did I eat today' post, and see what my diet consists of...grains (whole or not whole/processed or not processed/cooked or not cooked) are my staple - and I definately do not steer from potatoes.

I try to choose wholegrains wherever possible - especially at home, but especially since my history with food obsession is very bad, I choose to not obsess too much as this hinders my social life (most restaurants serve white pasta/white rice and going for meals at peoples houses) and sometimes it is just nice to eat a crusty bread roll or a cookie.

If you like carbs (like I do) I would suggest smaller portions. Don't deprive yourself - choose the healthy stuff most of the time and if you are out or whatever, don't freak out that the bread is white sourdough flour instead of sprouted wholegrain wheatberries. Personally, I don't have time for that and my lifestyle doesn't account for it.

DO include lots of veggies - veggies (even avocados and potatoes and corn) cannot make you fat. Same for fruit - All fruit (some people I know reckon bananas are fattening) and yes I know that avocado is botanically a fruit!

For snacks I also eat lots of fruit - fresh/dried/canned. rice cakes and sometimes vegan ice cream, vegan cookies, vegan cake and chocolate - MODERATELY. Vegan milks and yoghurts are also acceptable snacks in my opinion if you like them - choose low fat though.

I also agree with water instead of calorie - containing drinks (although sometimes I will have a diet soft drink if I want one that bad - I cannot have the regular anyway coz I screwed up my blood sugar levels)

Just do what you are doing - base your diet around wholegrains (and their products), fruits, vegetable and legumes - and their products - but maybe watch your portions with the more calorie dense, like the high carb/fat and protein things. Nuts are also good in moderation - and cook with a small amount of olive oil!

[Roxy]

Well written, Banana! I always look at what you write in the "What did you eat today" thread and I always think your days sound so healthy!

Roxy

[Mystic]

Thanx Roxy :)...but Concious cuisine makes me look like junk food addict LOL! Just kidding.

[Fruitbat]

I agree about many of the things you say Banana - like that no fruit and no vegetable can make you fat on its own - but when they are combined in excess with other things they may lead ot fattening. Also wholegrains are better health-wise and can assist weight-loss but I do not say that ppl who dont eat them or dont eat them all the time are going to be fat becos that simply isnt true. Also I htink it depends on everyone's metabolism, lifefstyle and physical activities how much they cn eat safely. Some ppl have huge appetites and can eat lots and stay thin when others can eat minute meals and put on weight. The other thing to consider is the combination of foods eaten and the times they are eaten at etc. Finally I think weightloss and gain can be down to portion size IF the person in question already follows a healthy balanced diet and by reducing portion size alot of ppl would prob lose weight without having to give up any of their normal foods.

[Fruitbat]

Another thing....


I used to be anorexic and wsa severly underweight -but fortunatly being vegan rescued me before I did any permanent damage to myself. Even after I started eating properly again my weight stayed about 10kg under wot it should be and it wasnt until a trip with my parents where I was deprived of exercise and plied with too much food that I put on any weight at all. When I got back to my normal living place and could use the gym and the pool and eat my sensible healthy diet - I was able to use my weight gain to build muscle and change my body from the ultra thin to the toned shape. I think when I was 10kg underwewight even if ate alot of healthy food and a little unhealthy stuff- my body was so desperate for nourishement and I was still spending alot of energy in the pool and gmy and on the lacrosse field - that despite my best efforts it couldnt build any muscle or fat up in the long term so it was a rest period and a heavy eating period it needed to rvcover. Also my ED had retarded my growth a little so as soon as i became vegan and ate sensibly alot of the enery was going into finishing growing instead of re-building muscle and tissues.

[rawreform]

hello, I have recently updated my testimonial website about overcoming chronic obesity with a raw vegan diet - please take a look at www.rawreform.com and let me know what you think. Thanks.

[suezin]

Hey, i havent read your whole web-site. It does seem very intriguing though. I will for sure read it all. I really like how you stree how your diet should be whatever you feel is right for you. Too often i find people stress about following a labled (such as 'vegan') diet. Jus do what works for you- -I though that was great. I realy like your site, i'll be telling people about it. And congrad's!
~peace.

[tails4wagging]

Sounds very complicated?. I am 2 stone overweight and vegan, I would dearly love to lose weight. I love nuts, thats my problem, plus crisps!!.I do find that a lot of vegan recipes contain frying or substituting eggs in cakes with veg, oil.

[eve]

why eat cakes at all? But keep up with the nuts!

[harpy]

tails4wagging, I have recently lost a fair bit of weight, largely as a side-effect of lifestyle modifications designed to get my cholesterol levels down (which they did). I still eat (unsalted) nuts so I'd say they're not a barrier to losing weight, but I went "cold tofu" on the crisps as I used to be a bit of a crispaholic. I don't really miss them now but I do include plenty of other crunchy things such as raw carrots etc to satisfy the urge.

If you have a sweet tooth maybe you could up the fruit (including dried fruit) to help you go easy on the cakes etc?

[tails4wagging]

Dried fruit is a bit dodgy is'nt it cause doe'snt it contain shellac?.
I don't eat cake that often as I cannot be bothered half the time to bake a vegan one!. Nuts and crisps are my downfall and when my friend and I are out shopping here, it is a nightmare to try and find somewhere to eat that is vegan so we end up eating chips and curry sauce!!!. Vegan choc, is yummy when I can get it.

[harpy]

I believe some dried fruit has shellac - it's a glaze so I think if you go for the non-shiny kinds you should be OK. As far as I know it has to be listed on the packet as an ingredient, so probably more of a hazard for unwrapped things (like shiny apples).

Since I've been on my healthy eating kick I try to carry my own supplies around so I don't get too hungry while I'm out and fall into the crisp/chip trap :D A few nuts etc usually hit the spot.

[blue]

You are absolutely beautiful!

[MzNatural]

Wow you look fabulous! I have been interested in the raw foods lifestyle. I am gradually increasing my intake as each week progresses. I bought a book about raw foods by Juliano (http://www.rawrestaurant.com/) called Raw (http://www.planetraw.com/ecart/product_reviews_info.php?products_id=31&reviews_id=2&osCsid=ea4e64daefe9e0a90d6d94ba8be742d1).
The book is nice and filled with beautiful raw food pictures/recipe's however I was looking for more information about raw foods (nutrition, studies, etc.) instead of mainly recipes. I think I will have to make another trip to Barnes & Noble. I use any excuse to go there. ;)

[Aurora]

Interesting stuff on Hypothyroidism. I have suffered with it for 20 years and find the fact you came off thyroxine amazing! Did you have any problems with the medical profession and did your diet balance your thyroid? And how long did it take?

Sorry for all the questions but I would love to come off thyroxine.

Aurora

[ConsciousCuisine]

The book is nice and filled with beautiful raw food pictures/recipe's however I was looking for more information about raw foods (nutrition, studies, etc.) instead of mainly recipes. I think I will have to make another trip to Barnes & Noble. I use any excuse to go there. ;)


"Conscious Eating" by Gabriel Cousins is FABULOUS! It has good information on pregnancy and feeding children as well. It is considered a "Raw Food Bible"...
;)

[MzNatural]

"Conscious Eating" by Gabriel Cousins is FABULOUS! It has good information on pregnancy and feeding children as well. It is considered a "Raw Food Bible"...
;)

Thanks CC!

I called Barnes & Noble to see if it was available but they don’t have it in stock. However they are ordering it for me. They should have it within 4 days. I can’t wait to read it. I went to Amazon and read a sample chapter. I also looked at the Table of Contents. Wow, it is informative. It definitely seems to be what I am looking for. :p

Thanks again! :D

[MandaPea]

i've been vegan for about 9 days now and i anticipated some weight-loss, but haven't lost ANY weight yet! it's not going to discourage me from being vegan because i'm really doing it for the animals, but i also know that the added bonus is a healthier (and leaner) body. is this normal? i really don't eat a lot of fatty foods, or in large amounts.
how long did it take for you to start losing weight? :confused: