Weight loss / gain

[Urban]

I recently turned into a vegan about a week ago. I know what the title of this thread is implying, but that's not the reason to as to why I turned vegan (it was because I was looking at my family's health history and noticed that it wasn't the greatest thing in the world...)

Is it true that going vegan will bring automatic weight-loss though? I am in no mood to lose weight, I am kind of content with my current weight actually. However, is it true that it will naturally bring weight loss, or do you still have to calorie count and such?

My sister wants to lose weight by becoming a vegan, and wants to make a healthier lifestyle for herself so that she won't have to deal with later health problems that we're afraid that heredity will bring to us. She wants to lose about 10-15 pounds, but can she do this by just eating vegan, or does she have to calorie count? She is unable to do exercise because she's a student and literally doesn't get the time (or else she probably wouldn't be going to bed at 3 am every night).

Are there any vegans who lost weight through veganism that can help out with this?

By the way, she's about 123 pounds and 5 feet 4 inches.

[TXvegan]

I think it really depends on the type of diet that you eat. If you eat too many calories and don't burn them off, you'll never lose weight just by becoming a vegan.

[Back-Space]

I think it's easier to lose weight on a vegan diet, but not at all necessary :p French fries are vegan :D

[Urban]

Yeah, I know what you mean, but she's hearing that people who go on a normal 2000 calorie diet and hardly any exercise are losing weight simply by going vegan. They aren't even overweight to begin with too!

[Back-Space]

Yeah, I know what you mean, but she's hearing that people who go on a normal 2000 calorie diet and hardly any exercise are losing weight simply by going vegan. They aren't even overweight to begin with too!

Potentially, since she'll likely have less fats in her diet. Personally, I just keep going up and down, and I didn't notice much of a change when I became vegan. I also do a fair bit of exercising and have a great metabolism so I've never really put much weight on. I think 10-15 minutes of running every day would be great exercise, and it doesn't take long to do :)

[harpy]

Hello Urban. I don't think eating vegan food would make people lose weight if they were really consuming the same amount of calories and taking the same amount of exercise (unless perhaps they increased their fibre so much that their system couldn't cope and didn't absorb all the calories in their food, which wouldn't be very good).

However, I think in practice people tend to consumer fewer calories when they first go vegan because the food is bulkier (and also it takes them a while to find where all the vegan junk food is :o). So you are quite likely to lose some weight without calorie-counting, at least at first (and then put it back on again if you're like me!).

Your sister already sounds a healthy weight for her height though, so perhaps she could just concentrate on the healthy aspects of vegan eating rather than the weight-loss ones.

[Urban]

Yeah, that makes sense, I noticed that a couple of my older vegan friends ended went vegan and lost some weight but gained it again. I keep telling my sister that this isn't necessary but she insists. Ahh well...

[emmapresley]

I think it really depends on the type of diet that you eat. If you eat too many calories and don't burn them off, you'll never lose weight just by becoming a vegan.

sure it does. i've been vegan just over four years now and put weight on over that time, and i was big to start off with. i've made some changes recently and the weight is dropping off. being vegan isn't going to lose you weight unless you're careful about what you're eating. but i gues sit depends on your metabolism, level of activity etc etc.

i would say, cook with minimal fats, eat a hugely wide range of stuff, eat small regular meals, have yourself breakfast. go easy on the cakes/ booze/crispy nibbles

[SugarPlumFairy]

I have lost just over 20 pounds since Oct but like everybody says there are a lot of variables. It all depends on your food choices, the amount you eat, your personal metabolism, your activity levels, your age, etc.

I walk 5-12 miles a day which has really helped me shift some of the weight. Veganism can make weight loss a bit easier perhaps for some, but it is not a given or an absolute.
Congratz on your decision to become a vegan. :bigsmile:

[Drewby]

I have always had trouble with weight loss, but I think going vegan would help me out a lot. I want to go raw vegan, Fruits and Veggies only. I would like to lose a few pounds by April I've drafted a meal plan, but still need some help for dinner, tell me what you guys think of it.
Breakfast: 1 Medium Size Banana
Lunch: Grapes, 1 Clementine, and 1 Apple
Dinner: Carrots, 1 Pear (still need some help on dinner)
That's what I've got so far, some advice would be appreciated.
Also I exercise at least 20 min to an hour almost everyday.So you guys think I can actually lose eight on this plan?
Thanks in advance!!
-Drew

[Risker]

You can't actually go vegan for weight loss, it's not a diet. What you are referring to is referred to as strict vegetarianism.

That said, the amount of food you are suggesting is not enough by a long shot and would be very very unhealthy. You need far more food than that. Also, why raw?

[Mymblesdaughter]

Hi

There's a whole section on the forum about eating raw. http://www.veganforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?90-RAW-VEGAN

I don't think it would be sensible to go straight to a raw vegan diet. Why don't you just try eating a plant based diet but not raw. Raw is very restricting, you can still eat lots of raw fruit and veg.

[veganosie]

you're likely not to stick to it if it's just for weight loss. besides, you don't always lose weight as a vegan due to the prevalence of nuts, dried fruit, vegan cakes/chocolate etc... it's a lifestyle and morality change not just a "diet"

[Korn]

it's not a diet.
True, but he surely may try to eat vegan for weight loss... There are more people who lose weight on a vegan diet than gain weight. More about the difference between going vegan and eating vegan here:
No, you didn't go vegan for health reasons. You EAT vegan for health reasons :) (http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?28867-No-you-didn-t-go-vegan-for-health-reasons-You-EAT-vegan-for-health-reasons-))


Several people have reported that a vegan diet, and a vegan diet with a lot of raw food ingredints, may be helpful for people who want to reduce their weight. The best advice I can give, Drewby, is to click here (http://www.veganforum.com/forums/search.php?search_type=1) and search for threads with weight loss in the title. (Or try Google (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=site%3Aveganforum.com+weight+reduction).)

If you don't know anything about nutrition, it may be worth mntioning that you focus in living on a varied diet - and supplement with vitamin D in the winter, + vegan Omega-3 (DHA/EPA) and some reliable, active B12. Make sure you get enough protein from your diet (http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?3696-What-are-your-favourite-vegan-protein-sources)! Good luck! :-)

(PS- don't worry, you'd have to focus on more nutrients if you'd keep living on a standard diet: Nutrient deficiencies more common in meat eaters than in vegans? (http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?24-Nutrient-deficiencies-more-common-in-meat-eaters-than-in-vegans) )

[Mordechai]

Drew there is a program called Cron-o-meter which will help you watch your calorie and nutrient in-take a google search will provide you the source and it is free to download. Please take in careful consideration the variety of foods you eat raw, and be sure to raise your calories. In this regard I can only provide my experience, as an active male, in my 20s I aim for 2,500-3,500 calories a day any lower and exercise becomes quite hindered comparably. Be sure to stock up on rolled grains, legumes you can sprout, fresh vegetables and loads of fresh fruit. Variety will be a helping hand.
If you eat a lot of citrus in one sitting, be sure to brush your teeth afterwards lest erosion or thereabouts occurs.
Begin your morning with fresh fruit, bananas, dates, whichever you can stomach, try to aim for 5-10 bananas or equivalent. Find a large bowl and fill it! A daily regime for breakfast that I have been using is as follows,
1 cup blue berries,
1 cup black berries,
2-3 bananas,
5 dates,
with a pair of apples afterwards (on the way to or from somewhere).

For lunch be sure to have again some more fruit (before a salad) and then load up on dark green leafies like Kale, Spinach, Broccoli and etc. Red Cabbage is great and affordable as well.

Try to have a handful or two of mixed nuts like hazel, walnut, brazil, cashew, almonds and pecans. A 'trail fruit and nut mix' would be a helpful idea.

Do not be afraid of eating too much this way, weight will shed by cutting out the saturated fats that come along with cooked food, be kind to your body, try not to run on an empty tank, place it under little stress, it has been a handy machine, lets keep it functioning.

Namaste

[Andy_T]

Well, sounds like a decent meal plan to me ... if you are 8 years ole, 130 cm tall and weigh about 25 kilograms :-)

If you are taller and heavier however, you might want to add some more fruit and vegetables to get the calories you require.

If you are

[Mordechai]

To make it simpler, there is probably 3-4 lbs of fruit consumed a day,
with maybe 1lb of grains (between breakfast and dinner)
4oz of nuts/seeds there abouts
1-2lbs of Veggies
Left overs become stews, sauces, smoothies and etc example,

left over breakfast fruit & grains become the 'during chores' smoothie.
left over seeds/nuts becomes butter, hummus, nut cheese etc,
left over veggies + legumes become stew.

This dropped body fat (BMI is 3%) and built muscle.
Exercising everyday for several hours in ~105 fahrenheit and ~40% humidity

Drewby by abstaining from animal products, weight loss and muscle gain seemed to be easier than it ever has been, at-least
in this case.

[veganosie]

be careful about thinking of it as a diet and not a lifestyle, if you're doing it primarily to lose weight you risk slipping up and wanting animal products more!

[fphilips]

Hi friend!! heres a good series of books I own that helped for me :

http://618a95zfzbh8bq25mk7li7hf6n.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=VEGEFOOD1

best regards! hope it helps!!!! :)

[Mordechai]

Drewby after observance, this has yet to be proven wrong at least in what I've witnessed, and I cannot speak for anyone elses observations and am open to being corrected!

We will follow our greatest desire, and it will come to be reality, a way to make this desire satisfying however is for it to be selfless.

If we wish to lose weight, and that fills our waking and sleeping thoughts then it will happen, if the motive behind every move is to lose weight.
However our dependence on such a fate for our happiness is ineveitably unsatisfying as the world has more momentum than we do, our bodies will age, food may be unavailable and endless other possibilities, ultimately 'change' is unavoidable in the physical. So at some point the attachment to losing weight will be non-satiating. IF however we are unattached, we may have a direction, even a goal, however if more so our happiness is derived from something beyond the physical we may find it more satisfying.

Know the thoughts you have you will become, and if you transcend the thoughts all together you will be come 'no-thing'. By identifying that we have attachments, we can start the process of removing them, kind of like the game 'jenga' we can remove the supporting structure which is require consistency. However if we begin to support said attachment it will build right back up again.

Its a fun game, the result will be inner peace. be not attached to the idea of losing weight, maybe the idea of compassion towards all things, this would include the body. If we are compassionate to the body we will feed it what it needs, not what it wants. Things to help it be at peace, not in chaos.
This will manifest as a 'healthy' diet whichever that be.

Namaste

[Risker]

^ Far too subtle for me Mordechai.

Shipoopi

[Mordechai]

I've exceeded my word limit for the day....

OM Shanti... Shan... ......

[HannahBanner]

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum and a recent vegan (still not 100% but almost). Up until 2 months ago I ate a very plant based diet but still ate fish, honey, eggs, and the occasional chicken. I already stopped eating dairy and red meat ages before due to intolerances, but would often eat cake or things that had a small amount of dairy without much thought even though I shouldn't have. I decided to become vegan after reading up about health benefits of doing so and also about the way in which the industry treats animals and what actually goes into animal based foods.

Anyway, I recently became ill with a cold/cough which is rare for me, and after a few days I unfortunately developed a bacterial infection totally unrelated to the cold/cough and I've had to take antibiotics which for me is totally unheard of as I stay away from conventional medicine as much as I can. The infection is now gone, and my cold is almost gone but I recently noticed some weight loss, and a loss of appetite, with feeling full very quickly. I don't know if this is to do with the anti biotics or not, but I weighed myself this week and was slightly alarmed that I'd lost about 10 pounds. Has anyone else had this sort of weight loss on a vegan diet and if so why? Can anyone recommend a quick way of putting on weight without eating processed/ high fat or junk foods? I'm also an avid cook and hate sitting there eating bland food but I'm running out of recipe ideas lately and becoming bored of my usual meals. I really need to put on weight fast as I should be around 8-10 pounds heavier, and I've had comments that I'm looking thinner. Please help?

[Robinwomb]

Do you still have a loss of appetite and a need to eat bland foods? I guess I am a little confused.

Some healthy foods that are more calorific to help you gain weight would be things like coconut (fresh to use in a blender smoothie or to make your own coconut milk etc or dried coconut to sprinkle on other foods or canned thick coconut milk to add to curries with vegetables, potatoes, tofu lentils, etc); dried fruits such as dates, banana chips, raisins, etc.; medjool dates are awesome to snack on; avocados (you can add slices of avocado to sandwiches or make a chocolate pudding with avocado, dates, and 100% cacao blended in a blender and chilled), nuts and seeds; nut butters (you can make your own if you have a high speed blender or just buy organic nut butters with only the nuts in them); high protein higher calorie breads or make your own bread and add things like protein powder or vital wheat gluten or oils; hummus (there are numerous recipes for hummus on the internet and making your own is so much better than store bought and you can add it to sandwiches or use as a dip); a high calorie filling breakfast could be something like higher calorie slices of bread with almond or peanut butter spread on it and a banana sliced and added to make a nut butter banana sandwich; you can make your own vegan pot pie with potatoes, peas or other legumes, carrots and other veggies, nutritional yeast sauce or a cashew "cream"sauce, and homemade pie crust.

Of course some of these things might not work if you have an upset tummy/loss of appetite but the high protein homemade bread toasted might work with the nut butter and banana. Smoothies can be calorific if you add things like bananas, avocado, dark vegan chocolate, nuts, flax oil, plant milks etc. Whole grain pastas are good too with things like beans or oils and veggies added. For a blander food baked potatoes are good and you can add just about anything to go with them.

I was underweight when I became vegan and lost a good bit more but once I learned to eat appropriately as a vegan and began to research and experiment with the endless possiblities I was able to regain some weight, even eating a mostly raw food diet for a while and always eating a 90% whole foods diet with very little junk or processed food. As far as gaining on a lowfat diet, I am not sure this is possible unless you eat enormous amounts of low fat food and you'd get full pretty fast. you could try adding protein powders to foods and liquids to help, such as rice protein, soy protein, pea protein, hemp protein etc. or sprinkle nutritional yeast or ground flax on various foods to add calories. I hope this gives you some ideas. Sometimes the body has a way of rebounding after being ill. I hope you feel better soon!

[HannahBanner]

Thank you! you've really helped me with ideas. Unfortunately I'm allergic to banana :( but I will try the other ideas out. I do eat nuts a lot and recently bought some flax seeds, which I'm going to sprinkle in my foods. I love avocado so I should have no trouble maintaining a good weight. Thanks for all the tips!