Almost caved in this morning...

[tammay]

Hi all,
Well, I almost caved in this morning to going back to vegetarian lowcarbing (see my post about weight gain). I thought about how I was eating all those rich dairy products and eggs and losing weight and how now I wasn't losing at all. I even went so far as to redo my menus to replace the beans, fruit, and whole grains with eggs and dairy.

But then I looked at my vegan menu again and thought about how much better I'm feeling since going vegan and the horrific things they do to chickens and cows to get us those eggs and dairy. And I decided I was not going to give it up. I'll keep going with the vegan lifestyle (which I'm loving - not missing the eggs and dairy at all!) and have faith that my body is ajusting to the increase in carbs and that the weight gain is temporary. It came down to my health (physical and moral) or my weight (luckily, I'm not so overweight that it's a health issue - I'm 5' and 133) and I chose my health.

So I'm going to try and stop stressing about numbers and start enjoying life!

Tam

[VeganJohn]

Well done. Yes, think of all the horrible things done to animals in order that humans can eat their eggs and drink their milk.

[tilly]

Good for you Tammay!!!

We all feel like giving up sometimes, but you didn't, and I bet the animals are thankful.

You're a strong person, and I'm sure if you want to lose weight you'll find a way without resorting to cow pus and chicken embryos... But it's even cooler to be happy with yourself just the way you are... An AWESOME person!!! :)

Remember: Life is for living not for weighing... :D

[sugarmouse]

:)i have looked into vegan low carbing myself and i am sure there is a way...tofu,'fake meats',beans..pulses...you may not need to do one or the other!:)

[VeganJohn]

Low carbing always leaves me feeling lethargic. Low saturated fat is surely more important?

Beer doesn't help me lose weight either, even if it is vegan :D

[Pob]

I think you should worry less about your weight for the moment.

Give your body a chance to get used to the change. Removing the fatty animal products from what you eat may have fooled your body into thinking there is a shortage of food, so it is storing fat and running at a lower metabolic rate.

I would actually suggest switching to a lower protein, high fibre breakfast, with complex carbs (whole grain cereal, or porridge, or wholegrain toast). That should kick start your metabolism every morning.

In the short term don't worry about weight gain. I put on weight when I first went vegan, I have since lost it and have a better metabolism. I have also converted some fat to muscle through increased exercise.

What is your BMI, if you don't mind me asking?

[RedWellies]

I agree with Rob.

Well done for not giving up and I'm pleased you feel more healthy.

Can you fit more excercise into your life? I eat lots of carbs, have an active life and don't worry about my weight. It may help you to take measurements of your body rather than rely on the scales. If you tone up you could notice an inch/cm loss rather than a weight loss.

[Wildflower]

It sounds to me like your weight gain wasn't from going vegan, but rather from just starting to eat carbs again?

Personally, I don't agree with cutting out good carbs, but I certainly think people should cut out suger and refined carbs.

If you really feel you want to, I agree with Sugarmouse, I am sure there are ways to do that when you are vegan - like eating lots of TVP, nuts, fake meats, etc. Also, aren't some veggies low carb? Certainly the high protein soy pasta they sell to low carbers must have a vegan option too...

Good job on not caving! Try to focus on eating healthier, eating less, and excercising more.

I have lost 10 lbs in the past few months just from lifting weights. When you gain muscle mass, your metabolism speeds up a lot. If you also cut calories, you can lose weight very quickly that way. I have chosen not to cut back, but rather just keep eating healthy, so it has been a little slower.

Anyway, good luck! We have a thread in the Health area called "Let's Get Fit and Healthy Together!" feel free to post there for support!

[tammay]

Thank you all for the support!

I actually don't want to go lowcarb again for the very reason that I want to concentrate on a balanced diet of all foods (protein, carb, fat, vitamins) rather than fall into the trap of demonizing one food or another (carbs, fat, etc.) I guess what I really want is not only to be physically healthy but also mentally as well, since I've become so jaded with my attitude towards foods as the "enemy" and body image. Unfortunately, I'll be moving into a bad situation in a week where I'll be surrounded by people who are obsessed with weight and will do anything to lose it (including drugs, fad diets, etc.) I'll post more on that later to get tips on how to deal with them!

I forgot to mention but I actually do exercise - not much, about 30 minutes 6 days a week but I find that it helps keep me active.

Also, in addition to upping my carbs, I also upped my fiber. I was getting the minimum reqirements before going vegan (25 gr) but since then I've been at about 50 gr a day. Even though I'm drinking a lot of water and tea, I'm guessing that my body is still adjusting.

Pob - didn't think about starting with whole grains rather than protein in the morning but I might try that. My only worry is that the grains will keep me hungry for the rest of the day.

My BMI, BTW, is 26 which, if I'm not mistaken, is just on the border?

Anyway, thank you all again for the lovely support and I'm definately not giving up the vegan lifestyle. I'm also going to try and not worry about my weight and focus on health.

Tam

[Pob]

Pob - didn't think about starting with whole grains rather than protein in the morning but I might try that. My only worry is that the grains will keep me hungry for the rest of the day.They will release energy slowly over the morning. You may get hungrier slightly earlier for lunch - but that is a good sign that your metabolism is working nicely - as long as you only pick at fruit if you feel the need, then there shouldn't be a problem.

I'm at 24.5 BMI at the moment - I need to exercise more and tone my tummy and then I'll be happy at this weight myself.

[ravenfire]

Good for you for not giving up!!! I'm not a fan of the "low-carb" diets (or any fad diet for that matter). I don't think that it's healthy at all to cut out such an important part of our diet. Plus, excess protein can cause all sorts of health problems. I think the trick is cutting out refined foods and focusing on whole, natural foods.

[SALADCONTIN]

Don't give up... Don't ever give up! - Jimmy Valvano