Being a 'cuddly' vegan- guilt!

[mooli magic]

OK,

So there's a poll running about people's BMI in this forum and a few of us are a bit on the cuddly side (though I totally agree with what's been said. It's a scientific fact that BMI is not totally accurate and varies with your frame and build in general.)

Anyway, my question is, if you're vegan and overweight, do you feel guilty? Do you feel that perhaps your not the best advert for the vegan diet given your extra pounds (or stones!!) I'm about 3 stone overweight- calculated by what I was before I put on all this weight- though i'm tall so probably carry it better than most. However, I have bad body image anyway so apart from all the guilt wound up in that, I feel a bit guilty being vegan too. Not that I think vegans should be perfect, but I do believe that a balanced vegan diet is sooooo much healthier than the average diet and I just wish i could physically represent that. I really want to get back to that place where food is normal again and I'm back to a normal weight....and then feel proud to be vegan. *Sigh*

What does anyone else think?

[Tigerlily]

I don't feel guilty but I feel frustrated. It seems that everyone is very thin and can keep their weight off by being vegan. I have found that being vegan has no affect on me on keeping weight off. I gain weight easier now, actually.

[aubergine]

I like cuddly Vegans.

I think women look more appealing with a bit of shape.

I like all Vegans though. It's just worth raising my hand as it's pretty unfashionable in the UK to fancy anyone who doesn't resemble a twiglet. Why limit ourselves?

[Risker]

I think being skinny is a stereotyped view of vegans so it's nice that there are some of us with curves.

I love cudddly

[mooli magic]

Awww, shucks

I'm feeling very loved already!

I actually find it very easy to lose weight (when I'm in the right frame of mind to try!!) and my natural constitution is tending towards being very slender, so although I say I need to about 3 stone I think a lot of people would probably be a bit shocked if I said that because from their perspective I don't look that overweight at all. The sceptic in me isn't sure whether that's just because our perceptions of overweightness have been skewed due to the obesity problem though!

[GoGreen]

Vegans tend to eat fewer fat and calories than meat eaters, but our problems is usually high carbo foods which act mainly as sugar in the body. While it's great to have a wide array of packaged vegan foods, pastas, etc. they all act as sugar in the body, which causes insulin levels to rise and excess insulin in the body can cause you to gain weight. I struggle with the same issue. I have a hard time finding foods higher in protein (that aren't soy) and eat enough to feel satisfied so that I'm not eating a package of crackers in one serving.
Quinoa is pretty high in protein and is so versatile.
You also need to make sure you drink enough water and take in the right amount of fats.

[howdawg]

I agree with risker! I am a large vegan and love it.. Many people think vegans are skinny and unhealthy.. I on the other hand pride myself on being very big and healthy.. I can look at someone and say hey, look.. I'm vegan and obviously not having a problem finding food!

[Tigerlily]

It's obviously different being a male than a female. As a teenaged female, I feel the pressure to be thin. It brings me down a lot of the time.

[howdawg]

I would just like to say that I like my vegan women to be healthy, and I get very angered at the stereotypical women that you feel this pressure to be. I have a big problem with todays media and the things they promote. From MTV to Fox news, I don't like it! I'd like to add that in many cases 'thin' is very unhealthy, and that is not a turn on.... Sorry if I'm of no help!

[Aims]

Nah, I don't feel guilty about being a tubbier sort of vegan - I just want to lose a few kgs because they make me feel kinda crap lately.
But I want to get fitter more than anything, it's more a desire to be healthier in general really.

[Yogini]

People are going to use you as a bad example of what veganism does to you no matter what you look like. Thin? Vegans are underweight. Not thin? Veganism makes you fat. Scot-Irish and fair skinned? Veganism makes you pasty. I'm not sure what they say when you're dark-skinned, but I'm sure they sure they find some way to insinuate it's unattractive and the result of being vegan.

My point? People want to convince themselves veganism is unhealthy because it gives them an excuse to not change. Don't worry about what they say. If you're healthy and happy, be happy. If you're unhealthy and unhappy, look into making a few changes. If you're healthy and unhappy, uh...get therapy? If you're unhealthy and happy, whatever. At least you're happy. And I guess I'd rather be happy than healthy, because what good is anything else if you're not happy?

And that's me going off on a tangent.

[howdawg]

Wonderfully said Yogini! Especially those last couple of sentences!

[fiamma]

Since vegans are a minority group and sometimes seen as "extreme" there are always going to be stereotypes flying around and people are always going to be looking for ways to put us down. I think we have to work at ditching this stereotype that vegan=skinny - I think despite what us women think, a lot of men are turned off by skinny women and love women with a little flesh on their bones Sorry if this sounds trite, but it's so important to love yourself, and love the body you're in, because no-one else can do it for you. And how many times have we seen people who are not "classically" beautiful and don't have amzing bodies but just exude an incredible energy and happiness because they love who they are? That's what I'm working towards anyway. Peace and love to all

[Lovable Veg]

I am sooo not skinny...i used to be way too skinny when i suffered from an eating disorder. But since becoming a vegetarian and then later on a vegan, i gained a bit of weight and i am at last actualy happy with my body and myself! Im just so sick of worrying about it and wat otha ppl think. Ive gotten comments that ive put on weight...and that hurt..but not as much as it would of before. I just feel so much happier coz im actually doing sumthing worthwile and im proud of myself 4 accomplishing veganism...its not the easiest thing in the world! lol. For the first time in a long time i am happy with myself. I am loving food and just trying to be healthy...not skinny. I hope everyone agrees with that.

[mooli magic]

I feel so much better this morning- in a bit of a downward negative spiral last night, I think.

Ultimately, I do need to lose weight because I need to be healthy, and carrying around the extra isn't helping. However, I do see the need to accept myself as the way I am right now and forgive myself for not being perfect in the way I want to be. What's really stupid though is I get angry and frustrated with myself for being all the things I don't want to be- a procrastinator, disorganised, being in a state of imbalance most of the time, whereas if I just treated myself as the person I'd like to become then I'd feel so much better. And Fiamma- trite, maybe, but it's a truth! Self love is the only way to go, and now I've got rid of most of the eating disordered thinking I'm trying to aim for balance, rather than perfection which is important as you say.

Yogini- how wonderful is is to laugh about stuff when we get too serious about it! I loved your post, it was very accurate but made me smile too- even better!

Howdawg- I agree...skinny isn't necessarily healthy, and in a lot of cases not. I'm going to lose what naturally comes off when I stop eating so crap and then let my own body stabilse I think. I'm gonna keep some of those curves, for sure

[howdawg]

I'm going to lose what naturally comes off when I stop eating so crap and then let my own body stabilse I think. I'm gonna keep some of those curves, for sure

You go girl!

[RedWellies]

Post a pic for us to see!

[mooli magic]

How fat- sorry 'curvy' I am? lol!

I don't think I have anything recent as in a full body photograph (meant that in a completely undodgy way!) The only thing I do have is one of me in Adho Mukha Svasana (again, undodgy, it's a yoga posture!) but that's different cos anyone's gonna look different when they're half upside down...plus, I think I've put on a few pounds since July

[RedWellies]

How fat- sorry 'curvy' I am? lol!

Oops, no, didn't mean it quite like that!! I meant, we all say nice things about each other and I'm sure you're not fat (as you say you might have a slightly distorted self body image), so post a pic. But you don't have one

[mooli magic]

I know you didn't mean like that Anyway you never know, I might've enjoyed it if you all jeered and poked at me with sticks

Mind you, saying nice things about me sounds even better so I'll endevour to get a piccie, post it and sit back and lap up the praise!!!

[Christa]

I went through a time of being plumper than desired, though I blame that on too much beer in college. Anyway, after having my first child I got very thin. I think it was just that I was so busy and the last thing you want to do is to cook. I never keep convenient junk food in the house, so my choices were to cook, to not eat, or to eat an apple, etc. I recognize though that I was undernourished. It's important to eat enough. I found this article which lists 5 great food tips for losing weight. I found it very smart. It lists important things like spirulina (AWESOME!). I also love stevia. It is a natural sweetener with no or low calories. Rhodiola root is something I've used in the past too, which helps to lose weight, I think because it helps you deal with stress and balances your mood. Because I'd rather not cook, I eat a lot of raw foods and sandwiches. With your bread, just try to find ones that don't contain high fructose corn syrup. Sprouted bread is the best.

http://www.newstarget.com/003550.html

[yasha]

I AM A CUDDLY VEGAN and although to be healthy I need to lose about 30 pounds, I am not ashamed. I feel healthier as a vegan than I did as an omni and I think I am happier in general. I would like to be thinner to fit into some of my favorite jeans, but I have managed without them for almost a year so I guess I don't need them anyway. It is frustrating sometimes to wear jeans in a size that I used to think was OMG FAT SIZE, but I realize that I was an immature teenager at the time and that as a woman, I am not going to subject myself to the media's standards for me.

[Lydia_Sorrow]

It's obviously different being a male than a female. As a teenaged female, I feel the pressure to be thin. It brings me down a lot of the time.

Exactly! The only time I lose weight is on water fasts and I know that is purely water weight which always comes back. I dunno..maybe I am just MEANT to be this size. I mean, I can feels all my ribs and hipbones etc. They stick out. Cant people realise maybe this is just me? This is how I am supposed to be.

Maybe.

[Marrers]

I'm 3-4 stone overweight and personally I'd like to be slimmer (but not quite enough to do anything about my junk food diet, lol!)

However, I do enjoy the double take people do when they find out I'm vegan - I always say "as you can see I'm not wasting away!"

It's good to challenge the stereotype.

[mooli magic]

Hi Marrers,

personally I'd like to be slimmer (but not quite enough to do anything about my junk food diet, lol!)

Yeah! and there's that!

[PainterLady]

Oh ya, when I first went vegan 7 years ago, I lost 50 pounds and I had a six pack without even trying. Now I am cuddly, especially since the invention of soydelicious icecream, cherry cheezecake, natural sodas, newmans o's and Uncle eddies vegan cookies. Plus, I drink beer now. LOL

[Bic]

I choose to wear leather, despite the cause, because I believe that, under some circumstances, purchasing these products puts to use what might have been trashed.

....

The other day I was talking to someone about it and had a nice pair of leather thong sandals (not hemp! ._.) on and she happened to be a vegan as well. I don't know... if it was an attack? Well, she threw something at me and cursed, then stopped talking to me. I guess she didn't want to give me time to explain to her how I was helping and not hurting. I actually bought these from a friend that never wore them, due to size issues, and wished to throw them away.

I follow your line of thought (that buying the materials from a secondary source is not supporting the slaugther because the company doesn't profit any more), but all the same - many vegans/vegetarians would feel quite uncomfortable with the thought of you wearing animal skin regardless of your reasons.
Still...that woman's reaction was quite immature. She obviously loves animals - but spreading love through violence is quite ridiculous.

EDIT:
Oh, and I'm not very cuddly. I have some extra baggage but not enough to really even count as overweight. I've lost about 30 pounds since becoming vegan 2 years ago - but airhead that I am, I didn't even notice till someone pointed it out to me and showed me an old picture of myself.

[Peas'nHominy]

OMG. I'm really glad y'all said something, and I'm grateful Korn stepped in. I'm not at all trying to sling hatred at Kirska, but that was very upseting for me. My hands are shaking. ...

...Okay, so back to the original topic!

I sure like the use of the word "cuddly" like that! Bwah, ha,ha - that's me, CUDDLY!

Actually, I've just got to loose weight. Bottom line. (no pun intended )

What's tricky for me is that I actually feel much better at the weight that I am at now, which is about 20 pounds over. It's just that I'm married, and hubby definately likes it better when I'm...less cuddly. He's not into thin and skinny, but ... ugh. I know many would say I shouldn't worry about it, but I love him sooooo very much, and I'm the only woman he gets to enjoy! So, my delima -- go back to the weight I was but not feel as good. I've tried talking to him about it, but we just kinda go around in circles with it. Darn it.

[sandra]

Hi Stephanie, what is important is that YOU are happy with the way you are, don't try to change for anyone else. Has your husband actually said he likes you better 'less cuddly'? If he has I think it's his attitude that needs to change and not you!
You've said if you go back to the weight you were you will feel 'less good', would your husband be happy knowing you didn't feel as well as you could do?
As long as you are healthy and don't need to lose weight for medical reasons I would stay the way I was if I was you!
We all have things we would like to change about each other, I'm sure, (for instance if my husband looked a little bit more like Johnny Depp, I'd be ecstatic) but I love him for him!
Maybe if your husband sees you being happy and confident as you are his attitude will change.
Anyway, what I'm really trying to say is that you sound like a really lovely person so just stay the way you are!