Been losing weight faster than anticipated...

[saidsirius]

I've been a vegetarian for over 5 years and finally took the next step to veganism about 2 months ago. While I've been doing really well and being extra careful to make sure I'm eating balanced and getting all of the nutrients I need, I have lost a little bit of weight (and for somebody as tiny as I am, a little weight is a big deal). I've had a couple people comment on how skinny I am (not in a good way either), and I'm wondering if this is my body adjusting to its new diet or what. I don't want to keep losing weight- if I lose anymore I'll look unhealthy. I feel like I need to fatten myself up, but I'm already eating so much! Is it perhaps my increase in fiber??? Any ideas? Or has anybody experienced the same problem when they first went vegan?

[harpy]

Hello there. I think it's common to lose a bit of weight when you first go vegan; I certainly did (but I had some to lose). Have you tried counting your calories to see if you're getting enough to cover your energy requirements? I know it's a pain but you would probably only need to do it for a day or so.

Calorie-dense vegan foods include nuts, seeds and healthier oils such as olive oil. (Obviously there is a lot of vegan junk food available as well!) There are some other suggestions here http://www.vegansociety.com/people/health/weight.php

If you think your body is getting more fibre than it can handle then you could cut back a bit, e.g. substitute white bread for wholewheat, to give it time to adjust. Also some people find cooked food easier to digest than raw (though some report the opposite...).

[herbwormwood]

Unless vegans are eating a lot of fatty sweet food, like ice cream, chips, chocolate, (which isn't healthy in large amounts) we need to include higher calorie foods like nuts, nut butters, bananas, avocados like harpy says, also eat larger amounts of food, bigger portions.
Lack of sufficient calories can lead to your body burning muscle which is not good at all, also unhealthy weight loss, which can lead to complications.
Include a good selection of pulses, cereals and nuts, you should be ok.

[saidsirius]

That is very helpful. I guess I'm just not used to being able to eat so much so often! It's kind of nice actually... I almost feel like a glutton

[harpy]

Unfortunately the automatic weight-loss effect doesn't always continue, especially not after one discovers the world of evil vegan junk food , but it doesn't sound as if that's going to be a problem for you!

[missbettie]

^ ya no kidding, I lost 10 pounds at first...and then I gained back at least 15... cookbooks are evil things.

[Quantum Mechanic]

I lost a bunch of weight, but actually considering that I started losing a bunch before I went vegan (and was still eating junky fatty food like pizzas and muffins and chips), I'm actually slightly concerned that it might be unrelated, even though for months I'd attributed it to diet change. Fortunately I'm not underweight (ha!) but considering that I was overweight before I lost a significant percentage (about 16% of my weight in 3-6 months), then it's something I'm looking into, especially since I incorporate desserts, oily foods, nut butters, and avocados into my food intake, and while my fiber was a bit high for awhile, I did seem to ease up a bit on that and not much help. But definitely worth looking into.

[janetc]

I lost a bunch of weight, but actually considering that I started losing a bunch before I went vegan (and was still eating junky fatty food like pizzas and muffins and chips), I'm actually slightly concerned that it might be unrelated, even though for months I'd attributed it to diet change. Fortunately I'm not underweight (ha!) but considering that I was overweight before I lost a significant percentage (about 16% of my weight in 3-6 months), then it's something I'm looking into, especially since I incorporate desserts, oily foods, nut butters, and avocados into my food intake, and while my fiber was a bit high for awhile, I did seem to ease up a bit on that and not much help. But definitely worth looking into.

Okay, SPIT IT OUT!!! How did you do it? I would love to have that problem (weight loss, I mean).

[hanseidavid]

When I first went vegan I lost some weight. Its levelled out now though. Just eat healthily and don't worry about it too much - you should stop losing weight after a bit of time.

Peanut butter can be a good one for helping you get protien/fat etc. easily (bread, PB, go!)