Weight loss and nutrition help

[Mariea]

So glad I found this forum, thank you for all the helpful advice I have found so far.

Here's my question. I have been strickly vegan for nine months, in that time I have gone from 107lbs to 118lbs. I have tried calorie counting, doing more cardio and cutting out all soy from my diet. I eat lots of veggies, little fruit, I eat pasta and occasionally rice. I usually have a kind bar for breakfast with coffee, lunch is either a pb&j or a large salad, sometimes leftover dinner. Dinner ranges from curry to pasta, from fajitas to lasagna, chili to stir fry, it's always changing. I try and make everything as healthy as possible.

I rarely eat sweets, no ice creams, sodas, no cake. If I do eat something that's unhealthy it tends to be chips, it's the one bad habit I cannot break. Snacks are usually nuts or hummus and crackers, maybe chips and salsa.

I am at a point where I am not happy with my weight gain and it keeps creeping up. I stayed at 112lbs for months and in the last month have gained close to 6lbs. I cannot figure out why. I have been to the drs., blood test came back with low b12, low vit d and very high (she said toxic) levels of b6. Had a scan done of my abdomen and pelvis which was normal. I feel good other than I'm always fatigued but that started years ago before I became vegan and I'm ALWAYS bloated, I wake up bloated, I go to bed bloated, I really miss my flat stomach.

I've been reading for weeks online and cannot find anything to help me explain what I am doing wrong. I would like to get down to 110lbs. I am 5ft 5in, I will be 30 in a few months. I try and run everyday for 30 minutes but don't always get to it. I ski once a week and occasionally get to go twice in a week.

I know my weight is in the healthy range but I am small framed and carrying all the weight in my stomach, I look pregnant at times and really want to feel better both mentally and physically so any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Muvesz]

You could have a gluten intolerance (most people do, they just never notice until they switch up their diet) If you replaced a lot of the foods you used to eat with breads and pastas, that could explain the weight gain. I would suggest trying to eat only gluten-free items and checking in with a doctor to see if you have an allergy. Gluten can have a severe effect on your thyroid, which can trigger weight gain or loss (hypo\hyperthyroidism). It can also be linked to your lethargy. My mother didn't realize she was severely gluten-intolerant until a year and a half ago (at the age of 54), so it can show at any time.

[Robinwomb]

I hate to bring this up because I am not a proponent of really high protein diets at all, but I tend to suffer more bloat (and muscle strain) when I am not getting enough protein in my diet. When I mean not enough I am talking about less than 40 grams a day for an active woman. I try to incorporate a lot of beans and legumes and high protein grains (quinoa, wild rice, buckwheat groats) to get more protein since I too don't do much soy except occasionally tempeh, but on occasion I have to resort to protein powder (I use hemp or pea or rice protein powder in green juices) to give me a boost when I start to strain muscles like crazy from working out. Also, coffee makes me bloat badly, and lately I too have been more tired (from school) and have gotten into a nasty cycle of relying on coffee to get me through the day. I look six months pregnant with all the coffee I have been consuming so I empathize with you! I am small framed too and the bloat really shows. Ugh.

[coachingbymark]

I have found an amazing Vegan shake from drinkvegan.com, here is the link http://www.drinkvegan.com. This Shake is derived from whole foods with 70 different natural ingredients and the protein comes from brown rice. It is call Shakeology and is strawberry flavor and you can add extra protein if you need it. You have to check it out, I have one shake in the morning and I am good for a couple hours. The best part is I have stopped craving sugars, starches and feel better. Breakfast is the best meal of the day because it starts the metabolism going and helps to burn calories throughout the day. I have lost around 15 lbs since it came out on Valentines Day. I also get about 5-7 servings of my fruits and vegitables in a day and it helps to save money. Love it!!