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Thread: Going vegan and being carbophobic

  1. #1
    100% sure – I'm going vegan!
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    Default Going vegan and being carbophobic

    Hi,

    I had a gastric sleeve operation on 28th June 2011 in order to lose weight and just prior to and after the operation I've been encouraged by my dietitian to eat a high protein/ low carb diet. I've lost 35kg and now have a BMI of 24 and body fat percentage of 29% (which is apparently on the high end of average).

    Eating meat, eggs and dairy for every meal and snack for the last ten months has really made me realise how much I don't enjoy those foods. I also don't think I can truly sustain this protein-focussed lifestyle long term for a number of reasons. Whilst the weightloss is great, I feel pretty horrendous when I avoid carbs. I also find eating animal products extremely hard to reconcile ethically.

    I've already decided that I am going vegan and I plan on seeing a new, vegan-friendly dietitian who can help me plan a new way of eating. But I guess I still have this carbophobic mentality where I think if I start to eat carbohydrate rich foods (beans, lentils etc) I'll put all my weight back on (my worst fear D. I guess I'm looking for some reassurance from vegans who eat a high carbohydrate diet that carbs don't equal fat.
    I'm also open to any tips anyone has...

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Lentils's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going vegan and being carbophobic...

    Low carb diets are good for losing weight rapidly but it's only due to the way that the body reacts in the absense of carbs during a calorie deficit. High carb diets don't make you 'fat' and are generally considered to be optimum long term, you also don't gain weight any quicker eating a load of carbs than you would eating anything else assuming the calorie intake is the same. Also low carb diets aren't the only way to lose weight, I lost 50kg over a year eating 80% carbs

    This 'carbophobia' is just the result of doctors and dietitians being too lazy to explain the science behind low carb diets.

  3. #3
    Cacique's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going vegan and being carbophobic...

    I went down from 250lbs to 170lbs when I went vegan. As an omni I disliked veggies, meat and potatoes, so I think my diet was quite high in carb, lots of tofu and beans, white rice. Vegan frozen burritos and stuff.

    My family started complaining that I was too thin and I bought into it. I was already eating a lot so the only thing I could think of was to eat more sweets. This worked, as I'm now stuck at 190. I think what really will affect your diet is fat and sugar.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Going vegan and being carbophobic

    I've never been overweight in my life. I have always been in the low normal range or underweight (I was a dancer years ago and more recently suffered with an eating disorder but have been in recovery for several years). I was never a huge meat eater when I was an omnivore and I was lactose intolerant, though I could tolerate yogurt and ate that often. I disliked cheese for the most part. I have always been a big grain and bean eater and lots of vegetables and fruits. In fact transitioning to vegan was very easy for me for this reason. I did lose six lbs immediately when I went vegan but I was already a little underweight and didnt want to lose more so like Cacique I allowed myself to eat a lot more than I normally would and experimented with different foods and baked a lot, though I mostly keep to whole foods and very little processed except things like whole wheat and gluten free flours, tofu, plant milks, very rarely pasta, etc. It still took me eight months to gain that six lbs back (I have been vegan for about 15 months). I am quite active though and ride my bike to work six months out of the year for transportation and run, hike, canoe, and do calisthetics that includes some weight lifting.

    My Mom went vegan a little over a month ago and I am utterly amazed at the transformation. My Mom has struggled with obesity since the time my sister and I were born (ah hem I will be 40 in two months). Since going vegan she has lost a LOT of weight and dropped four more pants sizes although she had been dieting before she went vegan. Going vegan for her accelerated the process and last week for the first time in years I saw her in jeans and she looked so sexy! She eats very clean, gluten free due to a gluten allergy (gluten causes her severe dermatititis), and mostly whole foods and whole grains (millet, quinoa, wild rice, buckwheat groats etc). Like me she relies on beans/legumes, nuts and seeds, high protein grains, and vegetables for her protein sources. Neither of us are big on soy (I have thyroid issues so I must watch my soy intake) but I do consume tempeh regularly which is a fermented less processed form of soy and doesnt seem to interfere with my thyroid meds/TSH levels like tofu or soy milk.

    I dont believe for a second that carbs will cause you to gain weight or turn all your muscle to fat. Sure, eating a ton of refined sugar, white flour, pastries, high fat low nutrient dense food etc will cause weight gain because those things are not filling in the way that high fiber foods are and you can easily go overboard on them before realizing you are full. They are high calorie and low nutrient dense. Whole grains (not flours) are high in nutrients and fiber and more filling but even whole grain flours and breads can pack a good nutritional punch. Ditto for fruits and vegetables and beans such as lentils, black beans, split peas etc. And yes you can still build muscle without consuming meat and dairy. Also, being active and exercising while losing weight will help to keep the muscle you do have so you dont lose it. Hope this helps!

  5. #5
    100% sure – I'm going vegan!
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    Default Re: Going vegan and being carbophobic...

    This 'carbophobia' is just the result of doctors and dietitians being too lazy to explain the science behind low carb diets.
    I think my dietitian (who works with the surgeon who did my operation) promotes a one-size-fits-all eating plan because it's easier than educating people, you're right! But also, everytime I see her she promotes Optifast products to me. I also read a gastric sleeve forum and it seems like every surgeon has their product and the carbophobic mentality is encouraged by surgeons and their dietitians most of the time.

    Also, in regards to calories, because I have a tiny stomach now the calorie intake thing is less of an issue. But I'll make sure I keep an eye on it. Thanks!

  6. #6
    100% sure – I'm going vegan!
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    Default Re: Going vegan and being carbophobic...

    I think what really will affect your diet is fat and sugar.
    I am really sugar conscious, I guess that comes with the carbophobic thing. After my operation I stopped thinking about fat intake because I was able to eat so little. I think I'll need to replace my waryness of carbs to waryness of fats.

    Mmmmm... Vegan burritos... *drool*

  7. #7
    100% sure – I'm going vegan!
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    Default Re: Going vegan and being carbophobic

    Sure, eating a ton of refined sugar, white flour, pastries, high fat low nutrient dense food etc will cause weight gain because those things are not filling in the way that high fiber foods are and you can easily go overboard on them before realizing you are full.
    I understand... actually one glaringly obvious flaw of the high protein diet is that the dietitian recommended we take a fibre supplement along with our daily multivitamin.

    I am also really sensitive to dairy. I told the dietitian that milk and yoghurt were making me feel terrible (for me it causes stomach upset, itchy throat and sudden migraines) and she just told me to keep drinking/eating it for the calcium. So regardless it was inevitable that I gave up on dairy. And this dietitian I guess...

    Congratulations to your Mum! That's excellent! Losing weight really does change your life dramatically!

  8. #8
    Divided by 0 MoonDance's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going vegan and being carbophobic

    As Robin has stated, if you eat a lot of refined carbs you will most likely get fat. Muscle doesn't turn to fat, muscle fibres and fat are completely different. Muscle atrophies (shrinks) and so it seems that it's turned to adipose tissue when it really hasn't. When you exercise regularly, your metabolic rate is increased as your body needs fuel for all that exercise and having all that new muscle is a big drain for the body to maintain. So in turn, you eat more. When you suddenly stop exercising regularly for a period of time, most people don't realise that they don't require as much calories and still eat as much as they had been whilst exercising. That's how you get fat and the muscle "turns" into fat.*


    *Someone do please correct me if I'm wrong.
    I hate it when I'm studying and a velociraptor throws bananas on me.

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