Most vegetarians are overweight?!!!

[Poppy]

Hiya Sandra
I'm the same. Although I'm only 5ft 2" I've lost just over a stone since changing to a vegan diet and weigh just a couple more pounds than yourself. Sometimes I do feel more tired than usual but I know sometimes that I don't eat as well as I should, but I am trying to. x

[sarahblue]

I haven't really lost weight, but I eat like a pig. Doesn't matter how healthy your diet, if you overeat, you're not going to lose weight.

[Pilaf]

It's worth noting that most people are overweight these days, vegetarian or not. Well, in developed countries anyway.

[sandra]

Hi Poppy, I'm like you, I don't eat as well as I should. Sometimes there just isn't time to eat!
We've got our height in common too, I'm 5' 2"! I think it has a lot to do with metabolism, some people just put weight on more easily than others. My husband really doesn't eat a great deal and yet he weighs a few stone more than he should. I'm trying to get him to go vegan so maybe that will help

[whats-her-name]

I am not overweight, a littlke 'round' though I eat much, sit all day and it's a result

I noticed that when i became lacto-ovo i put on weight a lot, the more dairy i eat, the fatter i am

[sandra]

Yes, I think dairy does tend to make people put on weight, hopefully now you are vegan you will be much healthier!

[psychocandy]

When i was vegetarian i wasnt overweight but i thought i was. back then i was in school and constantly trying to lose weight. when i went vegan (7 years ago this summer! its gone quick) i intially lost about a stone but then about 3 years ago i just gained lots of weight. think it was due to some awful medication i was prescribed but thankfully managed to come off about 2 years ago. i feel healthier without the dairy but still need to lose weight. some of it due to my pregnancy but i cant use that excuse forever!

[sandra]

Sometimes it takes a long time to lose weight after having a baby so don't be too hard on yourself. I know my husband tries hard to lose weight and I hate it when people think it's his fault that he can't. They also assume that he sits all day eating, which he doesn't, infact he doesn't eat a great deal, I really think a lot of it is down to metabolism!

[psychocandy]

thanks sandra i know what you mean im feeling sorry for myself arent i? sometimes if im out i see people who have just had babies and are really slim whats going on? i wonder if metabolism can change? like you said some people dont eat much but still dont lose weight.

[sandra]

Yes, but I'm always suspicious of new mothers who get really slim quickly, I think a lot must be starving themselves and exercising all day!
I know that's a generalization, but most women find it hard to lose weight after having a baby. I lost weight quickly after having my children but that was because I couldn't eat with stress problems.

[puffin]

I lost weight quickly with my second but i found it hard to lose the weight the first time.

[sandra]

Hi Puffin, my sister was like you. It's funny the way metabolism or whatever it is works isn't it?

[puffin]

I think it is because i dont eat as much as i used to lol. I used to eat a lot of bread but with my IBS i dont really eat it anymore. I didnt eat as much while pregnant the second time due to the problems i had first time.

[sandra]

IBS is a horrible thing to have, I have had stomach ulcers in the past and I think these sort of conditions really effect your weight and the amounts of food you can eat. The doctor always says to eat more fibre when you have IBS, but I think that just makes it worse!

[sarahblue]

Ahhhhhhhhh, now I feel like a complete fatass. I read the "BMI" thread, you are all SKINNY MINNIES! And I'm the thinnest I've ever been in my life! Oh sweet irony.

[aubergine]

We're still all meant to be different shapes and sizes though. Being overweight isn't something you can judge just by comparing yourself to other people.

[Tigerlily]

Ahhhhhhhhh, now I feel like a complete fatass. I read the "BMI" thread, you are all SKINNY MINNIES! And I'm the thinnest I've ever been in my life! Oh sweet irony.

I agree. I'm in the overweight BMI range.

[Jamie]

hey I'm a 'fatass' (lol!) vegan too!! I've actually gained weight after going vegan. How bad is that?!!! I found all the good stuff and went mad on it, it seems. So not fair!!

[sindii]

Im the other way round, i drop weight so easy with being vegan and have to stuff my face just to keep weight on even when i take months out of any excercise.
Anyway if vegan/veggies are overweight what the hell are omni's?

[sandra]

Exactly! Omni's most certainly have an unhealthy diet. I think vegans who are overweight are still healthier than non-vegans. I really do think weight has a lot to do with metabolism aswell, some people burn calories off more easily than others.

[Jamie]

and I suppose it has to do with what weight you were before too - like I was already very overweight before I went vegan, so as long as I was eating enough cals to maintain that and a few more to add on some, that is how it happened. It's not like I got here in a few months! I read somewhere that it takes a long time to put on weight and so you should expect it to take a long time to shed it.

[sandra]

Yeah, that's right, they say to view weight loss as a long-term thing. I know from watching my husband that it is not easy losing weight. He seems to be doing all the right things but the weight doesn't come off, and it really annoys me when other people think he eats all day, when I know he doesn't. Again, I think metabolism has a lot to do with it.

[Tigerlily]

Exactly! Omni's most certainly have an unhealthy diet. I think vegans who are overweight are still healthier than non-vegans. I really do think weight has a lot to do with metabolism aswell, some people burn calories off more easily than others.

I think it depends. Being vegan doesn't automatically make you healthier. You can be an omnivore that eats a ton of veggies, fruits, whole grains and no junk food and you can be a vegan that never eats fresh produce and lives off white bread and chips. In that case, I would consider the omni to be healthier.

[sandra]

Maybe it's just that the thought of having some poor animal's rotting flesh inside you just couldn't be healthy! You're right though I suppose it's not very healthy either to be vegan eating the wrong kinds of food, although I know which one I'd rather be anyday!

[Haniska]

Has anyone gained weight because they no longer feel guilty about eating? I just recently had a doctor diagnose me with "possible Marfan's" which means I show the soft signs but I will be tested for the heart and eye problems shortly. Apparently people with "pidgeon breast" look like they have pot bellies and people with Marfan's can't put on muscle. So there is my excuse.

[Tigerlily]

I feel more guilty about eating since I went vegan, Han. I never had "eating issues" before but now I can't eat anything without insane guilt of how fat I am and how I need to lose weight.

[twinkle]

Aww

Tigerlily - you're beautiful! As long as you feel comfortable in your body don't worry about what the scale says!

[Tigerlily]

Yeah, but I don't feel comfortable. But I can't bring myself to try and lose weight. It's too hard.

[lvhockhart]

It doesn't matter whether or not you eat animal products, you can still be really overweight.

I have gained a ton of weight since I stopped eating meat, but that is because I stopped paying attention to what, how much and why I was eating and I hardly exercise anymore. I'm working on getting back on track, but it's like others have posted in their replies, excess calories make you fat regardless of where they come from. Munching up oversized quantities of food will pack on the pounds, even if they are vegetarian or vegan pounds.

Has anyone else here seen "Supersize Me". IMHO that's more than enough evidence to keep a logical person off of meat, dairy and refined grains.

[thecatspajamas1]

I've met a lot of vegans, and the chubbiest one is myself and it's not like I'm obese or anything. I've met a lot of fat omnivores though as well as skinny omnivores. So I guess it's mixed. My prediction though would be that a fat vegan would have better cholesterol levels than a fat meat eater.