Vegan weight gain

jamecabenjamin
jamecabenjamin Posts: 2 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hello, I'm new to the vegan diet. Never thought I'd be "one of those ppl", but I saw how terrible we treat the animals that become our food and was so disgusted that I decided that day to stop eating animal products.
Now I've been having fun learning new recipes and eating more veggies than I've ever eaten in my life! Problem is, I had a hard time gaining weight even when I ate meat, so I don't want to lose weight with my current lifestyle. I would like to gain 15 pounds and start working out.
Anyone have tips for me? Are any of you vegans?

Replies

  • FreeVeg
    FreeVeg Posts: 46 Member
    Hey! Vegan here. Well, I don't think that adopting vegan lifestyle is a weight loss panacea. I am vegan....and I have been fat vegan too lol :) if I don't plan my diet carefully I can gain weight easily. Being vegan is not only eating fresh fruit and veg. There is a lot vegan junk food around as well. But if you are moving towards clean eating direction then don't forget to include healthy fats and protein too- there are plenty of calorie and nutrient dense foods out there like- chia seeds, flaxseeds, peanut or other nut butter, avocados, tahini etc. You can use also protein powders. I am using organic hemp protein powder and it works very well for me.
  • unparalleledAF
    unparalleledAF Posts: 45 Member
    FreeVeg wrote: »
    I don't think that adopting vegan lifestyle is a weight loss panacea.

    A friend who is a vegan once had fun showing me all the junk food that was vegan, so being so definitely doesn't ensure weight loss. :smile:

    For me, personally, breads and pastas make me gain weight. Eliminating those always made me drop a lot of pounds.
  • kathrynjean_
    kathrynjean_ Posts: 428 Member
    edited April 2016
    Gaining weight just comes down to a calorie surplus. I am vegan and I find that a lot of plant based foods can be quite calorie dense - beans, rice, starchy vegetables, nut butters, and avocado are some of my favourites. I also really like cooking with olive oil, and you can use more or less depending on your goals.

    And of course, there are always Oreos and Tofurkey pizzas ... :)

    You say that you want to start working out at well. Are you interested in/have you considered lifting weights? While you're eating in a surplus, if you're following a progressive heavy lifting program, you can gain a bit of muscle along with the fat. This would be my personal recommendation but it comes down to your goals.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    If I wanted to gain 15 pounds, I would eat larger servings of things like rice, bread, pasta, avocado, coconut milk, tahini, hummus, vegan mayo, granola, plant-milk ice creams, almonds, peanuts, potatoes, and bananas. Those are just the things that I like that I tend to limit so I can maintain my weight.
  • kathrynjean_
    kathrynjean_ Posts: 428 Member
    Oh yes, as @janejellyroll said - those plant based ice creams!!! I love Luna and Larry's but apparently the new Ben and Jerry's vegan ice creams are delicious. I just haven't had a chance to try them yet.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    kathrynjean_ wrote: »
    Oh yes, as @janejellyroll said - those plant based ice creams!!! I love Luna and Larry's but apparently the new Ben and Jerry's vegan ice creams are delicious. I just haven't had a chance to try them yet.

    The new Ben & Jerry's: AWESOME.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    Hey.. I like the tofurky pizzas, thank you. ;)
  • kathrynjean_
    kathrynjean_ Posts: 428 Member
    BecomingBane wrote: »
    Hey.. I like the tofurky pizzas, thank you. ;)

    Me too!! That's why I suggested them! IMO they are much better than the Daiya ones.

  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    kathrynjean_ wrote: »
    BecomingBane wrote: »
    Hey.. I like the tofurky pizzas, thank you. ;)

    Me too!! That's why I suggested them! IMO they are much better than the Daiya ones.

    I still tend to make my own... the Tofurky one's are pretty calorie dense, but for the size... meh. I can use my own ingredients (often other tofurky, daiya, or field roast products in addition) and get a better tasting, larger, even more calorie dense pizza.

    To the OP... peanut butter, avocado, nuts, any other calorie dense foods... eat as many calories as you can in smaller "packages" in order to gain. Odds are you are eating volumetrics, or low calorie, high volume, filling foods. Gonna have to turn that on its head to gain.
  • sme11dwards
    sme11dwards Posts: 4 Member
    Hello everyone, I am new to being Vegan well more so Vegetarian at the moment (making my way to vegan) but I would like to gain weight also. I recently cut out meat (about 4 weeks counting). I don't want to lose any weight I actually want to gain. Any suggestions.

    @janejellyroll I will try some of the food items you suggested - great list.
  • sme11dwards
    sme11dwards Posts: 4 Member
    @jamecabenjamin Hello. It seems we are attempting the exact same thing. I have peanuts on my desk that I eat constantly. I drink plenty of water. But as well, I'm trying to find other ideas. I have tried the Morning star dishes and they are great, but I don't wan tot become addicted to freezer foods either.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    sme11dwards wrote: »
    @jamecabenjamin Hello. It seems we are attempting the exact same thing. I have peanuts on my desk that I eat constantly. I drink plenty of water. But as well, I'm trying to find other ideas. I have tried the Morning star dishes and they are great, but I don't wan tot become addicted to freezer foods either.

    Recognizing that a food is tasty, convenient, and helps you meet your health/fitness goals doesn't have to equal addiction. Some of my favorite foods come from the freezer.
  • jamecabenjamin
    jamecabenjamin Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks everyone! And sme11dwards I just added you as a weight gain buddy.

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