TRYING VEGAN

healthyeating555

Today is my 7th meatless day in a row. I dont miss eating meat but then again if someone offered me a steak or corned beef sandwich i might not turn it away, However i wont go out of my way to purchase meat in the grocery. Many go vegan not so much for the health benefits but because the idea of slaughtering animals is inhumane. With me its more about feeling better and eating right. So far its a so so . Cant come on like these dumb commercials trying to sell a product and say "hey there i feel fantastic i have loads of energy i am ready to conquer the world going vegan" Its not like that at all. Its too soon to tell before i can give you full feedback . Maybe others can post their testimonials about the pros and cons of going vegan

jfenner141

I've thought about vegan, but really love dairy products - yogurt, ice cream and cheese especially. We do try to eat vegetarian once or twice a week, though.

healthyeating555

losing weight is all i care about . It it helps in that sense im in if not im out

SurfyFriend

I originally did it for health benefits too, over many years, and came to appreciate where our foods originate from.
My health has improved on many levels, including digestion, clear skin, energy, clarity of thought, positive outlook, desire to be outdoors, among other things. It feels balanced

sanjoparolas

I eat mostly strict vegetarian (exception for an adult birthday party yesterday!). I love eating vegan meals! Vegan style eating does not necessarily lead to weight loss though -- it is possible to overeat any yummy food . . .

PikaKnight

I thought that was vegetarian. I thought vegan was when you went one step further and didn't use any animal products at all. (Like lip balms that are bees wax based, etc)

lemonyslash

You're right, Joy_Joy_, the original post only refers no meat, which is only a vegetarian.

healthyeating555

Really? Thats quite reassuring . How long did it take before you felt the results ?

Contrarian

Being vegan is a lifestyle choice that requires commitment. Also, it doesn't guarantee weight loss. If you are only considering becoming vegan to lose weight, in my opinion, you shouldn't bother. There are fat vegans and fat vegetarians.

healthyeating555

The only drawback to the vegan products like meatless chicken burgers etc is that they are loaded with sodium as a substitute for the bad taste associated with these foods if sodium were not added. I think true vegan is raw vegan but not too many will go to that extreme

healthyeating555

check out the labels on the back of the tasty vegan meats etc . Loaded with fat grams and loaded with sodium. Thats the big drawback. You are doing a good deed by not contributing to animal slaughter but does it help to tone down the waistline and prevent clogged arteries?

FlaxMilk

I'm a vegan, and I love it, but I wouldn't last if I didn't have the belief system behind it that I do. Tons of delicious food that's widely available (often daily at work!) would sway me. There is tons of delicious vegan food, but you won't typically find it in the lunchroom at work. You said you would not turn down steak if offered to you--you may prefer being a flexitarian. That's someone who avoids meat but does not truly abstain.

I can't say whether or not I get health benefits from eating this way, because it's been a part of my life for too long.

SurfyFriend

Really? Thats quite reassuring . How long did it take before you felt the results ?

When I cut out dairy I felt my airways and sinuses, eczema, clear up in a week.
When I cut out gluten, my tummy bloat and tummy cramps went away in two days.
Over a year eating lots of cooked vegetarian meals (meusli/berries/nuts, hummus/salad/wraps, bean/rice/veg) and counting calories I lost about 10kg
Two months raw vegan made my eyes and skin brighter, more energy, and feelings of wellbeing and loss of water weight.
My experience is that the more living foods you eat, the more alive you feel, but the less calories you eat the less you weigh. Good thing about fruit and veg is they are very satisfying (if you choose the ones you enjoy of course)

IbiH

I've thought about vegan, but really love dairy products - yogurt, ice cream and cheese especially. We do try to eat vegetarian once or twice a week, though.

How can you be vegetarian twice a week? You are either vegetarian/vegan or not?

FlaxMilk

I've thought about vegan, but really love dairy products - yogurt, ice cream and cheese especially. We do try to eat vegetarian once or twice a week, though.

How can you be vegetarian twice a week? You are either vegetarian/vegan or not?

I'd agree with you except that the person said she tries to eat vegetarian, not be a vegetarian. So the person is eating vegetarian meals a couple of times a week, not identifying as a vegetarian.

IbiH

I thought that was vegetarian. I thought vegan was when you went one step further and didn't use any animal products at all. (Like lip balms that are bees wax based, etc)

joy_joy_ I'm a vegi but not a vegan but neither do I buy/wear animal by products and always try and buy ethical products that have not been tested on animals either. After 25 years though I'm pretty good at doing it.

IbiH

I've thought about vegan, but really love dairy products - yogurt, ice cream and cheese especially. We do try to eat vegetarian once or twice a week, though.

How can you be vegetarian twice a week? You are either vegetarian/vegan or not?

I'd agree with you except that the person said (s)he tries to eat vegetarian, not be a vegetarian. So the person is eating vegetarian meals a couple of times a week, not identifying as a vegetarian.

So you just don't put meat on your plate? I'd just class that as meat free days!

ironanimal

losing weight is all i care about . It it helps in that sense im in if not im out

Wouldn't a calorie deficit suffice then?

Trechechus

I thought that was vegetarian. I thought vegan was when you went one step further and didn't use any animal products at all. (Like lip balms that are bees wax based, etc)

You are correct.

VegePop

Contrarian has it right. Vegetarian or vegan doesn't automatically lead to weight loss.

It's also pretty hard to be veggie when people around you are cooking up all the meaty foods you used to love. The prize you will get if you stick with it will be a longer and better quality life (I'm told).

FlaxMilk

So you just don't put meat on your plate? I'd just class that as meat free days!

Yup, some people do call it having a meatless day. I think they are using vegetarian more as an adjective for the meals than anything else (like how Campbell's has to label their vegetarian soup vegetarian vegetable because the other vegetable soup has beef broth.) Asking for a vegetarian meal is just an easy descriptor.

tinylightsbelow

I agree that you can still be a heavy vegan if you eat convenience foods or eat too much. I used to recommend veganism as a weight loss diet because I used to be a slender vegan (I lost 20ish lbs when I went vegan), but I gained it back later. Now I think it's best to just eat whole foods as much as possible and, of course, portion. If you do that it doesn't matter whether or not animal products are a part of your diet, you'll lose weight.

That said I do love veganism and if you want to stick with it, cool! If you want some healthy vegan recipes, I love to recommend the blog "Fat Free Vegan". Her recipes aren't actually all fat free -- they're just healthy and delicious and a lot of them are quite low cal.

JustJennie1

losing weight is all i care about . It it helps in that sense im in if not im out

Wouldn't a calorie deficit suffice then?

^^ This.

I agree with the person who says if you're going to go vegetarian in the hopes of losing weight to not bother.

Eat at a deficit and exercise.

MorningWhispers

I started eating vegetarian a few days ago, my goal is to try and eat no meat for 8 weeks.

I bought a cookbook called "You are what you eat" by Gillian McKeith that is full of vegetarian meals and lots of good information.

I don't want to buy the prepackaged processed "Vegetarian" foods, I want to make my own so I know exactly what's going in it and how much is going in it.

My reason for trying vegetarian is for my health, I love beef, chicken and so forth but I think I'd get more out of my clean diet by abstaining from meat and dairy for awhile. I am allowing myself an occasional bit of seafood if I really get to feeling the need for more than just fruits, veggies, grains and seeds.

Andrea8985

I went vegan for a month earlier in the year. Absolutely no animal products whatsoever. Honestly, it wasn't that hard. I wasn't a huge meat eater to begin with. Giving up yogurt was probably the hardest (and soy and coconut milk yogurts taste awful). I did it just to see if I could do it, and to see if I really did feel better eating that way. In the end I didn't stick with it past the one month. I live with a husband who is practically a carnivore (he eats about 2-3 pounds of bacon a week), and the benefits I felt weren't enough to make the extra work worth the effort. Now I eat meat sometimes, but mostly I eat at a deficit and have been consistently losing weight.

SkepticallyFit

You can still have dairy and eggs if you're ovo-lacto vegetarian. I've been eating this way for 2 years and it wasn't hard at all. I don't get tempted with meat, probably because I don't feel like I'm depriving myself of anything. You can make such delicious foods on this diet (just made black bean enchiladas yesterday... yummy), so my taste buds are satisfied.

And I do find it easier to lose weight and my health has improved according to my last physical, because the meat choices I made were terrible. I mostly lived off fast food meat, which is high in saturated fat, sodium, and when you combine the bread you're getting a ton of carb calories on top. The result is a high calorie, low nutrient meal. So I had to eat more to feel satisfied... you know how it goes.

Th3stral

Food wise I'm a vegan as I have tons of (medically confirmed) allergies, I can't even have soy/tofu products. Normally I eat 70-90% raw but I'm 3 weeks into a 100% raw 'detox'? As usual I start the detox (by detox i mean concious effort to reduce the junk in my diet) thinking I'll do 10-14 days, see how I go, and feel SO fabulous I stick with it for at least a month.

I was once advised never to restrict intake for 6-8 weeks after a dramatic diet change, the dietitian told me that it's to do will allowing your body to adjust to the new diet but I don't know the science behind that statement. If this is a big change for you I'd suggest not to restrict volume (you can still watch calories by choosing low calorie foods rather than high) until you've adjusted.

KenosFeoh

Good for you! I've been attracted to the vegan way of life for a long time, but I haven't been able to make the diet work for me (so far).

healthyeating555

I cant use the word abstain in my vocabulary until my body tells me it doesnt crave it anymore

perrinjoshua

Whether you want to try vegetarianism or vegan is really a very personal choice. When I started I decided to just stop eating meat, leaving myself the options of eggs, dairy and fish because I didn't want to give up certain things. That worked for me for about five years when I decided it was time for me to go the whole vegan route. I have been doing that for over three years now and I feel great. Am I healthier than I was before I took meat out of my diet? Yes. I don't need any medications, have no cholesterol problems, when I went to give blood a couple of months ago my iron levels were better than some of my colleagues who were refused because of it (actually mine were the best results of the group and I was the oldest person there) and I feel safe in my food choices. Why am I on a weight loss site? Because I never actually lost any weight to speak of just by eliminating meat and seafood. Portion control, healthy food options and exercise are still required. Hope this helps.

healthyeating555

Actually let me revise that thought. I want to lose weight by going vegan but more importantly feel better about myself and be void of health related issues like heart disease and other life threatening issues