Plant based attempt difficult

ssbmacdaddy

I had lost 100 lb in paleo- ketogenic ( eating a lot of fish) diet yet developed some side effects like low energy and decreased testosterone and reduced vascular function and foggy thinking. I have since tried to switch to a vegan diet and high carb low fat vegan. I gained some weight(22 lb). I feel better yet want to stop gaining and loose at least 12 lb. Do you think weight gain is just increased calories or a change to more carb? Any advise from someone who has switched to plant based would be appreciated.

quatermore

You ate at a deficit and therefore you lost weight. Decreased testosterone and low energy means you need to eat more on a daily basis. Don't complicate things. You already know the answers.

AnvilHead

ssbmacdaddy wrote: »

I had lost 100 lb in paleo- ketogenic ( eating a lot of fish) diet yet developed some side effects like low energy and decreased testosterone and reduced vascular function and foggy thinking. I have since tried to switch to a vegan diet and high carb low fat vegan. I gained some weight(22 lb). I feel better yet want to stop gaining and loose at least 12 lb. Do you think weight gain is just increased calories or a change to more carb? Any advise from someone who has switched to plant based would be appreciated.

Weight gain comes from eating more calories than you expend. Period. If carbs were the culprit, there'd be an awful lot of morbidly obese vegans waddling around, wouldn't there?

kshama2001

Sounds like you were undereating when doing paleo- ketogenic and overeating while high carb low fat vegan. Or perhaps your activity levels were different during these periods.

When I was in Costa Rica I ate mostly low fat plant based and lost weight without even intending too. I ate mangoes all day long, so lots of carbs.

amusedmonkey

Some of that weight increase is water weight because on a ketogenic diet you had a lower water weight base, but the rest of it is simply eating too much. Why are you swinging from one extreme to another? Just eat normally and count calories if you're finding a low fat diet hard. How about, moderate fat, some plant foods and some meat foods, you know, the usual. If you can't do it unless it has a name and a structure, try "The Mediterranean Diet" while counting calories accurately, which is balanced for fat and carbs and includes some plants. Or maybe try doing moderate fat vegan or moderate carb paleo. Ultimately, just eat in a way that feels pleasant to you that you would be able to sustain for life.

ssbmacdaddy

Thank you all for your wonderful and logical advise. You are correct- I have had to reduce my activity level due to spine issues. Also I got burnt out on logging and counting calories. I need to get back to basics. Also I wanted to get a more compleete and better nutrition so I have tried more plant based. On paleo I though some of my hormonal systems started to misbehave. I was also always very cold. Eating more plant based carb I rarely feel cold anymore. I feel better. I did gain 20 lb back but I was underweight at my lowest and my friends said they were going to get a collection started for me. Lol. I am now a bit disappointed that I gained as I want to maintain yet be about 10 lb less. Can’t see the 8 pack that I had when I was at my lowest. Trying to find that middle ground now. There are some challenges in long term maintance. I will say eating whole plant based is more appealing then fish or chicken etc. it just allows for more variety of natural flavor for me. If I have a craving I have meat. But the more I eat this way the less meat cravings I get. I would like to find that middle ground that allows a fit body, hormones, systems, mind and exercise and nutrition. Thank you to all in the community you have always been wonderfully helpful. Any additional advise for maintance of weight is and will be appreciated.

misnomer1

If you're not too opposed to it ethically, you could include some dairy in your diet as a middle ground.

ssbmacdaddy

I find dairy does not agree with my gut- but I occasionally can eat yogurt- I am not doing this as a political statement- if I crave meat or dairy I have it- I just feel I need it less and less the more I eat plant based . It’s as if the gut biome is changing slowly. The more plant based I get the better I feel- yet just want to keep the pounds off too

fuchsias

I have been vegan for about 10 years. I My personal opinion is calories.

JeromeBarry1

"I would like to find that middle ground that allows a fit body, hormones, systems, mind and exercise and nutrition. "

I once observed that the Viagra commercial advising one to see a doctor for an erection lasting 4 hours "Wasn't a medical problem. It's a teenager". Likewise, your sentence above isn't a middle ground. It's a teenager, 19 exactly.

JustRobby1

I am on the dead animal based diet myself. I saw a video about it on YouTube and it changed my life. As a result I am now shredded like an Olympian, irresistible to women, filthy rich and will soon be acquiring a Tuscan mansion to start my early retirement and bask in luxury and opulence.

Pick up a copy of my book at Barnes and Noble and you can be just like me

lucerorojo

What are you eating on your vegan diet? There may be some high calorie items that you could cut back on or substitute with vegetables or something else.

timtam163

CICO is the foundation, but it's easy to over-eat if you rely too much on calorie-dense nut butters, oils, and seeds. Doubly so if you eat mostly greasy meat substitutes, sugary granola, fried/sweet stuff, etc. Just an extra tablespoon of almond butter is another 100 calories; a heavy-handed helping of muesli is another 100; etc.

Focus on bigger portions of vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes, if you aren't already.

In addition to logging more accurately (as others have said) I recommend Pick Up Limes on Youtube, she is a vegan RD and has lots of healthy plant-based food ideas.

JRSINAZ

I tried to get as close to vegan as I could but the time, energy and money is not worth it and it did not help with my weight loss. Ethics aside it's my health and how I choose to conduct it that counts to me. I still don't eat meat but do use dairy, egg whites and seafood (sparingly). I cook oil free and eat low fat. Probably my biggest use would be the whey protein drinks I bought over the Vega brand. I'm losing weight and that's better than being a fat vegan. You can google that.

jgnatca

I am more concerned with your low energy and foggy thinking. I think you are missing some of the fatty acids in your diet.

How about a once a week steak? Try fatty fish like salmon. Also try Kefir. It did wonders for my gut.

TavistockToad

ssbmacdaddy wrote: »

I had lost 100 lb in paleo- ketogenic ( eating a lot of fish) diet yet developed some side effects like low energy and decreased testosterone and reduced vascular function and foggy thinking. I have since tried to switch to a vegan diet and high carb low fat vegan. I gained some weight(22 lb). I feel better yet want to stop gaining and loose at least 12 lb. Do you think weight gain is just increased calories or a change to more carb? Any advise from someone who has switched to plant based would be appreciated.

why not a balanced diet with all of the macros in moderation?

mari142435

ssbmacdaddy wrote: »

I find dairy does not agree with my gut- but I occasionally can eat yogurt- I am not doing this as a political statement- if I crave meat or dairy I have it- I just feel I need it less and less the more I eat plant based . It’s as if the gut biome is changing slowly. The more plant based I get the better I feel- yet just want to keep the pounds off too

Your microbiome is indeed changing, it might even tell you what you should eat...

https://youtu.be/VzPD009qTN4

lucerorojo

I was a vegetarian for about 7 years and a vegan for 3. This was about 15-20 years ago. I went back to eating meat because at the time there weren't many restaurants that would serve anything vegan other than salads. I was fine when I was living in a small town and had a slower life and could prepare all my meals, but when I moved back to the big city I had no time for that and no places to eat. For me it made more sense to just eat some animal protein. It does not help with weight loss unless you have a calorie deficit! I say this with 20/20 hindsight. At the time I was vegetarian/vegan I was not overweight. I did start to gain when I moved back to the city and was still eating vegan (or trying to). My cholesterol was high and I gained weight. When I went back to eating meat, I lost weight and cholesterol came down. But I just attribute that to eating less calories overall--although at the time I didn't know that.