Calorie Counting Vegan

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potatovegan
potatovegan Posts: 32 Member
in Introduce Yourself
It's almost taboo to say you are counting calories on a plant based diet, but I am doing just that starting this week. The big hype in the vegan/plant based world is you can eat all you want, it's all healthy... you can't gain weight if you eat high carb, low fat, etc... Well, I have come to the conclusion after 4 wonderful years of eating my plants, grains, nuts and seeds, that you really can eat too much of a good thing no matter how healthy it is. Any more vegans or plant based people out there counting calories? I'm truly amazed how many calories some of my favorite foods have! I will be on a learning curve for a couple weeks. I would love to hear your success stories. I'm hoping to lose 20 lbs by late spring.

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  • holliebaker90
    holliebaker90 Posts: 36 Member
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    Vegan here, counting calories. I am relatively new at vegan eating - about 2 months. I found out that Oreos are vegan... and, well... let's just say I was doomed from then on! ;)

    I also eat a lot of hummus and peanut butter - which are FULL of calories. I try to stay away from too much soy based products. All in all - eating more natural foods helps keep the calorie counts down from what I have seen. As long as I'm eating tons of veggies and staying away from all of the sweet things I can keep my calorie count in check.

    I am also looking to lose 20 lbs by spring. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts and yours as well. It's exciting and very rewarding being a vegan.

    Sending you a Friend Request if you don't mind! I have an open diary. If anyone out there is vegan as well and has an open diary - please send me a Friend Request too! I would love to see what everyone else eats :)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I've been vegan for ten years, been counting calories for over three now. I lost about 40 pounds my first year and have been maintaining that weight loss since then.

    It absolutely works for me. It fits my lifestyle and preferences really well. There is a bit of a learning curve at first, but in my experience it got much easier after that. I found a kitchen scale to be a really useful tool, especially for foods that are more calorie-dense (think nuts, rice, oats, avocado, pasta, etc).
  • potatovegan
    potatovegan Posts: 32 Member
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    I used to throw an entire can of beans on my salad for lunch, then realized this week how many calories that really is. I should be using about a third of the can. I'm used to checking for hidden meats and dairy, fat content, and carbs, but haven't worried much about calories.
  • ThinGoldLineNS
    ThinGoldLineNS Posts: 265 Member
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    Hello! I don't believe the correct "vegan" terminology applies to me but I've adopted the WFPB lifestyle January 1st. I don't eat meat, dairy, soy or oils and I try to avoid/limit refined sugars. Today is day 17 and I don't miss those foods at all. My energy is up, I don't get "afternoon crashes", my skin looks healthier and I've lost 4 pounds without hitting the gym (which I will be doing tomorrow!)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    potatovegan wrote: »
    I used to throw an entire can of beans on my salad for lunch, then realized this week how many calories that really is. I should be using about a third of the can. I'm used to checking for hidden meats and dairy, fat content, and carbs, but haven't worried much about calories.

    This was me! I love beans and grains and my portion sizes -- pre-calorie counting -- were just out of control. I tend to eat higher volume and now I use things like roasted broccoli/cauliflower, greens, and shredded cabbage to help create higher volume in my meals.
  • holliebaker90
    holliebaker90 Posts: 36 Member
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    potatovegan wrote: »
    I used to throw an entire can of beans on my salad for lunch, then realized this week how many calories that really is. I should be using about a third of the can. I'm used to checking for hidden meats and dairy, fat content, and carbs, but haven't worried much about calories.

    Yes!!! I eat SO many beans. Kidney beans, black beans, black eyed peas, ect. I wonder what vegetables are high in protein? Or vegetables that are lowest in calories but provide the most fiber and protein to keep us full?

    I have noticed that I eat WAY more fiber now that I have become vegan, and all of that fiber fills me up to the point where I'm never very hungry any more. I never eat to the point of where my stomach hurts and yet I never and dying for more food mid-day.
  • twinkles4
    twinkles4 Posts: 124 Member
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    potatovegan wrote: »
    I used to throw an entire can of beans on my salad for lunch, then realized this week how many calories that really is. I should be using about a third of the can. I'm used to checking for hidden meats and dairy, fat content, and carbs, but haven't worried much about calories.

    Same! I switched 2 years ago and my portion sizes became huge after. I ended up gaining 10lbs in the switch over. *Whoops* lol.

    My diary is always open, anyone is free to add me :) I usually pre-plan my week so I can be sure to hit my protein goal (or at least get close).
  • sissyspace93
    sissyspace93 Posts: 11 Member
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    I'm right there with you! My sister lost a ton of weight when she went vegan, but you wouldn't believe how much vegan food I can eat in one day. It's ridiculous. Today is day 1 of counting for me. Best of luck to you!
  • potatovegan
    potatovegan Posts: 32 Member
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    sissyspace93 wrote: »
    I'm right there with you! My sister lost a ton of weight when she went vegan, but you wouldn't believe how much vegan food I can eat in one day. It's ridiculous. Today is day 1 of counting for me. Best of luck to you!
    It's amazing how many calories are in some of my favorite foods, why did I never look at that? And I wondered why my weight loss had come to a standstill... duh!
  • mitchcolvin
    mitchcolvin Posts: 1 Member
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    I found my people!! I thought I was the only vegan who could gain (or not lose) weight on this diet. I am trying vegan-keto and counting calories starting yesterday. I found a great website (link below) for help figuring out what to eat. I was eating way too much hummus and sugary fruit (not together). I would love to connect with a few people for some occasional check-in support. :blush:

    https://www.ruled.me/comprehensive-guide-vegan-ketogenic-diet/#
  • Kimresh
    Kimresh Posts: 1 Member
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    mitchcolvin wrote: »
    I found my people!! I thought I was the only vegan who could gain (or not lose) weight on this diet. I am trying vegan-keto and counting calories starting yesterday. I found a great website (link below) for help figuring out what to eat. I was eating way too much hummus and sugary fruit (not together). I would love to connect with a few people for some occasional check-in support. :blush:

    https://www.ruled.me/comprehensive-guide-vegan-ketogenic-diet/#

    I was gaining weight on WFPB. I started a vegan-keto diet with intermittent fasting on January 12th and have lost 9.5 pounds in 9 days. I did keto many years ago, and know how fast you can lose fat on it, but all the animal fat and protein made me feel awful and I stopped doing it.

    Vegan-keto (at least so far) is completely different. I don’t feel as sluggish and nasty as I did before when I tried this style of eating. I still eat mostly WFPB but I do supplement from time-to-time with a plant-based protein powder and olive oil, which is a real no-no on WFPB.

    Good luck with your program!
  • andfivesixseveneight
    andfivesixseveneight Posts: 140 Member
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    I agree veganism isn’t a magical weight loss guarantee. I ended up 20 pounds heavier as a vegan than when on keto eating all the animals.
    For me, it wasn’t just a matter of calories in, but also calories out. Eating vegan I simply couldn’t exercise as strenuously without injuring myself because I was eating poorly.
    I require mindfulness to maintain proper nutrition and amino acid intake for joint/bone/muscle health. So now I am vegan, count calories, eat mindfully (usually!) and have lost 16 pounds, with 14 more to go.
    My diary is open, and would be glad to have some more friends.
  • MozzerellaPearl
    MozzerellaPearl Posts: 6 Member
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    Vegan here (nearly a year) and calorie counting with a view of loosing around 15lbs by June.

    When I first went vegan, I was loosing about 2-3lb a month. BUT in the summer I eat a lot of salads and do a lot of outdoors-y things. As it gets colder I tend not to do so many outdoors things as I have two young children who struggle in wind/cold, so don't get out as much. And would rather have a hearty meal than leaves, which tends to be more calorie-heavy.

    I've been maintaining since October and although I'm not crazy-unhappy with my size, want to loose a little more.

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