Vegetarian/vegan success stories??

eringrace95_

I lost my initial 50 pounds on an omnivore diet. I went vegan for about a year and a half and gained about 35 pounds in that time. I am now vegetarian but I’m still struggling with what to eat.

Any vegetarians and / or vegans out there please add me so I can snoop on your diaries!

chrissywelsh10

You can add me

janejellyroll

I've been vegan for about ten years, went in and out of a normal weight range during that time. By January of 2015, I was solidly in the overweight category and in denial about it. I perpetuated this by refusing to weigh, so I have no idea how much I weighed. Finally I saw some pictures of myself taken at work and I knew I had to do something. My only non-negotiable is that I had to stay vegan, that wasn't going to change.

I began counting calories on another website. I think I lost about ten pounds total, I weighed about 153 pounds then. I got frustrated at the slow pace and came to MFP where I saw enough posts on how to measure accurately that I began using a food scale.

Once I began logging accurately, my weigh loss became much more predictable. As I lost weight, I got motivated to get more consistent with my running, something that I've always enjoyed but wasn't always consistent with.

Today I weigh 110 pounds. I've been maintaining since fall 2015. Even after reaching goal weight, I wasn't completely happy with my body but a focus on resistance training has helped a lot. I'm 38 and this is truly the best body I've ever had and I understand how to maintain it. I still log daily because I find it to be really helpful in keeping me on track. My hunger cues are not a reliable source of when and how much to eat. I just have a really strong appetite, I always have. So I pre-log my meals for each day (but now that I'm maintaining, I'll sometimes add stuff in on the fly if I want).

What to eat? I pretty much eat what I did before. I'm much less likely to use grains as the foundation of the meal like I did before losing weight. I'll still have them, but mixed with more vegetables.

AliceDark

I'm ovo/lacto vegetarian, so feel free to add me.

The biggest thing that has helped me is to build meals around a protein source. I sit down in the morning with a cup of coffee and map out my day. I start by putting in my protein sources, then fruits/vegetables, then kind of figure out whatever is left. Part of what I've found to be challenging is that lots of vegetarian protein sources are more "expensive," calorie-wise, than some non-vegetarian sources. I end up having to spend more of my calorie budget to get my protein than someone who can just eat a can of tuna or a chicken breast. It's worth it to me, because I don't want to eat meat, but it means that I have to plan a little more carefully than someone else might.

eringrace95_

AliceDark wrote: »

I'm ovo/lacto vegetarian, so feel free to add me.

The biggest thing that has helped me is to build meals around a protein source. I sit down in the morning with a cup of coffee and map out my day. I start by putting in my protein sources, then fruits/vegetables, then kind of figure out whatever is left. Part of what I've found to be challenging is that lots of vegetarian protein sources are more "expensive," calorie-wise, than some non-vegetarian sources. I end up having to spend more of my calorie budget to get my protein than someone who can just eat a can of tuna or a chicken breast. It's worth it to me, because I don't want to eat meat, but it means that I have to plan a little more carefully than someone else might.

Yeah that’s what I’m struggling with !

Ninjacheets

I just starting tracking again two days ago. Also, I’m still working on going 100% While Food Plant Based, but feel free to add me. I’m still tweaking my macros.

I drink a smoothie almost every morning with the following
-2 cups frozen fruit
-1 cup kale
-1 cup soy milk
- 1 banana
- 1 1tbs flaxseed

Oatmeal bowls are also quick and easy
-1/2 cup old fashioned oats
-1 cup frozen berries
Add a little water then microwave for about 3 mins
-add 1tbs almond butter
-handful of raisins
-chia and/or flax if you like(it will thicken it up)
-1 banana

As for snacks, I really like Larabars and fig bars

AliceDark

ErinSot wrote: »

AliceDark wrote: »

I'm ovo/lacto vegetarian, so feel free to add me.

The biggest thing that has helped me is to build meals around a protein source. I sit down in the morning with a cup of coffee and map out my day. I start by putting in my protein sources, then fruits/vegetables, then kind of figure out whatever is left. Part of what I've found to be challenging is that lots of vegetarian protein sources are more "expensive," calorie-wise, than some non-vegetarian sources. I end up having to spend more of my calorie budget to get my protein than someone who can just eat a can of tuna or a chicken breast. It's worth it to me, because I don't want to eat meat, but it means that I have to plan a little more carefully than someone else might.

Yeah that’s what I’m struggling with !

Some of my go-to protein sources are cottage cheese, greek yogurt, string cheese sticks (because I still eat like I'm in elementary school, LOL!), eggs, protein bars/powders, tofu and occasional meat replacements like veggie burgers. I round out the rest of my protein requirements with things like beans or higher-protein grains.