Vegan to vegetarian

pinkgurl456

I recently decided to go back to vegatarian but try to be vegan and mostly plant based when possible has any one else have experience doing this? My biggest worry is gaining back the weight I lost from a vegan diet.

fuzzylop72

I haven't gone back to eating dairy/eggs, but I will say you don't need to worry about weight gain, as long as you're not exceeding maintenance calories.

apullum

Whether or not you eat animal products has nothing to do with your weight. As long as your calories burned are, on average, equal to your calories eaten, your weight stays stable no matter what you eat.

janejellyroll

You didn't lose weight from going vegan, you lost weight from a calorie deficit (going vegan may have made it easier for you to get into a deficit -- some people find this to be the case). So if you don't want to gain weight, don't eat more calories than your body is using. Do you know your maintenance calorie goal?

pinkgurl456

Thanks for the replies yes I do have a maintenance I guess I am reading in too much to other vegans, who say that cow milk will fatten you up and that vegan lifestyle will keep you lean even with excess calories etc ..

janejellyroll

pinkgurl456 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies yes I do have a maintenance I guess I am reading in too much to other vegans, who say that cow milk will fatten you up and that vegan lifestyle will keep you lean even with excess calories etc ..

Any vegan who tells you that you won't gain weight eating more calories than you use is either lying to you or is misinformed.

apullum

pinkgurl456 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies yes I do have a maintenance I guess I am reading in too much to other vegans, who say that cow milk will fatten you up and that vegan lifestyle will keep you lean even with excess calories etc ..

You get fat from consistently eating more calories than you burn. There is no specific food that will "fatten you up" unless eating it causes you to frequently go over your maintenance calories. A diet or lifestyle will only "keep you lean" if it means your activity and calorie intake balance out.

mbaker566

i know fat vegans and skinny dairy drinkers.

all that matters is eating within your calorie allotment

vegmebuff

I did the 'switch' too...it was just too difficult to do - plus I really started craving eggs and dairy again

Haven't gained any significant weight - if at all.

Don't worry about 'gaining'...unless you are now eating more calories/day.

pinkgurl456

Thanks vegmebuff it’s good to hear that it was too hard for someone else too I feel awful morally but being vegetarian is better for my energy levels as an dancer

CarvedTones

One of my kids made the switch to lacto/ovo for eggs, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese and ice cream. He is saving me a lot of money in vegan meat substitutes, which he still eats, but less often. He is actually eating less.

toxikon

If you're chugging glasses of whole milk with all your meals and putting yourself in a calorie surplus - yes, you'll gain weight. Eating in a calorie deficit, regardless of dietary choices, will result in weight loss.

vegmebuff

pinkgurl456 wrote: »

Thanks vegmebuff it’s good to hear that it was too hard for someone else too I feel awful morally but being vegetarian is better for my energy levels as an dancer

yes...I too was feeling 'weak'. and yes to the part about feeling guilty about switching too...I struggled with that one for sure!

I do still mainly do 'vegan' but now incorporate a small amount of fish too - along with dairy and eggs, honey, etc.,

lizziebeth1028

Weight loss or weight gain is all about calorie intake - it doesn't matter if you're a vegan, vegetarian, keto, or cookie-a-holic. Is all about calories consumed and calories burned. Track what you're eating and stay in your calorie goal and you'll be fine!

ghudson92

I think when it comes to food, we can get really hung up on labels and the restrictions that come with them. It is perfectly OK to mix up the various approaches to eating, after all we do live in the age of abundance. I myself mainly eat with a vegetarian mindset, however, as I occasionally eat fish I am called a pescatarian. Many of my meals are vegan, but I don't meet the criteria of being a vegan. So long as you are eating at a deficit, in a way that makes you feel good and not deprived, you will continue to achieve your goals

como_agua

i was vegan several years ago and weighed more than i do now. for me the high carb of beans and quinoa were not doing my weight any favors. i seemed to be in constant sugar crashes. now that i track everything i find that is more important than anything.

kshama2001

pinkgurl456 wrote: »

Thanks vegmebuff it’s good to hear that it was too hard for someone else too I feel awful morally but being vegetarian is better for my energy levels as an dancer

I'd hate for you to have an ethical dilemma without exhausting all options. Were you focused enough on getting protein from plants? How many of your meals per day featured legumes?

VeggieBarbells

pinkgurl456 wrote: »

I recently decided to go back to vegatarian but try to be vegan and mostly plant based when possible has any one else have experience doing this? My biggest worry is gaining back the weight I lost from a vegan diet.

@pinkgurl the post by @ghudson92 below makes so much sense:

ghudson92 wrote: »

I think when it comes to food, we can get really hung up on labels and the restrictions that come with them. It is perfectly OK to mix up the various approaches to eating, after all we do live in the age of abundance. I myself mainly eat with a vegetarian mindset, however, as I occasionally eat fish I am called a pescatarian. Many of my meals are vegan, but I don't meet the criteria of being a vegan. So long as you are eating at a deficit, in a way that makes you feel good and not deprived, you will continue to achieve your goals

And this was something I wrote on another thread back in Feb:

VeggieBarbells wrote: »

I lost 70% of my overall weight loss to date (circa 30+ lbs) whilst eating meat. I then cycled between Pescatarian. Vegan, and Vegetarian. The amount I ate was the defining factor, not that I was a meat eater or not. So it always boiled down to calories in, calories out, irrespective if I ate meat or not. Good luck on your journey.

Like others have said is not whether its vegan, vegatarian. pescatarian etc, its the number of calories. Good luck on your new direction and make it count. #Literally.

staticsplit

I'm a 'chegan' - basically, I try to eat plant-based as default, but I'm flexible when I need to be. Since I used to have a really bad eating disorder, having anything be totally off limits is just a recipe for disaster for me. It works for me and I find it a happy balance. I feel like I'm helping the environment, but I don't have to stress about not being able to find something to eat if I go out with friends/family or travel.