Gone WFPB and lost 45lb now concerned how to “not lose more”

Jonpower2915
Jonpower2915 Posts: 4 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I was 210, my goal was 165, which I’ve now achieved. I’ll probably try 155 as my Amazon halo body fat app makes me look better at 10% body fat (and I’ll get bored without a goal).

Since going WFPB (Whole Foods Plant Based) my TC dropped from 283 to 143 (unmedicated) everything is great, dropping g dairy was hard … I LOVEd milk, but I immediately felt 20 years younger.

I walk/jig 3.5 miles/day (twice) which burns 800kcal every day, my total calorie burn (halo and Apple Watch) is around 3300, but stuffing my face and eating everything I want (plant based) I can only seem to eat 1500kcal.

I’m eating plenty of legumes, beans, berries, fruit … I cannot imagine what I would have to eat to balance at 3300kcal.

It seems crazy suddenly having the reverse problem, but I can’t keep dropping 2lb/week without disappearing .. yet … I don’t want to stop exercising …

Everything said about WFPB diets has been proving in my case to be true .., H1C 5.3, TC 143, TRIG 43, LDLC 70 BP 112/70 (unmedicated was 185/115 unmedicated).

I’ve drunk the healthy coolaid .. seen the promises results .. and getting seriously worried I’ll have to stop exercising to maintain a healthy weight.

I can’t be the only person to have faced this problem

I’d love some suggestions on how,to cram another 2000 calories down my face when I stuff myself breakfast , lunch and dinner (1300 according to MyFitnessPal)

Replies

  • 33gail33
    33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
    You can throw a lot of calories into a berry smoothie: coconut milk, VEGA protein, chia & flax seeds. Also snacking on roasted pumpkin seeds isn't super "filling" but has quite a few calories.
  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
    nuts is a super quick way to add a bunch of calories.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,314 Member
    edited June 2021
    Whole food plant based can be an excellent diet and the satiation provided by plant based whole foods can most certainly help one reach their caloric goals during weight loss.

    I remind you that you've now lost weight AND moved to a Whole Food plant based diet AND added exercise than you did not use to do.

    Realizing this is important, because it could help you make decisions. Given that you've changed three or four things you cannot now attribute all of your great health results to only ONE of the three or four things you've changed.

    Part of health is finding balance and being able to define and meet reasonable goals. How far you continue with weight loss is part of this.

    I don't know whether you do or do not average a TDEE of 3300, population estimates are just that: estimates. However, your results so far certainly point out that eating 1500 Cal is not a "healthy" diet for you moving forward as meeting your caloric needs is part of being healthy.

    A couple of hour long walks/runs during an otherwise sedentary day does not sound excessive; but it is most certainly more activity than most people engage in in today's world. It would probably put you in the active/very active category with most TDEE estimates assuming you lump in your exercise with your daily activity.

    Given where you are today, I would follow some of the excellent suggestions above and would increase my caloric density towards something more sustainable. I would also double check that what I am doing in terms of food IS, in fact, long term sustainable for me and be willing to make incremental changes moving forward.

    In fact incremental changes and adjustments as needed is your friend moving forward! You've lost a lot of weight, (by the looks of it very) fast, while also making big changes to what you eat.

    It is not uncommon for hunger cues to increase when people start eating more normally after weight loss, especially if they have lower levels of body fat. The few to many months that it may take for this to resolve have to be actively managed in order to avoid excessive regain... that's when you get to really benefit from deploying the "bags of tricks" you develop during weight loss!

    P.S.: I was trying to figure out what was on the four tacos? which looked totally interesting as your avatar... and you went and changed it to a green smoothie! Totally not fair!!!
  • mylittlerainbow
    mylittlerainbow Posts: 822 Member
    The net calories you're eating are the TDEE for SOME weight greater than zero. So you won't keep losing indefinitely - there will be a point where you level off. With that reassurance, others have given you good pointers for adding plant-based calories to your diet. I'd have no problem scarfing down more nuts or having some halvah daily myself! Finding that balance is what you're now experimenting to do. Good luck!
  • Zinka61
    Zinka61 Posts: 563 Member
    edited July 2021
    You don't mention whole grains. That's what I'd suggest if you are trying to stay low fat and avoiding nuts. Or even if you are eating nuts. I eat wfpb for the most part, but I do drink Silk unsweetened soy milk. Not sure if it's technically wfpb or not, but it tastes just like what I remember milk tasted like, if that might hit the spot for you. It's also calcium, vitamin D, and Vitamin B12 fortified (and make sure you have a dietary source of all 3 of those things!)
    PS: I can totally still exceed my calorie goal eating only wfpb if I don't rein myself in!
  • mjglantz
    mjglantz Posts: 508 Member
    My initial goal was 162 (5'8" at the time) and I was eating bout 1600 calories but I had really upped my exercise and kept losing. I was eating mostly a plant based diet with some meat, fish & chicken - lots of whole grains, beans, fruit & veggies. Started adding 100 calories or so a day and kept losing. Since my doctor was happy with my stats and health I figured I would keep adding in 100 calories every month or so and see where I landed. Settled in around 145 and was eating 2000 calories/day. Exercising every day although 1-2 days were more gentle. Figured that was my goal weight. Over time I've settled in around 142 +/- 3 lbs or so. I think our bodies will let us know where we need to be.
  • LenGray
    LenGray Posts: 871 Member
    Congratulations on your weight loss and healthy habits! I still have a way to go before I reach that point, but figured I'd chime in since I'm primarily wfpb, as well :)

    Some easy ways, ime, to increase calories without increasing bulk would be to use more nuts/butters, start cooking with some oils, or double-up on your protein sources (for example, adding tofu, beans, and veg to a stir-fry instead of just tofu and veg). Adding sauces can also help with adding in calories, as can pasta or other grains.

    A lot of wfpb athletes with higher calorie needs also find smoothies helpful because they can get a lot of nutrition without a lot of volume. Also, depending on how strict you've been, this might also be the time to add in some more 'treat'-type foods, such as cookies or granola bars that are wfpb. You could also add some more processed foods into your diet (I, for one, am a sucker for Morning Star vegan corndogs) and see what that does.

    The trick, just like when you were losing weight, is to figure out what foods will match your goals and be enjoyable over the long term. Start slow, if you're nervous about adding too much in at once, and adjust as needed :)
  • mjglantz
    mjglantz Posts: 508 Member
    It is easy to drift back up and that is one of the reasons why I still log everything. For me, it works.

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