Becoming Vegan

vrostenbach24
vrostenbach24 Posts: 2 Member
edited February 7 in Getting Started
Hello! I'm new here and would like support on becoming vegan. I've got over 50 pounds to lose, and I need help with Meal Planning and Meal Prep. I'd love to get and share Vegan Recipes, and just to get in better overall health.

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,197 Member
    Hello, and welcome!

    Maybe check out this group here for plant-centric eaters (vegans, vegetarians, plant-loving omnivores):

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/145477-herbivores-of-mfp

    Best wishes!

    P.S. I'm not vegan. I've been vegetarian for nearly 50 years, thin to fat to obese then back to thin again. ;)
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 1,067 Member
    i'm a vegetarian, and i was vegan for a couple years. btw, being vegan or vegetarian isn't a guarantee of eating healthy - just meat-free. it's also not a way to lose weight - i was 100 pounds overweight and didn't eat meat.

    the recipes forum
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/categories/recipes

    and food and nutrition board
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/categories/food-and-nutrition

    might be good places to find meal plans and recipes.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,197 Member
    Another good source for new vegans, IMO:

    https://veganhealth.org/

    Unlike some vegan advocacy sites, which sometimes exaggerate benefits and minimize concerns to "sell" veganism, that site is quite science based, with content by registered dietitians who are themselves vegan.

    I'm with @zebasschick. I'm not vegan, but I've been vegetarian for nearly 50 years. I started out thin, got fat then obese, then went back to thin about 8 years ago . . . all while vegetarian. If someone says they're becoming vegan/vegetarian mostly to lose weight, I usually try to talk them out of it. There are plenty of good reasons to be vegan or vegetarian, but I honestly don't think weight loss or automatically better health are on the list.

    Personally, I suspect the "healthiest" diet in the abstract may be somewhat meat-sparse omnivorous eating with lots of veggies/fruits, but obviously I'm making personal choices for reasons other than health.

    Vegan and vegan diets can be healthy, of course . . . but they're not automatically healthy. It's actually a little more complex to eat healthfully as a vegan or vegetarian, because we do need to pay some extra attention to certain nutrients that are not usually a concern for omnivores eating a well-rounded, balanced diet.