New and in need of advice :)

melodieclala

Hey!

Nice to e-meet all of you. I'm Mel, and I've recently (2 months ago) became 98% vegan (i might sometimes still eat something pre-made that has eggs or milk, although I try to restrict it as much as possible), cold shoulder, after being an omnivore for over 25 years! It just happened once while eating steak : it actually hit me that I was eating flesh. Don't get me wrong, I always knew what meat was, but somehow there are certain things you "know" without KNOWING them if you see what I mean.
After that, I had no desire whatsoever to eat animal products, and started watching documentraries (Forks over Knives, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, Vegucated) which only kept pushing me in the right direction.

The reason why I feel that I need help and support from all of you nice people at this point, is because I'm also very into fitness and keeping a lean body. Eversince I became Vegan, I've gained a bit of weight (1.5kgs), and I feel like my body is much less firm and that I'm turning into a small blob.

Before turning Vegan, I was consuming a high protein low calorie diet, allowing myself to cheat pretty much whenever I felt like it.
Although I try to include beans, lentils, tempeh (delicious!) and tofu as much as possible, and although I have currently not fallen into the trap of the "junk food" vegan, I feel like I pay for it 10 times for in terms of weight every time I have a treat than when I wasn't vegan - did anyone else ever go through that at the beginning maybe?
I feel like anything I can currently add to my diet to compensate for removing animal products are very calorie-dense foods (grains, nuts etc) and because I have quite an appetite despite my 153 cm height, I'm afraid I'll just keep gaining more weight..

Thanks for the ones who took the time to read all of this, and looking forward to a lean vegan future with the help of this group

Thanks
Mel

Kenazwa

Hi Mel, welcome. I'm new to a plant-based diet, too. I do the best I can within the confines of what my family buys for groceries. I'd have to say I'm more vegetarian than vegan right now. I don't eat eggs and dairy by themselves, but if for example the bread contains it, I'll still eat it. We can't afford to buy an entirely separate diet for me.

Anyway, I can't help much since I'm so new to this but wanted to respond to your post to bump it for others more knowledgeable.

charming12u

I went vegan last May, after years of vegetarian. I ate a pretty carb heavy diet, and it showed. Activity wise, I train to do at least one race a month, any from 5k-1/2 marathon distances. Made the choice to cut back on the junk vegan foods, and started using the happy herbivore meal plans and cook books for meal planning, and started measuring and recording my calories. Dropped 20 since Christmas time, and still dropping (hoping another 10-15?)

melodieclala

Thanks to both of you for taking the time to reply

Kenazwa - I think we're pretty much on the same boat in terms of levels of "veganism". Good luck with your new plant based diet

Charming12u - Congrats on the amazing weight loss! I'll go check the happy herbivore meal plans right now, I sure don't want to fall into the weight gain trap!

kitsune1989

It takes some adjusting I think. I really love the blog fatfreevegan. The food is always delicious, and pretty filling too. I went vegan while I was pregnant and ate all the carbs without really worrying about how much I was eating. lol. Gained a tad too much. Part of it is learning what to cook that fills me up. This morning (I don't do breakfast) I had brown rice, seitan, and veggies. All told 503 cals and 33 g protein. It was delicious and that will keep me full for quite awhile. I have to balance calorie dense things with high volume things.

melodieclala

Thanks a lot Kitsune - balance is definitely the key i'm sure.
I guess I need to find my own then, even if I have to experiment a bit with my weight before my body adapts.
I'll try to throw in more produce for now and decrease the soy products and grains a bit

Thanks again

getmysexybodyback

A few things I would recommend: a wonderful way to approach vegan "treats" is with superfoods that are really good for you. For instance, I make delicious, creamy smoothies. If you like smoothies, get a really good blender. I have a Nutribullet. You can get it at Target or Amazon, it costs $100 but is soooo worth it because you can add greens to your smoothies and not taste them. If I am craving chocolate, I make one using all kinds of good for you stuff. First, put a cup of unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk in the Nutribullet, along with a couple of handfuls of baby spinach, baby kale, etc. and blend. Then take sliced up, then frozen banana I put in a ziplock overnight, then I add chocolate Vega protein powder (available at Whole Foods or Amazon, it tastes the best and is super healthy), and frozen raspberries and strawberries. You can add chia seeds, maca powder, flax seeds, even a little avocado or almond butter but it's not necessary if you are trying to keep the calories low. You will have a delicious chocolate smoothie that is high in protein, fiber, micronutrients, and you can feel good about drinking it! Another good product is PB2 powder. It is a very low (almost no fat) powder made from peanuts, they have chocolate PB2 as well, and it is great in smoothies. Also if you like peanut butter, check out Better'n Peanut Butter, available at Trader Joe's and Target, in the peanut butter aisle, it is made from defatted peanut flour, is very low fat and low calorie, and still has protein, and actually I like it a lot better than regular peanut butter! It is great spread on a slice of Ezekiel bread or a Wasa rye cracker, or with some celery sticks.

For a general plan of how to eat Vegan for optimum health, I totally recommend Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. He's also got a new book out called "The End of Dieting," Whenever I eat this way the weight just falls off. If you adhere strictly to his 6 week plan you can lose 15-20 lbs in 6 weeks, pretty much guaranteed. I'm going to start on April 1st if you'd like to check it out, go to his website http://www.drfuhrman.com/ He is a good friend of Dr. Oz and was on the show a couple of days ago discussing his new book. There is a link to the video on the website. There is an Eat to Live group here on MFP also, which I just joined. It is very strong and active, and full of health food vegans. Dr. Fuhrman recommends aiming for 1 lb raw veggies a day, 1 lb cooked, 4+ servings of fruit a day, a couple of cups of beans/lentils, and only 1 serving a day of whole grain carbs. If you eat this way, you will be full and satisfied and will only lose unhealthy weight or maintain the good weight you are at (for those at goal weight). It is a ton of veggies, but I love veggies so I am in luck! Plus with green smoothies, you can sneak in quite a bit extra and not even notice them. The Nutribullet is good for blending soups too with lots of veggies in them. Good luck I hope this helps!

getmysexybodyback

I love fatfreevegan! Thanks for the reminder, I've been needing some new recipes, I'm going to visit that site and check it out. Also it is so true to just load up on the veggies! I love the idea of just adding a ton of them to my stirfrys. One thing I've heard is that fermented soy, such as tempeh and miso, is much better for you than other forms of soy, and that the protein is more readily absorbed by the body in those forms. Has anyone heard anything about that? It's one of those things I would love to get confirmed. Thanks!

melodieclala

Thank you so muh getmysexybody for the long and detailed reply!
We do have a smoothie machine at home, as well as a juicer : i try to have a vegetable juice every morning and sometimes one in the afternoon too (with a bit of apple and lemon to make them tasty) but it's true that nothing feels decadent about them haha
I'll try making tasty shakes just like you mentionned; and hopefully it will make the cravings go away, as well as the weight gaining trend!

Thanks again!

Mel