Vegan Friends?

Hi there!

I have been a vegetarian for quite a long time, and have recently transitioned to a vegan diet. I am trying to make sure I get enough nutrients and calories to maintain my weight.

Vegan friends would be super helpful :):)

Replies

  • Julieelliott12
    Julieelliott12 Posts: 68 Member
    I have also decided to go vegan! Friend request inc!
  • Hi I'm a vegan too ... Actually an oil free vegan. I have been often on throughout most of my life and the other. I only ate fish and cheeses. Being a fat vegan is a real thing! I've learned being an oil free vegan having me drop the weight quickly!! Us I have an issue with hyper absorbing fat I need to get worked out. It's so hard because of the current climate the belief systems... Protein lots of healthy fat I am sure respectfully my diet coming to fire. It's totally working I feel amazing. I've been using the doctor McDougall program and his starch program for guidelines.. 6 weeks 32 pounds
  • I have been vegan for about 7 years. I lost a bunch of weight when I began to take my health seriously, exercise, and track my food intake, but I have been snacking A LOT since starting my job a couple years ago and some of the weight (25 lbs!!!) has come back. Looking for friends here. TIme to get back in track.
  • Hi!

    I started having health issues associated with eating dairy and meat, mainly hormone imbalances which caused really terrible cystic acne. I have started cooking a lot more vegan meals and have recently decided to commit. Ever since I cut out animal products my life has changed for the better! Looking for friends here for support and recipe ideas :)
  • wkever
    wkever Posts: 2
    I went vegan at the end of 2013. 36 pounds lost so far!

    I had read several times that it was hard to be a fat vegan. I saw how great Bill Clinton looked and decided to try it.

    After about 4 weeks my wife and I went on vacation, and I discovered it isn't hard to be a fat vegan! I gained about 4 pounds eating guacamole, cashews, and vegan desserts. So having learned that I started being careful about high-fat and high-sugar foods. Back on track losing weight without counting anything except making sure I got enough protein each day - I was scared I would not get enough protein and start losing muscle mass. Then in April the weight loss really stalled. I got MFP and started tracking my calories and it has been very steady weight loss since. I am on 1750 calories per day and losing about 1.5 pounds per week. It is way easier than any weight loss plan I have been on before - I think the high fiber helps me feel more full even though I am losing weight.

    A few things to watch out for: 1) Getting enough protein is not hard but requires planning - it does not happen without thinking like it did when I was eating meat. It takes a considerable quantity of beans to get to 65 grams of protein, even with the protein in other foods. Once I am able to eat more calories it will be easier to get the protein without planning around it. 2) Vitamin B12 - this is the one nutrient that you absolutely need to supplement when on a vegan diet.
  • illuvatree
    illuvatree Posts: 185 Member
    I eat mostly vegan and am trying to get back into it because I was vegan for a few months, so I'll add you :)
  • mathmatt
    mathmatt Posts: 58 Member
    I've been vegan for about 7 years. I don't think vegetarian to vegan is that hard of a switch. Protein can be difficult if you don't understand what protein is. A single food as a "complete protein" is very hard to come by but if you go by what makes up protein, the vegetable world is filled with all the essential amino acids and keeping a good mix of vegetables makes going gives you plenty.

    The things I've had to watch out for the most are B-12, Calcium and Iron. There are a lot of websites that talk about calcium and iron for vegans (just google search those). B-12 on the other hand doesn't exist. I typically get it from nutritional yeast.
  • I've only been vegan for about a month and but I'm already loving it and seeing the benefits!
  • Stilllosing26
    Stilllosing26 Posts: 256 Member
    I was originally Vegetarian, then became vegan(although I do occasionally eat cage free organic eggs. Sometimes it's tough being vegan, as I used to consume lots of milk products, but I've gotten through it. Oreos have helped! Lol! But I'm trying to cut them out!! They are my downfall, along with cereal!
  • mathmatt
    mathmatt Posts: 58 Member
    Oreos get me every time!
  • VitaminAmy
    VitaminAmy Posts: 130 Member
    Vegan here with an open diary... feel free to add me for support. :)
  • IllustratedxGirl
    IllustratedxGirl Posts: 240 Member
    Vegan here! Add away :)
  • mostly vegan here... haha. Would love some more compassionately minded MFP friends, please add!
  • thefatveganchef
    thefatveganchef Posts: 89 Member
    Vegan for 20 years. Feel free to add me and ask any questions you have. A good resource is http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/
  • strawberrycoconut87
    strawberrycoconut87 Posts: 19 Member
    I have been vegan for 2 years. A lot of processed food geared towards vegans have loads of dietary supplements in them, which is very helpful. I am talking about vegan 'meats' and non-dairy milk. Especially when dieting, it is important to be mindful of choosing protein-rich foods like whole grains, nuts, beans, 'meats', etc. I gained weight the past 2 years because I did not do this. For example, I would order a pizza with veggies and no cheese. No major protein source. Big mistake. I would eat the whole pizza because it was not satisfying enough. Cliff and Vega make great protein bars & snacks. I cannot stand Vega protein powder, however. So to avoid gaining weight on a vegan diet like I did, it is very important to be cognizant of pairing proteins with carbs.
  • Hi,
    I have recently decided to live on a mostly vegan diet. I was vegan for 3 months but went off the rails. Would love some vegan friends to exchange recipes and food ideas and tips!
    Add me! :)
  • sinkingthinking
    sinkingthinking Posts: 21 Member
    I'm vegan. I'll be happy to share experiences and tips, but just so you know, a vegan diet alone doesn't make a person a vegan. By definition, a vegan commits to buying no animal products for any purpose, including leather, fur and wool, or products tested on animals (except medicines in many cases, because the law at least in some countries forces all medicines to be tested on animals before approval, so boycotting them while such laws are in place would do nothing except cause us to die :P ). If what you mean is you want to speak to ANYONE, vegan or not, on a diet free of meat, eggs or dairy, then adherents are properly called "strict vegetarians", but as with the term "plant-based diet", which is taking off somewhat, it still does suggest you don't eat honey or insect-derived food dyes when in reality many who use the term and are motivated by health only, will eat those things. Probably saying "friends who don't eat meat, dairy or eggs" as opposed to "vegan friends" is the most accurate option.
  • vegan4lyfe2012
    vegan4lyfe2012 Posts: 1,237 Member
    Vegan of 2 1/2 years here...I'm with the person above - there's definitely a difference between being vegan and being plant-based. Anyway, my diary is open to my friends. I'm a McDougaller and T. Colin Cambeller, so my macros is set to 80/10/10. I am also SOS free (sugar/oil/salt), but mostly focused on the SO. Feel free to send me a request :)
  • tiggersstar
    tiggersstar Posts: 193 Member
    Vegan here. Been eating too much junk recently, so trying to be healthier!
  • Lashes1986
    Lashes1986 Posts: 126 Member
    Recently made the decision to go down the vegan path. I am only 10days in, I have not been logging but intend to starting today!! Feel free to add me guys! :) xxx
  • CincyTim
    CincyTim Posts: 26 Member
    All - feel free to add :)
  • JeanCricket
    JeanCricket Posts: 176 Member
    Add me, too :-). Vegan for past year - still learning how best to get the proteins...
  • FitnFeistyLyness
    FitnFeistyLyness Posts: 757 Member
    i am not vegan.. i eat fish and seafood still occasionally, but i eat plant based mostly. no meat, dairy, eggs, and im gluten free. i make all my own foods.

    oat crust taco pizza, lentil loafs, kale white bean soup.. i drink green smoothies

    i love the way i eat. it works for me. we all have to find what works for us without judging others different choices.

    i welcome getting to know other veg heads i teasingly call myself..

    im in orlando fl if anyone is close by..

    if you send a fr please send a message.. because of the amount of weight i have released. i was getting numerous blank fr..and my list was getting out of hand so i started denying lank fr..
  • Hlreeh
    Hlreeh Posts: 2 Member
    I eat mostly a plant based, low fat diet with occasional fish due to food intolerance issues as a result of gall bladder removal a couple of years ago. It took me many months to finally figure this out but I feel so much better when I eat as clean as possible. I'm always looking for new inspirations. I am new to the MFP community and have enjoyed reading the boards.
  • nashm94
    nashm94 Posts: 11 Member
    Just gone vegan too vegan friends would help me out too :smile: