vegan/raw food diet?

humblestudent

hi i am still relatively new and wasnt sure if i was allowed to post a youtube vid.. please let me know and i'll remove it etc if not allowed.. ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmqKjINgvoY&feature=relmfu

was just wondering about vegan and/or raw foods... i used to have a neighbour who lived on salad and fruit... he ran 5 hours per day and was a chiropractor. he was very very lean.. but very energetic and healthy..

i have been on a journey to cut out meat for ethical and moral reasons since half a year ago... although i've only cut out beef, lamb and pork, but stayed on fish and chicken, i can't help but be tempted... so i had some beef last week, and i had stomach aches for every beef meal i had... not to mention it felt very tired afterwards and it did not digest for at least 6-7 hours, well untill i felt hungry again anyways...

we're all told to eat less sugar but sugar from fruits are ok i think. the girl in the youtube vid eats so much fruit but she is lean as a stick lol i definately do not eat enuf fruit and vegies...

has anyone had any success with vegan and /or raw foods in terms of weight loss and energy levels? are there any safety precautions etc? i am a big eater... and i am finding 1300 caloric allowance a day is very difficult to stick to... i've not had dinner yet and i only have 500 or so calories to consume... adn i know i will get hungry later...

anyways thank u for reading hope everyone is well

torie079

I'm not on a vegan diet, but I deff give kudos to people that are. I eat veggie burgers more often then actual beef and try to really have a respectful heart towards the animals I consume(I know that's weird but true) Eating more fruits and veggies will help make you feel fuller. I'm limited to 1200 calories and I find it hard as well...but if I have a fridge full of fruits and raw veggies I never have to worry about bring hungry:-)

aliceguy

Well, I am no expert by anymean but I think there is a good case to argue for some form of meat in a diet, without going overboard.
For myself, fish and chicken are high up for me and I don't eat "steak" very often, only when going out with friends at a restaurant for example.
I go through a lot of fresh veges and modest amount of fruit on a daily basis and I am on track to (hopefully) lose 15kgs in 3 months, only a few kilos to go and a few weeks.
Thats the 1st goal, I start the next one after that, so to answer your question I have had a lot of raw veges for months now, with chicken and fish, not much meat really and I am losing weight.
A bit slower than I would like sometimes but its coming off, add me and have a look at my diary if you like, see if there is anything you can get a lead from
Cheers!

jooleeyah

I think it's incredibly difficult to maintain a vegan diet and a raw foods diet increasingly difficult as the weather gets colder (I live near Chicago). I guess it all comes down to your personal beliefs and choices.

I believe that different body types have different needs. My husband is vegetarian and I was mostly vegetarian for years but I find it much healthier for my body type AND blood type to eat more lean proteins/meats and less carbs (only whole grains).

Lollyvoddy

He ran 5 hours a day? LEGEND!
I'm a vegan, not raw though. I've lost over 50kgs (around 113lbs) and have never had an issue with low energy (I have four kids and I workout quite a bit, and I've never collapsed from exhaustion).
You may want to supplement with some calcium and vitamin B12 if you go vegan/raw. Invest in a few good cookbooks, or there are lots of good sites online for recipes. Most of all, have fun :-)

tigersword

If you only want to go vegan for weight loss, I'd say don't bother. A vegan diet is no more likely to lead to weight loss than any other method of eating. Now if you want to eat vegan out of preference, that's a different story, but if you only want to do it because you think it will magically help you lose weight, it won't.

goohan

i always always have more energy when i eat soya fruit and nuts then when i have cows milk and meat xx

VeganJP

I have been a vegan (not strictly raw) and have lost 40 pounds while experiencing an increase in energy. Many may disagree, but I have learned that animal meat is TOTALLY overrated and unnecessary. Protein has never been an issue for me and the health benefits are well researched/documented. As you get started, you may want to consider a multivitamin, however, I've found that fortified plant milks and cereals pick up any "deficiencies".

You will cut a tremendous amount of unnecessary fat from your diet by going vegan. If cholesterol is an issue...it will plummet. There is 0 cholesterol in a plant based diet. The fats you do need, will come from plants...like almonds! Less fat = weight loss. As with any lifestyle change, I recommend read...read...read. Books by Dr. Dean Ornish or Dr. Neal Barnard are a great start and easy reads in my humblest opinion. :laugh:

tigersword

Actually, plants do have cholesterol, as cholesterol is what builds cell walls. Just much less than animal sources.