I gained 15+ pounds going vegan...help!

wanderinglight

So due to a recent job (long story) I ended up on a boat where I had to eat vegan for 88 days. I ended up gaining over 15 pounds in those three months and I am STRUGGLING to get it off now. I had already been on MFP before leaving for the assignment, so I was already trying to lose 25lbs.

I am so frustrated and confused. How did this happen?? I know that any drastic change in diet can result in weight gain (and I was not able to work out much while on board) but now that I am staring down ****40**** unwanted pounds I am just sick over it. I almost want to just give up.

I have been back on a regular program for a month and a half now, eating my exercise calories, tracking everything that goes into my mouth, and working out 5x week. I've had a few slipups but have always gotten back on track the next day or have worked out extra hard to combat my splurges. I have only lost two pounds since returning. Why oh why can't a drastic change in the other direction (eating lean proteins and working out) = losing weight as quickly as I gained it??

Sigh. I know all the right things to do and I know what I would tell someone else in my position, I'm just having a low moment.

P.S. My hair has also stopped growing entirely -- it has not grown an inch in six months and is thin and brittle. Is this due to the vegan diet as well, and when can I expect it to change?

As always, thanks MFP!!!!

wanderinglight

So due to a recent job (long story) I ended up on a boat where I had to eat vegan for 88 days. I ended up gaining over 15 pounds in those three months and I am STRUGGLING to get it off now. I had already been on MFP before leaving for the assignment, so I was already trying to lose 25lbs.

I am so frustrated and confused. How did this happen?? I know that any drastic change in diet can result in weight gain (and I was not able to work out much while on board) but now that I am staring down ****40**** unwanted pounds I am just sick over it. I almost want to just give up.

I have been back on a regular program for a month and a half now, eating my exercise calories, tracking everything that goes into my mouth, and working out 5x week. I've had a few slipups but have always gotten back on track the next day or have worked out extra hard to combat my splurges. I have only lost two pounds since returning. Why oh why can't a drastic change in the other direction (eating lean proteins and working out) = losing weight as quickly as I gained it??

Sigh. I know all the right things to do and I know what I would tell someone else in my position, I'm just having a low moment.

P.S. My hair has also stopped growing entirely -- it has not grown an inch in six months and is thin and brittle. Is this due to the vegan diet as well, and when can I expect it to change?

As always, thanks MFP!!!!

hiddensecant

What kinds of foods were available to you when you went vegan?

Roxy34

I just griped about this in another post, lol. The amount of calories in my salad (not incl. dressing) was INSANE!! 280 calories in 2 cups of leaves! Man, I was choked, lol. You really gotta watch the labels!!

MyaPapaya75

Im willing to bet your eating way too many carbs,sugars..and not enough protein and fresh veggies and fruit...also sauces and dressings are a big no-no....whats your daily menu like?

MyaPapaya75

I just griped about this in another post, lol. The amount of calories in my salad (not incl. dressing) was INSANE!! 280 calories in 2 cups of leaves! Man, I was choked, lol. You really gotta watch the labels!!

lol couldnt have been the leaves...perhaps the cheese or meat if any...fresh veggies really cant out 280 calories alone in a salad are you sure you measured it right?

hiddensecant

I just griped about this in another post, lol. The amount of calories in my salad (not incl. dressing) was INSANE!! 280 calories in 2 cups of leaves! Man, I was choked, lol. You really gotta watch the labels!!

What leaves are you eating?

jbuehrer

Vegan: no eggs, no milk, no meat.. no products from animals what so ever.

are you eating a lot of soy products... Tofu is a concentrated source of vegetarian protein, high in calories from fat, and may be hard for some people to digest, but it can be eaten by anyone, as part of a balanced diet, unless they happen to be allergic to soy, or have low thyroid - a lot of soy with low thyroid can cause weight gain and fatigue. You may need to find an alternative protein. Proteins will feed your muscles and in turn your muscles will eat the fat. If you want to go Vegan you may want to eat more legumes or flax.
It's important for you to know that you ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT A DOUBT can meet your needs for protein in a vegan or vegetarian diet without protein supplements. And it's not difficult at all. But it IS important for you to understand not only which foods with protein will meet your needs, but also how many servings you need, and finally how to select and prepare these protein-rich foods.

lawkat

Did you consume a lot of soy milk, soy cheese and other soy products (not including tofu)? I was reading that too much of these types of soy products can create too much estrogen in your system and cause you to gain weight. You might want to get tested to see if there isn't some kind of hormonal imbalance that is causing it.

FITBY30

well, i understand your down and frustrated. and you probably dont want to hear the voice of reason right now, but following a "healthy" vegan diet doesnt make you gain weight. the key word here being "healthy". Vegan diet just means no animals-ok what WERE you eating???!!! trying to put myself in that boat (pun intended)i would see myself eatng processed goods breads snacking because im bored and lonely, and not wanting to do the cardio because of a lack of imagination being stuck in one place. I am vegan, i eat all kinds of food and have lost 30lbs in the last year, slowly because of my love of baking:) but i can tell you my husband (also vegan) has a hard time losing weight because he is a carboholic being vegan to him means when im not around to cook...lots and lots of pasta!!! so no, no quick fix here good ole fashion cardio and weight training is gonna have to rule your days on land for awhile! I love love love the biggest loser workout videos-channel one on both comcast or cox cable if you have it. and get outside and shake off those sea legs and get movin! after a few weeks, youll be feelin better and get your motivation back in no time!

hiddensecant

We all know what vegan means but the chances are, the OP's diet wasn't full of fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains, especially on a ship ... which is why we are asking what foods were available at the time.

My first thought was pasta, processed soy, and a lot of canned goods.

Vegan can certainly be healthy but as with all diets, there are unhealthy ways to go about it too. You have but to go to a vegan resturaunt to see what kinds of horrid things they can do to a perfectly good meal.

akamaki

With symptoms like trouble losing weight with correct management and trouble with hair growth, it sounds like it could be a hormone problem. I am by no means an expert, just an avid Discovery Health watcher. I'm thinking you may want to consult your doctor, if you haven't already.

Roxy34

Ya, oops! LOL! I got duked by the food database. Just ignore me, lol.

jojo52610

T/J

I know nothing about vegan - but I looked at your profile pictures and WOW! Was that the boat you were on?

SHBoss1673

So WL,

I'm not surprised by your hair not growing, it's common for this to happen with Vegans. Hair requires many of the minerals and vitamins found in meats and dairy. If you aren't really careful about supplimenting with foods and suppliments that contain these nutrients (in the correct forms) then that can happen. It's also an indcator of other micro nutrient problems in the body. Minerals like calcium, copper, and magnesium are all directly responsible for hair growth, and also help in keeping the metabolism strong. Other minerals like potassium help the circulation, which is also vital to hair growth. Add to that the possible loss of iron, healthy fats, and complete proteins (nuts and legumes are not complete proteins and need to be eaten with other foods in order to get the essential amino acids you need) that vegans can have problems consuming and you have a burgeoning issue with body chemistry.

Give yourself some time, make sure you eat a balanced diet, and make sure you are setting reasonable goals, an you'll get there. It can take a while for the body to rebalance after a period of unbalanced eating, let it come, you'll be back on track soon enough.

Best luck to you,

-Banks

wanderinglight

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for the responses! To answer some of the questions, the boat I was in was in Antarctica (yes, that is it in my profile pix) so we did not have access to much of any fresh fruit or veggies.

Options were extremely limited, and because we also had very little fresh water, a lot of things were boiled in oil (bleeccccch) rather than in water -- rice, for example. So yes, there was a LOT of oil and sugar and carbs but I tried to only take small portions, knowing that I was eating things that my body was not used to. Especially because I had virtually given up white sugar and flour prior to going on the boat through my MFP program.

For protein we had processed soy products but not much tofu. Mostly I ate a lot of legumes, bread with fake butter, and whatever sparse vegetables there were. And (full disclosure) lots of the baked treats. So I guess I can answer my own question as to why I gained weight! It's just still shocking to me because on a ship you are CONSTANTLY using all your muscles and I felt like I really tried to eat small amounts so I was shocked to find myself gaining so much weight, especially when the rest of my camera crew was losing it. And it was discouraging because there was nothing that could be done about it!

So I'm not trying to knock a vegan diet, because I think perhaps my experience was with an extremely unhealthy version of what vegan would be. I'm just wondering how long it will take me to get back on track and to start losing again. I was hoping to see results as quickly as I gained it! :sad:

SHBoss1673

Wait, you were on DC right? No more?

staceyw37

read your profile--what cool work! and welcome home!

well, you answered your own q's. i know it's frustrating--but keep at it like shboss and others said, and you will see results.
btw--were the rest of the camera crew men? the soy stuff would not affect them the same way it would you. if you were on bc + soy, that's a lot of estrogen and can cause wt gain in hips, butt, thighs for women, espec.
and rice boiled in oil?? might as well just drink the oil! :laugh:

anyway, you had some incredible experiences i imagine and that too is part of life. the wt gain is an annoying by-product--but wow--you really LIVED on that assignment. :drinker:
glad you're back safe and sound

wanderinglight

Wait, you were on DC right? No more?

Yes, I did Deadliest Catch before this, but the latest shoot was a new show called "Whale Wars" which follows anti-whaling activists down in Antarctica as they confront and attack the Japanese whaling fleet. it airs in June. It was so crazy that it made me long for Deadliest Catch...LOL

SHBoss1673

Wait, you were on DC right? No more?

Yes, I did Deadliest Catch before this, but the latest shoot was a new show called "Whale Wars" which follows anti-whaling activists down in Antarctica as they confront and attack the Japanese whaling fleet. it airs in June. It was so crazy that it made me long for Deadliest Catch...LOL

Oh, I saw previews for that show. LOL, when are they going to send you on a shoot like "the coconut catchers" or something.

CarolynD1986

I was vegan for 3 years and although I lost weight at first, eventually I found it difficult to be at a comfortable weight. A vegan diet makes it more difficult to get efficient and complete protein so I found myself constantly eating to have enough energy to keep up with my busy lifestyle.

I just recently started eating fish and eggs again. Still no meat or dairy but I have lost like 10 pds by doing not much. I work out like before, fairly frequently but that hasn't changed. I eat less. With eggs and fish in my diet, my body isn't constantly looking for energy everywhere. Just what your calorie intake and focus on whether or not you are hungry when you are about to eat. Just make sure you are getting protein because your body was probably looking for it and you compensated with beans and rice (which are both high in calories), carbs and sugars.

Just keep it up, it'll come off soon and you'll wonder how you lost all that weight so quickly. Sometimes it seems like it happens overnight but it is a long process that will eventually become obvious!