Too Much Fruit?? (Fruit,Vegan,&Weight loss)

HealthFreak1967

Essential amino acids in plant foods:

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/apr/protein.htm

Love it!

HealthFreak1967

also for protein dont forget Seitan, it matches beef in protein content per weight

I have yet to try that, I'm not sure where to buy it :x

HealthFreak1967

sorry I stopped reading after "not a single one is spared because you don't eat meat. " That's not the point of my veganism. I simply choose not to eat the flesh of a living, conscious creature. I'm not trying to be wonder woman. I don't think that not eating animal products will magically end modern commercial agriculture.

Sorry I implied that that was your attitude. I meant that that's the problem I have with most vegans I've seen. I understand "vegetarians," I do not understand "vegans," if that is more clear. I see no objection to milk or cheese in your reasoning.

Dairy cows aren't treated well at many dairies. Most eventually enter the food supply once dead. The produce a massive amount of waste and harm the envirnment. Many believe milk/dairy is not good for you anyways. After doing a lot of reading/research vegan actually makes a lot more sense than vegetarian.

Her objection was to eating the flesh of a living creature, not the mistreatment of dairy cows. She's trying to get protein. Milk is a good source of protein. I suppose she could buy a cow and milk it herself, then it's up to her how she treats it, and what to do with it when it dies. That's a really big hole to dig in the back yard, though.

I guess I didn't address all of my beliefs in the small, half-hearted response to your criticism. I am fully against the mistreatment of any animal, I do not support any industry that exploits and abuses animals - including agriculture, dairy farms..etc. Please don't put words in my mouth.

HealthFreak1967

And yeah, lot's of people have a distaste for vegans

Actually I can't imagine many people really care what others eat. It's more the attitude that you're doing so much to help the animals...as if that 's everyone's top concern. The truth is, every animal raised as food is going to be slaughtered, not a single one is spared because you don't eat meat. Now if you're talking about hunted animals, then yes...not killing them in their natural habitat would spare them to live longer. But when you are looking at farm animals, they're doomed the day they're born. You not eating meat isn't going to stop farms, because we can't efficiently hunt enough wild animals with our population anymore. It's how we've evolved, sorry it turned out so bad for the cows and chickens.

As for protein...peanut butter has protein, if I were forced to be Vegan, I'd probably have to resort to a LOT of peanut butter sandwiches...which I could handle, because I love peanut butter so much.
Also, surely there's some kind of protein powder you could find that qualifies for your chosen diet? Add that with some ice, a banana, a little peanut butter or fruit, and there's your protein, and tastes good.

That is not at all true..people are not vegan to save animals the way you say. It is the concept of standing up for what is right even if no one else will. The attitude of oh well it will happen anyway is the cause for the majority of bad decisions in the world today. It sort of goes back to common sense..I won't jump off a bridge just because the rest of the world is.IE I am a vegetarian because I have integrity and since eating meat goes against everything I believe in I must not eat meat in order to preserve that integrity and remain true to myself. You can think differently because that is where free will comes in, but I have my own will and I stand by it entirely.

Words of wisdom!

HealthFreak1967

You might want to do a little research about soy products--there is new information coming out (I've been hearing about this but not sure if they are reputable sources/studies) that "not all soy products are created equal." The fermented soy is supposed to be better...again, I could be wrong about this.

I agree with this, if I remember correctly, most of the soy products (soy milk, soybean oil etc) are made from GMO soy beans. (Kashi just went under investigation for using GMO soy products).

Tofu and other tofu based products are OK since they are made from a different type of soybean. I drink organic soymilk to be safe.

I also go over my sugars, I love fruit! I eat strawberries and blueberries every day. (a cup of each :embarassed: ) Just stay away from too much dried fruits, they tend to have extra sugars added in, and since they have less water content, they don't fill you up as much as the non-dried variety.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the advice. I really limit my soy products, and on all the soy things i have (such as organic soymilk) it has a little thing at the bottom that says "NonGMO, with a little checkmark by it. Also I check the ingredients in everything I buy and none of the dried fruit i have has added sugar :-) But that's true about it not filling you up as easily!! MMM blueberries :P

TrishJimenez

I don't think that's too much fruit. But if you want the best nutritional benefits from fruit, eat more berries than anything else. They are lower in calories/sugars too. I agree that if you don't lose weight, it's because you're consuming too many calories, not because you eat too much fruit.

Also a note: Please recognize that since you have decided to be a vegan, you need to accept that your nutrition ratios are going to look different. You are going to consume more carbs and fewer protein than people with omnivorous diets. Don't cut back on vegetables because of carb content... But I think it is a bad idea to limit your fat intake if it inhibits your protein consumption as well. Protein is really important and you should get all you can.

And vegetable fats are also really important. Eating enough of the right fats can actually help your weight loss. Dont worry about hitting your fat macros. And it is easy to do even being a vegan.

long4theocean

bump

HealthFreak1967

I eat a lot more fruit than that. If you are staying within your calories, feeling satisfied, and don' t have any blood sugar issues, then you really shouldn't need to worry about it.

I'm a little surprised that your protein level is so low. Mine is usually closer to 60, but I do eat eggs. Maybe boost your nuts and seeds and whatever other high-protein foods are acceptable to you. Don't worry too much about the fat level in the nuts and so on. Are you meeting your calorie requirements, especially with running? How are you feeling? (Tired and headachey, or energized and happy?)

If I have too many high-fructose fruits (apples, pears, grapes) then it affects my blood sugar, so I don't go overboard on those and try to include a lot of fruits with a more balanced fructose/glucose profile, and make sure I am balancing them out with other foods.

Thanks that's good to know!
And I was mistaken about my protein, It's actually between higher forties, early fifties. (around 46-50g/day) And to tell you the truth I'm a little skeptical of nuts because of all the fat (I can't help it, I just get freaked out if the fat content is too high) . But i do try to eat them 2-3 times a week. And for the most part I do meet my calorie requirements, But i just found out today about the net calorie thing, so before I was ONLY consuming around 1,200 and exercising on top of that. And I'm not headachey or tired much at all, but I have noticed that before when I was eating too little, I would binge pretty badly at night and ruin everything. (I've struggled with binging and emotional eating, but have really eliminated it the past two months). I would say that I feel pretty energetic now that I'm eating more

EPhinn

I'm not sure if somebody mentioned this, but if you are going to take the vegan route, you need to realize that you need to make sure you're eating complimentary proteins. Otherwise, you are going to be protein deficient. Please, please, please do your research. The healthiest way would be to eat some animal protein like eggs, but if that's not your thing, maybe look into taking a nutrition class (which can give you a good idea of animal protein alternatives).

I took a nutrition class last semester, passing with an A+
Thanks for the tip though! I know all about complementary proteins and all that jazz. I've read a lot of books and articles before going vegan. Some days I get lazy and don't track my protein intake as carefully as I should, but overall I get enough of the essential amino acids (i put that it's usaully 35-40 but looking back at my diaries I actually normally get 45-50)

I appreciate that you thanked me nicely, instead of attacking me like the other person who quoted my response. I also recently took a nutrition class, and apparently the information that was taught was a bit out of date. I'm a big enough person to admit I may have been wrong. It's always nice when somebody researches a lifestyle before jumping into it. Good for you!

EPhinn

Also, I eat fruit several times daily. One of my fave healthy snacks. Wish I liked vegetables enough to eat them more than twice a day (which I do, and not with a smile on my face). I have dealt with pre-diabetes in the past, and I'll tell you that I didn't have blood sugar problems because I was eating fruit. I was carrying around too much weight, and eating pretty much everything I shouldn't have.

pdworkman

I apologize for coming across as attacking you. That was not my intent, but I can come across as terse on the internet, especially as my time was compressed. You would be amazed at how often vegetarians hear this theory repeated as gospel, even by doctors and nutritionists. Even though Francis Lappe recanted it in 1981:

"With three important exceptions, there is little danger of protein deficiency in a plant food diet. The exceptions are diets very heavily dependent on fruit or on some tubers, such as sweet potatoes or cassava, or on junk food (refined flours, sugars, and fat). Fortunately, relatively few people in the world try to survive on diets in which these foods are virtually the sole source of calories. In all other diets, if people are getting enough calories, they are virtually certain of getting enough protein."

I am frustrated with the persistence of this defunct theory, and did not intend a personal attack. It causes vegetarians, especially new ones, to worry too much over meal planning, and keeps others from becoming vegetarian, thinking that being vegetarian is far more difficult and complicated than it is.

I appreciate that you thanked me nicely, instead of attacking me like the other person who quoted my response. I also recently took a nutrition class, and apparently the information that was taught was a bit out of date. I'm a big enough person to admit I may have been wrong. It's always nice when somebody researches a lifestyle before jumping into it. Good for you!