Mystery of the fat vegan

Options
245

Replies

  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
    Options
    I could totally be a fat vegan, if I could eat peanuts. Peanut butter is the most fattening food on the planet. As it is, I would be a miserable vegan, because I just love cheese too much. I try to source it as ethically as I can, though, and only buy eggs from people I know.

    Cheese is the thing that makes me veganish, and not hardcore vegan. I'm awaiting a new book from Amazon.com called 'Artisan Vegan Cheese.' Some require months of aging, but I'm definitely trying them.
  • amanda_ataraxia
    amanda_ataraxia Posts: 400 Member
    Options
    I have also been a fat vegan for 8 years!
    Totally possible. I loved carbs and sweets. Simple as that.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    Options
    I am a newly vegan and making some adjustments by adding egg whites and possibly fish. If that makes me no longer vegan, so be it. I can live with that.

    good call.
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
    Options
    What does agave syrup have to do with killing animals?
    Nothing. Its just some of my vegan friends state they only wish to eat foods that naturally occur in nature yet they splurge on agave or other products that have concentrated fructose :smile:

    Okay. I got it now. But, their sweetening choice isn't so much about being vegan, is it? I know some vegans avoid granulated refined sugar because they don't know if it's beet or cane sugar. Cane sugar *can* be processed through bone char, which is objectionable to some vegans. Beet sugar is fine, but the source of sugar--beet or cane--is rarely stated on labels.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Options
    Okay. I got it now. But, their sweetening choice isn't so much about being vegan, is it? I know some vegans avoid granulated refined sugar because they don't know if it's beet or cane sugar. Cane sugar *can* be processed through bone char, which is objectionable to some vegans. Beet sugar is fine, but the source of sugar--beet or cane--is rarely stated on labels.
    I guess that's part of my point is that my definition for dietary preferences is more flexible than most. You'll have hardcore groups everywhere who are "purists" and will state a person isn't an actual X (insert dietary preference) if they partake in certain foods. Some of my vegan friends have eggs now and then and still consider themselves vegan - I don't think its a simple black and white definition. If one is vegan 98% of the time, I'd still think of them as vegan.
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
    Options
    Okay. I got it now. But, their sweetening choice isn't so much about being vegan, is it? I know some vegans avoid granulated refined sugar because they don't know if it's beet or cane sugar. Cane sugar *can* be processed through bone char, which is objectionable to some vegans. Beet sugar is fine, but the source of sugar--beet or cane--is rarely stated on labels.
    I guess that's part of my point is that my definition for dietary preferences is more flexible than most. You'll have hardcore groups everywhere who are "purists" and will state a person isn't an actual X (insert dietary preference) if they partake in certain foods. Some of my vegan friends have eggs now and then and still consider themselves vegan - I don't think its a simple black and white definition. If one is vegan 98% of the time, I'd still think of them as vegan.

    That's my definition too. I think you can still be a 'insert political party', even if your personal ideas don't totally line up with the party line. Intent, and mostly living with respect to the ideal, counts for something. Ninety-eight percent vegan is pretty darn vegan!
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 637 Member
    Options

    I say: Vive la Vegan-ish!!

    We live in an imperfect world, and we are all human. Being 'vegan at heart' even if you aren't hardcore vegan still makes a huge difference in so many ways. We need to back away from any illusions of perfectionism.

    Here's a GREAT read on the subject:

    http://www.carpevegan.com/?p=1923

    An imperfect vegan or "veganish diet" is a vegetarian. It is a clear black and white definition - no animal products of any kind. If you want to eggs fine, but then you're a vegetarian. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Likewise you're either a virgin or you're not. But when you start eating meat, that's so far away from being a vegan, it confuses meat eaters whom you tell that you are a vegan. She's just someone that eats some meatless meals.
    Tell that to every vegan who uses agave syrup then since it contains more concentrated fructose than HFCS.

    There's different kinds of agave syrup, you should really educate yourself before you jump on the bandwagon of one sensentional research study.
  • AwesomelyAmber
    AwesomelyAmber Posts: 1,617 Member
    Options
    I'm a lover of all things food... BUT I really appreciate this post! I honestly would not have known some of these differences, nor would I have understood how a vegan could be overweight. Thank you! :flowerforyou:
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Options
    There's different kinds of agave syrup, you should really educate yourself before you jump on the bandwagon of one sensentional research study.
    There are indeed but I haven't come across any brands that do not contain concentrated fructose when I check in to them. Do you know of any?
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    Options
    I think a lot of people forget that a) a lot of unhealthy foods are veg friendly. I believe oreos are vegan, but that doesn't mean it's okay to eat a whole pack. Also, there are so many processed meat substitutes that are less healthy than say, whole foods that we should be eating.
  • ladyfingers73
    ladyfingers73 Posts: 80 Member
    Options
    in a word - potato chips. Seems simple enough!
  • steffanyjames
    steffanyjames Posts: 47 Member
    Options
    Wow - kudos for tracking your food types and amounts. It is a little crazy to think someone eating raw could gain weight, but if you're not eating enough satisfying foods, I can absolutely see how you would over-eat. Congrats on losing now and I wish you luck on your goal!
  • LottieLou13
    LottieLou13 Posts: 574 Member
    Options
    An imperfect vegan or "veganish diet" is a vegetarian. It is a clear black and white definition - no animal products of any kind. If you want to eggs fine, but then you're a vegetarian. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Likewise you're either a virgin or you're not. But when you start eating meat, that's so far away from being a vegan, it confuses meat eaters whom you tell that you are a vegan. She's just someone that eats some meatless meals.


    ^This
    I have been vegetarian for around 20 years. I was vegan for about 1 week a month ago, now I'm back on the cheese and eggs but still have non dairy milk. That makes me vegetarian again...not vegan :smile:

    Also of course you can have a fat vegan the same as you can have a fat anything. My friend makes the most amazing vegan cakes....
  • cersela
    cersela Posts: 160 Member
    Options
    I am glad you mentioned this, I still say I am 'transitioning to vegan' (It's been 3 months since I ate meat (side note I kept thinking of Dim Sum so I had a 'last meat meal' so I would stop thinking about it, it totally worked because I felt so sick for a day after eating it so I am not tempted anymore,) but only 2 weeks since I last ate dairy) because I have a very hard time finding vegan dishes when I go out to eat. I don't really eat bread or pasta anymore if I don't make it at home and know what is in it. (mostly because I did that and I ended up a fat vegetarian, then an even fatter Standard American Diet (SAD) person) Still, I am a fat person trying to be a vegan, and I'm not comfortable mentioning my choice when I go out because of the judgmental stare. I order off the vegetarian menu, always make sure there to ask to leave off eggs when applicable but I haven't worked up to asking if they use vegetable oil or butter. I am happy when I go to places where dishes are clearly labeled vegan, or just get a salad but I know that I am not a 'real' vegan until I am able to dine out without consuming any animal products. I was (or thought I was) a vegetarian for ethical reasons but I realized I was only lying to myself, and for me I found it hard to really draw lines as far as what is okay and not okay as a vegetarian, so I would like to just exclude all animal products in the future. Of course, since I am fat, I have to admit 'health reasons' was what inspired me to get back on the wagon.
  • Anniel88
    Anniel88 Posts: 150 Member
    Options
    Very true! Just because you're vegan or vegetarian doesn't mean you're eating healthy foods. I have a friend that is vegan and complains about her weight when she is always eating potato chips, french fries, lots of pasta, and breads. Hmm! I don't know why you have problems with weight!

    Just goes to show we all can make poor food choices :ohwell:
  • SpazzyMal
    SpazzyMal Posts: 276 Member
    Options

    I am a newly vegan and making some adjustments by adding egg whites and possibly fish. If that makes me no longer vegan, so be it. I can live with that.

    Umm....please don't call yourself a vegan.
    Tell that to every vegan who uses agave syrup then since it contains more concentrated fructose than HFCS.
    HFCS and concentrated fructose has nothing to do with not being a vegan though since they're both plant bi-products...?

    I agree, if you're purposefully eating egg and fish, don't call yourself vegan. Eating fish isn't even vegetarian. When someone walks into a restaurant and orders fish and says they're vegan or vegetarian, it makes it harder for everyone else who is actually vegetarian because now that restaurant, that server, and any friends this person happens to be with, now believes that fish is vegetarian and they will be likely to serve it to others in the future. I commend you for cutting out your consumption of most animal foods 100%, but don't label yourself inaccurately.

    Anyway, on subject, people have asked me why I'm overweight as a vegan and I just kind of stare at them. I ate a lot of carbs, I ate too much junk food. My portions were too large. In short, I'm fat for the same reason most people are!
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
    Options
    An imperfect vegan or "veganish diet" is a vegetarian. It is a clear black and white definition - no animal products of any kind. If you want to eggs fine, but then you're a vegetarian. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Likewise you're either a virgin or you're not. But when you start eating meat, that's so far away from being a vegan, it confuses meat eaters whom you tell that you are a vegan. She's just someone that eats some meatless meals.


    ^This
    I have been vegetarian for around 20 years. I was vegan for about 1 week a month ago, now I'm back on the cheese and eggs but still have non dairy milk. That makes me vegetarian again...not vegan :smile:

    Also of course you can have a fat vegan the same as you can have a fat anything. My friend makes the most amazing vegan cakes....

    Words do have meaning and yes vegan = no animal products. But even when I was hardcore vegan for years at a time, I later found out I *wasn't.* Why? My bagels had dough conditioners made from slaughterhouse-derived hair and feathers that weren't listed on the label. Does that mean I wasn't vegan? I certainly wasn't pure, even if my intent was.

    I call myself 'vegan-ish' mainly because when I eat out, I expect egg and dairy to sneak in somehow--the bread, crackers, sauces...that sort of thing. I used to be *that* vegan who interrogated the wait staff like the Spanish Inquisition. I probably ruined many waiters' shifts in my day.

    I don't eat any meat of any kind--fish, chicken, pork, cow, etc. But I don't sweat the small stuff, and I am clear to waiters that I am 100% vegetarian, but try my best to not eat eggs and dairy. So I'm not ordering overtly non-vegan foods. That said, there are some rare occasions when dairy will tempt me--probably a couple times a month. That's another reason I call myself 'vegan-ish' which means that around 98% of my calories are plant-based, with maybe 2% coming from dairy.
  • anastasiawildflower
    anastasiawildflower Posts: 197 Member
    Options
    An imperfect vegan or "veganish diet" is a vegetarian. It is a clear black and white definition - no animal products of any kind. If you want to eggs fine, but then you're a vegetarian. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Likewise you're either a virgin or you're not. But when you start eating meat, that's so far away from being a vegan, it confuses meat eaters whom you tell that you are a vegan. She's just someone that eats some meatless meals.

    I was waiting for the vegan police to arrive...

    No eating eggs every now and then is not purely vegan, but it is more about what we are striving for. I'm sorry if eating something last week with dairy in it disqualifies me as being totally vegan, but if someone is inviting me to dinner and asks what sort of foods I like, I'm not going to fumble around and tell them, "Well, I mostly eat vegan but occasionally I've had pasta served to me with some shredded cheese on top and I didn't want to be rude so I just set the vegan-o-meter back and call myself a vegetarian." No. I'm going to tell someone I eat a vegan diet, because I am striving to be fully vegan. We are simply human. We try our best and sometimes, we don't follow through.

    I won't be the annoying kid who says, well, I'm vegan but I still eat butter, but it sure as hell isn't as annoying as the person who has the call everyone out because they aren't 100% vegan 24/7.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,690 Member
    Options
    Top 10 reasons why I cannot begin to fathom why people don't understand how you can be fat and vegan:

    (1) Nuts, seeds, and peanuts
    (2) Nut and peanut butter
    (3) Avocados
    (4) Yummy vegan baked goods
    (5) Vegan chocolate
    (6) Cliff/Lara/Pure bars
    (7) Dried fruit
    (8) Bread, brown rice, (vegan) whole wheat pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, quinoa
    (9) Hummus (especially with vegan chips or crackers)
    (10) High quality olive oil

    Notice that many of those are allowable on whole foods vegan diets (e.g. avocados, nuts).

    People gain weight because they eat more calories than their body uses--you can do this as an omni, you can do this as a vegan, and you can do this anywhere in between.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,690 Member
    Options
    What does agave syrup have to do with killing animals?
    Nothing. Its just some of my vegan friends state they only wish to eat foods that naturally occur in nature yet they splurge on agave or other products that have concentrated fructose :smile:

    Okay. I got it now. But, their sweetening choice isn't so much about being vegan, is it? I know some vegans avoid granulated refined sugar because they don't know if it's beet or cane sugar. Cane sugar *can* be processed through bone char, which is objectionable to some vegans. Beet sugar is fine, but the source of sugar--beet or cane--is rarely stated on labels.

    Just FYI, foods processed with bone char cannot be labeled organic, so all sugar labeled organic has been processed without bone char (i.e. it's vegan).

Categories