CALLING TO VEGANS!

I went through a phase of being vegan and actually gained weight. I ate too many lentils and far to much vegan dairy substitute. (toffutti... delicious imitation cream cheese... just as calorie dense and full of fat as actual cream cheese) Vegan does not necessarily equal healthy, or automatically losing weight.

If someone goes vegan because they have ethical objections to animal products, or they feel that their body does not function well when eating animal products, or they simply don't like the taste, then IMO they are good reasons. If these are your reasons then go for it. There are plenty of vegans here who will advise you and I'm sure they have tons of recipes, plus vegan food is really tasty. I'm not a vegan but I know a couple of vegan recipes (although not the kind of vegan recipes that would necessarily help with fat loss...)

People *can* be healthy and lose weight on a vegan diet, but that's by doing the same things as those who get healthy and lose weight on a non-vegan diet, i.e. good portion control (i.e. eating a little less than you burn off), selecting healthy foods and focusing on providing the body with all the nutrients you need, and also doing exercise.

Going vegan just to lose weight seems really counter-productive, because you're imposing a whole lot of restrictions on yourself that are not necessary for health or fat loss. You don't have to give up *any* food completely to lose weight; you have to feed your body properly, and some foods you may need to cut back your consumption to a bare minimum, and make sure what you do eat of them doesn't put you over your calorie goals.

Just make sure you go to your GP before you change your diet to a vegan diet. Maybe stick to a Vegetarian diet, then convert slowly.

I would suggest that you get a copy of the documentary, "Get Vegucated". It has a lot of beginner info about the vegan lifestyle, presented in an entertaining way. There are a LOT of myths about veganism out there, so you might be better off educating yourself, rather than taking advice from people who haven't been where you want to go.

Thanks to the people that suggested watching Vegucated. It's on Netflix, and I'm totally going to watch it this weekend! I've been vegetarian for over 20 years, but I think that I am going to make the switch to plant-based. I also just watched the documentary Forks over Knives. I think that 'junk food vegans' probably give vegans a bit of a bad rap... Whole foods is definitely the way to go. I am excited to look for food that will make my body feel good and look good too!

Veducated is AWESOME! I have a whole list of Netflix Documentaries you might love to watch, haha. Whole foods IS the way to go, I completely agree. I'm a vegan chef inspired by nutrition, so I'll be here if you need any advice, motivation, inspiration, etc. I'm happy for you and your wonderful health choice!

Not at all harder to get the nutrients you need from a vegan diet. In fact, as you have to really focus on what you eat as a vegan if you approach it properly, you will actually maximize the nutrient value of your meals.

There is a couple groups for vegan on MFP - loads of help, advice and support there.

Welcome and best wishes.

If you're like me, making the switch is the hardest part, and after that it's just normal to you.

You won't lose weight just because you're eating vegan. It's easier to create a calorie deficit if you're eating lots of fruits and veggies just because they aren't as calorie dense as animal foods (so you eat more and feel full faster on fewer calories), and because of this people often lose weight without trying at first.... but you still have to create a calorie deficit.

I recommend dipping your toes in by watching a documentary. If you're interested primarily for health reasons, watch Forks Over Knives. You can find it on Netflix or Amazon streaming video.

Vegucated is a good one too, but it also goes into the animal-welfare reasons and environmental reasons for adopting a vegan lifestyle, and it shows 3 regular meat-and-dairy loving Americans making the switch. It also isn't too preachy, but it gets the point across.

If after watching a documentary or two this seems like something you really want to commit to, do some reading in books or on the internet. Just because you're interested in weight loss, I might mention a lot of ladies like "Skinny *****" as a good introduction... of course, if you're not offended by the title ... It's written with a humorous tone and has a cook book to accompany it "Skinny ***** in the Kitch..." or something like that. I read the book but not the cook book. I get most of my recipes from the internet.

Don't let anyone tell you you won't be able to get all the vitamins and nutrients you need, or that it will be too hard. For me, it's been pretty easy but I'm still learning. It's a very personal choice and you should make your own informed decision. You don't have to be perfect right away, and even if you decide to still have animal products in your diet, you can just apply the knowledge that they should be used sparingly and not in huge portions the way most Americans eat them.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do, and feel free to add me as a friend if you need more buddies trying to do the same thing

I have been totally vegan for a week now (before, I was vegetarian for over a year with a few stints of veganism). I don't really eat any processed vegan foods (like imitation meats, dairy products, etc). I eat clean -- try to stick to whole foods as much as possible. I do supplement my diet with a scoop of vegan protein powder in a green smoothie once a day. Being vegan really has to be a lifestyle change instead of just seeking out foods that do not contain animal products. I eat a lot of raw and steamed vegetables, quinoa, fresh amd frozen fruit, avocado, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, edamame, some tofu/tempeh, and a limited amount of nuts and beans. Since I'm currently trying to lose weight (gained 20 lbs after a bad patch where I was basically a junk food vegetarian) I usually eat PB2 instead of peanut or almond butter. This has been the first week since I started a new job back in September that I haven't fallen victim to cake/cookies/treats in the break room!

I've been vegan for a few years. As others in this thread have said, a vegan diet doesn't necessarily mean weight loss. Like any diet, there are "healthy" and "unhealthy" options. Vegan ice cream, snack foods and cookies are abundant these days. For many vegans the choice to go veg is on an ethical basis, not necessarily for the health benefits, though if you're eating a mostly whole foods type diet then it can be quite healthy indeed. If you're looking for some more info about vegan nutrition I recommend the book "Vegan For Life" by Jack Norris and Virginia Messina: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0738214930/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0738214930&linkCode=as2&tag=theb0a4e-20

But as for what vegans eat: Personally I eat a LOT of beans (they're very cheap and a good source of protein), grains like rice and barley, tofu, tempeh, and of course veggies. I like to make things like split pea and lentil soups (with veggies) because the ingredients are inexpensive and they provide a good amount of protein and iron. Seitan (wheat gluten) is also an excellent source of protein, though it can be sort of expensive unless you make it yourself (which I do, it's not that difficult!) I like the taste of almond milk and it's very low in calories if you get the unsweetened type. As others have mentioned, vegan cheeses and things like that can be just as high in calories and/or fat as dairy cheese, so use them sparingly.

If you have any questions feel free to message me!

Don't think you should go Vegan, JUST to lose weight.
It's harder than you think it is, you can't eat eggs or dairy products, and it'll be surprising to you to find out what actually has those products with foods that you actually love.

Just eat healthy, have vegetables but also have meat.

If you really do want to go Vegan though, please speak to your GP or a Dietician because you really do need to take either vitamins or find out where you can replace your minerals that you usually get from milk and dairy products. (Calcium, Protein, Magnesium etc.]

You absolutely do not need to take vitamins. You'll get lots of calcium from broccoli or magnesium from nuts. Protien is everywhere, beans, nuts, legumes, seeds even some veggies have protien. Actually, not to get too sciency on everybody but milk is not a good source of calcium (GASP!) its because in order to metabolise it, your body needs phosphate. Phosphate is stored in your bones in the form of calcium-phosphate. So to metabolise milk, your body takes calcium-phosphate from your bones, uses the phosphate, and then you pee-out a lot of your calcium. For a better explaination, search: "The best speech you will ever hear" on youtube. It's long, but a must-see if you're considering becoming a vegan, super helpful and emotionaly triggering.

I've been hearing a lot lately about becoming a vegan and it helping with weight loss!
Just wondering if anyone can tell me a bit about it ?

I expect that affect is like a lot of 'scam' diets, Atkins, etc; if you seriously reduce the amount of types of food you're likely to eat, you're likely to eat less.
Vegan food tends to not be very dense in macro-nutrients, so it's harder to eat a lot of calories.

I highly recommend the movie "Forks Over Knives." You might want to read some of the reviews on the Amazon link below.

http://www.amazon.com/Forks-Over-Knives-Colin-Campbell/dp/B0053ZHZI2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361819219&sr=8-2&keywords=forks+over+knives

Or better, read some of the analysis of the 'science' in it, before you decide whether you want to believe it's claims.
This is from some who considers themself a 'raw foodist':
http://rawfoodsos.com/2011/09/22/forks-over-knives-is-the-science-legit-a-review-and-critique/

I've been hearing a lot lately about becoming a vegan and it helping with weight loss!
Just wondering if anyone can tell me a bit about it ?
I'm going shopping today, can anyone give me some ideas of foods and snacks etc that I can buy??
Thanks!

I recommend that you investigate it a bit more deeply before trying it out.
If you are not already vegetarian, it will make the transition easier.
kind regards,

Ben

I wouldn't promote being vegan for weight loss.

Holistically, a whole foods plant based diet is better (refer "The China Study" book), however, you must ensure you eat a varied vegan diet and that you are getting all the required vitamins (B12 specifically, but also Iron and others).