TRYING VEGAN

In that case I believe vegan is a good start. All the best with your decision.

I started transitioning to a whole foods, plant based diet last week and so far it's going really well. I'm in maintenance and doing it for health benefits. I'm reading a lot about raw veganism and see that as my probable end goal, but that will be way down the road.

As for weight loss, a vegetarian diet can be very high calorie if you eat a lot of grains, beans, processed foods and meat substitutes. My dad gained a lot of weight when he did it. I'm on a couple vegetarian/vegan sites and there's a lot people on these sites who are struggling with their weights eating vegetarian/vegan diets. So far I'm doing good with my calories-a large green smoothie every day, a serving of grain ( rice or oats) or beans, and then a bit of cheese and mushrooms and more veggies (salad or sauteed).

I'm a most-of-the-time vegetarian and my vegetarian meals often become vegan simply because I never cook with butter and the only other dairy I really eat is cheese and sour cream. I do eat seafood from time to time.

I am doing it for both the health benefits and for animal rights/environmental reasons.

My biggest advice is to look for international foods and recipes -- its pretty difficult to eat vegan and healthy with the typical American diet. But there are some AMAZING asian dishes, indian curries, mexican food... yummmm...

Good choices. Greens,salad, mushrooms. It works.

In that case I believe vegan is a good start. All the best with your decision.

I've been eating vegan for around 7 months now, a lot of people think it's impossible to live without dairy but it's really not that bad and there are a lot of great alternatives- (not talking about the processed vegan foods you see at the store though).

As for weight loss, you have to be careful because a lot of people automatically assume just because it's vegan it's healthy which is absolutely not true. I did lose a few at first probably cause I stopped eating so much cheese but you need to be careful of the fats you take in and also the calorie dense foods such as nuts and avocados, I gained a bit recently but i'm trying to learn how to cook without olive oil and I cut down on avos which I ate religiously. Basically, it's calories in calories out whatever diet you choose!!! an added benefit with a vegan diet though is i'm not causing any harm to animals and I know some out there don't care but try watching "Earthlings" and then come back and tell me you still don't care

Maybe others can post their testimonials about the pros and cons of going vegan

I tried going Vegan for about a month then switch off. I think it may be easier for woman cause It's semi difficult to find a good source of protein to build musicles.

This isn't necessarily true. There are a lot of vegan bodybuilders out there and the recovery rate is far better than that of meat eaters. try googling Mac danzig's diet or any other vegan bodybuilder to give you ideas. My BF lifts and although he's not vegan he'll eat anything vegan that I make him so I try to focus on protein with him of course, you can do quionoa wraps with sweet potatoes and black beans, chickpea salad sandwiches, etc....plenty of options for protein without meat. Also there are vegan protein powders out there too..

The key is the scale. If the pounds are rolling off along with the exercise you completed your mission. I cant see the sens of being fat and vegan at the same time. What is the point of that? Its almost like saying im going to eat organic hot dogs instead of Nathans hot dogs. . Its the same analogy when you come to think of it. I dont eat much dairy but i i think if i go meatless for an extended period of time i will drop the weight and then i can treat myself to a big pastrami sandwich one time only

I think you're getting your terms mixed up-being a true vegan has nothing to do with weight loss, it's a deep felt philosophy to abstain from using ANY animal products-way beyond food. This includes any byproducts, like someone mentioned with the lipbalm made from beeswax. Veganism is about animal rights issues and goes way beyond diet/food.

A vegetarian is someone who cuts out meat either for health reasons, or as a stepping stone for someone who's passionate about animal rights, but isn't ready to make all the lifestyle changes required of veganism.

What you're describing is more like a flexitarian-someone who abstains from meat for the majority of the time, but will eat it for special occasions. People who follow this type of diet usually do it for the health benefits, but again, it's not a weight loss plan per se. A great book to read for more info on this way of eating (and for some good recipes), is The Flexitarian Diet, by Dawn Jackson Blatner.

Going Vegan =/= Weight loss

I went vegan for a full year. There are loads of great recipes allover the net! There are 2 things to watch out for #1 the soy can really play havoc on your hormones, I already knew about the dangers of too much soy before I started but what I did not realize was that out thyroid is a glad that is also affected by soy ( I was thinking I could handle emotional swings) as you probably already know the thyroid regulates body weight so I did lose 40 lbs on the vegan diet but then it stopped because my thyroid stopped working right. The #2 is the gall bladder is an organ in our body made just to help us process animal products. So when you decide to go back to eating meat again do it slow other wise you gall bladder with go into overdrive and cause serious cramping . I ended up in the ER.
Have fun and good luck.

Maybe others can post their testimonials about the pros and cons of going vegan

I tried going Vegan for about a month then switch off. I think it may be easier for woman cause It's semi difficult to find a good source of protein to build musicles.

Lol. Actually, I don't think that is that much of a problem. My personal trainer is Vegan and he has got some incredible biceps *grin*.

However, I have been mainly Vegetarian since my early teens and only recently switched to "mostly" Vegan due to some serious health issues. I have got no probs at all with protein intake - rather the opposite - due to my health issue I am not allowed to go over a particular amount of protein a day and I found it very hard not to go over.
So, my reasons aren't because I agree with the Vegan lifestyle and philosophy, but my health. I do feel much better, after I have been pretty ill during May and if you love food, cooking and experimenting with food, Vegan is as good as Vegetarian or any other diet philosophy. IMO nutrition is about balanced nutrient intake and not whether you eat fish, meat or just vegetables and fruits. It's about what you enjoy in food and what you make work for yourself to feel fit and healthy.

I'm a life-long vegetarian, but I have never been a very healthy eater. When I was a baby / little kid, my parents gave me a ton of soy, which we now know is not good for the body (or the thyroid). Also back in the day (I was born in the 70's) their doctors were saying use cheese as a replacement for meat as a staple food, so I ended up relying way too heavily on dairy.

I ate that way for such a long time, most of my life. These days I am trying to be healthier (I'm approaching 40 now, I'm less interested in appearances and a lot more interested in long-term health.) and I have been toying with veganism. I did a 30-day vegan challenge. I didn't want for anything. I thought it was wonderful. The food was awesome and delicious. I felt great. I even lost weight.

But, I have a very busy life and a very tight budget, plus a three-year-old who is a picky eater and a husband who is attached to "meat and potatoes". It was hard. I work full time, then I'd have to go pick up my daughter at daycare, drive an hour home, and then make 2-3 versions of a meal (or separate meals) to make everyone happy.

I'm trying a modified version now. Basically, I'm not a purist. If I'm really pressed for time or completely exhausted one night, I'll make us a round of grilled cheese sandwiches because it is so quick and easy and everyone is happy with one meal. But, as much as possible, I am making whole vegan meals again. Trying to follow the 80/20 rule. If I eat vegan 80% of the time, I'm not going to sweat the other 20%. It is a lot more work, but I always feel so good. And, it's summer right now and the garden is a source of veggie abundance, so the cost is mitigated.

Anyway, that's my experience. 80/20 seems to be working for me. I would love to go 100% vegan again, in an ideal world, maybe once my toddler is old enough to contribute a bit more and needs less attention from me. I'm also trying to be a wonderful mama, a great wife and a good employee (and maintain my giant gardens and keep a clean house and even sleep some of the time, lol), so I do the best I can and practice being ok with imperfection as long as there is progress in the right direction.

I like veganism because it makes me feel good, because it is healthier for the body, because I'm not supporting the really bad stuff associated with animal agribusiness, and because it is safer. It is definitely less convenient, more time intensive and more expensive though (at least in my experience), but that's ok, because ultimately a diet based on bread, cheese and pasta just isn't healthy, no matter how cheap and easy it is. And for me, there is an ethical component. I don't judge other people's diets (my husband and daughter are omnivores) but I am not ok with the kind of cruelty that results from turning food production into large-scale agribusiness. I'm not trying to change the world single-handedly, but it does my heart good knowing that I don't contribute to that kind of suffering. Not a soapbox, just an effort on my part to live with integrity and align my actions with what feels right. Oh, that's one other thing. As a lifelong vegetarian and erstwhile vegan, I have encountered A LOT of negativity, anger, derision, etc. from the general populace. Get ready for that, it's real and not particularly subtle. I try to take it in stride. A lot of times I think it is just misplaced anger at someone else who happened to be vegan. Everybody's got an opinion, lol, I try not to let those judgments dictate my behavior anymore. Hope that helps.

Thats the part that turns me off about going vegan . The passion for animal rights. Dont get me wrong killing any kind of species for the sake of consumption is wrong but some of these animal rights purists, make me sick sometimes. Its not about avoiding meats and dairy to improve their overall health or lose weight, its more about injustice invoked on animals. I have a family member who went vegan some years ago and she really takes it to the extreme. I get the impression that her attitude is like "If your not vegan your no good" She is not the same person i knew before she became an extremist . Her FB page promotes a constant bombardment of photos depicting animals on dinner plates. Its like enough is enough . You cant force people to become vegan. Either they will make the lifestyle change or they wont Its that simple. Its like telling your friend "ooo you gotta hear this song its great you must listen you will love it " Just cause you dig the song doesnt mean others have to dig it

Yep, I pretty much agree with you. I love animals, but I also think that some people take it to far and what concerns me most about them is that they very often stop caring about us humans. Hey, and what I forgot to say, before you go all the way Vegan, why not give Vegetarian a go and just cut down on dairy?
What I DO like about Vegetarian/Vegan it's incredible convinient. It's much more easy and faster prepared than meals containing meat or fish. Something what I do appreciate a lot. Although, I do love cooking I don't like spending hours preparing meals :noway:

No cruel intent. Just funny:

http://www.collegehumor.com/article/6815828/honest-meal-plans