Vegans!

Options
TheLast16
TheLast16 Posts: 18
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone I wanted to now who is a vegan or at least has the diet for most of the time. Any tips you have would be great! I was a vegetarian for 2 1/2 years but started eating meat again. I feel sick and I've gained allot of weight. Anything you could tell me about being vegan would be great!
«1

Replies

  • HerpDerp745
    HerpDerp745 Posts: 223 Member
    Options
    Try to not eat meat and eat lots of veggies. I think that's what most vegans do?
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    Options
    Eat beans for protein. Lentils are easy because you don't have to soak them. One cup has the protein of 3 eggs. Look on the Happy Herbivores forum for lots of diet ideas.
  • LJSmith1989
    LJSmith1989 Posts: 650
    Options
    Hey everyone I wanted to now who is a vegan or at least has the diet for most of the time. Any tips you have would be great! I was a vegetarian for 2 1/2 years but started eating meat again. I feel sick and I've gained allot of weight. Anything you could tell me about being vegan would be great!

    Join a group
  • Barbs2222
    Barbs2222 Posts: 433 Member
    Options
    I've added Chia seeds to my diet. Huge nutritional bonus for the calories. I'm not Vegetarian but I don't eat a lot of meat.
  • Tamira12
    Tamira12 Posts: 5
    Options
    I am a vegetarian but do not eat eggs nor do I drink milk. Not quite a vegan yet. What do you want to know.
  • TheLast16
    TheLast16 Posts: 18
    Options
    Thanks for the replies guys. I'm just looking for general tips or anything that has helped you keep that diet.
  • TheLast16
    TheLast16 Posts: 18
    Options
    Try to not eat meat and eat lots of veggies. I think that's what most vegans do?

    No?!
  • GirthGirl88
    GirthGirl88 Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    See if your local library has a copy of the book 'Appetite for Reduction' by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (or check out her Post Punk kitchen blog) http://www.theppk.com/blog/ The book's recipes are 200 to 400 calories per serving, and ready in 30 minutes. I've tried several recipes and some are really, really tasty (people at work want the recipe and they cook it at home), while other recipes are a bit more hit and miss for my taste buds.

    There's also www.101cookbooks.com by Heidi Swanson (blog and books) and Thug Kitchen on Tumblr is funny (NSFW swearing), but also yummy recipes.

    Once I get hold of my high powered blender next week, I'll be making vegan green smoothies, which are packed full of vegies and a little fruit, together with nutritional supplements such as seaweed, chia seeds, flaxseeds, etc. if desired. From what I understand, it's a quick, easy way to get your day's worth of vegies really quickly and simply (and retaining more nutritional value, because you can leave the skin on veggies instead of peeling). Search for YouTube clips using the terms 'Vitamix' 'Optimum' or 'Omniblend' recipes.

    One of the 'problems' with vegan recipes is that while they're heavily plant-based, some of the more specialised ingredients (such as nutritional yeast) may be difficult to come across in your local supermarket, so checked out Asian grocery stores, online stores and healthfood shops for more unusual ingredients.
  • MorningWhispers
    MorningWhispers Posts: 182
    Options
    I am not Vegan but am trying vegetarian for 8 weeks - today is the start of my second week.

    I already feel a lot more energetic and less sluggish. Need to find more ways to prepare beans though, ate bean burritos three times in the past week because they were fast and easy (too hot to cook lately).
  • TheLast16
    TheLast16 Posts: 18
    Options
    I am not Vegan but am trying vegetarian for 8 weeks - today is the start of my second week.

    I already feel a lot more energetic and less sluggish. Need to find more ways to prepare beans though, ate bean burritos three times in the past week because they were fast and easy (too hot to cook lately).

    Thats great! I had great results with being a vegetarian and hate that I made the mistake of stopping. Good luck!
  • TheLast16
    TheLast16 Posts: 18
    Options
    See if your local library has a copy of the book 'Appetite for Reduction' by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (or check out her Post Punk kitchen blog) http://www.theppk.com/blog/ The book's recipes are 200 to 400 calories per serving, and ready in 30 minutes. I've tried several recipes and some are really, really tasty (people at work want the recipe and they cook it at home), while other recipes are a bit more hit and miss for my taste buds.

    There's also www.101cookbooks.com by Heidi Swanson (blog and books) and Thug Kitchen on Tumblr is funny (NSFW swearing), but also yummy recipes.

    Once I get hold of my high powered blender next week, I'll be making vegan green smoothies, which are packed full of vegies and a little fruit, together with nutritional supplements such as seaweed, chia seeds, flaxseeds, etc. if desired. From what I understand, it's a quick, easy way to get your day's worth of vegies really quickly and simply (and retaining more nutritional value, because you can leave the skin on veggies instead of peeling). Search for YouTube clips using the terms 'Vitamix' 'Optimum' or 'Omniblend' recipes.

    One of the 'problems' with vegan recipes is that while they're heavily plant-based, some of the more specialised ingredients (such as nutritional yeast) may be difficult to come across in your local supermarket, so checked out Asian grocery stores, online stores and healthfood shops for more unusual ingredients.


    Thanks! I'll check it out!
  • WalkingMermaid_
    WalkingMermaid_ Posts: 205 Member
    Options
    I am almost a vegan, I eat organic eggs from my friend's organic farm, but other than that I don't consume any animal meat/dairy or by product. I can't eat gluten either (celiac) so my diet is quite unusual! I avoid processed foods and so I pretty much eat a plant based diet consisting of veggies, fruits, potatoes, rice, legumes, nuts etc. My health has increased massively and the weight is melting off :)
  • BobbyDaniel
    BobbyDaniel Posts: 1,460 Member
    Options
    Read your labels and look for the "allergy warnings, try to avoid processed foods as much as possible, stick with the produce section when shopping and visit your local farmers market, get some chia and flax seeds, and join some of the groups on here like Happy Herbivores or Team Vegan.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    Options
    Believe it or not there is actually a vegan food pyrimid its very helpful also avoid the processed vegan options aka soy cheese ect and go more whole foods
  • DaniettaF
    DaniettaF Posts: 212 Member
    Options
    I know exactly what you mean, I am vegetarian but often have vegan weeks for weight loss reasons. My boyfriend eats vegetarian food 95% of the time, and whenever he eats meat he feels awful, so I know what it's like!

    If it's a massive jump to go vegan, I'd try and replace foods one at a time to get accustomed to it. I find milk easy to substitute as almond or other non-dairy milks are easy to find in supermarkets, tastes nice, and is often calcium fortified. Cheese and butter I need to go to health shops so I don't use that often. Also, replacing butter with oil is simple. There are many vegan recipes for baking to get around no butter and no eggs if you are wanting a treat.

    Broccoli has a tonne of calcium in it and has stopped my body craving dairy, although I do feel the need to eat cheese sometimes, just from it being my favorite food :P
  • EvelynBfly78
    EvelynBfly78 Posts: 240 Member
    Options
    Transition a little at a time from vegetarian to vegan. I let milk go first (now have almond milk), then eggs since I was only eating about 2 a month, then egg products in everything, then the rest of dairy (cheese, yogurt, butter, etc). Going slowly makes it easier than getting overwhelmed all at once.

    Check out the Happy Herbivores Group on here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/45-happy-herbivores
    I find this group very helpful in following a vegan lifestyle.

    Feel free to friend me. Together we can do this!
  • SJVZEE
    SJVZEE Posts: 451 Member
    Options
    See if your local library has a copy of the book 'Appetite for Reduction' by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (or check out her Post Punk kitchen blog) http://www.theppk.com/blog/ The book's recipes are 200 to 400 calories per serving, and ready in 30 minutes. I've tried several recipes and some are really, really tasty (people at work want the recipe and they cook it at home), while other recipes are a bit more hit and miss for my taste buds.

    There's also www.101cookbooks.com by Heidi Swanson (blog and books) and Thug Kitchen on Tumblr is funny (NSFW swearing), but also yummy recipes.

    Once I get hold of my high powered blender next week, I'll be making vegan green smoothies, which are packed full of vegies and a little fruit, together with nutritional supplements such as seaweed, chia seeds, flaxseeds, etc. if desired. From what I understand, it's a quick, easy way to get your day's worth of vegies really quickly and simply (and retaining more nutritional value, because you can leave the skin on veggies instead of peeling). Search for YouTube clips using the terms 'Vitamix' 'Optimum' or 'Omniblend' recipes.

    One of the 'problems' with vegan recipes is that while they're heavily plant-based, some of the more specialised ingredients (such as nutritional yeast) may be difficult to come across in your local supermarket, so checked out Asian grocery stores, online stores and healthfood shops for more unusual ingredients.

    Amazon is also a great resource for hard to find items-that's where I'm getting my nutritional yeast :)
  • whitney_simpson
    whitney_simpson Posts: 77 Member
    Options
    I would go back to vegetarian before jumping right in to veganism. That was my big mistake. I went from eating everything to veganism in one day. It worked for a few months but I ultimately realized that i needed to scale it back to vegetarianism before I was ready to fully commit to a vegan lifestyle. i work towards it everyday knowing that eventually I will get there.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Options
    Becoming a Vegan won't guarantee weight loss. I was and still am a fat vegan. As with and other diet moderation and healthy choices is the way to go. If you wish to see my good diary feel free to add me as a friend
  • lemonmon1
    lemonmon1 Posts: 134 Member
    Options
    Feel free to check out my diary. I try to eat mostly whole foods and limit processed foid which I recommend. You can make your own sauces like cheese type sauces. Make vegan friends, if only on the internet, check out recipes and do some research. Try not to eat a lot of breads. Hmmm that's what I can think of right now!

Categories