Going Vegan!

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jenuhfur
jenuhfur Posts: 47
in Food and Nutrition
I've decided to go vegan. But I was just hoping to find someone on here that did this. Did it help you lose weight & get healthy?

How have you adjusted? What foods do you eat instead?
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Replies

  • gecho
    gecho Posts: 426 Member
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    Vegan or vegetarian? big differance and i'm just curious :smile:
  • deebers1
    deebers1 Posts: 1
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    i did for about 3 weeks - for a fast. Its a specific one called the daniel fast, so in addition to cutting out all dairy, animal by-products, and meat, i also cut out all added sweeteners along with any kind of leavening. So it was basically a fruit, vegetables, whole grains and water diet. I lost about 8 lbs and overall i definitely felt healthier, not to mention encouraged because my body hates me and its the hardest thing for me to lose wait =p . So far its been a week since ive been off the fast and the times that i have tried to take in a bit of dairy -- such as a couple fro-yo trips, my body hasnt reacted well so im sticking to minimal and infrequent intake. but there are TONS of alternatives, if you google the daniel fast you'll get tons of vegan recipes as well as recipe books=).

    Best,
    DC
  • krisdw
    krisdw Posts: 25 Member
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    I'm a vegetarian and almost went vegan at one point. Started buying non-darily cheeses (soy or rice), and such.. just keep in mind that a lot of the soy meat and soy/rice cheeses can be high in sodium and keep watching the calories in them. Try to eat them in moderation!

    If you already eat a lot of cheese and meat, the change will definitely have an affect on your body that will most likely result in weight loss, but a lot of vegetarian's and vegan's will end up eating more carbs and sugar because after you cut out the meat and dairy, there's not a lot left. Go easy on the carbs and you should lose weight.

    I had trouble giving up the eggs. :-)
  • ErinMarie25
    ErinMarie25 Posts: 733 Member
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    I have a vegan friend. He's been vegan for a year or two. It might've helped him lose weight, but that's not why he chose to become a vegan. He does run a lot and lift weights and just eats good, in general.
  • Edestiny7
    Edestiny7 Posts: 730 Member
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    I just began eating vegan 3 weeks ago after reading 'The Kind Life' by Alicia Silverstone, and because I have to keep my protein down due to kidney stones. I buy a lot of Amy's frozen foods and have started making some recipes and converting some recipes to be vegan. The only thing that has helped me lose the weight is making better food choices and recording it all on here, period. So I had already lost most of the weight before deciding to go vegan. Alicia has a blog called 'The Kind Life' that has a lot of tips and info. Some people say they have gained weight eating vegan because they were eating a lot of junk and not watching their calories. The biggest drawback to eating vegan so far for me has been the sodium. I have to not only look for non-diary, but also low sodium. A lot of Alica's recipes are high in sodium. I have to limit sodium as well as protein due to my stones. I wish you luck and suggest you check out Alicia's site and or book. I originally borrowed it from my local library, then bought it. :flowerforyou:
  • IAmDanMarshall
    IAmDanMarshall Posts: 44 Member
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    First of all, congratulations on making a decision that is both healthy and compassionate! I was a vegetarian for about 4-5 years in my early 20s, but was a casual eat-out vegetarian who seldom cooked for myself. I ended up stopping and my diet went to absolute crap, and I gained a bunch of weight back. My gf and I became vegetarians on 8/23 of this year, and transitioned to fully vegan on 9/20. So far I feel great, have loads of energy, and have been eating better than ever before (feel free to check my food diary, it's public).

    I think that you can still be a vegan/veggie and still eat complete crap. Hell, oreos are vegan.

    My girlfriend also bought The Kind Diet. We ended up loaning it to a friend before she finished it, but like I said have transitioned to a 100% vegan diet anyway. There are a ton of resources online. Two of the neatest ones I've found so far are rawon10.blogspot.com and veganon10.blogspot.com. They're both run by the same person, and there are lots of yummy recipes and the entire day of meals always clocks in at under $10! Hard to beat :)

    I added you as a friend, just because it's always good to have more... My girlfriend is kkochend on here if you want to add her, I'm sure she'd like that, too! :)

    Take care,

    Dan
  • drehud
    drehud Posts: 6 Member
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    Becoming a vegetarian and foregoing dairy has been awesome for me! I definitely feel like it's easier to lose and maintain a healthy weight. I get my protein from tofu, beans, and in moderation some of the veggie substitutes. Good luck and I hope you enjoy it =)
  • drehud
    drehud Posts: 6 Member
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    BTW, I went raw vegan for about a month and a half last year and then became a vegetarian after that. Raw vegan became labor intensive and extremely expensive!!
  • pratrat150
    pratrat150 Posts: 20
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    Hey!

    I was a vegan for almost two years and went back to being a vegetarian in the summer of 2009. Now, I am going back to the vegan diet. Being vegan was such a great experience. I felt healthy, vibrant and energetic. My advice to you would be to choose either to go all out and throw away all non-vegan items and start fresh or to slowly grow into it one meal at a time. Whatever works. Just make a conscious decision and stick to it.

    Also, watch your processed foods. Like Dan said earlier, Oreos are technically vegan. And there are so many vegan substitutes that are full of preservatives, chemicals, sodium and CALORIES. Just make good food decisions. Add tons of veggies and beans into your diet. And have fun cooking new things!

    I think you will really like being vegan! You will see a huge difference in your energy, skin, weight, digestion. Just play the vegan game right. You can do it. I'm trying to do it right now too...so friend me and we can help each other!

    Stay strong,
    P
  • newday75
    newday75 Posts: 4
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    I just heard about Alicia's book and really want to read it! I take it is was good...I have been veggie for over 15 yrs but I am going Vegan...I would love all the assistance I can get! But I am doing it for humane reasons as I am a Animal/Human rights activist....I love animals so I have to give up the dairy for the animals and the earth!
  • CraftyGirl4
    CraftyGirl4 Posts: 571 Member
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    There are a few careful considerations that you need to make before going vegan. The largest relate to the following things:
    - Protein
    - Calcium
    - Iron
    - Vitamin B12

    Just be smart in your decision and make sure you get enough of these things.
  • hippiechel
    hippiechel Posts: 170 Member
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    I'm a strict vegetarian. I try to be "as vegan as possible" in most situations, but i am not a stickler about stuff.. it is sad but i let my greed get in the way usually.

    however, despite not practicing what i preach, i am armed with a good amount of information since i like to read, and you can find TONS of useful information on the web. you can go and buy some vegan cookbooks, there are some that are affordable and their meals are easy to make. i recommend the vegan brunch. but otherwise, you can actually find lots of recipes online too!

    from today on, i am actually going to dedicate myself to cutting out dairy from my life (eggs is way way easier for me). if you want some support, feel free to add me as a friend!
  • nic1227
    nic1227 Posts: 8
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    I have been a strict vegetarian since March and I toyed with the idea of being vegan for the last few months. I did it for animal rights reasons ( I am completeley opposed to factory farms and the inhumane slaughetering of animals) as well as environmental reasons. I bought The Kind Diet and Skinny B*tch, and as of yesterday I have been following Alicia's Superhero plan about 90% of the time the other 10% I am going to do regular Vegan. I am going to try to stick to being vegan for as long as I can (my family gives me a really hard time about not eating meat can't wait to hear what they say when I give up dairy and eggs too!).


    Hopefully I can stick with this though!
  • deblu
    deblu Posts: 44
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    I've been a vegetarian for 12 years and after I had my daughter I was a vegan for a couple of years. It didn't help me lose weight. It's all about portion size. Congrats on going vegan!
  • missusjess
    missusjess Posts: 3 Member
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    Lacto ovo vegetarian here. :) Just wanted to wish you luck! I am still pretty new to vegetarianism, having started in the spring. I love cooking with vegetables, beans (it's soup season!) and am a huge fan of brown rice and quinoa, which are great protein sources! I have been lazy lately and need to pay attention to my calories again. You CAN have too much of a good thing. ;)
  • hellokittyhorror
    hellokittyhorror Posts: 70 Member
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    Hi,
    I am a vegetarian and part-time vegan. I think I do feel a little better when I go on a vegan streak. But I do love cheese. I have been losing weight with MFP even when I eat cheese because I still stay close to my daily calorie goal. But I wonder if I would drop the pounds faster by being vegan (healthy vegan that is, minimal processed fake meats and maximal beans, greens, & whole grains)? I'll try it and let y'all know!
  • happy_vegan
    happy_vegan Posts: 200 Member
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    One of the best things about going vegan is it really forces you to read ingredient labels. Past the calorie and nutrition facts part..you start to realize how much non-ingredients are in packaged foods. Someone mentioned the soy/rice cheeses...even those most of the time those have milk derivatives (sign for processed by-product). So you really have to read. A lot of breads (even the ones baked at your grocery store) have these byproducts. It's really ridiculous. You'll find yourself opting for whole foods because it's easier than reading a label :)

    THAT SAID...going vegan won't make you healthier, at least weight-wise. There are plenty of foods that are vegan that are bad for you. These days in any organic store you can find cookies, cakes, ice creams, crackers that are vegan (oreos are even vegan and so are skittles....) so especially if you have a sweet tooth it takes more than just a commitment to non-animal products to lose weight, I think. Although I never fell down the oreo hole, I did learn to make my own bad-for-you treats at home and indulged a little too often. At the same time, if you have problems with portion control you can really eat a LOT of food and still be under calories as a vegan, and your tastes might change as well.

    I find it really easy to get my protein, calcium, and iron, but I take a B12 supplement and I try to work in hemp seeds and nutritional yeast so I get omega fatty acids and other nutrients.

    It's what you make of it, give it a shot and keep me posted!!
  • sidoniecolette
    sidoniecolette Posts: 14
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    I've been both vegetarian & vegan (switching back & forth between the two for 6+ years), & now I find myself somewhere in between. I definitely eat more vegetables than my generic omni counterparts... I stopped drinking cow's milk completely, & prefer almond milk to anything else. I don't eat eggs, but I can't seem to give up cheese! If you can find nutritional yeast, it's a GREAT cheesy alternative for pasta & sauces though... Ice cream & yogurt alternatives are out there, but they're not always readily accessible. I swear by homemade black bean burgers, tofu scrambles, homemade falafel, & vegan baking!

    If you have any inquiries, I'm a wealth of information :]
  • OhItsOn
    OhItsOn Posts: 36
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    Almost everyone I know who is a vegan is in great shape... however, I may be the only person on the planet who ended up gaining a ton of weight when I was vegan. (40 lbs in 2 months --- and while training for a marathon --- go figure!)

    As it turns out, I have hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)..... and apparently, soy + underactive thyroid = disaster. I was getting WAY TOO MUCH SOY when I was eating a vegan diet.

    Good luck... there are some great products/Brands out there.... some of them I still miss. (Especially, Morningstar & Amy's)
  • IngeborgB
    IngeborgB Posts: 27
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    I went vegan about two years ago after six years as a vegetarian. It did not really make any difference to my body really. I will say that I have gained weight on a vegan diet, but that is more due to bad chices like way to much baked goods and crisps. Am now on the mission to lose those kilos again, and it is going great!

    I don't find it particularly hard with the protein, and don't really think about it to be honest. Usuallyy don't get up to the levels of mfp, but since I am also active in vegan forums I know that my body does not actully need that much protein. I try to get in something high in protein everyday tho. I kind of figure, as long as I feel good and my body can do what it should be able to do, then i'm good!

    I do think about the calcium, b12 and iron tho, but lots of products have them added now! Feel free to add me as a friend if you are looking for inspiration!

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