Going Vegan

Courtney066
Courtney066 Posts: 25
in Food and Nutrition
For those vegans out there I was wondering would going vegan and eating all the right stuff be better than eating animal products? Would I lose weight faster? Would their have to be certain supplements or foods I would have to take in more? I've been wanting to be a vegan for a while now, because everyone says vegans are so much healthier and meat eaters, but haven't really decided if I should take such a big step into my diet...Any help?

Replies

  • bheathfit
    bheathfit Posts: 451 Member
    Unfortunately as an evil hunter and carnivore, I am unable to assist in the Vegan question. That being said, here are some resources that may help.

    Moderator Sara in group Eat Train Progress is Vegan and very intelligent. Just read the posts before you ask questions because she is an awesome source of knowledge, but as such tends to be quite busy.

    Here is a set of video's on basic food information that will help you structure your calories and macros. Video quality leaves something to be desired, but information is great.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAvW6xBZjSk&list=PLnPAPdT4m_g_jts_h2xcr2MFzW5uwJ2uP

    Cheers!
  • bheathfit
    bheathfit Posts: 451 Member
    This will help with protein sources as well...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/926789-protein-sources

    Edited to show the tears that am shedding as we lose another carnivore...:wink:

    Why cruel world!!!??? WHY!?!? :sad:
  • jaleenasmom
    jaleenasmom Posts: 8
    Not able to answer your question but I can tell you that since becoming a vegetarian who eats eggs, and with the aid of my vitamix, I have lost 10 lbs already! I tried every diet out there. Paleo did great for a little while but then I started fluctuating up and down and not down from where I stopped.
    Since eating more plant foods, I cannot eat all the calories I am supposed to eat according to MFP!
  • jaleenasmom
    jaleenasmom Posts: 8
    Oh, btw, you have to find what works for you. I have a girlfriend who has lost almost 80 lbs on Paleo!
    Paleo just didn't work for me. I loved it though.
    I do love plant food more! I missed the abundance of plant foods on Paleo.
  • mxmkenney
    mxmkenney Posts: 486 Member
    Why vegan? If you are not opposed to eating meat or animal products, then why would you want to go this extreme? You can eat everything in moderation, and you will still be able to achieve your goals - whatever they may be.
  • ghiagirl893
    ghiagirl893 Posts: 69 Member
    You can eat more volume as a clean vegan. Veggies dont have many calories. Nuts do, so you have to be careful with that. Check out these groups for threads and ask there if you have a more specific question. I'd also suggest watching forks over knives if you are interested in just the health aspects.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/45-happy-herbivores
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/46-team-vegan
  • little_firebug
    little_firebug Posts: 22 Member
    I have heard people say that vegans are healthier too. Most of them are vegans haha. But seriously my sister has been vegan for like...20 years and she is pretty healthy and pretty skinny. Now. not long ago she had a really big pot belly and bad skin and terrible breath because instead of focusing on what she should be eating (vegetables) she was focusing on what she couldn't eat and ended up eating a bunch of junk food. A lot of "vegan" food is highly processed (all those frozen "chicken" products, for example) and this stuff is just not good to eat all the time. For anyone. A vegan diet is one based on vegetables, not soy products and textured vegetable protein. There are lots of whole food protein sources (quinoa, nuts, beans, etc.) besides soy.

    I tried eating a vegan diet for a couple months and it made me feel terrible even though I was eating good food so now I get my meat from local, free-range sources. I really think how you will feel (healthy or not) will depend not only on your food choices but your body chemistry.

    That being said, there are so many amazing vegetables in the world and so many wonderful ways to cook them so have fun if you do it. Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    I think there may not be a major advantage for weightloss but I do think that if done correctly, there are other health advantages.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    No. Going vegan will not help you eat healthier or lose weight. There are just as many fat, unhealthy vegans as there are fat, unhealthy omnivores. After all, Oreo cookies are vegan, as is soda.

    Oh, and Sarauk isn't vegan, she's vegetarian. She eats plenty of ice cream, after all.

    And also, "vegan" and "pastry chef" don't really go together. Pastries generally require eggs and milk. Eggs are not allowed as a vegan. Neither is milk. Try and make pastry without eggs or milk. You can't.
  • BackInTheSaddle13
    BackInTheSaddle13 Posts: 47 Member
    I tried to go vegan about a year and a half ago. My reason was cruelty to animals but I had also read how beneficial it was. I followed the diet for a year and while I am not bashing anyone for being vegan I can tell you it was not for me.

    I tried to eat as clean as possible and that can be very difficult. I tried to prepare as much as possible but at times it was just a pain in the butt. I travel a lot and that made it even more difficult.

    I did have some stomach issues going vegan. I think, just a guess, it was too much soy. Once I stopped going total vegan and started including dairy and eggs in my diet (cut soy consumption drastically) my stomach issues basically ironed themselves out within a week. I'll also add that I wasn't eating cheap crap either. Boca burgers are more or less bologne as far as being loaded with crap.

    I did not see any significant bonus weight loss wise. As someone else mentioned, there is just as much crap you can eat that's vegan. Oreos!!! My body also seemed to revolt. I was so tired and cranky all the time. I had my vitamin levels checked and they were all normal. Not sure where the cranky came from but once I started including animal products again that also lifted.

    I know there are many reasons for going vegan. To each his own but if you're going vegan purely for weight loss I think you'll find the same benefits with any food as long as you count and exercise!

    All the best!
  • Obnoxa
    Obnoxa Posts: 187 Member
    No. Going vegan will not help you eat healthier or lose weight. There are just as many fat, unhealthy vegans as there are fat, unhealthy omnivores. After all, Oreo cookies are vegan, as is soda.

    Oh, and Sarauk isn't vegan, she's vegetarian. She eats plenty of ice cream, after all.

    And also, "vegan" and "pastry chef" don't really go together. Pastries generally require eggs and milk. Eggs are not allowed as a vegan. Neither is milk. Try and make pastry without eggs or milk. You can't.

    This.
    You can eat clean without being a vegan, and you can be vegan and not eat clean. If you want to eat healthy, stick to whole foods; fresh veggies and few highly processed foods but you don't have to eliminate meat unless you have other reasons for doing it.
  • ghiagirl893
    ghiagirl893 Posts: 69 Member
    Actually the best cupcake recipe I've ever found is vegan. Best cupcake I've ever had. All the meat eaters agree. Frosting on the other hand is much harder
  • bheathfit
    bheathfit Posts: 451 Member
    Oh, and Sarauk isn't vegan, she's vegetarian. She eats plenty of ice cream, after all.

    My bad...
  • rjdunn87
    rjdunn87 Posts: 385 Member
    No. Going vegan will not help you eat healthier or lose weight. There are just as many fat, unhealthy vegans as there are fat, unhealthy omnivores. After all, Oreo cookies are vegan, as is soda.

    Oh, and Sarauk isn't vegan, she's vegetarian. She eats plenty of ice cream, after all.

    And also, "vegan" and "pastry chef" don't really go together. Pastries generally require eggs and milk. Eggs are not allowed as a vegan. Neither is milk. Try and make pastry without eggs or milk. You can't.

    Actually it's entirely possible to make delicious baked goods and pastries without either eggs or milk.
  • lesteidel
    lesteidel Posts: 229 Member
    The only vegan people I know are fat :/

    But they ate grains and Oreos and sodas etc all day long.

    Yes, eating more veggies will help.

    But an extreme like vegan is something you do for moral reasons, not weight loss ones.
  • Clarissabar
    Clarissabar Posts: 5 Member
    I'm not vegan, but I've been a vegetarian for five years now. At the beginning, the weight came off really quickly, but I started eating very unhealthy and not taking in the protein i should have been eating. My weight had been like a roller coaster, but since joining MFP its been a lot easier keeping track of what I'm eating. I've thought a few times about going vegan, but i'm not ready yet. I'd say that you should try becoming a vegetarian or pescatarian first and then slowly transition into a vegan. It is hard the first few weeks, but then you get used to it. Hope that helps.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,262 Member
    No. Going vegan will not help you eat healthier or lose weight. There are just as many fat, unhealthy vegans as there are fat, unhealthy omnivores. After all, Oreo cookies are vegan, as is soda.

    Oh, and Sarauk isn't vegan, she's vegetarian. She eats plenty of ice cream, after all.

    And also, "vegan" and "pastry chef" don't really go together. Pastries generally require eggs and milk. Eggs are not allowed as a vegan. Neither is milk. Try and make pastry without eggs or milk. You can't.

    Actually it's entirely possible to make delicious baked goods and pastries without either eggs or milk.
    It would be interesting to see that shop compete in France for the morning croissant.
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    I'm pescetarian but I when I exclude fish from my diet I find it extremely hard to eat enough protein. My personal advice is do not go vegan unless you have a moral or ethical reason for doing so. It won't help you lose weight necessarily (I know many overweight vegans) and may make it harder for you to feel "full" because protein is more difficult to consume in sufficient quantities. It is possible, of course, but it requires a lot of effort, planning and supplementation that a normal diet doesn't. I would focus on eating more nutritious food, eating fewer treats (but still have them!) and monitoring portion size. That is the most effective in my experience.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    It's all personal choice, I am a self confessed carnivore - in fact I only veggies if they're cut into animal shapes.

    If you've got a hankering to try Vegan then definitely try it. If it doesn't work then at least you've given it a chance and if it does then all's gravy.

    There must be some good Vegan sub -groups on MFP that you can look at (they will give you much better answers than us lot).

    Also just in case you are wondering I don't think being Vegan is like the 'evil ex' on Scott Pilgram vs the World. :laugh:

    Good luck with your food journey,

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