vegan and wanting to lose weight

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missymissfit2014
missymissfit2014 Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
Hi, signed up to help me lose some weight. Roughly 5-10 pounds. Not obsessed with the scale, and actually want to reduce waist and hip measurement. My issue/struggle is that I am vegan, and do not eat soy. I think my problem may be protein, but I am not sure.

Anyone else out there struggling with this same issue?

Replies

  • Dawnturtlegirl
    Dawnturtlegirl Posts: 1
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    I'm vegetarian and it is really hard to lose weight. I eat a lot and feel full pretty much only with carbs. My blood type is the kind that I lose the most on a low carb diet. Try shakeology vegan (chocolate is my favorite) it has high protein and makes you full. I really do feel better when I drink it. It is a bit pricey but worth every penny in nutrition and making me feel less tired. I've started substituting spaghetti squash for my pasta and its just as satisfying. Also only use Pam if frying or bake my foods as often as possible. We have completely stopped buying foods that aren't "clean" I miss my vegetarian ramen noodles and things like that but they are sooooo bad for you. Best of luck to you!
  • missymissfit2014
    missymissfit2014 Posts: 2
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    HI! Thank you for your note and suggestion.

    I eat loads of veg, but I think my body is better suited to being a meat/fish eater but for ethical reasons I can’t. I am not a pasta/bread person, so my go to is nuts!! I think that may be my issue.
    I feel like I am the world’s only vegan that has gained weight. If I could eat eggs (allergy) I think I would…

    I will look up this shakeology. Thank you so much!!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,022 Member
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    Have you been tracking what you eat so you actually know how much protein you're getting?
  • Tracie524
    Tracie524 Posts: 65 Member
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    I just recently switched to vegan/plant based eating so I could lose weight. I found it kind of overwhelming to make the switch so I did a search for vegan meal plans. I found one from Happy Herbivore. It is a 1200 calorie weekly meal plan. I feel with this I get a wider variety of vegetables and whole grains and make sure I am getting enough protein. You can add more calories with snacks (she gives a list of 50 and 100 calorie snacks) so you can adjust the calories to fit your needs. Before the meal plans, I was eating the same few meals that I knew were healthy and didn't get much variety. I was worried I wasn't getting the nutrients I needed. Maybe that would help you.

    I also read an article on being vegan and still not losing weight...they said the higher fat vegan foods would be the downfall like nuts, avacados, pastas...you know, the stuff everyone loves. They said a little to accent your food is okay, but larger amounts should be avoided.
  • thedaintyone
    thedaintyone Posts: 17 Member
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    Hey, I'm in the same boat as you. I went vegan for a year and lost some weight. Unfortunately due to stomach issues it has forced me to cut out all gluten containing foods, and limit proteins from nuts, therefore I added small amounts of dairy to my diet to help keep me satiated. I'm also morally against fake meats, not only are they disgusting but they are loaded with msg and other bad stuff, and soy is one of the worst sources of protein. I added things like goat cheese, Skyr (icelandic yogurt), local honey......I still dont drink milk and I used earth balance butter instead of regular butter. Anyways, I'm trying to re-veganize myself and lose weight but it's really hard because I get really strong cravings for sugar and carbs....(ice cream and mashed potatoes are my weakness)......I'm also trying to maintain a regular workout schedule...

    Can I add you as a friend? We can support each other through our goals.

    I'm a pretty good cook and intend to post lots of recipes. I'm against processed foods so all of my recipes are from scratch!

    good luck!
  • Tracie524
    Tracie524 Posts: 65 Member
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    This blog post may give you some ideas: http://happyherbivore.com/2013/04/not-losing-weight-plant-based-why-how-to/
  • tiddles_yeah
    tiddles_yeah Posts: 117 Member
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    I am also vegan and have a tonne of allergies, but get at least 160g of protein per day (im strength training at the moment)

    Check out my food blog for some high protein, healthy recipes if you want :)

    http://superallergyfood.blogspot.com.au/
  • ilotey
    ilotey Posts: 2
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    Hi I'm also vegan and have been for approx 5 years. Been vegetarian my whole life before that. I also eat a low protein diet and have been very physically active (4 times a week squash player at competitive level). The "plant-strong" vegan diet is very healthy (look up videos on you tube by Dr Esselstyn, Dr McDougal, Dr Dean Ornish, Dr Colin Campbell, etc ...). Many sports starts are also vegan including James Willstrop - World number 2 squash player, Carl Lewis during his glory years, Serena Williams, Timothy Bradley - WBO Welterweight champion boxer, Martina Navratilova, ...

    There is basically primary protein in most foods "plant-strong" vegans eat including vegetables, and eating excessive protein (particularly secondary proteins from Meat and Dairy) contributes to many health disorders including cancers and vascular diseases.

    Hope you start getting nearer your target weight soon ...
  • bimaldave
    bimaldave Posts: 4
    edited November 2014
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    This blog also has some great recipes and ideas on how to lose weight the healthy way whilst being vegan: http://simidave.com/my-health-journey-so-far-i-call-it-focus-2/

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