Low sugar, low carb, low wheat, vegan diet..is this possible?

How "low" are you talking when you say low carb?

If you mean just reducing your grains and processed foods and added sugars and keeping your carbs on the lower side (100-150g or so), it probably will be somewhat difficult but not impossible if you plan very carefully.

If you're talking ketosis (<20-25g or so of carbs per day, think Atkins), it's next to impossible to accomplish this on a vegan diet. I'm not saying no one in the history of the world has ever done it, but it's going to suck a LOT, and I would bet a lot of money that it's not something you could sustain long-term. You'd be limited to vegetable oils and then limited amounts of non-starchy vegetables, small amounts of tofu and tempeh, protein powder, small amounts of nuts and seeds, and MAYBE you could fit a few berries in there. Unless you were just drinking cups of olive oil or something insane and gross and not nutritionally balanced, it would be incredibly difficult to meet a reasonable calorie goal on a truly low carb diet without animal products. It's unfortunate, but vegan and ketosis are two ways of eating where they are SO different that you kind of just have to pick a lane and drive - you're not going to be able to do both and stay healthy.

If you're trying to lose weight, track your calories. Use the recommended settings on MFP and stick to it, you'll be fine. For your protein sources, look to tofu and seitan.

are you counting your calories?

michaelkipp wrote: »

Hey everyone. I reactivated my account to start keeping track of things better. I am a vegan guy (although I sometimes cheat with eggs, cheese and mayo but I really try not too) but I seem to not be able to lose weight. I am now trying to be as low as possible on SUGAR, CARBS and WHEAT. Anyone have suggestions for food? Being vegan I need to get in my protein and most veggies that have protein have carbs.....thoughts?

So, you are a vegetarian. Because eggs. But I would imagine tofu and lots of leafy greens, nuts and nut butters for fat.

You dont have to do ANY of this to lose weight though, honestly the only reason to be vegan is if you have ethical concerns about meat/dairy. (Vegan here that doesn't believe the woo about plant based diets being any healthier than omni diets)

Count calories, stick to your deficit, give it time.....the rest falls into place.

michaelkipp wrote: »

Hey everyone. I reactivated my account to start keeping track of things better. I am a vegan guy (although I sometimes cheat with eggs, cheese and mayo but I really try not too) but I seem to not be able to lose weight. I am now trying to be as low as possible on SUGAR, CARBS and WHEAT. Anyone have suggestions for food? Being vegan I need to get in my protein and most veggies that have protein have carbs.....thoughts?

I'm eating just like that (no sugar, excess carbs or grains), except I do eat seafood, and I will eat "clean" meats.

Basically you're going to have veggies, vegan protein sources (protein powders, black beans, nuts/seeds, lentils). Currently keeping my net carbs (crbs-fiber) quite low, and nourishing fats that exclude industrial oils like canola. I use coconut products, avocado, nut/seed butters, a little olive oil.

So here's a meal plan idea:
Typically it's stir fry for breakfast and green protein shake, and saute for lunch with small serving of beans/lentils, as well as some chicken or seafood...but you would probably do another protein shake. Dinner of protein, salad.

My treat is dark chocolate.

jgnatca wrote: »

IMO, trying to lose weight by reducing entire categories of food is sort of self-defeating. You'l burn more calories trying to find foods that fit your goals, but that's about it. Seitan is made from wheat so if you are really trying to stay wheat free, that is off the menu too.

Here's some really, really expensive vegetable proteins (think seaweed, algae). I'll come back later with their names.

Spirulina, if you don't mind your food tasting like pond water, has 2 gm protein per teaspoon.

michaelkipp wrote: »

Hey everyone. I reactivated my account to start keeping track of things better. I am a vegan guy (although I sometimes cheat with eggs, cheese and mayo but I really try not too) but I seem to not be able to lose weight. I am now trying to be as low as possible on SUGAR, CARBS and WHEAT. Anyone have suggestions for food? Being vegan I need to get in my protein and most veggies that have protein have carbs.....thoughts?

This is an interesting question, I hope you get some answers. I have a friend going through some serious digestive problems, which the docs are still trying to find the root cause for. She's basically reduced to a similar set of conditions - no grains, no red meat, no sugar, which sucks because she loves all of 'em.

Lurking with interest...

michaelkipp wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I have been vegan for 4 years now. And by cheating I mean VERY rarely. I have heard so many things about how bad wheat is for you and carbs. I know that there is no vegan Atkins plan. I am just now starting here and logging my food....so I can just look at that. I didn't mean to ruffle feathers on the cheating comment, just trying to be 100% honest.

There is a lot of "noise" out there when it comes to what to eat.

I wouldn't avoid wheat and carbohydrates just because you heard they were bad. As vegans, many of our best protein sources are connected to carbohydrates (beans, for example!). A lot of what you hear about carbohydrates is connected to over-consumption of calories, which is something we can control. Without better evidence of harm, I see no reason for us to avoid foods like beans or grains.

I would begin logging, introduce a deficit, and pay attention to how various carbohydrates impact your hunger. For example, when I eat fruit with other items, I feel fine. When I eat fruit alone, I get ravenous. You may notice similar things when you eat certain foods. Understanding this has helped me plan my meals without having to limit food groups from my life (beyond, obviously, the veganism).

michaelkipp wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I have been vegan for 4 years now. And by cheating I mean VERY rarely. I have heard so many things about how bad wheat is for you and carbs. I know that there is no vegan Atkins plan. I am just now starting here and logging my food....so I can just look at that. I didn't mean to ruffle feathers on the cheating comment, just trying to be 100% honest.

Oh, gotcha. +1 for honesty.

Neither of those things are bad for you unless you have medical conditions that make them that way. Or a personal preference.

You only need to create a calorie deficit to lose weight, and the best way to do that is to be as accurate as you can with tracking your intake.

Get a food scale. Weigh all your solids. Measure all your liquids. Select the correct entries from the data base (look for unstarred entries) or verify the information with food packaging.

If you exercise and enter it into MFP and use the site for calorie burns, don't eat all those calories back. Most of the estimates on here are greatly overinflated.

If you do all of this, you can eat the foods you like within your calorie goals and lose weight.

If you'd prefer to cut your carbs, you've already been given some great advice on the lower carb forms of vegan protein. Add some nuts, nut butters, things like avocado for fat, and plenty of non-starchy vegetables.