Calling all fellow vegans!

singingmommy25
singingmommy25 Posts: 41 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all! I'm a (very non-judgy) vegan who has been free of all animal products for the past three and half years. I find I've met 2 types of omnivores: those who assume all vegans are gangly and sickly and can't possibly be getting all their nutrients, and those who assume vegans are all organic, raw eating health nuts who never have to worry about their weight. I love food, and while I cook and eat primarily with my beloved veggies, I also love to bake. Think of any delicious, calorie laden dessert favorite and I've made it in a vegan version: cheesecakes, cream pies, doughnuts, ice cream, etc. Here I am staring down 40 in less than two years and I find myself with about 10 - 15 pounds I'd like to shed. Add me as a friend, particularly if you're a vegan (or at least veg-friendly - seriously, no haters, please) and we can swap motivation, recipes, and tips for being an herbivore in a world obsessed with bacon. :D
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Replies

  • xLoveLexi
    xLoveLexi Posts: 29 Member
    Feel free to add me, been vegan about 8 months now. Keeps the calorie dense dessert recipes to yourself though, I definitely don't need them lol! xD
  • nataliebordeauxx
    nataliebordeauxx Posts: 94 Member
    In for you shipping me all of your delicious treats T H X! :p Feel free to add me. Vegan 2 + years here <3
  • singingmommy25
    singingmommy25 Posts: 41 Member
    Great! So happy to see you here, compassionate foodies! Thanks for the reply :)
  • khristiana
    khristiana Posts: 131 Member
    Hello!

    I've been whole food plant based "vegan" for going on two weeks. Not one bit of animal product for me, ever again! I'm very eager to learn new recipes as well!

    Please feel free to add me :smile:
  • amy_elizabeth131
    amy_elizabeth131 Posts: 1 Member
    I switched to a vegan diet about 3 weeks ago, and I'm gradually learning. I picked up a Thug Kitchen cookbook the other day and I plan to learn a few of the recipe's in there. I feel much better since I've switched, but the scale has not budged. I'm looking to drop about 50 pounds or so. I'd love for you to add me!
  • singingmommy25
    singingmommy25 Posts: 41 Member
    I LOVE my Thug Kitchen cookbook! The recipes are super easy and totally delicious. It's funny that people imagine it's so easy to drop weight when you go vegan. I get my protein primarily from beans and quinoa, which are super healthy but also calorie dense and carbohydrate heavy. Pasta, bread, potatoes, are also staples. I have just been trying to focus on green veggies, fruit, and tofu, and sure enough the scale has started inching downward a little at a time over the last few weeks. Even when I'm up a few pounds, I love being plant based and wouldn't change for anything!
  • bijinda353
    bijinda353 Posts: 1 Member
    Fellow food loving vegan here! Appetite for Reduction is an awesome cookbook to grab if you haven't yet... the recipes are all lower calorie and nutritionally balanced but don't skimp on flavor or satisfaction. Feel free to add me!
  • singingmommy25
    singingmommy25 Posts: 41 Member
    Great to see everyone! I'd love to know what you're eating today! What do you pack for lunch when you go to work? Anyone planning any special meals this weekend? I for one love love love to cook, and during the week I never have as much time as I'd like, so I'm a cooking machine on Saturday and Sunday.
  • jackielynneh
    jackielynneh Posts: 3 Member
    Also a vegan! Being in the military, no one understands my love for veggies and tempeh. And the occasional vegan dessert ;)
  • eba2003
    eba2003 Posts: 43 Member
    I'm an aspiring vegan and will also be 40 in 2 year's with about 10-15 lbs to lose! Would love to share tips and ideas. One question- where do you get your iron from in a vegan diet, I always heard that plant based iron is less easily assimilated by the body?
  • eba2003
    eba2003 Posts: 43 Member
    Please share favorite cookbooks, recipes and balanced meals! Also what you eat in a typical day!
  • KnitSewSpin
    KnitSewSpin Posts: 147 Member
    Hi! Vegan here too, with 10 lbs to lose. I started at 185 last Fall and I'm at 145 now, looking to get to 135. I ate mostly low fat, low sodium raw this summer and lost weight pretty quickly. But now that it's going to be fall soon I am switching to a more balanced, cooked food vegan diet again. These last 10 lbs are kicking my butt! It's coming off SLOWLY now :)
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
    40 year old vegan with about 10 lb to lose here. Started at 154, now at 150 with a goal weight of 140. I've only been vegan about a year, but I was vegetarian for 18 years before that; I guess it just took a bit longer to transition, lol.

    I LOVE my Oh She Glows cookbook, and she has a fantastic website, too. My diary is open to friends, feel free to add
  • FatFreeFairy
    FatFreeFairy Posts: 1 Member
    I'm vegan too. :smile:
    With 10 lbs to lose... :neutral:

    Started as a vegetarian 9 or 10 years ago, then became vegan.
    I'm obsessed when it comes to eating healthy... I usually eat HCLF - raw till 4 or starch solution, depends on the day.

    Would love to share and to find new ways to balance my meals. :blush:
  • bodyzen
    bodyzen Posts: 122 Member
    I'm a fellow vegan! :) Lost about 50 lbs when I switched to a plant based diet and I'm currently upping the intensity and consistency of my workouts, working on gaining a little muscle and improving my overall fitness. :) Would love to connect with other vegans or aspiring plant based eaters! <3
  • arl1286
    arl1286 Posts: 276 Member
    I've been a pescetarian for the last 8 years, but I eat seafood VERY rarely (a few times a year) and almost never buy dairy at the grocery store. I eat vegan probably 4 days out of the week, at least. Feel free to add me! I would love added inspiration. :)
  • vaguelyvegan
    vaguelyvegan Posts: 45 Member
    I've been vegan for about a year and a half, vegetarian for several years before that. I love to cook--and EAT!--but I'm mostly drawn to things that are nourishing and beautiful on the plate. Feel free to add me, I'm always looking for like-minded friends.
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
    i've been vegan for a little over 8 years now, trying to lose about 15 to 20 pounds, i'm also training for a few halfs this year and potentially a full in 2016.

    oh and i'm not a crunchy vegan.

    And i have a vegan toddler.
  • singingmommy25
    singingmommy25 Posts: 41 Member

    eba2003 wrote: »
    I'm an aspiring vegan and will also be 40 in 2 year's with about 10-15 lbs to lose! Would love to share tips and ideas. One question- where do you get your iron from in a vegan diet, I always heard that plant based iron is less easily assimilated by the body?

    I have to admit I am always (and have always been) low on iron, even before I went veg. I hate iron supplements, as they make me nauseous, so I try to eat leafy greens (mostly spinach and mustard greens) in every single meal. They're so easy and go into everything : smoothies, stir fries, stews, and pasta. It keeps my iron at least high enough to donate blood (which is the only time I have it checked really), even though the tech always comments that my numbers are low.
  • singingmommy25
    singingmommy25 Posts: 41 Member
    veganbettie wrote: »
    i've been vegan for a little over 8 years now, trying to lose about 15 to 20 pounds, i'm also training for a few halfs this year and potentially a full in 2016.

    oh and i'm not a crunchy vegan.

    And i have a vegan toddler.

    I have 3 vegetarian kids. Cheese and dairy are hard for them to pass up, so it's not a battle I choose to fight. I just try to keep them thinking about the food they eat, and the effects of those choices on their bodies and on the earth. I hope they'll grow up making good, deliberate, and we'll informed choices, whether they go full vegan, stay vegetarian, or become omnivores later in life :)
  • singingmommy25
    singingmommy25 Posts: 41 Member
    veganbettie wrote: »
    i've been vegan for a little over 8 years now, trying to lose about 15 to 20 pounds, i'm also training for a few halfs this year and potentially a full in 2016.

    oh and i'm not a crunchy vegan.

    And i have a vegan toddler.

    Also you rock with those half marathons! I ran one and thought I was going to die. It was quite an experience!
  • amjaycox
    amjaycox Posts: 1 Member
    Any room on this board for a vegan of 5 years who fell off the wagon 6 months ago and is struggling to jump back on? My life so much different than it was 6 months ago. I changed jobs from a place where everyone was vegan to a job where no one else is vegan. I changed social groups from vegan/vegetarians to a group who will put absolutely anything in their mouths. No worries, I'm finding new vegan/vegetarian friends immediately!
  • Vegan4her
    Vegan4her Posts: 1 Member
    edited August 2015
    A little late to the party I guess, just saw this post. Vegetarian for 20+ years, tried vegan as a challenge 2 months before my wedding in sept 2012 at the ripe age of 39. Realized knew nothing about how to eat vegan so I watched the documentary Vegucated. Vegan since, going on 3 years and getting crazier each day. Dropped about 5 lbs going vegan but gained it back eating crappy foods. About 4 months ago I watched a documentary called Forks Over Knives. It has changed mine and my non-veg husbands lives. Down about 15 lbs in 4 months. I urge you all to check out Forks Over Knives. Quick note: my husband is eating about 95% whole foods plant based diet since May. He's down almost 10lbs.

    Feel free to add me :)
  • bethhardesty
    bethhardesty Posts: 1 Member
    Hello everyone!!
    I've been a vegan for almost a year. After watching Cowspiracy then Earthlings my life changed. I'm still struggling to lose weight though. I'm on blood pressure medication so I think that is making it harder. I started drinking the vegan shakeology about a week ago. Have experienced an increase in energy but no weight loss. I really need to start exercising too. That's my true struggle. I've gone back to school (older than average student) and that creates a lot of sitting and studying time needed. I'm excited to say I will be done in 27 days!!!! Yay me

    Hope to meet some great vegan peeps here
  • singingmommy25
    singingmommy25 Posts: 41 Member
    https://leafycauldron.net/2015/08/04/roasted-sweet-potato-and-corn-salad-with-spicy-serrano-pepper-and-green-onion-dressing-vegan-and-gluten-free/
    Can't wait to make this tonight!
  • singingmommy25
    singingmommy25 Posts: 41 Member
    kyoungcaputo wrote: »
    A little late to the party I guess, just saw this post. Vegetarian for 20+ years, tried vegan as a challenge 2 months before my wedding in sept 2012 at the ripe age of 39. Realized knew nothing about how to eat vegan so I watched the documentary Vegucated. Vegan since, going on 3 years and getting crazier each day. Dropped about 5 lbs going vegan but gained it back eating crappy foods. About 4 months ago I watched a documentary called Forks Over Knives. It has changed mine and my non-veg husbands lives. Down about 15 lbs in 4 months. I urge you all to check out Forks Over Knives. Quick note: my husband is eating about 95% whole foods plant based diet since May. He's down almost 10lbs.

    Feel free to add me :)
    Love that story! Forks over Knives was important to me as well. Eye opening!

  • singingmommy25
    singingmommy25 Posts: 41 Member
    amjaycox wrote: »
    Any room on this board for a vegan of 5 years who fell off the wagon 6 months ago and is struggling to jump back on? My life so much different than it was 6 months ago. I changed jobs from a place where everyone was vegan to a job where no one else is vegan. I changed social groups from vegan/vegetarians to a group who will put absolutely anything in their mouths. No worries, I'm finding new vegan/vegetarian friends immediately!

    Plenty of room for you! Not always an easy road, especially with the culture in this country of "meat for every meal". In my community, We have a Facebook page for local vegans who support each other, swap tips about local vegan food, and meet up every so often. It's a good support system. Do you often cook?

  • EMJ421
    EMJ421 Posts: 2 Member
    edited August 2015
    Hi, I am 55 and have been vegan for 1 1/2 years. I would love to lose about 25 lbs. I feel like I am learning a whole new type of cooking and am enjoying it a lot but have got to get serious to lose this weight! Thanks for this post/thread.
  • Traveler120
    Traveler120 Posts: 712 Member
    edited August 2015
    Hi, I switched to a plant-based diet 2 months ago. Started at 152 lbs in January and now at 128. The first 14 came off in the first 4 months. Then, there was a 2 month plateau as I transitioned to plant-based. The last 10 came off in the last 2 months. For me, that's quite fast and surprising considering I'm almost at my goal of 120.

    Comparing the 2 weight loss periods, the avg exercise was 8-11 hrs/week before to 11-14 hrs/wk now, so I'm having to work harder than I did in the beginning to maintain the rate of weight loss. Cals are the same at 1600-1700. What I think has been the key this time is keeping fats very low. I now don't add oil during cooking. I'll have some nuts a few times/week but keep it minimal. Since this formula is working, I'll keep it up until I lose the last 8-10 lbs.
  • melmelrooroo
    melmelrooroo Posts: 6 Member
    edited August 2015
    Hi all! I've been pescatarian, then vegetarian, and most recently trying in earnest to be completely vegan since May 2013.

    I most recently got the China Study Cookbook to help with my cooking, as after a veggie (steamfry) stir-fry, or baked veggies, or a salad, or a veggie burger, I'm kind of at a loss for what to cook. So far, I really love this cookbook-- it has a wide range of cuisines and types of dishes in it!

    Feel free to add me!

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