Looking to go Vegan and feeling a bit overwhelmed!
HStheBusyBee
Posts: 1,366 Member
Hi,
I'm looking to lose some weight and adopt a vegan lifestyle but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by this.
Is anyone else doing the same thing and looking for a buddy to stay on track or even just some tips would be amazing!
I'm looking to lose some weight and adopt a vegan lifestyle but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by this.
Is anyone else doing the same thing and looking for a buddy to stay on track or even just some tips would be amazing!
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Replies
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Hi, going vegan doesn't always mean loosing weight. There are people who gain weight on vegan diet. Also veganism is too extreme.
But your choice , just make sure to not follow the 30 day banana diet, mono meals are unhealthy vegan or not. Never follow freelee the banana girl ( she is crazy and disrespectful also an ex anorexic and bulimic, it tells a lot) instead look up vegans who eat varied diet. Don't forget to take supplements as your diet won't provide some vitamins like b12.0 -
Ive been vegan for 10 months i weigh similar but looks smaller because im never bloated. Also i feel awesome i have so much energy, and i am so proud to not. Contribute to the awful food industry0
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Vegan can mean healthy and it can mean not-healthy. Oreo cookies are vegan, so you can be vegan and not lose weight. But you can be healthy and be vegan. Go on YouTube and find great vegan recipes. I've made amazing chili, soups, tofu, veggie bakes. Chickpeas as a snack is my go to. Just try different foods.0
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Hi,
I've been vegan for almost a year now, and it wasn't for weight reasons. I haven't gain weight, but haven't lost either, mainly because I was eating a lot of non-healthy vegan food , such as Oreo, speculoos, or even homemade vegan cakes (exactly what danimcmillen)
But now, I'd like to lose a couple of kg, so we could discuss our goals and achievements if you like
If you want to be convinced that a healthy vegan lifestyle can make you lose weight, just look at jiliciousjourney on instagram0 -
I have been cooking as many meals from scratch and experimenting with healthy recipes when I can for the past 18 months which has helped me lose about 15lbs. I eat relatively healthy but I know for definite I'm not eating enough fruit and veg on a daily basis. I don't really like cooking meat or the taste of it and I was a vegetarian for 5 years when I was teenager.
My main concern is how to incorporate this into my house. My son loves meat, cheese, basically everything that is not vegan so I will still have to cook quite a lot of non vegan food.
@veganparisian would love to discuss goals with you!
@nsa352 That woman seems crazy! She lost me when she likened feeding your children meat to child abuse.
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HStheBusyBee wrote: »I have been cooking as many meals from scratch and experimenting with healthy recipes when I can for the past 18 months which has helped me lose about 15lbs. I eat relatively healthy but I know for definite I'm not eating enough fruit and veg on a daily basis. I don't really like cooking meat or the taste of it and I was a vegetarian for 5 years when I was teenager.
My main concern is how to incorporate this into my house. My son loves meat, cheese, basically everything that is not vegan so I will still have to cook quite a lot of non vegan food.
@veganparisian would love to discuss goals with you!
@nsa352 That woman seems crazy! She lost me when she likened feeding your children meat to child abuse.
Your son loves tasty food. There's nothing wrong with that. Don't try to incorporate this for other people.0 -
HStheBusyBee wrote: »I have been cooking as many meals from scratch and experimenting with healthy recipes when I can for the past 18 months which has helped me lose about 15lbs. I eat relatively healthy but I know for definite I'm not eating enough fruit and veg on a daily basis. I don't really like cooking meat or the taste of it and I was a vegetarian for 5 years when I was teenager.
My main concern is how to incorporate this into my house. My son loves meat, cheese, basically everything that is not vegan so I will still have to cook quite a lot of non vegan food.
@veganparisian would love to discuss goals with you!
@nsa352 That woman seems crazy! She lost me when she likened feeding your children meat to child abuse.
Your son loves tasty food. There's nothing wrong with that. Don't try to incorporate this for other people.
Hi sorry I should've clarified. I will have to cook separate meals which is fine but I dont finish work until 5 so will need to cook in advance or cook really simply in order to be able to cook 2 meals. The main thing I'm looking for is advice and inspiration from people that have made that change. There's no way on earth I would make him go vegan! 0 -
Have you thought about choosing vegetarianism? If being vegan is something you want to do because you feel strongly about it, you go girl! But if it's just a weight loss choice, or if your main objection is to meat, vegetarianism is much more flexible, and if you choose to still offer meat to your son, you won't have to cook 2 meals, just cook the meat separately (several veggies in my family, we always prepare the meat dishes separately, and let everyone serve themselves whatever they prefer)0
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Hi! I've been vegan for three weeks and I've lost 8 lbs so far!!! It's really easy once you figure out what works for you. I have been following a low-fat, high carb (complex carbs) vegan diet. I find this works for a lot of people because you stay fuller longer and don't crave sweets (simple carb) when you give your body what it wants! There are loads of vegan alternatives to foods you'd love being non-vegan. Daiya vegan pizza is very delicious (a lot of restaurants will give you vegan options, too). Also, the coconut chocolate ice cream by the brand "So Good", is just that, sooo goodd. Haha. Feel free to add me. 0
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perfectpounds wrote: »Ive been vegan for 10 months i weigh similar but looks smaller because im never bloated. Also i feel awesome i have so much energy, and i am so proud to not. Contribute to the awful food industry
Wow, you grow and harvest all your own food? Good for you!0 -
HStheBusyBee wrote: »HStheBusyBee wrote: »I have been cooking as many meals from scratch and experimenting with healthy recipes when I can for the past 18 months which has helped me lose about 15lbs. I eat relatively healthy but I know for definite I'm not eating enough fruit and veg on a daily basis. I don't really like cooking meat or the taste of it and I was a vegetarian for 5 years when I was teenager.
My main concern is how to incorporate this into my house. My son loves meat, cheese, basically everything that is not vegan so I will still have to cook quite a lot of non vegan food.
@veganparisian would love to discuss goals with you!
@nsa352 That woman seems crazy! She lost me when she likened feeding your children meat to child abuse.
Your son loves tasty food. There's nothing wrong with that. Don't try to incorporate this for other people.
Hi sorry I should've clarified. I will have to cook separate meals which is fine but I dont finish work until 5 so will need to cook in advance or cook really simply in order to be able to cook 2 meals. The main thing I'm looking for is advice and inspiration from people that have made that change. There's no way on earth I would make him go vegan!
The easiest approach is likely to be for most of your meals to make sides (veggies, grains and/or other starchy carbs) that are vegan (not cooked in stock or with butter, no cheese sauces, etc.), and then the only thing you have to make "extra" is two different entrees. There are a whole host of quick-cooking vegan entrees (tofu, seitan, tempeh, canned beans, frozen and refrigerated meat substitutes), and hopefully you already have some quick-to-the-table non-vegan entrees in your repertoire.
ETA: or you could pre-cook entrees (vegan or non-vegan on the weekend) and freeze in appropriate meal-sized batches, and just thaw in the microwave and heat each evening.0 -
Hi, going vegan doesn't always mean loosing weight. There are people who gain weight on vegan diet. Also veganism is too extreme.
Nothing extreme about realizing most of the developed world lives in such a way to where choosing cruelty free food choices at the grocery store and restaurants is a viable option and adjusting your purchasing habits accordingly.0 -
What an amazing thread, I didnt know there were others who were on/making transitions, Im also hopefully one day be 100percent vegan, but I dont like labels, Rather be referred as a 'veggie'. Currently, pescatarian here and there, no other meat or diary products.. lots of carbs, fruits, veg.. and starchy carbs..and yes Vegan you can still be unhealthy.. but ultimately it does better for eating whole foods and fruits, plant foods, Meat industry is extreme look at the impacts of animal agriculture - 'Cowspiracy' on Netflix - brilliant documentary. And I agree with BBuzz28camaro above.. Anyways spreading good vibes here 0
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buzz28camaro wrote: »Hi, going vegan doesn't always mean loosing weight. There are people who gain weight on vegan diet. Also veganism is too extreme.
Nothing extreme about realizing most of the developed world lives in such a way to where choosing cruelty free food choices at the grocery store and restaurants is a viable option and adjusting your purchasing habits accordingly.
There is also nothing morally superior about it.
The animals we eat probably have much better food, housing, and healthcare than the human beings who pick the bananas.0 -
sault_girl wrote: »buzz28camaro wrote: »Hi, going vegan doesn't always mean loosing weight. There are people who gain weight on vegan diet. Also veganism is too extreme.
Nothing extreme about realizing most of the developed world lives in such a way to where choosing cruelty free food choices at the grocery store and restaurants is a viable option and adjusting your purchasing habits accordingly.
There is also nothing morally superior about it.
The animals we eat probably have much better food, housing, and healthcare than the human beings who pick the bananas.
No one is talking about moral superiority except you, but what would you call it if your two options are either reducing suffering in the world or increasing it and you choose the former?0 -
Those aren't the options.0
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Hi! I've been transitioning to a whole-food plant based diet since October for health reasons. I'm about 95% there. There are lots of great resources out there. There is a veg group on here called Happy Herbivores. They have an extensive list of online resources. I really like Lindsay Nixon's cookbooks (Happy Herbivore Light & Lean is good for vegan weight loss). Fatfreevegan.com has a lot of great recipes (not really "fat free" since they incorporate nuts, seeds, avocados and other healthy fats, so more like "oil-free"). I tend to stay away from the meat and cheese analogs and stick with whole foods as much as possible,
How old is your son? I taught my kids about what I was doing and why, and a lot of them were on board with it. They still like meat and cheese, so I buy the cheese and they can add it to their own food, so I don't have to cook separate meals. Plus most of them are old enough so they're able to make a few things on their own, like topping naan with some spaghetti sauce and cheese and baking it in the oven for a quick cheese pizza, or making their own eggs. Then I can enjoy my broiled veggie-topped flatbread alongside them without much extra work. We do taco night regularly, and they get to assemble their own tacos and pick their toppings, so no extra work there either. Often their side salad at dinner will be my main dish with the addition of some beans, seeds, and an oil-free dressing. I also cook large quantities of food, not only because I have a large family, but also to provide lunch and alternate dinner options to reheat and eat. I also have lots of other meal ideas if you're interested.
As for being overwhelmed, you can transition rapidly or focus on one small change at a time, like breakfasts for one week, then add healthier lunches the next, then dinners the following week until you are where you want to be. Or work on cutting out eggs, then milk, then cheese. Whatever works best for you.
Best of luck!0 -
sault_girl wrote: »Those aren't the options.
Oh ok. Nice rebuttal. You obviously have some hostile opinions towards veganism for some reason if you come onto a thread about someone looking for help transitioning just to argue. Maybe you should try and figure out what specifically it is about people choosing a compassionate lifestyle that upsets you so much.0 -
sault_girl wrote: »buzz28camaro wrote: »Hi, going vegan doesn't always mean loosing weight. There are people who gain weight on vegan diet. Also veganism is too extreme.
Nothing extreme about realizing most of the developed world lives in such a way to where choosing cruelty free food choices at the grocery store and restaurants is a viable option and adjusting your purchasing habits accordingly.
There is also nothing morally superior about it.
The animals we eat probably have much better food, housing, and healthcare than the human beings who pick the bananas.
*shrugs* I don't care personally. More steak for me. I fully accept that something, plant or animal, must die each day for me to live. That's the way life works on this planet. My only issue with vegan life is the need to take artificial supplements when you can get the stuff you're lacking in actual food. I'm all about being kind and choosing organic and free range foods but I don't want my health to suffer from it.
All that aside. Nothing wrong with vegan so long as you're doing it for yourself. Best of luck.0 -
buzz28camaro wrote: »sault_girl wrote: »Those aren't the options.
Oh ok. Nice rebuttal. You obviously have some hostile opinions towards veganism for some reason if you come onto a thread about someone looking for help transitioning just to argue. Maybe you should try and figure out what specifically it is about people choosing a compassionate lifestyle that upsets you so much.
I think it's just that they think they are choosing a compassionate lifestyle and non-vegans are not.0 -
sault_girl wrote: »buzz28camaro wrote: »Hi, going vegan doesn't always mean loosing weight. There are people who gain weight on vegan diet. Also veganism is too extreme.
Nothing extreme about realizing most of the developed world lives in such a way to where choosing cruelty free food choices at the grocery store and restaurants is a viable option and adjusting your purchasing habits accordingly.
There is also nothing morally superior about it.
The animals we eat probably have much better food, housing, and healthcare than the human beings who pick the bananas.
*shrugs* I don't care personally. More steak for me. I fully accept that something, plant or animal, must die each day for me to live. That's the way life works on this planet. My only issue with vegan life is the need to take artificial supplements when you can get the stuff you're lacking in actual food. I'm all about being kind and choosing organic and free range foods but I don't want my health to suffer from it.
All that aside. Nothing wrong with vegan so long as you're doing it for yourself. Best of luck.
The denial of this kind of bothers me a little bit, too.
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sault_girl wrote: »sault_girl wrote: »buzz28camaro wrote: »Hi, going vegan doesn't always mean loosing weight. There are people who gain weight on vegan diet. Also veganism is too extreme.
Nothing extreme about realizing most of the developed world lives in such a way to where choosing cruelty free food choices at the grocery store and restaurants is a viable option and adjusting your purchasing habits accordingly.
There is also nothing morally superior about it.
The animals we eat probably have much better food, housing, and healthcare than the human beings who pick the bananas.
*shrugs* I don't care personally. More steak for me. I fully accept that something, plant or animal, must die each day for me to live. That's the way life works on this planet. My only issue with vegan life is the need to take artificial supplements when you can get the stuff you're lacking in actual food. I'm all about being kind and choosing organic and free range foods but I don't want my health to suffer from it.
All that aside. Nothing wrong with vegan so long as you're doing it for yourself. Best of luck.
The denial of this kind of bothers me a little bit, too.
As long as they know it isn't a magic bullet for losing weight and being healthy. That's all I care about.0 -
sault_girl wrote: »sault_girl wrote: »buzz28camaro wrote: »Hi, going vegan doesn't always mean loosing weight. There are people who gain weight on vegan diet. Also veganism is too extreme.
Nothing extreme about realizing most of the developed world lives in such a way to where choosing cruelty free food choices at the grocery store and restaurants is a viable option and adjusting your purchasing habits accordingly.
There is also nothing morally superior about it.
The animals we eat probably have much better food, housing, and healthcare than the human beings who pick the bananas.
*shrugs* I don't care personally. More steak for me. I fully accept that something, plant or animal, must die each day for me to live. That's the way life works on this planet. My only issue with vegan life is the need to take artificial supplements when you can get the stuff you're lacking in actual food. I'm all about being kind and choosing organic and free range foods but I don't want my health to suffer from it.
All that aside. Nothing wrong with vegan so long as you're doing it for yourself. Best of luck.
The denial of this kind of bothers me a little bit, too.
That something must die in order for me to eat doesn't justify any choice that I might make to obtain food. I assume there are some food choices you would object to, right? If you can think about why you might object to certain actions undertaken to obtain food or the decision to turn certain individuals into food, you might gain some insight into why vegans have decided to avoid what we avoid. You don't have to agree -- but it shouldn't be a source of confusion that different people have different levels of concern for animals and different actions they will take in response to that concern.
I'm not sure why it bothers you, but I also don't think this thread is the place to get into it.
The OP of this thread isn't looking to convince anyone else to go vegan. She's looking for tips and support for an ethical position that she apparently already holds. That some people here may disagree with that ethical position is pretty irrelevant. There is a "vegan" thread in Nutrition Debate right now that may be a better place for those who want to debate issues related to veganism.0 -
sault_girl wrote: »buzz28camaro wrote: »sault_girl wrote: »Those aren't the options.
Oh ok. Nice rebuttal. You obviously have some hostile opinions towards veganism for some reason if you come onto a thread about someone looking for help transitioning just to argue. Maybe you should try and figure out what specifically it is about people choosing a compassionate lifestyle that upsets you so much.
I think it's just that they think they are choosing a compassionate lifestyle and non-vegans are not.
I would agree with this... as a long time vegan, I hate to admit it but many vegans I meet in the wild are not very humble, logical, or respectful of the beliefs of others. The sanest vegans I meet tend to be online. But lots of people have negative experiences due to over-zealous, evangelical vegans who annoy others, and give sensible vegans a bad name.
It's all about respect, and vegans can be some of the worst about respecting others who don't agree with us.
Edited for spelling0 -
sault_girl wrote: »sault_girl wrote: »buzz28camaro wrote: »Hi, going vegan doesn't always mean loosing weight. There are people who gain weight on vegan diet. Also veganism is too extreme.
Nothing extreme about realizing most of the developed world lives in such a way to where choosing cruelty free food choices at the grocery store and restaurants is a viable option and adjusting your purchasing habits accordingly.
There is also nothing morally superior about it.
The animals we eat probably have much better food, housing, and healthcare than the human beings who pick the bananas.
*shrugs* I don't care personally. More steak for me. I fully accept that something, plant or animal, must die each day for me to live. That's the way life works on this planet. My only issue with vegan life is the need to take artificial supplements when you can get the stuff you're lacking in actual food. I'm all about being kind and choosing organic and free range foods but I don't want my health to suffer from it.
All that aside. Nothing wrong with vegan so long as you're doing it for yourself. Best of luck.
The denial of this kind of bothers me a little bit, too.
As long as they know it isn't a magic bullet for losing weight and being healthy. That's all I care about.
After thinking on it a little, I have to say that I guess I feel threatened because many vegans are quite extreme... trying to stop the use of animals for food/clothing/entertainment. My understanding of veganism is that is it not just about food but the use of animals for anything. My life pretty much revolves around animals so it's a bit scary that there are extremists trying to take them away.0 -
A year ago, I talked to my doctor who eats a "Clean Diet" about going Vegan to help manage my 20 lb weight gain from menopause. He told me not to, he said most vegans he sees are overweight from eating processed vegan and gluten free packaged food and "mock" meat. However, if this is a path that you want to choose for yourself, I wish you all the best, I would just recommend seeing a nutritionist if you can to get feedback on how to incorporate healthy whole foods into your diet that are vegan. I have one meal a day that is 100 percent vegan that I cook for myself from scratch. My goal is to have two whole food vegan meals a day.
Anyhow, best wishes! Let us know how you are doing! 0 -
sault_girl wrote: »sault_girl wrote: »sault_girl wrote: »buzz28camaro wrote: »Hi, going vegan doesn't always mean loosing weight. There are people who gain weight on vegan diet. Also veganism is too extreme.
Nothing extreme about realizing most of the developed world lives in such a way to where choosing cruelty free food choices at the grocery store and restaurants is a viable option and adjusting your purchasing habits accordingly.
There is also nothing morally superior about it.
The animals we eat probably have much better food, housing, and healthcare than the human beings who pick the bananas.
*shrugs* I don't care personally. More steak for me. I fully accept that something, plant or animal, must die each day for me to live. That's the way life works on this planet. My only issue with vegan life is the need to take artificial supplements when you can get the stuff you're lacking in actual food. I'm all about being kind and choosing organic and free range foods but I don't want my health to suffer from it.
All that aside. Nothing wrong with vegan so long as you're doing it for yourself. Best of luck.
The denial of this kind of bothers me a little bit, too.
As long as they know it isn't a magic bullet for losing weight and being healthy. That's all I care about.
After thinking on it a little, I have to say that I guess I feel threatened because many vegans are quite extreme... trying to stop the use of animals for food/clothing/entertainment. My understanding of veganism is that is it not just about food but the use of animals for anything. My life pretty much revolves around animals so it's a bit scary that there are extremists trying to take them away.
You're right that veganism is about avoiding all unnecessary animal exploitation, not just that involved in the production of food. I'm not sure what you mean by your life revolving around animals, but it's possible that vegans don't want to take anything away from you. Many of us have companion animals that we adore (I live with two dogs). Many vegans love animals and feel that they're a major part of our lives.
In any case, I'm sorry that you feel threatened by veganism. As an individual vegan, I want to say it's never my intention to make anyone feel threatened.0 -
*deleted my response as it was totally irrelevant to OPs questions*0
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I make big batches of stuff like vegan chili, soups etc and then freeze then in serving size bags. Then I just take them out when I want one. Beans and tofu are cheap and easy to cook with. Tofu and tvp are good for things like spagetti sauces and chillies cause it gives meat eaters the meat texture. Frozen and canned vegetables are great when you're in a rush. It's a learning process so don't be afraid to try new things.
Keep an eye on your macros so that you hit your protein. Nuts, milk alternatives and green vegetables are all helpful in getting your calcium
Have fun with it and know that you're doing a lot of good with the switch! 0 -
A year ago, I talked to my doctor who eats a "Clean Diet" about going Vegan to help manage my 20 lb weight gain from menopause. He told me not to, he said most vegans he sees are overweight from eating processed vegan and gluten free packaged food and "mock" meat. However, if this is a path that you want to choose for yourself, I wish you all the best, I would just recommend seeing a nutritionist if you can to get feedback on how to incorporate healthy whole foods into your diet that are vegan. I have one meal a day that is 100 percent vegan that I cook for myself from scratch. My goal is to have two whole food vegan meals a day.
Anyhow, best wishes! Let us know how you are doing!
It may be the case that most vegans this particular doctor sees are overweight, but it's important to know that population studies show that vegans tend to be thinner than the average person.
I'm not sure what gluten-free packaged foods have to do with anything, as this is a thread about veganism. If my doctor didn't understand the difference, I might seek a different source of health care.0
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