Hey There, Vegans.

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HillaryAnnMaroney
HillaryAnnMaroney Posts: 15 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, there! So I was vegan before I was pregnant, and now that I'm postpartum, I'm going vegan again. I was wondering...
1) How many calories do you eat?
2) What kind of vegan are you? (HCLF, Fruitarian, etc.)
3) How much weight have you lost and other benefits you have discovered?
I would love to know! Thanks!
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Replies

  • fkwan
    fkwan Posts: 28 Member
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    1) How many calories do you eat?

    I'm beginning maintenance so 1200-1400 a day.

    2) What kind of vegan are you? (HCLF, Fruitarian, etc.)

    Total vegan, relatively low carb (40-80% net carbs).

    3) How much weight have you lost and other benefits you have discovered?

    35 pounds. Goodbye arthritis. Goodbye colds (knock wood and other substances). 100% more energy. And of course it's all for the animals.
  • CarolDwaik
    CarolDwaik Posts: 6 Member
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    Hi! First off, congrats on your baby and I wish you well on your vegan journey! Just for some background, I'm pretty short, so 5'1" (155 cm) and weigh around 115 lbs. My goal weight is around 105 lbs. I've been vegetarian for 8 months and vegan for 2 month, and I'm still learning the best way to lose weight. I'm just now restarting MFP and here are my answers:

    1) My goal is 1200 cals, this is coming from a background of bingeing and some eating disorders. Hopefully I'll be able to stick to 1200 without feeling restricted, but it is much easier on a vegan diet since we can load up on the veggies!!

    2) I used to be HCLF, it didn't work AT ALL. Excess dates and and processed carbs with low fat content didn't help me lose at all. It's all about the calorie input/output, simple math!! I like to call myself "label-free", you have way more freedom that way.

    3) So basically after trying HCLF/WSLF (whole starch), and high fruit, I lost no weight. I didn't track calories assuming that this would be enough for weight loss, it sure wasn't. So now I'm back at it!

    My general advice for you based on my own personal experience is to stick to counting your calories (a healthy amount recommended by MFP), eating whole foods, but not restricting yourself to a label. Also moderate exercise, even just dancing around in your living room for 20 minutes should do it!
  • redd_87
    redd_87 Posts: 53 Member
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    I eat between 1200-1400 depending on the day. I don't know what kind of vegan I am... Ethical vegan? Eat-all-the-vegan-foods vegan? I eat what I want but stay within my calories (most of the time). I went vegan for ethical reasons, not health, so my journey gave me ethical benefits. I've lost and gained being a vegan (always within 5#, as I'm constantly "close to goal"), right now I'm in the process of losing. Being vegan hasn't changed my ability to lose, and hasn't made it any more difficult or easier than before.
  • epeart11
    epeart11 Posts: 35 Member
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    1. between 1200-1400
    3.There are many benefits from feeling better and having more energy. Just make sure you are getting enough protein. In the long run it could be detrimental if you do not.
  • Mappel2
    Mappel2 Posts: 7 Member
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    1) How many calories do you eat?

    Net around 1200/day after exercise.
    2) What kind of vegan are you? (HCLF, Fruitarian, etc.)

    No idea, but I guess I'm technically not a vegan, as I eat my pet chickens' eggs. I just want to eat in an ethical way which simultaneously helps the environment and my health. Makes the most sense, doesn't it?
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
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    HillaryAnnMaroney wrote: »
    1) How many calories do you eat?
    2) What kind of vegan are you? (HCLF, Fruitarian, etc.)
    3) How much weight have you lost and other benefits you have discovered?

    1. Anywhere from 1600-1800 net calories
    2. HCLF but usually 1 day of the week my fat macro is way off the charts (which I think is good)
    3. I've lost 18kg since I joined MFP in June, but I made the switch from pescetarian to vegan only at the end of Jan. Being vegan I think I've lost around ~1.5kg. My skin has already gotten better (I used to have super oily skin all my life), I can now easily eat until I'm totally satisfied and still be within my calories/macros, vegan society approved lotions/cosmetics feel even better on my skin than regular stuff I used in the past...
  • tanyaltrl
    tanyaltrl Posts: 42 Member
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    Calories come out to ~1700 net average (im pretty active)

    HCLF, was mostly fruitarian for 1.5 years, but been doing so well with starches this winter might just continue with Starch Solution mostly.

    So far lost 14 pounds since January, other vegan benefits: clear skin, got my period back after 2 year amenorrhea, successfully quit stimulants, great digestion, hair and nails grow so fast and strong...I could go on...
  • pkhurls
    pkhurls Posts: 5 Member
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    Congratulations :) I also have a little bub but was vegan through my whole pregnancy as well as before.

    I'm aiming to eat 1200- 1400 cals per day. When I had my first baby I lost about 17kg just from calorie restriction and exercise, without labelling it but fairly high carb I guess. I've also tried 80/10/10, no oil and quite a few other diets just for fun but probably not for long enough to see any long term benefits (only about a month although I generally stick to no oil most of the time). I didn't lose weight on 80/10/10 in fact I gained.

    This time I have been eating 1200 - 1300 cals a day on basically high carb low fat (without labelling it as such) as well as exercise and finding it very hard to lose any weight. I always shudder when trainers at the gym mention protein, but I was getting so frustrated at working hard and sticking to low calories and not getting anywhere that I decided to increase my protein intake and my fat intake. Nothing radical, just meeting the RDA actually! I've been doing it for about 4 weeks and have lost almost 4kg, a huge change from what was happening!

    But really I think everybody is different. I have an insulin resistance problem so thinking about it, it makes sense that I would lose weight more easily having less carbs because my body more easily turns them to fat. I think it's trial and error for your body. Obviously 80/10/10 or high carb works for a lot of people.

    I'm only to stay with the increased protein and fat for the short term as I don't think it's the best for long term health and I miss my fruit, sweet potatoes and brown rice too much :)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    1) How many calories do you eat?

    I eat about 2,000 calories a day.

    2) What kind of vegan are you? (HCLF, Fruitarian, etc.)
    I'm an ethical vegan. I don't practice additional restrictions of macro-nutrients or types of food.

    3) How much weight have you lost and other benefits you have discovered?
    I lost over 40 pounds last year, that was weight that I gained as a vegan. The benefit of veganism is that I have reduced my participation in unnecessary animal exploitation and suffering.
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
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    Hi -
    1) How many calories do you eat?
    I am 5'3" and 170lbs so I am on a reducing plan of 1400 calories a day.

    2) What kind of vegan are you? (HCLF, Fruitarian, etc.)
    Nothing special. I am an ethical vegan and do not see it as being any better or worse than an omnivorous diet; nutritionally speaking.

    3) How much weight have you lost and other benefits you have discovered?
    I have lost 10lbs and then gained 10lbs so I am back where I started last year.

    Success was down to following a calories in-calories out plan rather than going vegan - just goes to show you can eat yourself fat on a vegan diet.

    I can pick up chest infections just the same as any omnivore and I don't think that being vegan makes me super-human in any way at all.

    - as someone above said in an earlier post - its for the animals.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    yogicarl wrote: »
    Hi -
    1) How many calories do you eat?
    I am 5'3" and 170lbs so I am on a reducing plan of 1400 calories a day.

    2) What kind of vegan are you? (HCLF, Fruitarian, etc.)
    Nothing special. I am an ethical vegan and do not see it as being any better or worse than an omnivorous diet; nutritionally speaking.

    3) How much weight have you lost and other benefits you have discovered?
    I have lost 10lbs and then gained 10lbs so I am back where I started last year.

    Success was down to following a calories in-calories out plan rather than going vegan - just goes to show you can eat yourself fat on a vegan diet.

    I can pick up chest infections just the same as any omnivore and I don't think that being vegan makes me super-human in any way at all.

    - as someone above said in an earlier post - its for the animals.

    Yep, absolutely.

    As a vegan, I've had a terrible bout with bronchitis. We can still get sick. And I still get pimples sometimes.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    As a vegan, I've had a terrible bout with bronchitis. We can still get sick. And I still get pimples sometimes.

    A month ago I had the flu, I get the occasional pimple on my face (but used to get at least 5 times more, my face is nuts), and I can DEFINITELY still overeat on my HCLF lifestyle. I wish being plant-based meant magic powers..
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    melonaulait wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    As a vegan, I've had a terrible bout with bronchitis. We can still get sick. And I still get pimples sometimes.

    A month ago I had the flu, I get the occasional pimple on my face (but used to get at least 5 times more, my face is nuts), and I can DEFINITELY still overeat on my HCLF lifestyle. I wish being plant-based meant magic powers..

    After almost ten years, I can read ingredient labels magically fast! :D
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    After almost ten years, I can read ingredient labels magically fast! :D

    Yeah, I've been reading them since middle school, but before going fully plant-based I never had to pay SO much attention... But some day I will reach your level!!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    melonaulait wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    After almost ten years, I can read ingredient labels magically fast! :D

    Yeah, I've been reading them since middle school, but before going fully plant-based I never had to pay SO much attention... But some day I will reach your level!!

    I had my first opportunity to visit a completely vegan grocery store last weekend. I was looking at chocolate bars and still flipping everything over scanning for milk fat or other non-vegan ingredients. I had looked at several products before I realized what I was doing. But I felt too weird buying new products without looking at the ingredients, so I just kept going.

  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    I had my first opportunity to visit a completely vegan grocery store last weekend. I was looking at chocolate bars and still flipping everything over scanning for milk fat or other non-vegan ingredients. I had looked at several products before I realized what I was doing. But I felt too weird buying new products without looking at the ingredients, so I just kept going.

    The eco store where I live is fantastic, but unfortunately they are only focused on organic... Most of the stuff there is vegan but there's still organic this organic that, dairy, eggs, regular chocolate (sprinkled among my vegan chocolates!!), all these whey powders everywhere. And I kinda hate how they market the organic animal produce isle like "Oh yeah, these are from happy animals at local small farms"

    But, I guess I should be happy there's at least that one chain who sell mostly vegan stuff. o:) And I do check the labels of vegan stuff, too... Like when I obviously don't need to, I still check it.
  • cristalball
    cristalball Posts: 14 Member
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    1) How many calories do you eat?

    Somewhere around 1400, though I don't use a scale and guess a lot with the goal of overestimating calories in and underestimating calories out but not leaving myself hungry. I'm short and not super active.

    2) What kind of vegan are you? (HCLF, Fruitarian, etc.)

    Foodie vegan. I love food. I like to cook and bake. I'm vegan for the animals and will eat just about anything if it doesn't contain animal products. I've been vegan a long time. In the beginning I took it as a license to eat any vegan product made available. Now that there are so many options, I had to take my license away, and I do try to eat healthier - as in not as many processed foods.

    3) How much weight have you lost and other benefits you have discovered?

    I didn't lose weight when I became vegan, though I wasn't overweight to begin with. I've gained some extra pounds the last several years and my weight sits differently on me, maybe because I'm getting older, so right now I'm trying to reshape, and I currently weigh less than I have in years.

    I also don't believe in magical vegan health powers. Of course if someone is going from a SAD diet to whole foods based veganism, there's no doubt they will feel better and probably lose weight.

    I do think there are some compelling environmental arguments to drastically limiting consumption of animal products.

    But the ethical reasons are what brought me to eating a vegan diet and keep me here. I've found that it is so much easier to change eating habits for ethical reasons than for the sake of your own health or desire to lose weight, which is pretty fascinating on a psychological level.
  • NotGnarly
    NotGnarly Posts: 137 Member
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    HillaryAnnMaroney wrote: »
    Hi, there! So I was vegan before I was pregnant, and now that I'm postpartum, I'm going vegan again. I was wondering...
    1) How many calories do you eat?
    2) What kind of vegan are you? (HCLF, Fruitarian, etc.)
    3) How much weight have you lost and other benefits you have discovered?
    I would love to know! Thanks!

    1) How many calories do you eat?
    I have no clue because I don't log. If I had to guess I would say around 1200 but I eat throughout the day and I eat as much as I want.

    2) What kind of vegan are you? (HCLF, Fruitarian, etc.)

    *I'm not sure but I think I'm considered a RAW vegan since I only eat fruits, veggies, and nuts. I was never a huge rice, bread, or cereal fan and haven't eaten that in a while. I'm just not that into grains.

    3) How much weight have you lost and other benefits you have discovered?
    I would love to know! Thanks!

    * I've lost about 7 pounds so far and I've been vegan for about two weeks and vegetarian for about a month. I would say that I'm losing at a decent rate and I feel awesome. It feels good not having to track cals or think about food constantly. I started a fruit and veggie garden in my back yard, so hopefully in a month or two I will have lots of fresh food to eat, without the price tag of grocery store prices.
  • NotGnarly
    NotGnarly Posts: 137 Member
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    I also don't shop at vegan stores. Way too much processed foods, plus I'm not sure that my area has any shops like that anyways lol. I became vegan for ethical reasons, plus I wanted to start eating the way my ancestors did before colonization. So being Cherokee I decided to get back to my roots and start eating mostly fruits, veggies, and nuts. The hardest thing for me to give up was salmon.

    Since I've started eating this way, I feel more connected to nature and my ancestors. I have more energy and my cravings are gone. Plus seeing an almost daily loss on the scale is a good motivator as well.

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