Do vegans maintain on more calories?
Replies
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i was vegan for several years before i went back to being a lacto-ovo vegetarian. didn't make any difference to my weight at all. i didn't change my lifestyle in any way and ate the same amount of calories - just with different foods.
btw, i know - and have known for years - several overweight vegans.1 -
I meant 3000 with exercise. I maintain 2500 with exercise 4x a week and am not vegan, so i bet you guys are right it is likely they are more active. I bet i could maintain on that if i worked out every day for longer.0
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janejellyroll wrote: »Stanley1903 wrote: »A lot of vegan bloggers and writers claim to maintain eating 2,500-3,000 calories a day. They could be overestimating, but even at 2,200-2,700... That's still higher than I'd dream of eating.
Many of the people making that claim are incredibly active. Many active people would require 2,500-3,000 to maintain.
Agreed. I can maintain on ~2500. I'm 5'5 and 130. I do lift and do a good amount of running. Then I get a ton of walking daily (I live in a big city and its much easier to walk than drive anywhere). I suspect if I stopped walking as much and gave up running, I'd have to eat significantly less.
Btw... I'm not vegan. I love lots of bacon and cheese!
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vinegar_husbands wrote: »No.
Was vegan for seven years. Maintenance calories are still the same.
Agree with ahoy_m8! Great Avatar! LOL!0 -
RosieRose7673 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Stanley1903 wrote: »A lot of vegan bloggers and writers claim to maintain eating 2,500-3,000 calories a day. They could be overestimating, but even at 2,200-2,700... That's still higher than I'd dream of eating.
Many of the people making that claim are incredibly active. Many active people would require 2,500-3,000 to maintain.
Agreed. I can maintain on ~2500. I'm 5'5 and 130. I do lift and do a good amount of running. Then I get a ton of walking daily (I live in a big city and its much easier to walk than drive anywhere). I suspect if I stopped walking as much and gave up running, I'd have to eat significantly less.
Btw... I'm not vegan. I love lots of bacon and cheese!
This is pretty much me. I run, do resistance training, and walk a lot. I'm 108 pounds and I maintain on around 2,000 calories a day. I am vegan, but I don't think that would be any different if I wasn't.
Active people get more calories. It doesn't surprise me at all that there are some active people eating 2,500-3,000 calories a day. That they attribute it to veganism is just silly though. And any less active people who try eating that many calories of vegan food are going to get a surprise . . . I gained all my excess weight as a vegan. It was because I ate way more than I burned.2 -
I don't see how that could be true....0
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Don't listen to Freelee xD
Vegans need the same calories as everyone else, it does seem to be easier to eat the right amount intuitively though.
Also the foods are easier to digest so you hold less food weight and your stomach is flatter. It's very freeing0 -
Yes! At least for me, when I ate animal products I couldn't even eat 1,500 calories without gaining weight, now I can eat 1,500+ and maintain. It's awesome. It's due to eating more fruit's and vegetables, grains and plant proteins. Obviously you won't gain or become obese from fruit's and vegetables unless you're constantly eating load's and load's of calories ( like 3,500 or more ) It really depends on your situation though ( age, metabolism, if you have any conditions like a thyroid problem )0
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tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Yes! At least for me, when I ate animal products I couldn't even eat 1,500 calories without gaining weight, now I can eat 1,500+ and maintain. It's awesome. It's due to eating more fruit's and vegetables, grains and plant proteins. Obviously you won't gain or become obese from fruit's and vegetables unless you're constantly eating load's and load's of calories ( like 3,500 or more ) It really depends on your situation though ( age, metabolism, if you have any conditions like a thyroid problem )
Oh how I wish the 'bolded' was true.
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It seemed to be true because to eat 2500 calories of veg was so much work plus all that chewing.0
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1kg of feathers is the same as 1kg of lead
1000 calories of broccoli is the same as 1000 calories of steak
Volume might not be the same, but a kilo is a kilo and a calorie is a calorie.1 -
Thermic effect = body uses more energy to process a protein gram than a carbohydrate gram to its useful end product.0
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Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Yes! At least for me, when I ate animal products I couldn't even eat 1,500 calories without gaining weight, now I can eat 1,500+ and maintain. It's awesome. It's due to eating more fruit's and vegetables, grains and plant proteins. Obviously you won't gain or become obese from fruit's and vegetables unless you're constantly eating load's and load's of calories ( like 3,500 or more ) It really depends on your situation though ( age, metabolism, if you have any conditions like a thyroid problem )
Oh how I wish the 'bolded' was true.
How many obese people do you know that became fat from eating fruits and vegetables ((:
If you're a healthy vegan, you can eat more to get proper nutrition. Another reason I and other vegans maintain easily is because it's impossible to overstuff yourself ( like I clearly stated, a weight gain amount of calories ) eating such fiber rich foods. Obviously like I said before.. You'll gain weight if you're eating 3,500 calories worth of plain potatoes, duh. But it's physically impossible to do so meaning you won't overstuff yourself and won't gain weight. If you really think eating fruits and vegetables makes you gain weight, then yikes. ((: Did you even read what I said?1 -
tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Yes! At least for me, when I ate animal products I couldn't even eat 1,500 calories without gaining weight, now I can eat 1,500+ and maintain. It's awesome. It's due to eating more fruit's and vegetables, grains and plant proteins. Obviously you won't gain or become obese from fruit's and vegetables unless you're constantly eating load's and load's of calories ( like 3,500 or more ) It really depends on your situation though ( age, metabolism, if you have any conditions like a thyroid problem )
Oh how I wish the 'bolded' was true.
How many obese people do you know that became fat from eating fruits and vegetables ((:
If you're a healthy vegan, you can and have to eat more.. Another reason I and other vegans maintain easily is because it's impossible to overstuff yourself ( like I clearly stated, a weight gain amount of calories ) eating such fiber rich foods. Obviously like I said before.. You'll gain weight if you're eating 3,500 calories worth of plain potatoes, duh. But it's physically impossible to do so meaning you won't overstuff over yourself and won't gain weight. If you really think eating fruits and vegetables makes you gain weight, then yikes. ((: Did you even read what I said?
Of course I read what you said Admittedly i zeroed in on that one sentence.. I was thinking along the lines of, what if my TDEE was 1800, and I ate 2000-2500 calories of vegan fare, I would think I'd gain weight because I'm eating over my maintenance calories.2 -
Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Yes! At least for me, when I ate animal products I couldn't even eat 1,500 calories without gaining weight, now I can eat 1,500+ and maintain. It's awesome. It's due to eating more fruit's and vegetables, grains and plant proteins. Obviously you won't gain or become obese from fruit's and vegetables unless you're constantly eating load's and load's of calories ( like 3,500 or more ) It really depends on your situation though ( age, metabolism, if you have any conditions like a thyroid problem )
Oh how I wish the 'bolded' was true.
How many obese people do you know that became fat from eating fruits and vegetables ((:
If you're a healthy vegan, you can and have to eat more.. Another reason I and other vegans maintain easily is because it's impossible to overstuff yourself ( like I clearly stated, a weight gain amount of calories ) eating such fiber rich foods. Obviously like I said before.. You'll gain weight if you're eating 3,500 calories worth of plain potatoes, duh. But it's physically impossible to do so meaning you won't overstuff over yourself and won't gain weight. If you really think eating fruits and vegetables makes you gain weight, then yikes. ((: Did you even read what I said?
Of course I read what you said Admittedly i zeroed in on that one sentence.. I was thinking along the lines of, what if my TDEE was 1800, and I ate 2000-2500 calories of vegan fare, I would think I'd gain weight because I'm eating over my maintenance calories.
What I'm trying to say is that it's harder to gain weight on a vegan diet if you're eating fruits and veggies/nuts and beans/grains due to the fiber content which means it'll would be hard to actually go over your calorie amount. It really depends on WHERE the calories are coming from too because again.. It's way harder to eat a 700 calorie banana fruit filled smoothie bowl then vegan chocolate cake. Like you wouldn't be able to finish all the smoothie bowl due to fiber and all that meaning the person would stop & not go over there calorie budget by much meaning they don't gain weight. I hope I'm making sense?0 -
tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Yes! At least for me, when I ate animal products I couldn't even eat 1,500 calories without gaining weight, now I can eat 1,500+ and maintain. It's awesome. It's due to eating more fruit's and vegetables, grains and plant proteins. Obviously you won't gain or become obese from fruit's and vegetables unless you're constantly eating load's and load's of calories ( like 3,500 or more ) It really depends on your situation though ( age, metabolism, if you have any conditions like a thyroid problem )
Oh how I wish the 'bolded' was true.
How many obese people do you know that became fat from eating fruits and vegetables ((:
If you're a healthy vegan, you can and have to eat more.. Another reason I and other vegans maintain easily is because it's impossible to overstuff yourself ( like I clearly stated, a weight gain amount of calories ) eating such fiber rich foods. Obviously like I said before.. You'll gain weight if you're eating 3,500 calories worth of plain potatoes, duh. But it's physically impossible to do so meaning you won't overstuff over yourself and won't gain weight. If you really think eating fruits and vegetables makes you gain weight, then yikes. ((: Did you even read what I said?
Of course I read what you said Admittedly i zeroed in on that one sentence.. I was thinking along the lines of, what if my TDEE was 1800, and I ate 2000-2500 calories of vegan fare, I would think I'd gain weight because I'm eating over my maintenance calories.
What I'm trying to say is that it's harder to gain weight on a vegan diet if you're eating fruits and veggies/nuts and beans/grains due to the fiber content which means it'll would be hard to actually go over your calorie amount. It really depends on WHERE the calories are coming from too because again.. It's way harder to eat a 700 calorie banana fruit filled smoothie bowl then vegan chocolate cake. Like you wouldn't be able to finish all the smoothie bowl due to fiber and all that meaning the person would stop & not go over there calorie budget by much meaning they don't gain weight. I hope I'm making sense?
Ok gotcha0 -
It's the same - but if we are eating whole unprocessed foods we can get away with eating a larger volumes. The calories are the same, though.
I'm 6ft, 163lbs, 32 years old and seem to maintain at around 2,000 if I'm not working out. It's so specific to the person though0 -
Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Yes! At least for me, when I ate animal products I couldn't even eat 1,500 calories without gaining weight, now I can eat 1,500+ and maintain. It's awesome. It's due to eating more fruit's and vegetables, grains and plant proteins. Obviously you won't gain or become obese from fruit's and vegetables unless you're constantly eating load's and load's of calories ( like 3,500 or more ) It really depends on your situation though ( age, metabolism, if you have any conditions like a thyroid problem )
Oh how I wish the 'bolded' was true.
How many obese people do you know that became fat from eating fruits and vegetables ((:
If you're a healthy vegan, you can and have to eat more.. Another reason I and other vegans maintain easily is because it's impossible to overstuff yourself ( like I clearly stated, a weight gain amount of calories ) eating such fiber rich foods. Obviously like I said before.. You'll gain weight if you're eating 3,500 calories worth of plain potatoes, duh. But it's physically impossible to do so meaning you won't overstuff over yourself and won't gain weight. If you really think eating fruits and vegetables makes you gain weight, then yikes. ((: Did you even read what I said?
Of course I read what you said Admittedly i zeroed in on that one sentence.. I was thinking along the lines of, what if my TDEE was 1800, and I ate 2000-2500 calories of vegan fare, I would think I'd gain weight because I'm eating over my maintenance calories.
What I'm trying to say is that it's harder to gain weight on a vegan diet if you're eating fruits and veggies/nuts and beans/grains due to the fiber content which means it'll would be hard to actually go over your calorie amount. It really depends on WHERE the calories are coming from too because again.. It's way harder to eat a 700 calorie banana fruit filled smoothie bowl then vegan chocolate cake. Like you wouldn't be able to finish all the smoothie bowl due to fiber and all that meaning the person would stop & not go over there calorie budget by much meaning they don't gain weight. I hope I'm making sense?
Ok gotcha
Is that an admission of defeat? I was enjoying this0 -
JoshuaMcAllister wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Yes! At least for me, when I ate animal products I couldn't even eat 1,500 calories without gaining weight, now I can eat 1,500+ and maintain. It's awesome. It's due to eating more fruit's and vegetables, grains and plant proteins. Obviously you won't gain or become obese from fruit's and vegetables unless you're constantly eating load's and load's of calories ( like 3,500 or more ) It really depends on your situation though ( age, metabolism, if you have any conditions like a thyroid problem )
Oh how I wish the 'bolded' was true.
How many obese people do you know that became fat from eating fruits and vegetables ((:
If you're a healthy vegan, you can and have to eat more.. Another reason I and other vegans maintain easily is because it's impossible to overstuff yourself ( like I clearly stated, a weight gain amount of calories ) eating such fiber rich foods. Obviously like I said before.. You'll gain weight if you're eating 3,500 calories worth of plain potatoes, duh. But it's physically impossible to do so meaning you won't overstuff over yourself and won't gain weight. If you really think eating fruits and vegetables makes you gain weight, then yikes. ((: Did you even read what I said?
Of course I read what you said Admittedly i zeroed in on that one sentence.. I was thinking along the lines of, what if my TDEE was 1800, and I ate 2000-2500 calories of vegan fare, I would think I'd gain weight because I'm eating over my maintenance calories.
What I'm trying to say is that it's harder to gain weight on a vegan diet if you're eating fruits and veggies/nuts and beans/grains due to the fiber content which means it'll would be hard to actually go over your calorie amount. It really depends on WHERE the calories are coming from too because again.. It's way harder to eat a 700 calorie banana fruit filled smoothie bowl then vegan chocolate cake. Like you wouldn't be able to finish all the smoothie bowl due to fiber and all that meaning the person would stop & not go over there calorie budget by much meaning they don't gain weight. I hope I'm making sense?
Ok gotcha
Is that an admission of defeat? I was enjoying this
NEVER1 -
tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Yes! At least for me, when I ate animal products I couldn't even eat 1,500 calories without gaining weight, now I can eat 1,500+ and maintain. It's awesome. It's due to eating more fruit's and vegetables, grains and plant proteins. Obviously you won't gain or become obese from fruit's and vegetables unless you're constantly eating load's and load's of calories ( like 3,500 or more ) It really depends on your situation though ( age, metabolism, if you have any conditions like a thyroid problem )
Oh how I wish the 'bolded' was true.
How many obese people do you know that became fat from eating fruits and vegetables ((:
If you're a healthy vegan, you can and have to eat more.. Another reason I and other vegans maintain easily is because it's impossible to overstuff yourself ( like I clearly stated, a weight gain amount of calories ) eating such fiber rich foods. Obviously like I said before.. You'll gain weight if you're eating 3,500 calories worth of plain potatoes, duh. But it's physically impossible to do so meaning you won't overstuff over yourself and won't gain weight. If you really think eating fruits and vegetables makes you gain weight, then yikes. ((: Did you even read what I said?
Of course I read what you said Admittedly i zeroed in on that one sentence.. I was thinking along the lines of, what if my TDEE was 1800, and I ate 2000-2500 calories of vegan fare, I would think I'd gain weight because I'm eating over my maintenance calories.
What I'm trying to say is that it's harder to gain weight on a vegan diet if you're eating fruits and veggies/nuts and beans/grains due to the fiber content which means it'll would be hard to actually go over your calorie amount. It really depends on WHERE the calories are coming from too because again.. It's way harder to eat a 700 calorie banana fruit filled smoothie bowl then vegan chocolate cake. Like you wouldn't be able to finish all the smoothie bowl due to fiber and all that meaning the person would stop & not go over there calorie budget by much meaning they don't gain weight. I hope I'm making sense?
The fact that you may be eating fewer calories due to higher volumes of low-calorie/high fiber foods has absolutely nothing to do with the OP's question about vegans maintaining/not gaining while in a caloric surplus. She asked if vegans can eat more calories and not gain weight simply because they're vegan, and the answer is No. Veganism does not negate CICO. If you're eating in a surplus, you'll gain weight. Period. Whether you're vegan, keto, IIFYM, paleo or whatever else.
As others have said, they're most likely misrepresenting/neglecting to mention the "CO" side of the CICO equation. If one is highly active, they'll have a higher TDEE and thus be able to eat more calories than a sedentary person without gaining weight. Whether it's fruits and vegetables or burgers and fries is completely irrelevant in terms of weight loss. Christine was correct that if her TDEE was 1800 and she was consistently eating 2000-2500 calories of vegan foods, she would gain weight - just as she would if she was consistently eating 2000-2500 calories of ANY foods. There's nothing magic about veganism which enables one to circumvent the laws of energy balance.5 -
It seems every thread on MFP end up with the conclusion CICO; simple. I dont know why anyone bothers posting any more or why I bother reading when I could be doing other far more interesting things - bye!
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It seems every thread on MFP end up with the conclusion CICO; simple. I dont know why anyone bothers posting any more or why I bother reading when I could be doing other far more interesting things - bye!
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The number of calories I need to maintain hasn't changed since going vegan but what has changed is my ability to keep within those calories (as a beef burger carries a lot more calories than a mushroom burger for eg).
I can probably maintain on about 2,500kcal a day (not sure as I am not in maintenance yet) but that is due to my activity levels (I walk lots, cycle to and from work every day and exercise 4-5 times a week) and my height (5ft9).
There is no cheating when I comes to weight, if it was that easy everyone would be vegan by now!!4 -
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You should follow my lifestyle! I eat lots of bread, am fairly low on protein and usually eat about 30-50gr of fat per day, and I'm not vegan or vegetarian. MFP gives me about 1500 to maintain, in fact before sport it's more like 1800. Anyone wants to buy my secret? Please request my email for paypal transfer. Muahaha2
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I've heard you can get by on crisp sandwiches so long as the spread is vegan and the crisps are organic.2
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tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Yes! At least for me, when I ate animal products I couldn't even eat 1,500 calories without gaining weight, now I can eat 1,500+ and maintain. It's awesome. It's due to eating more fruit's and vegetables, grains and plant proteins. Obviously you won't gain or become obese from fruit's and vegetables unless you're constantly eating load's and load's of calories ( like 3,500 or more ) It really depends on your situation though ( age, metabolism, if you have any conditions like a thyroid problem )
Oh how I wish the 'bolded' was true.
How many obese people do you know that became fat from eating fruits and vegetables ((:
If you're a healthy vegan, you can eat more to get proper nutrition. Another reason I and other vegans maintain easily is because it's impossible to overstuff yourself ( like I clearly stated, a weight gain amount of calories ) eating such fiber rich foods. Obviously like I said before.. You'll gain weight if you're eating 3,500 calories worth of plain potatoes, duh. But it's physically impossible to do so meaning you won't overstuff yourself and won't gain weight. If you really think eating fruits and vegetables makes you gain weight, then yikes. ((: Did you even read what I said?
Please don't over-generalize. It isn't helpful. I've been vegan for ten years, I average 50+ grams of fiber per day and I can still eat more than I need to maintain my weight if I don't work at it (calorie count). It is possible to eat more than you need on plant foods.1 -
[/quote]
How many obese people do you know that became fat from eating fruits and vegetables ((:
If you're a healthy vegan, you can eat more to get proper nutrition. Another reason I and other vegans maintain easily is because it's impossible to overstuff yourself ( like I clearly stated, a weight gain amount of calories ) eating such fiber rich foods. Obviously like I said before.. You'll gain weight if you're eating 3,500 calories worth of plain potatoes, duh. But it's<b>physically impossible</b> to do so meaning you won't overstuff yourself and won't gain weight. If you really think eating fruits and vegetables makes you gain weight, then yikes. ((: Did you even read what I said? [/quote]
It may be more difficult to overeat but it certainly is possible.
One word for you CHIPS. I can eat a LOT of them to tip me over my TDEE if I wasn't mindful.
And though I am not vegan I have been a vegetarian for 23 years and been obese for about 16 of those years and chips were probably the thing that contributed the most to my weight.
Sorry messed up quote.2 -
tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »tinyfruitprincess wrote: »Yes! At least for me, when I ate animal products I couldn't even eat 1,500 calories without gaining weight, now I can eat 1,500+ and maintain. It's awesome. It's due to eating more fruit's and vegetables, grains and plant proteins. Obviously you won't gain or become obese from fruit's and vegetables unless you're constantly eating load's and load's of calories ( like 3,500 or more ) It really depends on your situation though ( age, metabolism, if you have any conditions like a thyroid problem )
Oh how I wish the 'bolded' was true.
How many obese people do you know that became fat from eating fruits and vegetables ((:
If you're a healthy vegan, you can and have to eat more.. Another reason I and other vegans maintain easily is because it's impossible to overstuff yourself ( like I clearly stated, a weight gain amount of calories ) eating such fiber rich foods. Obviously like I said before.. You'll gain weight if you're eating 3,500 calories worth of plain potatoes, duh. But it's physically impossible to do so meaning you won't overstuff over yourself and won't gain weight. If you really think eating fruits and vegetables makes you gain weight, then yikes. ((: Did you even read what I said?
Of course I read what you said Admittedly i zeroed in on that one sentence.. I was thinking along the lines of, what if my TDEE was 1800, and I ate 2000-2500 calories of vegan fare, I would think I'd gain weight because I'm eating over my maintenance calories.
What I'm trying to say is that it's harder to gain weight on a vegan diet if you're eating fruits and veggies/nuts and beans/grains due to the fiber content which means it'll would be hard to actually go over your calorie amount. It really depends on WHERE the calories are coming from too because again.. It's way harder to eat a 700 calorie banana fruit filled smoothie bowl then vegan chocolate cake. Like you wouldn't be able to finish all the smoothie bowl due to fiber and all that meaning the person would stop & not go over there calorie budget by much meaning they don't gain weight. I hope I'm making sense?
Indeed, I rarely ever meet my calorie "allowance" on a vegan lifestyle. I aim for at least 1500-1800 because I will burn 200-600 depending on the workout I choose that day. I find that if I can eat hearty, energizing foods and do the above minimum, I have plenty of energy, and still loose weight. I was/am recovering from an unhealthy vegetarian lifestyle. I love raw foods, and had found it very difficult to meet calories in the past solely on RAW foods with limitations on fruits, and starches (because of course those wI'll make you gain weight. Said the non vegetarian experts). At my worst I found myself filling up with garbage calories, just to meet it. I was lucky if I would get close to 1000, plus working out. I was basically on starving mode all the time. Not on purpose though, just following "expert" advice from the wrong advisors for me. And when I did meet a higher calorie, it was due to poor choices.
Learning how to and what works for me on a vegan lifestyle has been decently "smooth". Only been doing it for close to a month. Still learning and trying what works best for me no matter what any "expert" says.0 -
If anything, I found increasing the amount of meat I eat to really help me keep my calories under control and keep my weight down. The kinds of foods I overate when morbidly obese were mainly things that would be vegan or at least lacto-ovo vegetarian. I upped my consumption of lean meat since it's a good way to get protein and it is super filling.
The only animal product I really reduced was milk, and I still drink a lot of it, just less than before. Now I drink three to five glasses per day instead of seven to ten.0
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