Reposting this here. Looking for some Vegan advice
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lolosensan2
Posts: 28 Member
Hello! I'm Lauren and I'm just looking for support, advice, and friends. Please don't advise me to eat animal products though cause I'm not about that life. Here's my story:
I have been moving toward a 100% vegan lifestyle for the better part of a year now. When I first started the transition I shed pounds so fast. I quit MFP and I vowed never to count calories again. I thought I'd found the magic elixir!
My boyfriend is vegan and a big fan of fruititarians, raw til wheneverers, and all kinds of abundant eating youtube personalities. He is in pretty good shape but his work is highly physical and he eats a LOT. He claims to always have lots of energy and he is so active even when he's not working. I on the other hand, always felt weak and tired going vegan. When I would complain to him about not feeling very satisfied or feeling low energy, bloat, unable to work out, etc he would say that I didn't eat enough. I would explain that I didn't want to gain weight and felt like I was eating plenty for my size and sedentary desk job.
My diet mostly consists of fruits, nuts, veggies, hummus, olive oil, avocado, salads with chickpeas or tofu, stir fries or curries with tofu and rice, beans & rice with veggies, bean chili, salad rolls with tofu & peanut sauce, (yes I've had tempeh, I just suck at cooking it), veggie sushi, quinoa, pasta, and some vegan junk food like pizza, chips, coconut bliss, chocolate, etc which I try to limit but I probably don't limit enough.
I guess the constant encouragement to eat more sunk in somewhere along the way. It's been about 9 months and I feel much better than I used to but I also eat so much more now too, especially rice. I just feel so much better when I really fill up, which wasn't really a thing for me pre- going vegan. I only eat when I'm hungry, and rarely snack. I stopped counting calories (this is my first day back) so I have nothing concrete to show you, but I just take liberties at meal time to pack in way more food. I have more energy now, I even feel like being active every once in a while, but I am gaining fat. I don't have a scale but my pants are cutting in and I look gross in photos. I'm so unhappy because I thought once I went vegan I would never feel like this again, and here I am, back to where I've spent most of my adulthood, unhappy with my appearance. It's such a *kitten* feeling.
I need some kind of balance. I am going to try counting calories for a while even though it tends to drive me crazy. Welcoming all the support I can get. Thanks for reading : )
I have been moving toward a 100% vegan lifestyle for the better part of a year now. When I first started the transition I shed pounds so fast. I quit MFP and I vowed never to count calories again. I thought I'd found the magic elixir!
My boyfriend is vegan and a big fan of fruititarians, raw til wheneverers, and all kinds of abundant eating youtube personalities. He is in pretty good shape but his work is highly physical and he eats a LOT. He claims to always have lots of energy and he is so active even when he's not working. I on the other hand, always felt weak and tired going vegan. When I would complain to him about not feeling very satisfied or feeling low energy, bloat, unable to work out, etc he would say that I didn't eat enough. I would explain that I didn't want to gain weight and felt like I was eating plenty for my size and sedentary desk job.
My diet mostly consists of fruits, nuts, veggies, hummus, olive oil, avocado, salads with chickpeas or tofu, stir fries or curries with tofu and rice, beans & rice with veggies, bean chili, salad rolls with tofu & peanut sauce, (yes I've had tempeh, I just suck at cooking it), veggie sushi, quinoa, pasta, and some vegan junk food like pizza, chips, coconut bliss, chocolate, etc which I try to limit but I probably don't limit enough.
I guess the constant encouragement to eat more sunk in somewhere along the way. It's been about 9 months and I feel much better than I used to but I also eat so much more now too, especially rice. I just feel so much better when I really fill up, which wasn't really a thing for me pre- going vegan. I only eat when I'm hungry, and rarely snack. I stopped counting calories (this is my first day back) so I have nothing concrete to show you, but I just take liberties at meal time to pack in way more food. I have more energy now, I even feel like being active every once in a while, but I am gaining fat. I don't have a scale but my pants are cutting in and I look gross in photos. I'm so unhappy because I thought once I went vegan I would never feel like this again, and here I am, back to where I've spent most of my adulthood, unhappy with my appearance. It's such a *kitten* feeling.
I need some kind of balance. I am going to try counting calories for a while even though it tends to drive me crazy. Welcoming all the support I can get. Thanks for reading : )
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Replies
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Do log your foods and pay attention to what meals fill you up, which make you tired, which energize you, etc.
For example, I have two go-to smoothies - one fills me up for hours for under 400 calories, but with the higher calorie one I'm hungry again much sooner. I've found the specific foods and macros that satiate me and focus on them. I still have the higher calorie smoothie, but much more rarely and only when I can afford it, calorie wise.
I would think with abundant eating one must focus on foods that are not calorie dense, which would mean limiting foods like nuts, olive oil, avocado, etc. When I eat calorie dense foods I pair them with a large salad (with lower calorie dressing) so that the low cal veggies fill me up and I do not overeat the calorie dense food.2 -
Unfortunately, the types of food have little impact on weight. Vegan or not, you are eating over your maintenance requirements. Maybe once you count for a while you will get better at knowing what you need.1
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Thanks for your reply. I am definitely going to look at macros now that I'm back on here (something I didn't really do before). Interesting that the higher calorie smoothie is not the most satiating one... would love smoothie recipes if you care to share.Thanks!0
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I'm not vegan, though I primarily eat vegetarian, raw vegetarian at that but I make exceptions for bacon once a month. Not certain of the quantities you consume, but a lot of raw produce for consecutive days cause me to bloat sometimes. When that happens I try cooking it some as I think that helps the digestive track some, though I have some GI issues that may contribute. Regarding weight gain, unfortunately if you eat at a calorie surplus you will gain weight regardless of the foods you eat. Be careful with the vegan junk food, it can be just as calories dense as regular junk food and just as nutritionally devoid imo. Good luck and hope you feel better!1
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lolosensan2 wrote: »Thanks for your reply. I am definitely going to look at macros now that I'm back on here (something I didn't really do before). Interesting that the higher calorie smoothie is not the most satiating one... would love smoothie recipes if you care to share.Thanks!
It comes down to calorie deficit, no macros. Quite simply-you are eating too much.1 -
lolosensan2 wrote: »Thanks for your reply. I am definitely going to look at macros now that I'm back on here (something I didn't really do before). Interesting that the higher calorie smoothie is not the most satiating one... would love smoothie recipes if you care to share.Thanks!
For this one, swap out the egg for 1 t oil like walnut oil and use your favorite vegan protein powder. I add a pinch of salt and use about 1.5 C tea for the liquid.
For this one, you could just eliminate the egg without replacing it as the PB provides plenty of fat. Vegan chocolate pea protein powder from brands like Olympian Labs works well with it. You could have a full scoop of protein powder, but it will diminish the PB banana deliciousness.
I was going for taste this day, but if I had wanted more satiety and less calories I would have added chia and flax seeds and dropped the PB down to 2 T.
I make coffee weak and probably used 12 oz of fluid rather than the 6 listed.
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kshama2001 wrote: »lolosensan2 wrote: »Thanks for your reply. I am definitely going to look at macros now that I'm back on here (something I didn't really do before). Interesting that the higher calorie smoothie is not the most satiating one... would love smoothie recipes if you care to share.Thanks!
For this one, swap out the egg for 1 t oil like walnut oil and use your favorite vegan protein powder. I add a pinch of salt and use about 1.5 C tea for the liquid.
For this one, you could just eliminate the egg without replacing it as the PB provides plenty of fat. Vegan chocolate pea protein powder from brands like Olympian Labs works well with it. You could have a full scoop of protein powder, but it will diminish the PB banana deliciousness.
I was going for taste this day, but if I had wanted more satiety and less calories I would have added chia and flax seeds and dropped the PB down to 2 T.
I make coffee weak and probably used 12 oz of fluid rather than the 6 listed.
This is awesome! Thanks for sharing : )0 -
Thanks for the replies. I kind of know I'm eating too much. I'd really like advice on how to eat less on a vegan diet but still feel like I have plenty of energy. Are there certain types of protein people find are more helpful than others? Maybe it has more to do with the type of carbs? I understand calories in, calories out. I also know how to be skinny. What I want is to FEEL GOOD, not just be skinny and tired all the time. Thanks everyone, really!0
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Since you hate people like me I won't ask you to select me as a friend. Just don't try to be a perfect vegan and have a baby, please.0
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JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Since you hate people like me I won't ask you to select me as a friend. Just don't try to be a perfect vegan and have a baby, please.
lol finally some sound advice! I am definitely not perfect and not trying to get pregnant. Thanks
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lolosensan2 wrote: »Thanks for the replies. I kind of know I'm eating too much. I'd really like advice on how to eat less on a vegan diet but still feel like I have plenty of energy. Are there certain types of protein people find are more helpful than others? Maybe it has more to do with the type of carbs? I understand calories in, calories out. I also know how to be skinny. What I want is to FEEL GOOD, not just be skinny and tired all the time. Thanks everyone, really!
I knew a lot of vegans when I lived in yoga centers. No one complained about lack of energy. They made legumes the backbone of their diet. They ate lots of fruit and vegetables and little junk food. Oreos were not a thing. They also got lots of exercise.1 -
If you're feeling low energy still, you might want to get your B-12 and iron levels checked. You should supplement B-12 unless you eat enough nutritional yeast. You can definitely get enough iron without animal products, but B-12 is different.1
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I've been plant based for 3 years, I have lots of energy as long as I manage the other stuff in my life like stress and sleep and my iron levels, (no different than when I ate a more typical diet) . I take a supplemental b-12 daily and if I have been not eating well (due to stress or illness) I take a multi vitamin.
Yes I know calories in calories out...but focus on high quality foods, veggies, whole grains, beans, legumes. and if you are still having trouble and you have had your b-12 and iron checked (as well as a general check up) then see a dietician who is open to a vegan diet.
There is no one perfect diet,1 -
I'm vegetarian, I don't like cooking and don't like to eat breakfast, and I was finding it hard to meet my protein goals and feel full when eating in a calorie deficit. I tried doing smoothies with protein powder, which did work well, but I didn't want to continue with cold smoothies over Winter and also found the clean up a bit annoying, so I changed to protein bars. Huge difference! If you can find a vegan suitable brand where you live give it a try. I also have a very sweet tooth and found the protein bars made me feel full for hours, drastically reduced my snacking and also massively reduced my cravings for sugary things. Just be careful not to confuse protein bars with protein energy bars - a good protein bar should be high in protein and fibre, low carb and little to no sugar. A Protein energy bar is for an energy boost and they tend to be much higher sugar and much higher calories.1
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It's important to remember that just because something is vegan, it doesn't mean that it is healthy. Lots of vegan treats, snacks, sweets, Daiya cheese pizzas, etc etc are very high in calories and fat (just like their non-vegan counterparts) I was vegan for many years( I've been a vegetarian for most of my 30yr life) and I learned very quickly that eating dairy free and meat free does not guarantee you'll be eating healthy. The answer is simple- if you're over eating, you'll gain weight.1
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Satiety is very personal. Some people find oatmeal to be very filling, others won't eat it because they're hungry again in an hour. You can get plenty of suggestions, but no guarantee they will work for you until you try.
Just start logging what you would normally eat, and note which meals you feel good when you're done eating, and how long it takes before you are hungry again. After a week or two, go back and see if you can find a pattern - are there specific foods that always work for you? Any foods you spend a lot of calories on but don't fill you up? What are the macros of the meals that keep you full for longer? Once you figure that out, it will get a lot easier.
For me, balanced macros work best, and if I focus on getting my protein, everything else falls in line. It took me awhile to figure that out!1 -
NinjaChinchillaNZ wrote: »I'm vegetarian, I don't like cooking and don't like to eat breakfast, and I was finding it hard to meet my protein goals and feel full when eating in a calorie deficit. I tried doing smoothies with protein powder, which did work well, but I didn't want to continue with cold smoothies over Winter and also found the clean up a bit annoying, so I changed to protein bars. Huge difference! If you can find a vegan suitable brand where you live give it a try. I also have a very sweet tooth and found the protein bars made me feel full for hours, drastically reduced my snacking and also massively reduced my cravings for sugary things. Just be careful not to confuse protein bars with protein energy bars - a good protein bar should be high in protein and fibre, low carb and little to no sugar. A Protein energy bar is for an energy boost and they tend to be much higher sugar and much higher calories.
Thanks for the tip. I'm not huge on cooking or breakfast either! I have been eating lots of Lara bars...those are probably mostly sugar though as I think they are pretty much just dates and chocolate. Logging is definitely going to help this time around.0 -
Satiety is very personal. Some people find oatmeal to be very filling, others won't eat it because they're hungry again in an hour. You can get plenty of suggestions, but no guarantee they will work for you until you try.
Just start logging what you would normally eat, and note which meals you feel good when you're done eating, and how long it takes before you are hungry again. After a week or two, go back and see if you can find a pattern - are there specific foods that always work for you? Any foods you spend a lot of calories on but don't fill you up? What are the macros of the meals that keep you full for longer? Once you figure that out, it will get a lot easier.
For me, balanced macros work best, and if I focus on getting my protein, everything else falls in line. It took me awhile to figure that out!
So true on the personal piece. Thanks for the tips!0 -
I kind of have the same issue as you as a vegan. I'm experimenting with eating more, but at the same time it's disrupting my weight loss process. I know the answer is to cut calories.
Maybe overall you need to tweak your macros to feel more energetic on a bit fewer calories? I need to do that too. I just feel so great eating so high carb, but I know I can't eat this many calories and continue to lose.1 -
Sounds like we are definitely in the same boat melonaulait. Add me if you want to figure this macro thing out together! that goes for everyone. Thanks for the replies!1
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