Vegan

veglifestyle
veglifestyle Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone :)

I am vegan trying to lose weight. I gained a lot of weight eating vegan junk food, so I know I need to cut out some fat. Is anyone out there that is vegan and can give me any weight loss tips that worked for you?

Thank you!

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I lost over 40 pounds as a vegan by ensuring that I was in a calorie deficit. I used the calorie goal provided by MFP, weighed all my food on a food scale, and logged every day.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I met my vegan friends at yoga retreat centers. They were all fit. I never saw them eat vegan junk food (not saying they never did, just that I never observed it), and did see them eat a lot of legumes, grains, nuts, fruits, and veggies. They had an active lifestyle.
  • rnnzo
    rnnzo Posts: 17 Member
    You can friend me and check out my diary! Being vegan is so fun cause you get to be creative! As for the junk food, make it a goal to look at your diary at the end of the day and see the majority of entries being whole foods! Following a HCLF diet helps me keep on track and I get to eat the foods I love like whole grains and potatoes. And as much as I like Oreos and vegan treats, I try not to buy them to keep in the house and substitute sweets for fruits. Start to slowly cut junk food from your diet and you'll get there!
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    If you eat a vegan diet, and cut out junk food, you will be eating a very low fat diet. Unless you eat tons of nuts.
    Just eat mostly vegetables (include lots of legumes), some fruits and whole grains. Then see how many calories, after getting you nutritional goals, are left for dessert or other junk food (there shouldn't be much).
  • LUHAN27
    LUHAN27 Posts: 211 Member
    I'm not vegan as of yet, but I do try to eat plant based most times. Almond milk is good in smoothies/drinks. Chickpeas are delicious: there are many ways to incorporate them in foods(and so many recipes!) Also, homemade red beans and rice taste delicious. Avocado toast is a good breakfast or snack. As for snacks: raisins & nuts are good.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    cee134 wrote: »
    If you eat a vegan diet, and cut out junk food, you will be eating a very low fat diet. Unless you eat tons of nuts.
    Just eat mostly vegetables (include lots of legumes), some fruits and whole grains. Then see how many calories, after getting you nutritional goals, are left for dessert or other junk food (there shouldn't be much).

    There are (non-"junk") plant foods with fat besides nuts. Avocados, olives, seeds, and coconut are all higher fat foods that I don't think even the most "clean eater" would describe as "junk."

    And I'm not completely clear on what a "very low fat diet" means in relation to weight loss. You can lose weight on a higher fat diet and you can maintain or even gain on a low fat diet.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    cee134 wrote: »
    If you eat a vegan diet, and cut out junk food, you will be eating a very low fat diet. Unless you eat tons of nuts.
    Just eat mostly vegetables (include lots of legumes), some fruits and whole grains. Then see how many calories, after getting you nutritional goals, are left for dessert or other junk food (there shouldn't be much).

    There are (non-"junk") plant foods with fat besides nuts. Avocados, olives, seeds, and coconut are all higher fat foods that I don't think even the most "clean eater" would describe as "junk."

    And I'm not completely clear on what a "very low fat diet" means in relation to weight loss. You can lose weight on a higher fat diet and you can maintain or even gain on a low fat diet.

    I couldn't think of them at the time. But still most plant based foods, even those, are still either low in fat or have "good" fat.

    So, OP, in essence a healthy vegan diet would be low in fat.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    cee134 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    cee134 wrote: »
    If you eat a vegan diet, and cut out junk food, you will be eating a very low fat diet. Unless you eat tons of nuts.
    Just eat mostly vegetables (include lots of legumes), some fruits and whole grains. Then see how many calories, after getting you nutritional goals, are left for dessert or other junk food (there shouldn't be much).

    There are (non-"junk") plant foods with fat besides nuts. Avocados, olives, seeds, and coconut are all higher fat foods that I don't think even the most "clean eater" would describe as "junk."

    And I'm not completely clear on what a "very low fat diet" means in relation to weight loss. You can lose weight on a higher fat diet and you can maintain or even gain on a low fat diet.

    I couldn't think of them at the time. But still most plant based foods, even those, are still either low in fat or have "good" fat.

    So, OP, in essence a healthy vegan diet would be low in fat.

    I'm not sure what you mean by "in essence" here. Are you saying that one must limit things like avocados, olives, seeds, and coconut to low fat levels to ensure one is eating a healthy diet? Or are you saying that the fat in these foods doesn't really "count" and if you are eating moderate or higher fat due to these foods you're still "in essence" on a low fat diet? I disagree with both of those statements -- I don't think one must be on a low fat diet in order to be healthy and I don't agree that being a "good" fat makes something not a fat.

    I agree that the fat from these foods isn't harmful, but it's important for those trying to lose weight (or maintain a weight loss) to understand that fat is calorie dense. I actually lost weight on a higher fat vegan diet (and am maintaining comfortably). On this diet, my health and energy are quite good and my blood test results are excellent.

    There are versions of the vegan diet that are quite healthy and aren't very low fat.
  • PinkSuede
    PinkSuede Posts: 49 Member
    I'm not vegan right now but I've done it for extended periods of time before. First Id make sure you're logging your food and counting the calories. For a few days or a week eat about what you generally eat now. Figure out exactly where the bulk of your excess calories are coming from so you can target specifically what you need to restrict. This is prob ably the most important thing you can do.
    If you find youre eating a lot of sweet treats and 40% of your daily calories are coming from sugars... remove the added sweeteners like agave, honey, etc and use fruit to sweeten your treats. For example an oatmeal cookie using banana as a base instead of flour and agave can be just as tasty and satisfying and much lower in calories while higher in nutrients. If you're getting a ton of your calories from empty sources like processed white bread products switch to more filling whole grain breads. If you find a lot of your calories are coming from nuts, coconut/coconut oils and avocado/avocado oils cut back on those. Try using them as a condiment instead of the focal point of a meal. Eat more fruits and veggies as snacks and limit your nut intake to 2 servings a day, etc...There are a ton of healthy vegan recipes on Pinterest...experimenting with new recipes can be really helpful and keep you motivated.
  • veglifestyle
    veglifestyle Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you everyone! I have been trying HCLF, and just trying to eat more whole foods.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    We need a certain amount of fat: tofu, soybeans, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, cacao nibs

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