Plant based diet

I went to 90% plant-based on March. 100% vegetarian. Still eat eggs, cheese and yogurt. It's been life changing in a very good way. If it's plants, I eat as I want without weighing or measuring. unlike a teeny 3oz serving of chicken, I eat copious amounts of food and get full.

OliveGirl128 wrote: »

nowine4me wrote: »

I went to 90% plant-based on March. 100% vegetarian. Still eat eggs, cheese and yogurt. It's been life changing in a very good way. If it's plants, I eat as I want without weighing or measuring. unlike a teeny 3oz serving of chicken, I eat copious amounts of food and get full.

Do you still weigh nuts and seeds and then things like dried fruit? Yesterday I was snacking on some dried apricots and didn't check the nutrition label til afterwards-I ate 400 calories worth This afternoon I had some mixed nuts and some dried blueberries and afterwards realized how high in calories it was, ouch. I'm in maintenance so I'm not trying to lose weight but I'm nervous that I may actually start gaining due to all the lovely, calorie dense foods I'm now eating!

I would very strongly recommend weighing them, at least at first until you get an idea of what an acceptable portion looks like. I go 100% plant based twice a year for about 2 months each and I gain if I'm not careful even with all the other restrictions (some days are raw foods and oil-free). Nuts are my downfall.

I don't experience improved skin/energy/digestion...etc. I just feel normal, no difference at all. I'm dying for dairy by the end of it, but other than that no positive or negative changes.

Wtn_Gurl wrote: »

The vast majority of studies around meat are correlation studies and they typically ignore other aspects of diet and overall lifestyle. One can eat quite healthfully eating meat...the problem with the SAD is that it includes a lot of meat and very little veg and fruit...it's a *kitten* diet and that's what most of the correlation studies are looking at, but just saying it's the meat.

Excuse me, but what does the phrase mean "its a *kitten* diet. i keep seeing that around here. (kitten) ???

[/quote]

It's the kitten filter. Any profanity gets changed to kitten.

OliveGirl128 wrote: »

VeggieBarbells wrote: »

Secondhalf35 wrote: »

Has anyone switched to a plant based diet and found switch ok. I've heard so many positive reports

Totally.... I'm into my second year and feel great. I have no problem with getting enough protein. I never feel bloated or heavy as I did when I ate meat. I'm healthy my health screening proves it - I have the stats and I find it easy to maintain my weight. I lost the majority of my weight (nearly 30 lbs) whilst transitioning but give it a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Or you could do what I did to get started, cook one vegetarian meal a week. You'll soon add another. Good luck

I'm having the opposite happen-now that I eat a mostly plant based diet I'm always bloated/feel heavy, due to all the beans and veggies I'm eating. It bothers me a bit since I used to have a flat stomach but now I always look like I'm pregnant

Oh that sounds awful, now you mention it I did have a period when I felt like that too. I soon figured out that was because my diet solely consisted of beans. Seems the body can only take so many. Anyways I varied my diet to incorporate other recipes and lo and behold no more of that awfulness. Good luck to you too @OliveGirl128

cwolfman13 wrote: »

nowine4me wrote: »

I went to 90% plant-based on March. 100% vegetarian. Still eat eggs, cheese and yogurt. It's been life changing in a very good way. If it's plants, I eat as I want without weighing or measuring. unlike a teeny 3oz serving of chicken, I eat copious amounts of food and get full.

My plant based meals typically have more calories than a lean protein meal...beans are pretty calorie dense...lentils are pretty calorie dense...grains and potatoes are pretty calorie dense...seeds and nuts are pretty calorie desne...chicken? fish? Not really...

You might want to check your math. Especially with beans and lentils.

amusedmonkey wrote: »

I don't understand how people claim a plant based diet is easy on the calories. Where there is butter there is oil, where there is fatty cuts of meat there are dishes with nuts, where there is full fat milk there is coconut milk, where there is alfredo sauce there is peanut sauce...etc. Both animal and plant sources can be battered, fried, drowned in fat, accompanied by a calorific sauce and so on and so forth.

I think it's cutting out things you were used to relying on or which were temptations that are high cal and not immediately having a replacement. I suspect this changes for many people over time. I went 100% plant based for Lent once (I know that's commonplace for you) and for me I lost weight without trying since a lot of my calories when vegetarian tend to be from dairy. Cut that out, and limit my choices by excluding dairy and eggs, and I lose most of my more tempting indulgences (I can come up with alternatives, but it's less likely to be an easy impulse). I also find starch + veg (but no dairy) harder to overeat on than starch + veg + meat. (Once I include dairy, it's different -- I've eaten vegetarian enough and it's not much of a change for me, so unlike with 100% plant based, with vegetarian I tend to eat MORE calories than if I'm eating meat.)

Ironically, all of this about calories easily going down without trying is identically true, for me, when low carbing, and similarly I think it changes over time as you get used to the changes.

Another thing is that you CAN find ways to eat excess calories, of course, but if you are doing it in part to lose weight, you are less likely to look for the ways to do so, and will probably eat more simply and austerely, at least at first (which perhaps makes it harder to keep up over time for many people).

It further biases the comparison, of course, when people do these special WFPB diets like Fuhrman, which is really anti some of the obvious PB sources of calories, like added oils, and prepackaged things, and even nuts and seeds in more than rather small amounts.

VeggieBarbells wrote: »

OliveGirl128 wrote: »

VeggieBarbells wrote: »

Secondhalf35 wrote: »

Has anyone switched to a plant based diet and found switch ok. I've heard so many positive reports

Totally.... I'm into my second year and feel great. I have no problem with getting enough protein. I never feel bloated or heavy as I did when I ate meat. I'm healthy my health screening proves it - I have the stats and I find it easy to maintain my weight. I lost the majority of my weight (nearly 30 lbs) whilst transitioning but give it a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Or you could do what I did to get started, cook one vegetarian meal a week. You'll soon add another. Good luck

I'm having the opposite happen-now that I eat a mostly plant based diet I'm always bloated/feel heavy, due to all the beans and veggies I'm eating. It bothers me a bit since I used to have a flat stomach but now I always look like I'm pregnant

Oh that sounds awful, now you mention it I did have a period when I felt like that too. I soon figured out that was because my diet solely consisted of beans. Seems the body can only take so many. Anyways I varied my diet to incorporate other recipes and lo and behold no more of that awfulness. Good luck to you too @OliveGirl128

I picked up some generic beano so I'm going to try that and see if it helps!

lemurcat12 wrote: »

amusedmonkey wrote: »

I don't understand how people claim a plant based diet is easy on the calories. Where there is butter there is oil, where there is fatty cuts of meat there are dishes with nuts, where there is full fat milk there is coconut milk, where there is alfredo sauce there is peanut sauce...etc. Both animal and plant sources can be battered, fried, drowned in fat, accompanied by a calorific sauce and so on and so forth.

I think it's cutting out things you were used to relying on or which were temptations that are high cal and not immediately having a replacement. I suspect this changes for many people over time. I went 100% plant based for Lent once (I know that's commonplace for you) and for me I lost weight without trying since a lot of my calories when vegetarian tend to be from dairy. Cut that out, and limit my choices by excluding dairy and eggs, and I lose most of my more tempting indulgences (I can come up with alternatives, but it's less likely to be an easy impulse). I also find starch + veg (but no dairy) harder to overeat on than starch + veg + meat. (Once I include dairy, it's different -- I've eaten vegetarian enough and it's not much of a change for me, so unlike with 100% plant based, with vegetarian I tend to eat MORE calories than if I'm eating meat.)

Ironically, all of this about calories easily going down without trying is identically true, for me, when low carbing, and similarly I think it changes over time as you get used to the changes.

Another thing is that you CAN find ways to eat excess calories, of course, but if you are doing it in part to lose weight, you are less likely to look for the ways to do so, and will probably eat more simply and austerely, at least at first (which perhaps makes it harder to keep up over time for many people).

It further biases the comparison, of course, when people do these special WFPB diets like Fuhrman, which is really anti some of the obvious PB sources of calories, like added oils, and prepackaged things, and even nuts and seeds in more than rather small amounts.

Well, of course I understand this. I always experience it myself during lent. There are many days where I severely undereat because I can't be bothered with food prep on raw oil free days (which I usually make up for on weekends). That concept I understand. What I don't understand is generalizing it as a rule "a plant based diet is lower in calories". No it's not. Most of my calorie vices are plant based. If someone has weight issues they need to be careful not to be taken by surprise after the honeymoon phase wears off. Enjoy it while it lasts, but don't get complacent and be ready to take action once calorie creep starts.

amusedmonkey wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

amusedmonkey wrote: »

I don't understand how people claim a plant based diet is easy on the calories. Where there is butter there is oil, where there is fatty cuts of meat there are dishes with nuts, where there is full fat milk there is coconut milk, where there is alfredo sauce there is peanut sauce...etc. Both animal and plant sources can be battered, fried, drowned in fat, accompanied by a calorific sauce and so on and so forth.

I think it's cutting out things you were used to relying on or which were temptations that are high cal and not immediately having a replacement. I suspect this changes for many people over time. I went 100% plant based for Lent once (I know that's commonplace for you) and for me I lost weight without trying since a lot of my calories when vegetarian tend to be from dairy. Cut that out, and limit my choices by excluding dairy and eggs, and I lose most of my more tempting indulgences (I can come up with alternatives, but it's less likely to be an easy impulse). I also find starch + veg (but no dairy) harder to overeat on than starch + veg + meat. (Once I include dairy, it's different -- I've eaten vegetarian enough and it's not much of a change for me, so unlike with 100% plant based, with vegetarian I tend to eat MORE calories than if I'm eating meat.)

Ironically, all of this about calories easily going down without trying is identically true, for me, when low carbing, and similarly I think it changes over time as you get used to the changes.

Another thing is that you CAN find ways to eat excess calories, of course, but if you are doing it in part to lose weight, you are less likely to look for the ways to do so, and will probably eat more simply and austerely, at least at first (which perhaps makes it harder to keep up over time for many people).

It further biases the comparison, of course, when people do these special WFPB diets like Fuhrman, which is really anti some of the obvious PB sources of calories, like added oils, and prepackaged things, and even nuts and seeds in more than rather small amounts.

Well, of course I understand this. I always experience it myself during lent. There are many days where I severely undereat because I can't be bothered with food prep on raw oil free days (which I usually make up for on weekends). That concept I understand. What I don't understand is generalizing it as a rule "a plant based diet is lower in calories". No it's not. Most of my calorie vices are plant based. If someone has weight issues they need to be careful not to be taken by surprise after the honeymoon phase wears off. Enjoy it while it lasts, but don't get complacent and be ready to take action once calorie creep starts.

I thought I'd lose a few pounds after making the switch, just because of everything I had been reading (I'm looking at you Dr. Fuhrman ). But I've stayed solidly within my 5lb maintenance range since switching to a more whole foods, plant based diet. I haven't been tracking my calories like I was before, which is nice, but yeah-nothing magical has happened on the scale. I'm in maintenance and have a pretty low bmi anyways, but I did expect to get a bit lower.

Looking through what I've been eating-nuts, seeds and then dried fruit are a pretty big chunk of my calories now. I buy a raw cashew/walnut/macadamia nut mix from Aldi and then mix it with a serving of dried blueberries and it comes in at almost 400 calories, for my afternoon snack. Previously I'd usually have a serving of chips or pretzels, crackers etc and not even hit 200 calories. Plus fresh fruit, which I didn't used to eat at all, then then beans, (I make a mixed bean recipe that I eat almost every day and with the low calorie sauce I use in the recipe it comes in at almost 300 calories per 1 cup serving). And I haven't been using any added oil at all during this experiment-I've been making my own veggie stock for sauteing, which I've used to replace olive oil. That has almost no calories at all. If I started using oil again my calories would really start to creep up.

landydodo wrote: »

Hey guys, I have been transitioning to vegan over the past 6 months and have been noticing a consistant weight gain due to my high carb diet. Do you guys have any tips for me? I am moderately active plus cardio at least twice a week and calorie counting doesn't seem to be helping.

I ran into that too and I checked out the Engine 2 plan and it helped me realign my eating. They recommend packing in the greens first at every meal and then carbs so you eat fewer carbs which are more dense calorie wise. I did the 7-day challenge, but I do not plan to be as rigid with oils and still use parmesan and feta. Once I added in the greens I started losing weight again and I still log calories because it's easy to go way over. Good luck!

OliveGirl128 wrote: »

VeggieBarbells wrote: »

OliveGirl128 wrote: »

VeggieBarbells wrote: »

Secondhalf35 wrote: »

Has anyone switched to a plant based diet and found switch ok. I've heard so many positive reports

Totally.... I'm into my second year and feel great. I have no problem with getting enough protein. I never feel bloated or heavy as I did when I ate meat. I'm healthy my health screening proves it - I have the stats and I find it easy to maintain my weight. I lost the majority of my weight (nearly 30 lbs) whilst transitioning but give it a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Or you could do what I did to get started, cook one vegetarian meal a week. You'll soon add another. Good luck

I'm having the opposite happen-now that I eat a mostly plant based diet I'm always bloated/feel heavy, due to all the beans and veggies I'm eating. It bothers me a bit since I used to have a flat stomach but now I always look like I'm pregnant

Oh that sounds awful, now you mention it I did have a period when I felt like that too. I soon figured out that was because my diet solely consisted of beans. Seems the body can only take so many. Anyways I varied my diet to incorporate other recipes and lo and behold no more of that awfulness. Good luck to you too @OliveGirl128

I picked up some generic beano so I'm going to try that and see if it helps!

Awesome - I also found eating at Vegan / Vegetarian restaurants gave me a new lease of life. Plus someone on here recommended I buy the cookbook 1,000 vegan recipes. Well talk about variety, of course you can amend the recipes but what an Aladdin's Cave of food.