going vegan

dommie06
dommie06 Posts: 46 Member
edited November 21 in Food and Nutrition
wanna try and go vegan pros and cons
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Replies

  • tiffaninghs
    tiffaninghs Posts: 200 Member
    estherdragonbat wrote: »
    Why does being vegan mean giving up starches and grains? I mean, you can if you want, but I don't think it's a requirement. (If it is, my cookbooks are doing it wrong.)

    oh no im on a weight loss journey so my vegan is a bit more stricter so i havent had rice or pasta in two years.. thats because before "going vegan" i was already paleo..
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    iMikey wrote: »
    Congratulations. If you have a whole foods near you this will be much easier.

    I keep seeing a pros and cons list on here.
    I'd add to the pros you're lowering your risk of obtaining cancer, there's numerous studies on meat/dairy linked to cancer. (Dr. T Colin Campbell, Dr. John McDougall; they stress that they have a plant-based lifestyle and they're not vegans but they avoid all meats and dairies)
    Another pro is your fat intake will go down easy, as your macros should be based on a high carb diet, with most of your carbs coming from plant-based foods.

    Do your research do your research and more research.

    I would say avoid opinions from people that haven't even gave a single second of research on the subject.
    Most people in the gym always ask me how much chicken I eat, because I'm tall, slim and have good muscle definition. That's where I tell them I don't eat meat, and I get sucked into a rabbit hole with some man/woman trying to indoctrinate me to eating meat and telling me how I need protein and I won't be able to blah blah blah...

    I'm an ectomorph, I make sure to get most of my Daily Vitamins, 7-8 hours of sleep and 3500+ calories a day. I'm seeing strength gains, I never feel bloated, my poop looks healthy, I also work out 6-7 days a week.
    Funny everyone tells me 6-7 is too much but I'm out performing them. Just please do your research or else you'll get indoctrinated with someones loose ideas on how they believe something works.

    Take what they say with a grain a salt, including this, and challenge it by doing your research and form your own opinion.

    Good Will to you!

    Some people find that their fat intake goes down when they become vegan, but with foods like coconut, avocado, nuts, seeds, and plant oils, it doesn't for everyone. It's possible to do a moderate or high fat vegan diet if that is what someone desires.
  • iMikey
    iMikey Posts: 17 Member
    edited September 2017
    janejellyroll wrote: »

    Some people find that their fat intake goes down when they become vegan, but with foods like coconut, avocado, nuts, seeds, and plant oils, it doesn't for everyone. It's possible to do a moderate or high fat vegan diet if that is what someone desires.

    It's important to state that all fats are not created equal. Including Saturated fats. AHA (American Heart Association) swears that coconut oil is bad for you on the sole basis that it contains a large % of saturated fat per cal.

    There are 13 clinical studies done that show the effects coconut oil has on Weight Loss, Metabolism, Cholesterol, Triglycerides and Inflammation. I'm pretty sure most people would call these results positive.

    Each study is sourced here

    http://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coconut-oil-studies#section2
  • iMikey
    iMikey Posts: 17 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Saturated fat is a thing, but I don't know what that has to do with this statement: "Another pro is your fat intake will go down easy . . . "

    Some vegans find that their fat intake decreases, others find that it stays the same or even increases. It comes down to specific foods chosen, just like it does for non-vegans.

    Ah you're totally right, I botched that. It should've said something along the lines of reducing body fat %
    And hey I guess we'll leave the saturated fat data there as a bonus
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    dommie06 wrote: »
    wanna try and go vegan pros and cons

    Pros - moral considerations more than anything else.

    Cons - it's quite restrictive to do 'just because' and needs to include your entire lifestyle (including clothes, etc.)

    If you want to change your diet for health reasons, you may be fine just going vegetarian (no meat, but yes to eggs and dairy), or a modification of vegetarian. Basically, you can go vegan without actually going full vegan.

    Don't call yourself a vegan if you still continue to wear leather, etc. since it will make you seem like a totally trendy hypocrite to most of the world and the hardcore vegans will hate you for tainting their turf. If people ask what diet you're on, just tell them you're a vegetarian. There's much less social stigma to deal with.
  • gearhead426hemi
    gearhead426hemi Posts: 919 Member
    I think that the most important thing about making a choice like this is to make the decision for you and don't try to force it on others. There are two types of people that annoy the hell out of me in the diet and fitness community. Vegans and Crossfitters. If the first time I meet someone and before I know their last name they are lecturing me on my diet or making comments about what I am eating or they are trying to get me to sign up for their box or telling me about their box in the first 5 minutes of meeting them I immediately want to slap them and walk away. Make a life choice for all the right reasons for you and only base it on that. The best people to have in your corner will support you in whatever makes you happy and gets you the best results. Best of luck with your goals!
  • sugarstrawberries
    sugarstrawberries Posts: 140 Member
    Glad to see all the people in this thread explaining the ethical stance that is veganism. I hate that plant-based and vegan get conflated.
  • tiffaninghs
    tiffaninghs Posts: 200 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    tiffaninghs wrote: »
    estherdragonbat wrote: »
    Why does being vegan mean giving up starches and grains? I mean, you can if you want, but I don't think it's a requirement. (If it is, my cookbooks are doing it wrong.)

    oh no im on a weight loss journey so my vegan is a bit more stricter so i havent had rice or pasta in two years.. thats because before "going vegan" i was already paleo..

    Your veganism isn't stricter, you're just layering on additional restrictions in addition to veganism.

    aka stricter
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    DX2JX2 wrote: »
    tiffaninghs wrote: »
    YOU will NOT be deficient if you only eat plants!! never believe that bull!!!

    You will if you don't take time to learn how to avoid deficiencies.

    Very true. I had a couple of friends in high school hospitalized with protein deficiencies because they thought going vegan meant just not eating meat. Little did they know the importance of proteins and fats.
  • robm1brown
    robm1brown Posts: 71 Member
    Pro: enviromental benefits of not buying into the meat industry (deforestation etc)

    Con: just look at the list of foods you won't be able to enjoy, ever.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    tiffaninghs wrote: »
    YOU will NOT be deficient if you only eat plants!! never believe that bull!!!

    It takes more planning and knowledge...I've known vegans who didn't know what they were doing...two of them became very anemic. Also, B12 supplementation is necessary which a lot of people don't realize.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    edited September 2017
    Pros: Not contributing to unnecessary animal suffering. Also for me more energy, less bloating & clearer skin.

    Cons: It can take a little bit of getting used to the beginning, the reading ingredient labels, asking questions at restaurants, general lack of quick on the go snacks..dealing with other people's negative opinions! It does get easier though, you find brands and places you already know are vegan, the market is growing, you care less what people think...
  • AmandaDanceMore
    AmandaDanceMore Posts: 298 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    buffgrl wrote: »
    Just so we're clear: going Vegan does not automatically lead to weight loss. There are plenty of chubby Vegans. People have this misconception that cutting out animal products leads to weight loss because they seem some waif-like anemic vegans on the internet and think it will make them skinny.

    Pros- Do it if you feel guilty eating meat and luv the animals

    Cons- Unless you plan your diet out very carefully and take supplements, you are going to end up with nutritional deficiencies. You can't just randomly eat vegetables and be healthy. Animal products contain important nutrients in concentrated quantities such as vitamin B12, protein, and iron. Proteins from most plant sources are incomplete and must be combined with complimentary proteins from other sources in order to be utilized by the body. So you will have to be really careful and conscious in order to make sure your nutritional needs are met. This is not a diet that you can just eat X amount of calories and be fine, there is a lot more to it if you don't want to end up sick. This diet is also high carb, so if you find that your body tends to blow up on carbs, this diet wouldn't be ideal for you. This is a "high-maintenance" diet which takes a lot of work, and since most people in your life aren't Vegan, it makes things harder for you when it comes to social gatherings and makes you the odd one out.

    I highly recommend that newer vegans take some time to plan their diet, but once you have the basics down, it doesn't really require a lot of work or planning to meet your nutritional needs as a vegan.

    You can't randomly eat vegetables and be healthy, it's true. But you can't randomly eat meat and be healthy either.

    Vegans, just like non-vegans, can make a choice to eat lower carbohydrate. While going genuinely low carbohydrate would be more challenging for a vegan, many vegans eat moderate carbohydrate -- not high carbohydrate.

    I agree with all of this. I'm not vegan (vegetarian with a vegan leaning), but I joke that it's just as easy for me to eat like a frat boy now as it was when I still ate meat and more animal products. There's an awful lot of tasty vegan junk food out there!
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    DX2JX2 wrote: »

    Don't call yourself a vegan if you still continue to wear leather, etc. since it will make you seem like a totally trendy hypocrite to most of the world and the hardcore vegans will hate you for tainting their turf. If people ask what diet you're on, just tell them you're a vegetarian. There's much less social stigma to deal with.

    Not only leather but no more wool or silk. No more personal care and home products with beeswax. No more honey. Avoid many cosmetics with red or purple dye.
  • timtam163
    timtam163 Posts: 500 Member
    Depends on your beliefs and motivations for doing so.

    Pros: much smaller carbon footprint, less contribution to animal suffering. Lower consumption of animal proteins is linked to better heart health. It'll expose you to new foods and cuisines.

    Cons: It can be easy to get malnourished if you don't know what you're doing. You need a B12 supplement at the very least, and presumably vitamins D and K2 and iron and zinc and calcium. It's an extreme in some sense, making social eating situations and traveling a bit more involved. It can expose you to a lot of pseudoscience so be mindful of where you get your information (it won't cure cancer for example). If you have other dietary restrictions, such as IBD or gluten intolerance, you'll need to invest even more in diet and plan ahead.

    It sounds like the list of cons is longer than the list of pros, but ultimately it's not a lifestyle that's built into our culture hence the need to emphasize research and planning when embarking on a vegan diet. It depends on your motivations. Don't expect this to be an easy fix.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    timtam163 wrote: »
    Depends on your beliefs and motivations for doing so.

    Pros: much smaller carbon footprint, less contribution to animal suffering. Lower consumption of animal proteins is linked to better heart health. It'll expose you to new foods and cuisines.

    Cons: It can be easy to get malnourished if you don't know what you're doing. You need a B12 supplement at the very least, and presumably vitamins D and K2 and iron and zinc and calcium. It's an extreme in some sense, making social eating situations and traveling a bit more involved. It can expose you to a lot of pseudoscience so be mindful of where you get your information (it won't cure cancer for example). If you have other dietary restrictions, such as IBD or gluten intolerance, you'll need to invest even more in diet and plan ahead.

    It sounds like the list of cons is longer than the list of pros, but ultimately it's not a lifestyle that's built into our culture hence the need to emphasize research and planning when embarking on a vegan diet. It depends on your motivations. Don't expect this to be an easy fix.

    I supplement B12 and D, but get plenty of K, iron, zinc, and calcium from plant foods. This isn't to say that some vegans don't supplement these (just like some non-vegans do), but I wouldn't presume that a vegan has to supplement them.
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