Vegan to vegetarian

pinkgurl456
pinkgurl456 Posts: 64 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I recently decided to go back to vegatarian but try to be vegan and mostly plant based when possible has any one else have experience doing this? My biggest worry is gaining back the weight I lost from a vegan diet.

Replies

  • fuzzylop72
    fuzzylop72 Posts: 651 Member
    I haven't gone back to eating dairy/eggs, but I will say you don't need to worry about weight gain, as long as you're not exceeding maintenance calories.
  • pinkgurl456
    pinkgurl456 Posts: 64 Member
    Thanks for the replies yes I do have a maintenance I guess I am reading in too much to other vegans, who say that cow milk will fatten you up and that vegan lifestyle will keep you lean even with excess calories etc ..
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    pinkgurl456 wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies yes I do have a maintenance I guess I am reading in too much to other vegans, who say that cow milk will fatten you up and that vegan lifestyle will keep you lean even with excess calories etc ..

    Any vegan who tells you that you won't gain weight eating more calories than you use is either lying to you or is misinformed.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    pinkgurl456 wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies yes I do have a maintenance I guess I am reading in too much to other vegans, who say that cow milk will fatten you up and that vegan lifestyle will keep you lean even with excess calories etc ..

    You get fat from consistently eating more calories than you burn. There is no specific food that will "fatten you up" unless eating it causes you to frequently go over your maintenance calories. A diet or lifestyle will only "keep you lean" if it means your activity and calorie intake balance out.
  • vegmebuff
    vegmebuff Posts: 31,389 Member
    I did the 'switch' too...it was just too difficult to do - plus I really started craving eggs and dairy again

    Haven't gained any significant weight - if at all.

    Don't worry about 'gaining'...unless you are now eating more calories/day.
  • pinkgurl456
    pinkgurl456 Posts: 64 Member
    Thanks vegmebuff it’s good to hear that it was too hard for someone else too I feel awful morally but being vegetarian is better for my energy levels as an dancer
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    One of my kids made the switch to lacto/ovo for eggs, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese and ice cream. He is saving me a lot of money in vegan meat substitutes, which he still eats, but less often. He is actually eating less.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    If you're chugging glasses of whole milk with all your meals and putting yourself in a calorie surplus - yes, you'll gain weight. :p Eating in a calorie deficit, regardless of dietary choices, will result in weight loss.
  • vegmebuff
    vegmebuff Posts: 31,389 Member
    pinkgurl456 wrote: »
    Thanks vegmebuff it’s good to hear that it was too hard for someone else too I feel awful morally but being vegetarian is better for my energy levels as an dancer

    yes...I too was feeling 'weak'. and yes to the part about feeling guilty about switching too...I struggled with that one for sure!

    I do still mainly do 'vegan' but now incorporate a small amount of fish too - along with dairy and eggs, honey, etc.,
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Weight loss or weight gain is all about calorie intake - it doesn't matter if you're a vegan, vegetarian, keto, or cookie-a-holic. Is all about calories consumed and calories burned. Track what you're eating and stay in your calorie goal and you'll be fine!
  • ghudson92
    ghudson92 Posts: 2,061 Member
    I think when it comes to food, we can get really hung up on labels and the restrictions that come with them. It is perfectly OK to mix up the various approaches to eating, after all we do live in the age of abundance. I myself mainly eat with a vegetarian mindset, however, as I occasionally eat fish I am called a pescatarian. Many of my meals are vegan, but I don't meet the criteria of being a vegan. So long as you are eating at a deficit, in a way that makes you feel good and not deprived, you will continue to achieve your goals :smile:
  • como_agua
    como_agua Posts: 213 Member
    i was vegan several years ago and weighed more than i do now. for me the high carb of beans and quinoa were not doing my weight any favors. i seemed to be in constant sugar crashes. now that i track everything i find that is more important than anything.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    pinkgurl456 wrote: »
    Thanks vegmebuff it’s good to hear that it was too hard for someone else too I feel awful morally but being vegetarian is better for my energy levels as an dancer

    I'd hate for you to have an ethical dilemma without exhausting all options. Were you focused enough on getting protein from plants? How many of your meals per day featured legumes?
  • VeggieBarbells
    VeggieBarbells Posts: 175 Member
    pinkgurl456 wrote: »
    I recently decided to go back to vegatarian but try to be vegan and mostly plant based when possible has any one else have experience doing this? My biggest worry is gaining back the weight I lost from a vegan diet.

    @pinkgurl the post by @ghudson92 below makes so much sense:
    ghudson92 wrote: »
    I think when it comes to food, we can get really hung up on labels and the restrictions that come with them. It is perfectly OK to mix up the various approaches to eating, after all we do live in the age of abundance. I myself mainly eat with a vegetarian mindset, however, as I occasionally eat fish I am called a pescatarian. Many of my meals are vegan, but I don't meet the criteria of being a vegan. So long as you are eating at a deficit, in a way that makes you feel good and not deprived, you will continue to achieve your goals :smile:

    And this was something I wrote on another thread back in Feb:
    VeggieBarbells wrote: »
    I lost 70% of my overall weight loss to date (circa 30+ lbs) whilst eating meat. I then cycled between Pescatarian. Vegan, and Vegetarian. The amount I ate was the defining factor, not that I was a meat eater or not. So it always boiled down to calories in, calories out, irrespective if I ate meat or not. Good luck on your journey.

    Like others have said is not whether its vegan, vegatarian. pescatarian etc, its the number of calories. Good luck on your new direction and make it count. #Literally.
  • staticsplit
    staticsplit Posts: 538 Member
    I'm a 'chegan' - basically, I try to eat plant-based as default, but I'm flexible when I need to be. Since I used to have a really bad eating disorder, having anything be totally off limits is just a recipe for disaster for me. It works for me and I find it a happy balance. I feel like I'm helping the environment, but I don't have to stress about not being able to find something to eat if I go out with friends/family or travel.

Categories