Vegan/Plant Based not as effective?
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anicoletfit
Posts: 7 Member
I know that to lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit.
To maintain the muscle you currently have, you need to be eating enough protein (and strength training).
My thing is, i am interested in being more Plant Based but fear I would be taking a less effective route to lose weight (about 30lbs) since it is lower in protein than say something with animal proteins (kind of like paleo).
(In terms of the protein to carb ratio, paleo - or something like the paleo diet- seems more effective)
And I’m not a huge fan of tofu (not even sure if that’s good for you?) or Legumes...
And on a college budget, so organic, fancy stuff is out of the question.
I hope this makes sense?
Just wondering about the protein aspect since I am not big into soy and legumes or nuts.
(New to this plant based stuff!)
(Bonus: Any tips for what ‘diet’ is best for eczema and asthma?)
To maintain the muscle you currently have, you need to be eating enough protein (and strength training).
My thing is, i am interested in being more Plant Based but fear I would be taking a less effective route to lose weight (about 30lbs) since it is lower in protein than say something with animal proteins (kind of like paleo).
(In terms of the protein to carb ratio, paleo - or something like the paleo diet- seems more effective)
And I’m not a huge fan of tofu (not even sure if that’s good for you?) or Legumes...
And on a college budget, so organic, fancy stuff is out of the question.
I hope this makes sense?
Just wondering about the protein aspect since I am not big into soy and legumes or nuts.
(New to this plant based stuff!)
(Bonus: Any tips for what ‘diet’ is best for eczema and asthma?)
3
Replies
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To lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn. You don’t have to follow any specific diet, and no specific diet is inherently better for weight loss than any other, as long as you’re in a calorie deficit.
Macros, including protein, do not matter for weight loss. They may matter for other goals, like satiety or muscle-building.17 -
To lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn. You don’t have to follow any specific diet, and no specific diet is inherently better for weight loss than any other, as long as you’re in a calorie deficit.
Macros, including protein, do not matter for weight loss. They may matter for other goals, like satiety or muscle-building.
Well isn’t getting sufficient protein important to not get skinny fat?
To maintain muscle mass?10 -
So, you're worried about getting enough protein on a plant-based diet and you don't care for most of the plant-based proteins out there?
I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian. You can get protein from eggs and dairy (and quinoa). But soy, seitan and legumes are the main plant-based sources.
I've dropped 106lbs as an ovo-lacto vegetarian. Never had a DEXA scan or tested my body fat, so I can't speak to how much muscle has been lost, but I've been doing strength training for a year and I've seen strength gains and better body composition than during my previous weight-loss attempts, leading me to believe that I've shed less muscle this outing.
I think the main problem is that you want to be plant-based but don't like the protein options. No shame in that. I don't do keto because I don't find that fat fills me up and most plant-based proteins also have a lot of carbs—which I have no reason to avoid. Plenty of people do well on keto, but I don't see it as a good fit for me. Plant-based may not be the best fit for you. But you can still eat more fruits and veggies without 'naming' your way of eating.
I will say that my eczema improved right around the time I went veg, but whether it was meat/fish/poultry specifically that was causing it or whether my increased consumption of fruits and veggies fought it is more than I can say.
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anicoletfit wrote: »To lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn. You don’t have to follow any specific diet, and no specific diet is inherently better for weight loss than any other, as long as you’re in a calorie deficit.
Macros, including protein, do not matter for weight loss. They may matter for other goals, like satiety or muscle-building.
Well isn’t getting sufficient protein important to not get skinny fat?
To maintain muscle mass?
Protein is important but so is exercise and not losing too fast for not getting skinny fat. Be reasonable about your goals and expectations. Do some research on plant-based protein sources. There are vegan protein powders as well.6 -
Why are you interested in a plant-based diet? Is it because you believe it's healthier or is your stance ethical? In terms of health, any diet can be healthy if you eat a variety of nutrients and can be as healthy as you make it. A plant-based diet doesn't offer anything special in that department and has its cons like any other restriction diet. Don't get suckered into the idea that you have to eat in a special way to be healthy, especially if you don't like the food.
If your concern is purely ethical, have you considered gradually reducing your footprint? You can start by having a day a week of meatless meals, maybe transition to pescetarian gradually, then to vegetarian, then to vegan, or stop at any point in-between and decide that's as far as you're willing to go. Switching to a diet you don't like is unnecessary self-torture, unless the issue is so important to you that it is worth it.
As for protein, you do need a good minimum for health, so I encourage you to experiment and try plant-based high protein dishes to see what you like if you decide to transition as I suggested above. Being lower in protein is not ideal for muscle mass, but the largest difference will come from the type of training you do, not from your protein intake - protein only augments the results. Of course protein is important, but a healthy minimum can be good enough if you have good resistance exercise programming and if your interest doesn't also involve serious bodybuilding.
As for your bonus questions, I'm afraid I don't have enough experience or information to be useful, but not all conditions can be improved with diet. I'm not saying yours can't because as I said I'm not very informed, it's just good to keep in mind that diet doesn't fix everything.
P.S: eating organic and fancy stuff isn't necessary on any diet.9 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Why are you interested in a plant-based diet? Is it because you believe it's healthier or is your stance ethical?
Some of both!
My main thing is with eczema and asthma if plant Based/vegan is better for that.
I really want to heal this inflammation (or at least reduce it), and all the research I’ve done suggests to go plant Based.
As of now, I would want to go plant Based for inflammatory purposes, just don’t want to be skinny fat from a lesser protein diet.
And it just seems like everyone says plant based/veg is best for inflammation, so that’s why I’ve been shooting for this opposes to a different “diet”.4 -
What about including fish in your diet? That would help with protein and the omega 3 can help with inflammation.3
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Seems like your goals are not unifiable. If you don't like the proteins in a plant based diet you'll either have to choose to jump over your Shadow and eat them anyway, find a preparation for them that you like or start eating a different way.5
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have you had skin tests for allergies?
My husband has eczema triggered by dust mites.1 -
You don't have to be extreme - going keto, vegan, paleo or whatever are lifestyle choices - you can lose weight healthily on all of those options. You can also lose weight eating a mixed diet which includes lots of plant based foods, some animal protein etc. You don't have to 'label' your diet unless it helps you psychologically to do so. I eat lots and lots of fruit and veg as I like to eat platefuls of food and veggies give me good bang for my buck in terms of calories. I also love salads and fruit. I tried upping my protein and fat intakes but they don't leave me feeling satisfied. I am not an enthusiastic meat eater but eat it as a convenient way of getting enough protein - and hubby is a meat eater so it saves preparing separate meals. I like eggs and like fish but don't like preparing/cooking (usually my restaurant choice). If you are philosophically opposed to eating meat/fish and eggs then you are going to have to learn to like plant based proteins. Do what best suits your tastes and lifestyle - that way you will be able to stick to healthier eating from now on in X7
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It's challenging to be plant-based and meet your nutritional needs if you're unwilling to eat tofu and legumes. It's not impossible, but it would be difficult. You could meet your protein needs, but you'd want to watch your diet relatively closely to ensure you were getting sufficient lysine (a specific amino acid).
If you do want to go plant-based with that in mind, I recommend checking out different plant-based protein powders (they have soy, hemp, pea, and rice), checking out soy products that aren't tofu (faux meat and tempeh), and trying seitan (it's a "meaty" food made with the protein from wheat -- you can either buy it pre-made or make your own from wheat gluten). If you haven't already, it may also be a good idea to experiment with different types of legumes. Sometimes people who don't like one kind will like another or people who don't like one preparation will enjoy another (my husband, for example, thought he hated all beans but it turns out he enjoys chickpeas in both hummus and falafel).6 -
Hi there!
I am losing weight on a vegan diet, so it is possible (at least for me). But it took a couple of months of evolution and experimentation to start seeing a change on the scale.
Have you thought about taking a less radical approach? Maybe experiment with more exercise and reducing (not too radically) your calorie intake, being sure to eat healthy foods you already like, with a focus on enough protein to preserve muscle mass.
A slow, experimental approach might also help with eczema symptoms. WebMD suggests there is no scientific consensus on an "eczema diet."
https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/eczema/treatment-16/eczema-diet
For asthma, the Mayo Clinic has some good suggestions to try, none of them looking like radical, eliminate-an-entire-food-group ideas.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/expert-answers/asthma-diet/faq-20058105
Good luck! College is stressful. Take good care of yourself!
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While I am NOT vegetarian or vegan, many days I don't eat meat. I also do not eat tofu. rarely buy organic. I still get above my protein recommendations even on those days. I just have to pre-log and find some "secret weapons".
I eat a lot of quinoa (in salad, in soup), lentils, black beans. slowly bringing almonds back into my diet. I make my own protein bars using high protein plant based protein powders. I shop at places like Bulk Barn to save money especially on lentils and quinoa.
I am not sure if you would eat eggs, but i find them to be a super good bang for my calorie buck when it comes to protein. Maybe see about finding some nice happy chickens living freely on a farm VS store bought (if the ethics are a concern).
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While I am NOT vegetarian or vegan, many days I don't eat meat. I also do not eat tofu. rarely buy organic. I still get above my protein recommendations even on those days. I just have to pre-log and find some "secret weapons".
I eat a lot of quinoa (in salad, in soup), lentils, black beans. slowly bringing almonds back into my diet. I make my own protein bars using high protein plant based protein powders. I shop at places like Bulk Barn to save money especially on lentils and quinoa.
I am not sure if you would eat eggs, but i find them to be a super good bang for my calorie buck when it comes to protein. Maybe see about finding some nice happy chickens living freely on a farm VS store bought (if the ethics are a concern).
It's incredibly difficult to find a farm source for eggs that doesn't involve both the premature death of males (either they're culling at the farm or purchasing chicks from a source that culls) and female chickens being killed when their production declines. Farms need to make money and having to feed roosters for their natural life along with the older, less productive females is going to be an issue for the bottom line.
So while the "nice happy chickens" on a farm image is nice, those who are avoiding eggs for ethical reasons are unlikely to find a farm that shares their ethics on how it is appropriate to treat chickens.
Judging from OP's comments to date, I don't think she falls in the category of having ethical concerns though.6 -
I’m WFPB and lost weight with this WOE. There are many protein sources and you can absolutely build muscle. Do your homework, there’s tons of info out there. I’m a big believer, but we each need to find what works. It’s made a monumentally good impact on my skin.2
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anicoletfit wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Why are you interested in a plant-based diet? Is it because you believe it's healthier or is your stance ethical?
Some of both!
My main thing is with eczema and asthma if plant Based/vegan is better for that.
I really want to heal this inflammation (or at least reduce it), and all the research I’ve done suggests to go plant Based.
As of now, I would want to go plant Based for inflammatory purposes, just don’t want to be skinny fat from a lesser protein diet.
And it just seems like everyone says plant based/veg is best for inflammation, so that’s why I’ve been shooting for this opposes to a different “diet”.
I want to make sure you are vetting your sources of information appropriately. Would you please post a few links to where you are getting your information about plant based helping eczema and asthma?4 -
I don't know anything about it being not as effective for muscle building. Never been a problem for me over the last 10 years... but speaking as a lifelong asthmatic... no.. no benefit for asthma.
I've been entirely plant based for almost as long as I can remember at this point... still not a magic bullet for anything.5 -
I've personally never had an issue with it. Have been vegan for a year and a half, I know I get less protein grams on average than on a meat based diet (not because I can't get more, more just the foods I enjoy and would naturally lean towards) but my performance, or weight change whether that be weight loss or gain haven't suffered as a result. It's all just pretty much stayed the same as it was before. Weight loss pretty much just comes down to calorie intake vs expenditure and of course you need protein to maintain muscle as you lose weight, but there are lots of plant based sources. There's no reason your progress has to suffer whether you choose to eat animal products or not.
If you don't like certain plant based proteins it may be harder, you're going to need some kind of decent protein sources but it doesn't have to be those ones. I never ate tofu or much soy at all (unless it was disguised a lot within meat replacements) for the first 6-12 months, it was only really the end of last year I realised I actually quite liked it! Taste buds changed I think, either that or I was just preparing it better! Either way, there are other vegan sources. Seitan is a great one, it's made from vital wheat gluten and has a really high amount of protein in, more than meat. Can be more difficult to digest - not really any fibre like other vegan sources! It also depends on how "healthy" / whole foods diet you wish to go. So I wouldn't recommend it all the time, but it's nice if protein is a bit low. There's also beans, and protein pasta's made from beans like black bean spaghetti. Also, nuts, seeds, chickpeas, lentils - blending up lentils to make like a "meat"loaf but you won't have the taste or texture of lentils on their own if you don't like that. Are there any legumes you do like, there's quite a variety and range of cooking them!
Doesn't need to be organic at all, and in general a whole foods plant based diet will save you money if you're on a budget
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FWIW, I’m ovo/lacto veg and average 125g of protein per day, which is appropriately high for me based on my weight and goals. But, I have to work at it. I prioritize getting in my protein and often make food choices based on what I need to hit my macros (and that sometimes means not eating what I’d prefer to eat). It would definitely be easier if I chose to eat meat, but I don’t want to do that.3
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kshama2001 wrote: »
I want to make sure you are vetting your sources of information appropriately. Would you please post a few links to where you are getting your information about plant based helping eczema and asthma?
Mainly YouTube, and google, but I know some can be very bias, so I try to be aware but open.
Plantbasednews
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