You can’t be a vegan ...you fat!

colapopz20
colapopz20 Posts: 8 Member
edited December 24 in Getting Started
I’ve been a vegan 🌱 for almost two years . Initially I lost weight, but over the past few months I have put on weight.

I so want to get out of the obese bmi range and need some friendly buddies to keep check on me!

I’m fed up with people saying you can’t be a vegan you fat!

Any advise on how to stay motivated?

Replies

  • colapopz20
    colapopz20 Posts: 8 Member
    As you’ve figured out, your body doesn’t know whether a calorie is plant or animal based. Too many calories is too many calories!

    You don’t need motivation for long-term success, you need discipline and habit. Log your calories every day and eat within your goals, and the weight will come off.

    Your so right! I think I’ve just been kidding myself! If I say I’m plant based in healthier - when I’m fact I’m just eating to much!

    Thank you for your guidance.
  • flippy1234
    flippy1234 Posts: 686 Member
    I went mostly vegetarian recently. Made sure I got my greens, ate low carb, stopped drinking wine, etc...I thought I was doing all of the right things. I gained weight instead of lost weight. Now I am back to sensible eating and I feel so much better.
  • lalalacroix
    lalalacroix Posts: 834 Member
    Yeah a person can gain weight on any diet style. I'm plant based and definitely gained a couple pounds over the holidays.

    There's a group here called Happy Herbivores if anyone here wants to check it out. I would love to get that group active again. 🙂
  • colapopz20
    colapopz20 Posts: 8 Member
    How f dad o I find the group ?
  • colapopz20
    colapopz20 Posts: 8 Member
    Sorry that should say how do I find the group?
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    I was genuinely surprised to find out how high in calories vegan food can be. On top of that, it is often lower in protein which means that many would not find is as filling as animal-product counterparts. It is not hard to understand why vegans can easily put on weight if they are not careful.
  • lilithsrose
    lilithsrose Posts: 752 Member
    A few of the vegans I know survive off of pasta and potatoes. Just because something is vegan-friendly, it doesn't mean that its low cal.

    I am not a vegan or vegetarian, but I do enjoy trying vegan foods and meat replacements. My suggestion would be to check out the menus of vegan resturaunts for ideas. Vegan mac & cheese made with cashew cheese, apple & "cheddar" paninis, and the tempeh "BLT" are a few of my favorites from my local vegan cafe. A lot of Indian recipes are vegan, so those might be worth looking into as well. If you have a Trader Joes near you, they have plenty of frozen vegan options.

    Make sure you keep your protein and iron levels up. Green veggies, legumes, beans and nuts are good for both.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    rhaiin wrote: »
    A few of the vegans I know survive off of pasta and potatoes. Just because something is vegan-friendly, it doesn't mean that its low cal.

    I am not a vegan or vegetarian, but I do enjoy trying vegan foods and meat replacements. My suggestion would be to check out the menus of vegan resturaunts for ideas. Vegan mac & cheese made with cashew cheese, apple & "cheddar" paninis, and the tempeh "BLT" are a few of my favorites from my local vegan cafe. A lot of Indian recipes are vegan, so those might be worth looking into as well. If you have a Trader Joes near you, they have plenty of frozen vegan options.

    Make sure you keep your protein and iron levels up. Green veggies, legumes, beans and nuts are good for both.

    Green vegetables and nuts aren't particularly high in protein.
  • AustinRuadhain
    AustinRuadhain Posts: 2,595 Member
    Hey there!
    Yes, I went vegan and lost not even a tenth of a pound. I felt noticeably better, physically and mentally, but that by itself was not what had me lose weight.
    I went on to weigh and log all my food and keep to a reasonable and sustainable calorie deficit. That got me started losing the weight. After that, it was "lathe, rinse, repeat" -- lots of focus on habits and consistency.
    Since I did all that logging, I was also able to pay attention and figure out what kinds of foods work well for me. (Pasta works poorly for me, for example.) That may or may not be a thing for you, but it's something you can watch, if you log. I landed on eating few processed foods, lots of vegetables, and am healthy and not hungry.

    Here's the link to the MFP Happy Herbivores group: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/45-happy-herbivores
  • colapopz20
    colapopz20 Posts: 8 Member
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    I was genuinely surprised to find out how high in calories vegan food can be. On top of that, it is often lower in protein which means that many would not find is as filling as animal-product counterparts. It is not hard to understand why vegans can easily put on weight if they are not careful.
    Hey there!
    Yes, I went vegan and lost not even a tenth of a pound. I felt noticeably better, physically and mentally, but that by itself was not what had me lose weight.
    I went on to weigh and log all my food and keep to a reasonable and sustainable calorie deficit. That got me started losing the weight. After that, it was "lathe, rinse, repeat" -- lots of focus on habits and consistency.
    Since I did all that logging, I was also able to pay attention and figure out what kinds of foods work well for me. (Pasta works poorly for me, for example.) That may or may not be a thing for you, but it's something you can watch, if you log. I landed on eating few processed foods, lots of vegetables, and am healthy and not hungry.

    Here's the link to the MFP Happy Herbivores group: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/45-happy-herbivores
    Hey there!
    Yes, I went vegan and lost not even a tenth of a pound. I felt noticeably better, physically and mentally, but that by itself was not what had me lose weight.
    I went on to weigh and log all my food and keep to a reasonable and sustainable calorie deficit. That got me started losing the weight. After that, it was "lathe, rinse, repeat" -- lots of focus on habits and consistency.
    Since I did all that logging, I was also able to pay attention and figure out what kinds of foods work well for me. (Pasta works poorly for me, for example.) That may or may not be a thing for you, but it's something you can watch, if you log. I landed on eating few processed foods, lots of vegetables, and am healthy and not hungry.

    Here's the link to the MFP Happy Herbivores group: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/45-happy-herbivores
    Hey there!
    Yes, I went vegan and lost not even a tenth of a pound. I felt noticeably better, physically and mentally, but that by itself was not what had me lose weight.
    I went on to weigh and log all my food and keep to a reasonable and sustainable calorie deficit. That got me started losing the weight. After that, it was "lathe, rinse, repeat" -- lots of focus on habits and consistency.
    Since I did all that logging, I was also able to pay attention and figure out what kinds of foods work well for me. (Pasta works poorly for me, for example.) That may or may not be a thing for you, but it's something you can watch, if you log. I landed on eating few processed foods, lots of vegetables, and am healthy and not hungry.

    Here's the link to the MFP Happy Herbivores group: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/45-happy-herbivores

  • colapopz20
    colapopz20 Posts: 8 Member
    Thank you guys for all your comments and support!

    I will endeavour to go back to reducing the amount of processed food I eat ! And will check out the group
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    just to chime in... processed or unprocessed doesn't really matter unless you are having difficulty getting your nutrients. Being overweight is only dependent on the energy equation in the vast majority of cases which boils down to how much you eat... not what it is.
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