Shell shocked new vegan.

iRebel
iRebel Posts: 378 Member
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been a vegetarian for my whole life, but have become vegan this week. I don't eat grains usually, though I have had a few cliff bars, (Which are hidden now. :ohwell:) I don't eat sugar either... well, I have moments of weakness every now and then....
This new way of eating has been a bit of a shock and I think it's causing me to overeat a bit. for instance, today I consumed 1800 cals. It will take FOREVER to lose weight If I keep that up. :sad: I work out for 60-90 mins.

Any vegans out there? Does your body adapt quickly, or should I expect my body to be out of kilter for a while?
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Replies

  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
    I was vegetarian for years (now I only at chicken, my doctor pretty much forced me) and my husband was vegan for 6. He went from 170 to 260 in that time. He just didn't eat right and wasn't getting enough exercise. He added the dairy back, starting eating real vegetables, and hopped on his bike and lost nearly 100 lbs. If you haven't already read "the vegan source book". If you do it right, it's perfectly healthy (he ate nothing but starch and sugar, so try to avoid doing that LOL). He adjusted back and forth pretty quick, less than 2 weeks. Make sure you get plenty of protein, and it curbs the hunger. Good Luck!
  • sanjoparolas
    sanjoparolas Posts: 549 Member
    There are vegan groups on MFP. Try the search function in the groups tab?
  • iRebel
    iRebel Posts: 378 Member
    Yeah, I will watch the carbs for sure!
  • lisaloum
    lisaloum Posts: 4
    Your body will adapt. It takes about a week or two. My body quickly could feel a change, because as it turns out it wasn't a fan of a dairy. Make sure you are still eating a variety of things- fruit, vegetables, beans, rice, etc.... While starting check out products from Gardein in the freezer section, they've got things like chicken nuggets that are easy for beginners. :)
    Good luck!
  • HotBodUnderConstruction
    HotBodUnderConstruction Posts: 420
    How is 1800 calories overeating if you're working out for an hour?
  • iRebel
    iRebel Posts: 378 Member
    well I ate like 1000 all at once....
  • tania2287
    tania2287 Posts: 236 Member
    I was a vegan for 15 years and had no problem with the diet. I find you do need to eat lentils for the protein so lentils burgers, or dual is good. And tofu like scrambled tofu is good with caps, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, a bit of soya sauce for taste and salt and pepper. But l did not eat much carbs. So you fill up with lentils and tofu as they are high in protein. If you need any help just ask as l have lots of receipts for vegans. My kids are vegans and they are 16, 9, 6. So have lots of receipts for vegan kids too as do lots of party without the dairy in cakes and kids have no idea :)
  • EbbySoo
    EbbySoo Posts: 267 Member
    I just noticed on your profile that your "going vegan" until March 19th? Why are you doing any of this?
  • iRebel
    iRebel Posts: 378 Member
    I just noticed on your profile that your "going vegan" until March 19th? Why are you doing any of this?

    oh, I I like to check things off, I am not going off of the whole vegan thing, making it to March 19 is just a mini goal.
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
    How is 1800 calories overeating if you're working out for an hour?

    Thats what Im trying to figure out.
  • EbbySoo
    EbbySoo Posts: 267 Member
    I just noticed on your profile that your "going vegan" until March 19th? Why are you doing any of this?

    oh, I I like to check things off, I am not going off of the whole vegan thing, making it to March 19 is just a mini goal.

    Ahh I see. Okay I was just trying to make sure that you weren't going vegan as some attempt to lose body fat faster or to soley lose weight because being vegan really doesn't guarantee that. :D
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
    Why are you going vegan? No grains, no meat, no sugar, no dairy, no eggs that's a lot to give up.
  • mideon_696
    mideon_696 Posts: 770 Member
    Alot of very healthy things to give up too.

    make sure you are still getting your required amount of FAT's too...you need these, and yes including saturated fat(just not much!)
  • Twins2007
    Twins2007 Posts: 236 Member
    The only advice I can give you is to get "The Kind Diet"...Amazing recipes!

    I tried it for a bit...But didn't last...Was a vegetarian for a whole year in which I plateaud like crazy...I was eating way too many carbs and my body is meant for way more protein :(

    Once I can afford to buy local and organic (mostly for ethical reasons) I plan on doing so :)

    I still drink soy milk, almond milk and tofu...But have incorporated meats again...And the scale is going down.

    Good luck :)

    You might also want to add a protein shake daily!
  • Vegan_Runner
    Vegan_Runner Posts: 133 Member
    I have been vegetarian for 12 years and vegan for the past 7. The key is eating enough protein and not a ton of carbs, especially processed carbs. SOy yogurt, soy milk, tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils, fruits veggies, and whole grains are what you need.

    tofu scramble with tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms and a little daiya vegan "cheese" topped with salsa for breakfast or my favorite Silk Vanilla Soy yogurt with cinnamon, frozen blueberries and sliced almonds is a great way to start the day.

    For lunch salads, wraps or soups full of veggies and beans and maybe some veggie crudités with hummus or guacamole to dip in

    Dinner you can do chili, burritos, lasagna...etc...

    Get "Vegan with a Vengeance" Cook book or go to www.theppk.com website for great meal ideas.
  • jickalina
    jickalina Posts: 43 Member
    I went on a month-long cleanse that was largely vegan. I think the way to go about it is to try to eat as clean as possible. tofu is good, but lots of meat "replacements" are filled with preservatives and empty calories etc. If you're going to to vegan you're gonna have to jump on board with grains. My diet was about 50% vegetables (lots of soups, roasted and stir fried veggies), 20% percent fruit (raw or as smoothies/ juices mixed with vegetable juices), 15% legumes and 15 % grain (quinoa, brown rice, amaranth). When I got sick of eating nothing but salads and bowls of veggies, i would make a grain dish to break the monotony and give me the mental stamina to keep going. Eating like this, each meal was filling and was on average about 250 -350 cals. My grain meals were about 450 cals. Watch your carbs and your oils which are high in caolries and you should have an easier time keeping your cals down.
  • 57rainbows
    57rainbows Posts: 101 Member
    I have no experience with veganism, but I do recommend looking into metabolic typing diets. There are books about it, and Jillian Michaels uses a basic version of it. Basically, people with different genetics respond differently to different types of foods. I'm a fast oxidizer, so if I have a breakfast of fruits, veggies, and grains, I feel super hungry a couple of hours later. If I have eggs, bacon, toast with [real] butter, something like that with fat and protein... then I'll feel great until noon! Some people are the opposite, and heavy foods make them feel sleepy and yucky but light foods make them energized.

    The only point of my post is to say, good for you for trying it, but if you don't feel good on it, listen to your body and find the foods that make you feel like a rockstar and your body likes. If you do feel good on it, that's awesome and you're about to feel like a rockstar. <3
  • Kristhin
    Kristhin Posts: 442 Member
    Just find things to substitute nonvegan foods you love. Like when I went vegan, i knew I would miss cheese and ranch, so I eat Daiya now and I started making homemade vegan ranch until I got tired of it and was over my ranch dressing addiction. That way you're not just stuffing your face trying to compensate for something you can't get.
    I found that being vegetarian has always made me gain weight, but being vegan really did help me lose it. I'd be happy to lend any suggestions or support I can, I've been vegan for about a year and a half.
  • misslissa555
    misslissa555 Posts: 135 Member
    Awesome decision! I was a vegetarian for 15.5 years but I was an unhealthy one! I lost 35lbs since turning vegan! I'm eating so much more healthier now! You don't need wheat--there's a lot of gluten free people. You can have quinoa or couscous! There's rice pasta too. I love when you say you're 'vegan' and people freak out! My body is use to eating 1200 calories a day--sometimes more if I go to Zumba!
    Good luck! You can do it! :flowerforyou:
  • chipaddict
    chipaddict Posts: 53
    Am I missing something? You can't eat grains or sugar because you're vegan? They aren't animal products??
  • chaitrex
    chaitrex Posts: 94 Member
    I've never been vegan for long, but I've done a few vegan detox things and have a lot of vegan friends. It's easy to eat processed carbs when you're a vegan, because they're perhaps the most easily accessible vegan food. Just make sure that your grains are whole grains :)
    Also, I'd recommend taking spirulina supplement. It has every single amino acid, so your body will get everything it needs. This should help with the transition.
    Protein's a tough one. A lot of people are a little intolerant to soy, but even if you're not, it's a good idea not to rely on this sole source of protein. Lots of legumes, lots of leafy greens, whole grains, etc. I found this to be the biggest challenge of vegeterianism and my vegan stints.
  • rudegyal_b
    rudegyal_b Posts: 593 Member
    1800 calories is not that much when you work out for 90mins
  • lilyflor
    lilyflor Posts: 123 Member
    congrats on going vegan!!! :drinker: I am mostly vegan, and I found that at the beginning I lost weight without even trying, just make sure you are eating lots of vegetables as well and not just grain, plan your days ahead, when I first started to log my food here on MFP I found that it was hard to go over 1200 calories but I increased those calories to a healthier 1598 because that is what I am supposed to consume at my goal weight I don't consume my calories from exercise I count that as my deficit and that has been working for me so far. good luck on your new compassionate and healthy way of eating!!! :flowerforyou:
    I'm adding you! I love to add more vegan friends to my friend list!
  • HotKanye
    HotKanye Posts: 103 Member
    I'm vegan. I don't really find it relevant to how many calories I eat other than that I automatically nix the cheese and fatty meats that might add up on someone else's diary. As others have said 1800 with an hour workout doesn't seem bad to me as long as the intensity was there on the workout. If you want to eat less make a big pot of soup and have some soup before your meals. Or try intermittent fasting as I do. I don't eat from nine pm till noon the next day and then I have more calories left for two bigger meals and that works quite well for me.

    Congratulations on taking the plunge and become vegan. It's a good life!
  • onawho
    onawho Posts: 196 Member
    Why are you going vegan? No grains, no meat, no sugar, no dairy, no eggs that's a lot to give up.


    Grains are meat? why is grain (which the last time I checked, a plant on the list of No-No's)


    I am sorry, I guess I really dont see the difference in being a vegetarian and then going vegan. cutting out dairy and eggs should not be that difficult.
  • MichelleRenee13
    MichelleRenee13 Posts: 363 Member
    I am also transitioning from vegetarian of 20 years to vegan. I am losing weight and having a lot more energy. Quinoa and lentils are staples and are very filling and can be used countless ways.

    Here are some helpful websites with lots of healthy recipe ideas.

    http://vegnews.com/

    http://www.theveeword.blogspot.com/

    http://peasandthankyou.com/

    http://www.vegan-heartland.com/

    www.fatfreevegan.com
  • MichelleRenee13
    MichelleRenee13 Posts: 363 Member
    Why are you going vegan? No grains, no meat, no sugar, no dairy, no eggs that's a lot to give up.


    Grains are meat? why is grain (which the last time I checked, a plant on the list of No-No's)


    I am sorry, I guess I really dont see the difference in being a vegetarian and then going vegan. cutting out dairy and eggs should not be that difficult.

    GIving up dairy, at least cheese for me, is extremely difficult. It is one of my favorite things to eat. Just think of how many dishes one eats that contains cheese/dairy....especially comfort foods. It is very difficult to give up...just like any food someone loves and eat on a very regular basis.
  • amoeba15
    amoeba15 Posts: 38 Member
    Why are you going vegan? No grains, no meat, no sugar, no dairy, no eggs that's a lot to give up.


    Grains are meat? why is grain (which the last time I checked, a plant on the list of No-No's)


    I am sorry, I guess I really dont see the difference in being a vegetarian and then going vegan. cutting out dairy and eggs should not be that difficult.

    GIving up dairy, at least cheese for me, is extremely difficult. It is one of my favorite things to eat. Just think of how many dishes one eats that contains cheese/dairy....especially comfort foods. It is very difficult to give up...just like any food someone loves and eat on a very regular basis.

    It really isn't that hard if you're motivated to go vegan.

    As to the OP: you really need to start eating grains. The fiber will make you feel fuller and if you include a decent mix of grains you'll get all of the essential amino acids you need. Carbs are not your enemy at all, the animal products are. You don't need saturated fat, you need essential fatty acids. Eat some walnuts in your oatmeal, toss some ground flaxseed into a smoothie, put some quinoa on your salad, enjoy some brown rice with steamed veggies, and you'll get your essential fatty acids and your essential amino acids. (Don't forget to make sure you get enough B-12!)
  • misslissa555
    misslissa555 Posts: 135 Member
    Why are you going vegan? No grains, no meat, no sugar, no dairy, no eggs that's a lot to give up.


    Grains are meat? why is grain (which the last time I checked, a plant on the list of No-No's)


    I am sorry, I guess I really dont see the difference in being a vegetarian and then going vegan. cutting out dairy and eggs should not be that difficult.

    GIving up dairy, at least cheese for me, is extremely difficult. It is one of my favorite things to eat. Just think of how many dishes one eats that contains cheese/dairy....especially comfort foods. It is very difficult to give up...just like any food someone loves and eat on a very regular basis.

    There's something in cheese that makes it addictive like caffeine. Once you give it up, you won't remember what it tastes like! It was hard for me, but I'm glad I did. I use to eat a lot of cheese as a vegetarian and it made me fat and unhappy! Come to find out, most cheese isn't even vegetarian because of the rennet in it.
  • nnoland
    nnoland Posts: 15 Member
    don't be a vegan it's really not healthy for you. Sorry but it's true.
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