Plant Based Diet (Forks Over Knives)

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I just wanted to know if there were any MFPs doing this diet or if there are any vegans out there. I'm curious on what your eating and how the vegan (plant based diet) is working for you on your weight loss journey!

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  • joymechelle99
    joymechelle99 Posts: 16 Member
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    Thats what my family is doing now for the last two months. My mom has lost 34, my sixteen year old son has lost 14, and i have lost 9...i have cheated many times...trying to get it together and hoping mfp helps. Not only are the foods we fix vegan but also low fat and try to limit the number of breads/grains.
  • justplainoleanne
    justplainoleanne Posts: 38 Member
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    Doctor just suggested (really strong) that I move to a vegan diet for a while to let my pancreas rest (bad bout of pancreatitis last summer that won't go away). Just started, so I can't tell you about weight loss yet. I'm making things like quinoa salad and lentil soup. Hummus is my new junk food. He told me not to worry about calories if I stayed truly vegan. He says I'll be too full to overeat. There are lots of vegan websites out there that have lots of recipes. Some look really good...others not so much. Some vegans seem to use a good amount of fat, I've been told not to eat much fat.
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
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    I'm vegan, but I lost all 147lbs before making the switch. I am still trying to lose 10 more lbs (but not trying overly hard) so I've actually been maintaining. I feel great and being vegan limits the amount of junk I can consume so I like this lifestyle, but it's not a quick fix for weight loss. It's totally doable to be a junkfood vegan and gain weight and be obese.
  • shahendrickson
    shahendrickson Posts: 55 Member
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    I eat lots of fruits, veggies, nuts, beans, some cereal, oatmeal, soy milk, quinoa, couscous, & some pasta. I try to stay away from eating too many prepackaged foods. I started eating this way December 26th & I feel wonderful, a lot healthier. I dropped 5 pounds too! It's weird I actually crave fresh food now instead of junk. I enjoy eating this way. The only thing that I find annoying are the people who act like I'm crazy for not eating meat & dairy. I usually don't come out & tell people because for me it's a personal choice & not anything I want to push on anyone. It's something I chose to do to see how it made me feel physically & emotionally. It's been totally positive for me. I'm pretty new to this and I'm still learning a lot especially experimenting with recipes. It's actually fun!
  • abbigail_r
    abbigail_r Posts: 283 Member
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    i was just reading about plant based diets that were not vegan. I have not seen forks over knives but i was just checking out a couple sites that are super interesting www.diseaseproof.com its a blog but at the top you can go to the doctors other website to see all the other information about being a nutritarian which i personally think is better than vegan just cuz you can make sure youre getting all your nutrients a little easier. im in love with the topic of nutrition. Im learning more and more each day.
  • abbigail_r
    abbigail_r Posts: 283 Member
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    Doctor just suggested (really strong) that I move to a vegan diet for a while to let my pancreas rest (bad bout of pancreatitis last summer that won't go away). Just started, so I can't tell you about weight loss yet. I'm making things like quinoa salad and lentil soup. Hummus is my new junk food. He told me not to worry about calories if I stayed truly vegan. He says I'll be too full to overeat. There are lots of vegan websites out there that have lots of recipes. Some look really good...others not so much. Some vegans seem to use a good amount of fat, I've been told not to eat much fat.
    you should check out the video fat sick and nearly dead. its a great documentary about this guy who is sick with stuff and goes on juicer detox and such. also www.diseaseproof.com (surf everything its a blog but has links to a main site also nutritionfacts.org is full of great info about foods.
  • apucci
    apucci Posts: 20 Member
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    My husband and I started watching all the food documentaries on Netflix and became really conscious about what we were eating. Last summer we planted our own garden, froze & canned our vegetables for winter... visit a lot of farmer's markets, etc. We weren't trying to lose weight, we weren't even trying to be vegan, just be healthier and buy/support local.

    Well then we decided to do a Meatless Monday (this floats during the week based on work/travel) but what started as once a week has quickly become two + a few extra meals.

    I don't think I could be totally vegan.... It's just a personal preference.

    If I could suggest anything it would to definitely try at least a few days/times a week. See if it works for you.

    I know that if I try to take on something drastic I'm less likely to keep with it. This is something manageable and it's actually been a lot of fun cooking together and trying new recipes.

    (...since January I've lost 17 pounds...eating cleanish :)... portion control... and a vigorous work out 3-4 times a week...I can't contribute it to one thing)

    Hope this helps!
  • DamnImCute
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    From a former vegan: use coconut oil (preferably organic) if you're concerned about fat. It's a "good fat" and you can use it for anything. I haven't used anything else in 3 years. It's even great for cooking in case you want to fry something <ugh...gasp> :ohwell:

    Also... for new vegans...fyi: be careful about quantity of consumed of food. While it's a plant-based diet, you can still become overweight by eating too many fruits (high in sugar) and veggies (high in carbs).

    I couldn't maintain a vegan diet (I love eggs) :sad: but many of my more positive eating habits were learned from my years of being vegan. I still eat 1 1/2 tsp of coconut oil before every meal :heart:

    There's TONS of great vegan recipes out there today! (Even restaurants!)
  • chachilynn
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    I watched the documentary this past weekend and I have suggested this to any and every person I've come in contact with this week. I am trying to make the switch. The meat shouldnt be too hard, the dairy is another thing. But I was curious as to others thoughts on the whole food plant based diet concept as well? Anybody else eat this way presently?
  • sammybey
    sammybey Posts: 72 Member
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    I gradually switched over to a plant-based diet (started last July). I did it for mainly my health, not to lose any extra weight- I was already within 5 pounds of my goal weight at that time. You can definitely gain weight just as easily with a plant-based diet (I am now up a few extra pounds!). I started by going eliminating meat, but still eating eggs/dairy/fish. Then I cut out the rest after a few months.

    I still make exceptions with eating some eggs/butter/milk in prepared foods, but that is maybe once per month, when going out to eat or eating foods other people have made.

    I feel great. I do still crave sugary foods if I go overboard on the sweets for a few days (I love to bake), but otherwise I enjoy knowing that I am eating as healthily as I possibly can.