Working towards Vegan, but.....

schmach1
schmach1 Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
I started my efforts to go vegan the first week of May and have managed to lose 18 lbs. I have eliminated Beef, Chicken, Pork and Turkey. I have been reduced down to 6oz of Fish once a week. I have eliminated cheese, eggs and dairy products as well.

The problem that I am having is that I have been at 18 lbs lost for almost 3 weeks now and have not lost any more. I have not found any information in my searches about how many calories, fat grams, fiber and protein I should limit myself to on this type of diet.

Another issue that I am having is that is so many "healthy, vegan or vegetarian" products that contain egg whites or milk whey in the ingredients that I am not sure whether or not they would be truly allowable in this diet.

I have found that the vegan diet was not such a hard adjustment for me as I thought that it was going to be The most prevalent struggle that I can identify is mayonnaise and butter. I have never used a lot of mayonnaise to begin with, but have always cooked with butter. I am estimating that my diet is currently 75-80% vegan, but I am not sure. My doctor would like me to be 80-100% vegan by the first week of August.

If there is anyone out there with more specific advice on my percentages, I would love to chat about it as I am the only "vegan" in my house of self proclaimed "meat-a-tarians".

Replies

  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    You have to describe how strictly you want to adhere to veganism, but no, eggs and milk are not part of a vegan diet. I'm a little surprised that you're not sure about that part... Are you going vegan just for weight loss benefits?
  • schmach1
    schmach1 Posts: 3
    I am going vegan more for the health benefits, but that would also include weight loss. I have gained weight because of thyroid issues and side effects of antidepressants. I gained almost 30 lbs in the last year that has effected several different health issues that I have and so when my doctor recommended a vegan diet I thought that I could manage it.

    the problem with the reconstituted egg whites and whey is that I find them hidden in the fine print of things like veggie burgers and whole grain waffles and english muffins that are advertised on the package as vegan. I have looked for places that sell truly vegan food, but they are hard to find. Since I have only started on this journey recently, I have not yet graduated to just straight fruits and vegetables yet. I still in the phase of "finding what I like" and can live with.
  • crumbtinies
    crumbtinies Posts: 29 Member
    *Please take everything I am about to say with the metaphorical grain of salt. I am not a nutritionist and do not claim to actually know what I am talking about on any more than a purely anecdotal level. I am simply trying to offer some advice and encouragement. Ask ten different people and you will find ten different opinions.

    First, congrats on your weight loss so far! It is pretty common to lose weight quickly when you first cut out a major food group (or two). Happens when you cut out carbs (of the grain variety) and it happens when you cut out meat and dairy as well. That being said, it is possible to gain weight and be unhealthy on a vegan diet, just like any other diet style. You still have to try and eat healthy, whole foods with as little processing as possible. I hear you on all the animal products that are hidden in seemingly vegan processed foods and it can be daunting to find vegan alternatives. Moving towards a whole food diet will help with this problem.

    As far as percentages, macro ratios, and calories go...I struggle with that too. Mostly in the protein category. There will always be folks who argue that you need tons of protein, and there are folks that argue that the normal recommendations are actually too high and you don't need nearly that much. I still can't decide what to believe on that. I highly suggest talking to your doctor (since he/she recommended this diet) or find a nutritionist that is knowledgeable in plant based diets and work with them to determine the best plan for you. I eat the same macros and calories on a vegetarian/vegan diet as I would on an omni diet to lose weight. The vegan part shouldn't have any effect on the number of calories you should be eating.

    There is a lot, and I mean a ton, of vegan blogs and recipes online. These can help you with all kinds of questions you may have, as well as giving you great ideas for recipes and meals. Two of my favorites are Oh She Glows, and Choosing Raw (not a 100% raw blog, mostly a vegan nutrition blog).

    Lastly, I just want to say, and this took me a while to figure out for myself, it does not have to be an all or nothing thing. Even cutting back meat and animal products by half is better than nothing at all. So don't beat yourself up if you need to take it slow, or if you accidentally eat something you didn't realize contained animal products. This is a process and it has to be one you can actually live with.
  • schmach1
    schmach1 Posts: 3
    Thank you. That is exactly what I needed to hear. Since I am in a house of strictly meat and potato eaters it is hard, but I really am a vegetable eater at heart. I do not like the vegan mayo because it just does not taste right to me, but I have cut that down to about 2-3 TBSP a week but that is currently my biggest struggle. I am doing a lot of soy substitutes for meat and they are not bad, but I still eat even that a few times a week. The smell of "meat" cooking does not even smell good to me anymore. As far as calorie intake goes I average about 900-1100 calories a day and do fine, but my husband is pushing for more calorie intake and more protein. I think that I am doing fine, but expected to lose more than I have since converting. BTW the weight loss scale is skewed since I had gained a lot since I first signed up in January. When I started with this diet change I weighed in at 248lbs as of this morning I am at 227.8 lbs, but the meter only shows 5 lbs lost, but I dont care. That amount of weight loss has been since the first week in May this year. I had hoped that I would have at least lost 30lbs or more in 3 months, but I am still not giving up. Since my body does not tolerate well going back to a meat eating diet then I think that I should stay with this one no matter how much I loose.

    Thank you again for your encouragement, it has struck a chord with me. I do have one more question that is probably pretty stupid, but I have to ask. I would like you to weigh in on the debate over sweeteners. I have used splenda for years, but I am getting worried about the chemical involved in making it and putting them into my body. I have attempted pure maple syrup & corn syrup as sweetners, but I am not a fan. I do not use processed white sugar at all, but have been known to use raw sugar in my cereal and coffee and debating on using it in baking, but I have that nagging little thought in the back of my head that "sugar is bad, bad, bad!!!" on a diet. What do you think? I am thinking more about the plant based products in moderation on this one, but I am still not sure.

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