One would think a vegan diet would mean weight loss. Not true for this fat kid. I gained probably 15 lbs as soon as I switched to a vegan diet and have had a really hard time trying to lose that weight ever since (it's been almost a year now). Don't get me wrong, nothing would ever make me go back. The suffering and misery animals used for food endure is enough to make me accept the love handles (alright, I've always had those). If you have any questions about that, I would encourage you to watch the documentary Earthlings. Life changing beyond belief.
Part of it is that, no matter what anyone says, you're going to consume more carbs. Because there are so many foods that you can no longer eat that once helped fill you up (ie cheese, chicken, fish, yogurt), you need to fill that void with something. I LOVE veggies, but I admit that they're not as satisfying as, say, a nice, fresh ciabattta roll...straight out of the oven and soft and gooey in the middle. YUM. I just may wander to Whole Foods most lunch hours to grab one. Anyhow, I digress. I also have always had my reliable go-to diet plan when I wanted to drop a few pounds, which consisted of eating a lot of chicken breast or fish and low-fat yogurt as a snack. So I no longer have my fall-back diet plan available.
BUT one perk is that a lot of the temptations are taken off the table. Most baked goods that you could all-too-easily pick up from the grocery store contain eggs or dairy. And the candy aisle is not nearly as dangerous. I can't eat M&Ms, Snickers, Junior Mints, Butterfingers...you get the jist. And yet, I find a way around it. I have taken to keeping Whole Foods' vegan chocolate chips on hand. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Anyhow, I'm really determined to lose these last 15 pounds for summer. So I'm going to see what I can do about a new go-to diet plan. Clearly I'm still going to look and feel obese in my bridesmaid dress in two weeks -- I've accepted that. But I still want to slim down. I'll keep ya posted -- I know you'll be on the edge of your seat until then. :)
Hi! I'm in the exact same boat as you, only i continue to gain weight. Short of keeping a food diary, i'm at a loss, and it's so aggravating.
ReplyDeleteThe bad news is, there's plenty of vegan temptation in DC. You are lucky that Sticky Fingers and Pete's Apizza (with vegan soy cheese) aren't on your way home from work like they are mine.
ReplyDeleteThe good news is, carbs don't make you fat. Calories are calories. Eat healthy whole foods and you don't have to worry how much of it is carbs. It's no harder to lose or maintain weight as a vegan. The reason people gain weight is generally because they haven't yet become accustomed to buying, cooking, and eating healthy and satisfying vegan foods to replace the (relatively) healthy and satisfying non-vegan foods they used to eat.
I actually recommend keeping track of calories in and calories out. There are free websites that let you do this. There's no magic to losing weight, and it's the same for vegans as non-vegans -- eat healthy whole foods and make sure calories in are less than calories out. And unless you have amazing restraint in the eating department, this means lots of exercise, exercise, exercise.
MrsBug - I feel your pain. I'll keep ya posted on any good solutions I come up with!
ReplyDeleteJen - I know what you're saying, but there is something to be said about carb consumption. Any diet plan I have ever been on, limits carbs (or "starches") for a reason. I need to learn about eating in moderation...27 years old, and I still pride myself on cleaning my plate.
Also, I've tried tracking calories online, and it's kind of a lot of work and I notice myself becoming obsessive with it. I didn't like that aspect of it.
Really appreciate your insight, though! :)