After being Vegetarian for 40 years I turned full Vegan from January this year. I've always had terrible digestion issues with gastroparesis starting a few years back accompanied with lots of sickness, bloating etc. Since turning Vegan I've hardly been ill, the diet really suits my stomach. Trouble is I'm eating much more now then I used to and it's staying down! I must be the only person to put on half a stone since turning Vegan! Most people say how much weight they lose eating a plant based diet. I attempt to follow a healthy diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits, nuts, plant milks etc. Trouble is there are masses of junk food items that are also Vegan and I find them very hard to resist, especially in an evening. I know what to do to lose weight, i.e. eat less calories than you burn but actually doing it is proving difficult and it's really frustrating when yet again I sabotage my healthy diet with something 'junky'. Any tips from anyone are welcome, especially any Vegans out there who are also hoping to drop a few pounds? I need to lose around a stone now!
Jo
Written by
Josiesmith
12 stone
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Hello and welcome back Josiesmith and wow!! That’s a serious weight loss success you have there. But you’re absolutely right to tackle the slippery slope now before it becomes an issue 😊
If you haven’t already then please have another read the Pinned Posts here healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... as a few things have changed recently
As you may remember, this is a very busy forum with lots going on, and nothing beats joining in, reading posts and replying to others. Our group Weigh-in and the Daily Diary are probably the best places to start. Regular forum involvement is probably the best thing you can do to help with your weight loss and health improvement
A lot of the new trendy vegan foods are ultra processed and very high in refined carbs. I think the way for all of us to be healthiest is to eat food as close to it's natural state as possible. Can you switch towards whole foods?
Yes, I am milk and dairy free (25 years) and am currently losing weight after starting with slimming world in November because my blood results came back that I I was pre diabetic which I feel was because I had put weight on: I have cfs/me and are therefore less active. I have lost 1stone 11bs so far. What I have dropped foodwise Is vegan cheese and potatoes and upped my brown rice and sweet potatoes. I feel that alot of vegan foods have high carbohydrate and for me, the lack of activity means I wasn't processing them. Since changing my diet to include more vegan proteins, veg and fruit and less fat and sugar, the weight has just dropped off steadily. It is limiting the totally tasty food that you can get as a vegan that helps ( although it can be a challenge). My friend made a wheat free, sugar free, vegan cheesecake that was absolute heaven! Without thinking about it I could easily have had two slices but, in moderation is key. So, less treat foods and more veg and fruit will help you loose those extra pounds for sure!
Glad you've found a path that's helped turn things around for you so significantly
Carbs can be as addictive as many other things in life. They break down as sugar in your blood stream which provides us with a bit of a 'high' but this then triggers insulin release, quickly removing the sugar which in turn leaves us craving more.
I'm lchf and the fat is a good satiate (amongst other things) but in your situation, I guess you need to moderate the kind of carbs you're consuming and try to minimise or stay clear of ones with a high glycaemic index (GI) as these are processed more quickly into sugar in your blood stream.
You probably already know all that but here's a reasonable visual aid of the sugar loads in various foods... phcuk.org/nice/
I began eating vegan in January 2019 (this was my third attempt) and would say I am 98% successful (I sometimes have cheese if nothing else is available when eating out). I know what you mean about putting on weight even when eating only plants - in my case it's the carbs which get me. So I am currently trying to avoid anything made with flour and sticking to the few grains I know don't raise my blood glucose (quinoa, barley, bulgur, but all in small quantities). Fortunately, I don't have a sweet tooth but I could easily demolish a whole loaf of home made bread by myself.
I avoid the vegan junk food you can get these days by making my own! Every couple of weeks I have a big batch cooking session and make sausages, burgers, seitan steaks for the freezer. When the cravings hit, there is always something to hand and I know exactly what I'm eating. I also love tofu and tempeh, which helps. Have you found Gaz Oakley on YouTube? youtube.com/channel/UCF-ACP...
He makes tasty vegan stuff which isn't boring and his recipes work. Easy to tweak for carb and fat content to suit whatever you need to do.
Thanks for the replies. Yes, YouTube has been brilliant and I'm adding to my recipe folder all the time. I am enjoying trying new foods and try to eat consciously and make the right choices. I just wish my life wasn't so ruled by food, particularly sweet stuff. There are so many really important, life-changing things to deal with I get annoyed that food is such a big issue. It shouldn't be!
I feel as though I've been on a diet since birth. At what point do we let this go..and more to the point...how?
Anyway, onward, ever onward. The world's certainly got bigger problems at the moment then what I'm having for lunch😀😉♥️
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