Gone Vegan and the Inches are just coming off!

Ballabriggs

I was toying with the idea of going vegan for a while, not for ethical reasons but for health reasons. I've always suspected that dairy is not good for my body (mild reaction which i've started to notice more) and I really wanted to go for a good health boost.


Anyway since I started 10 days ago I've lost 3.5" off my body !!!!!!! :j:j:j I never like the scales so I go for body measurements instead.

That's without any major exercise or starving myself. I eat healthy, delicious meals and I'm not craving anything. I can't believe the difference it has made. I feel less bloated and have more energy. Plus I don't spend the same amount i did on food so its really good for my bank balance as well.

My favourite things I've discovered so far are:

Rice milk in tea is great.
Soya milk with weetabix - soooo nice
Homemade Thai veg green curry (without fish sauce!)
Homemade bubble and squeek

Has anyone else found they've lost weight without trying when they've switched over to veganism? What are your fav dishes (trying to get more ideas).

heartbreak_star

I went the other way - I eat no grains at all but meat or fish at least twice a day, and I'm stronger and healthier than ever.

Proves the same things don't work for everyone lol!

HBS x

kafkathecat

I was vegan for 20 years and twice had to lose weight. At 29 it was relatively easy but at 45 I was 2 stone overweight and only low carbing shifted it. I am still mainly vegan but have small amounts of cheese and very, very occasionally egg. I think any change of diet can help weight loss until you get used to it but my problem is definitely carbs and I have felt much healthier since avoiding them.

Ballabriggs

kafkathecat wrote: »

I was vegan for 20 years and twice had to lose weight. At 29 it was relatively easy but at 45 I was 2 stone overweight and only low carbing shifted it. I am still mainly vegan but have small amounts of cheese and very, very occasionally egg. I think any change of diet can help weight loss until you get used to it but my problem is definitely carbs and I have felt much healthier since avoiding them.

That was one thing I was worried about when going vegan, eating lot more carbs in the form of bread, pasta, rice etc. But so far so good. I don't think vegan = slim, it just seems to be working at the moment. My veggie intake had gone up dramatically, my body doesn't know what's happened!

blossomhill_2

It sounds like you have reduced your protein intake and could be losing muscle

uk_american

I had the same experience as you. I went vegan a few years back in my early 20's and the weight just fell off (I wasn't a heavily overweight person, but was at the top of the normal body bmi), and overall I felt much healthier.

Although, I went from eating things like fried fatty food and pizza to healthy stir fries and the like. Veganism for me made it simple to make healthy choices. Fast forward 10+ years, I went back to being vegetarian and eventually incorporated some fish into my diet. I still however, avoid the dairy as I've never digested it well and my weight has stayed at the bottom end of the normal bmi even as i'm in my late 30s.

Recipe-wise I do a lot of stir fries and veg heavy meals and 90% of my meals are still vegan (barring fish twice a week and an occasional egg). I find myself gravitating away from heavy carb meals such as pasta or bread, not on purpose, but just that I don't crave it so much. A normal stir fry for me will include double the amount of veg to noodles ratio. Back in my early 20's that wasn't the case, but maybe due to a slower metabolism, who knows.

As you mentioned recipes OP, early on I paid special attention to make sure that I had enough protein, iron, etc. as it was a new way to cook for me--so making sure to include beans and dark leafy greens on a daily basis into my menu planning. Over the years it's now become second nature.

Like you I enjoy my curries. I do a lot of spicy foods, so bean tacos and tofu or tempeh in stir fries. Another favourite that my non-veg friends enjoy too--stuffed portabello mushrooms as a main. You can stuff with a soy-cheese based stuffing, although I go for breadcrumbs in a tomato based sauce, it's quite flexible for whatever veg/beans you have at hand.

Good luck and enjoy the health benefits!

heartbreak_star

I think a lot depends on what you're doing for exercise and what you want out of it.

I know a few vegan runners...but few vegan powerlifters. I couldn't lift the amount I do without plenty of protein

I'd rather be strong with compact muscle than very slim

HBS x

Ballabriggs

uk_american wrote: »

I had the same experience as you. I went vegan a few years back in my early 20's and the weight just fell off (I wasn't a heavily overweight person, but was at the top of the normal body bmi), and overall I felt much healthier.

Although, I went from eating things like fried fatty food and pizza to healthy stir fries and the like. Veganism for me made it simple to make healthy choices. Fast forward 10+ years, I went back to being vegetarian and eventually incorporated some fish into my diet. I still however, avoid the dairy as I've never digested it well and my weight has stayed at the bottom end of the normal bmi even as i'm in my late 30s.

Recipe-wise I do a lot of stir fries and veg heavy meals and 90% of my meals are still vegan (barring fish twice a week and an occasional egg). I find myself gravitating away from heavy carb meals such as pasta or bread, not on purpose, but just that I don't crave it so much. A normal stir fry for me will include double the amount of veg to noodles ratio. Back in my early 20's that wasn't the case, but maybe due to a slower metabolism, who knows.

As you mentioned recipes OP, early on I paid special attention to make sure that I had enough protein, iron, etc. as it was a new way to cook for me--so making sure to include beans and dark leafy greens on a daily basis into my menu planning. Over the years it's now become second nature.

Like you I enjoy my curries. I do a lot of spicy foods, so bean tacos and tofu or tempeh in stir fries. Another favourite that my non-veg friends enjoy too--stuffed portabello mushrooms as a main. You can stuff with a soy-cheese based stuffing, although I go for breadcrumbs in a tomato based sauce, it's quite flexible for whatever veg/beans you have at hand.

Good luck and enjoy the health benefits!

Thank you for your input, this is really similar to the approach I'm now taking. I use a lot of Quorn/Soya products which keeps my protein intake up and I make sure I take a vitamin supplement. I don't find myself craving loads of carbs like I used to either. I look forward to the taste of veggies now, especially cabbage and tomatoes. Seems like my taste buds are re-adjusting. Btw what is tempeh?

Blossomhill - I'm definitely not losing muscle mass as the wobbly bits are getting less wobbly IYKWIM;) I'm making sure I get enough protein through other sources: nuts, soya products, quorn and so on.

uk_american

Ballabriggs wrote: »

Btw what is tempeh?

It's a product made out of soy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempeh
but it's very different in taste and texture to tofu. It remains firm and chewy, so nice if you're cooking up something hearty. Or you can also use it in stirfrys too. I've seen it fried as well, although maybe not as healthy then.;)

In the States I'd find it in health food stores and sold fresh, over here in the UK, my local Asian store has it, but in the freezer section. (It's ok to freeze it to preserve freshness, but if it's a big block, then you're stuck having to use the whole thing once thawed.) They sell it in a clingfilm wrapper, and it has a white, bumpy texture.

kafkathecat

Most quorn contains egg but if you have a source of vegan quorn do share. If you are still eating egg you are not vegan.

Re: tempeh, I have a knife which will cut it frozen so I buy those nice big blocks from the chinese supermarket.

Fire_Fox

Please consider taking a marine algae extract for long chain omega-3s and possibly bioavailable vitamin D in the winter, depending what your doctor thinks. Both very difficult to get from a vegetarian or vegan diet - short chain omega-3s in seeds like ground flax and chia are not a direct substitute because the conversion rate to the useable long chain format is so low.