Losing Weight Vegan Style

October 19, 2008

A while back I did a vlog wherein I said I went vegan and didn’t lose any weight. I only lose weight when I TRY to lose weight, not when I try to save animals’ lives. The reason, I surmise, that I didn’t lose weight was because:

  • I was already vegetarian and relatively healthy. A switch from vegetarianism to veganism isn’t nearly as dramatic as a switch from omnivorism to veganism.
  • I was and still am a bit of a convenient vegan. I eat convenience foods more often than I should. I’m not truly a “junk-food vegan” but I have nothing against junk-food veganism :)
  • I drink alcohol, I drink coffee, and I consume sugar.
  • I tend to over-eat, regardless of what kind of food I eat.

That said, I didn’t gain any weight when I went vegan. In fact, it’s easier now to maintain my current weight as a vegan than it was as a vegetarian.

HOWEVER, I know what it’s like to lose weight. I lost about 40 pounds once and I’ve kept that weight off. I was vegetarian pre weight loss and vegetarian post weight loss. It wasn’t about vegetarianism. It was about getting control of my eating and about exercising more. In that time I learned lot about weight loss. I share some of those tips here:

How to lose weight healthily & happily:

  1. Eat foods that are nutrient-dense. Eat a variety of healthful, whole foods.
  2. Avoid nutrient deficient foods, like many processed foods. Avoid dangerous foods: meat, dairy and eggs.
  3. Exercise regularly, preferably an hour a day.


Counting calories is a tried and true method for weight loss. But in order to stay healthy, those calories should come from healthy, whole foods. And in order for your heart and lungs to stay healthy and your body to look toned, you need to exercise, too.

I know this from experience and research. I recommend reading:

  • The China Study
  • The Thrive Diet
  • Eat More, Weigh Less
  • Fit or Fat

Mentioned in the above video:

  • Diet Power ( http://dietpower.com/ )
  • DietMinder Personal Food & Fitness Journal
  • Vega Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer
  • Deva Vegan Multivitamin & Mineral Supplement


More resources for vegan weight loss:

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under Food, Health, Fitness, & Beauty, veganism 

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Comments

9 Responses to “Losing Weight Vegan Style”

  1. meerkat on October 20th, 2008 6:39 am

    How long have you kept off those 40 lbs?

  2. Elaine Vigneault on October 20th, 2008 8:02 am

    About 6 years. The 40 pounds was gained during a not-so-great relationship with an omni ;) He was/is a good guy, we just never really evolved. I lost the weight after we split up. Heh, it was revenge dieting.

  3. Kara on October 20th, 2008 1:49 pm

    I have thought about becoming a vegetarian for a while now, and I think I’m ready to take the first step. I would like to lose weight and feel good about what I put into my body. I’ve been taking Appetite Down, a vegan friendly appetite suppressant, and it’s worked really well for me so far. Wish me luck!

    http://appetitedown.com/

  4. Elaine Vigneault on October 20th, 2008 2:18 pm

    Kara, please make sure you eat nutrient-dense foods. Get plenty of healthy, whole vegan foods.

  5. meerkat on October 20th, 2008 11:04 pm

    Oh, so you were returning to your previous weight, not losing weight you’d had for your adult life?

  6. Elaine Vigneault on October 21st, 2008 12:35 am

    Meerkat - What are you trying to get at?

  7. Elaine Vigneault on October 21st, 2008 12:37 am

    Did you even watch the video?

  8. meerkat on October 22nd, 2008 12:52 am

    I’m getting at the fact that no, you don’t know what it’s like for a naturally fat person to lose weight and keep it off. This post comes off as “veganism is not a weight loss diet, but weight loss is easy, here is how to do it,” and at the end of the video it sounds like you equate “healthy” with “thinner.” Helpful for dieters, sure, but not terribly accepting toward fat people who don’t diet.

  9. Elaine Vigneault on October 22nd, 2008 10:08 am

    I think you inferred too much from too little.

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