Any other vegans out there?
 

any other vegans out there? got any vegan weight loss tips?

*waves madly*

So I know this post was from foreverago--I only found it via that Tag Cloud thingy, BUT I'm super excited that another vegan exists here. I've seen a few posts about people turning towards veganism as part of one fad diet or another, but none yet that are from people who are already vegan. (Or maybe I'm misreading/misinterpreting the posts I've seen--I certainly am not aiming to offend or exclude here.)

So I guess I'll just second this call for now--any other vegans? Any recipes/support/solidarity on this front?

--Torre

+1 for the 'Tag Cloud thingy'. *Smiles largely* :D

Oh I'm sure you'll find at least a few active members that are vegans. You could start your own Vegan thread if you want. There's no recent activity under "Diets" for Vegans, so starting a new thread is perfectly acceptable and encouraged.

Also, there will also be a lot of new members here in just a few short weeks. "New Year's Resolution" thing, ya know.

Welcome to FitDay, Torre!

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/213/welcomewqn.gif

I am what I call "85% vegan", meaning that I'll occasionally eat some meat or seafood, and rarely some dairy products.

Some weight loss tips... I'd have to say that a key is eating diverse foods, to make sure you get all your nutrients that you need. Unlike meat, most plant-based nutrients are spread out over foods, so it's important to eat diverse foods, and make sure you're getting all your essential amino acids. I'd also say, remember that even though vegan is healthier, it doesn't mean less calories. Fritos are vegan. Bread is vegan. Olive oil is vegan. Just make sure you're eating the right kinds of foods, and the right amounts.

Good luck! :-)

Because of medical issues I have had to go to a vegetarian lifestyle way of eating and thought I'd let those who would be interested to know about the book my son got me for Christmas called The Vegetarian Way by Virginia Messina,MPH,RD and Mark Messina, PhD.

I have found it very informative and hope you do also.

Hi. I'm a vegan for many reasons, not least of which is health, and I'm also losing weight. This is my first post on a fitday forum, and I think I'd enjoy participating in a vegan "support" thread here on fitday. When I get time this weekend I might start one, unless someone else gets one established sooner. Either way, I'm "in". ;-)

Not vegan, but am interested in more information.
 

On and Off
 

I went vegan about 4 years ago and lost a dramatic amount of weight as well as lowering my cholesterol significantly. Unfortunately my work situation changed, I had to travel and I ate what was readily available.
Both for the animals and for my own health, I would prefer to maintain a vegan diet. My husband has seen how it affected me before and would like to do the same.
I'm wondering- unless you are eating falafel or lots of nuts, how do you eat enough calories to struggle with your weight on a vegan diet? I'm not being judgmental or doubting you, but I found that the volume of water and fiber I consumed made it hard to eat *enough* calories.

I am not vegan but one of my close friends is I am not sure how long you ate vegan but their is a lot of foods you can eat including tons of junk food.
Almost all candy is vegan
Many potato chips
cookies
donuts
melba toast
granola bars
pretzels
I could go on and on but any eating plan has good and poor choices I eat mostly organic and whole foods and I still managed to put 30 of my 70lbs I lost back on. Trust me organic ice cream with pure dark chocolate is very tasty and calorie laden.:) Enough nuts and avocado's with whole grain chips will take my total calorie allotment for the day.

I have found since going almost vegan/vegetarian way of eating that it is not necessarily the healthiest way of eating as most recipes do not omit sugar.salt and includes alot of carbs(pasta-potatoes-rice etc.)
Since I had to go on this lifestyle way of eating due to severe medical reasons I found I have to alter alot of the recipes.

So I am eating more of a vegetable-vegan/vegetarian diet which consists more of the fresh veggies and fruits no sodium or sugar and use veggie protein options it has greatly improved my condition and will be a lifestyle way of eating for me as I can not eat the way I use to or my health issues will worsen.

I have found alot of meals I enjoy and it isn't that hard to tweek them to fit my needs.
If anyone is interested in some recipes I have tried please ask.

I have lost from 234 lbs (July 2011) to 163 lbs (today) goal is to get to 140 lbs

oil in vegan cooking
 

I began a vegan way of eating at the beginning of the year. I did it primarilly for health reasons but in doing research found many many other reasons to eat/live this way. One thing that concerns me is the topic of oil. I notice that most of the recipies I make use oil and I am not completely sold on the healthiness of certain oils... Seems to me they are still highly processed and still 100 percent fat. What have people tried successfully that they can share with me about alternatives to oils in vegan cooking(not just baking). Also I am sad to say that I have had a lot of stress lately and my diet has faltered at least fifty percent of the time...Any inspirational motivating reasons why people out there are vegan would be great too. Thanks!

I dabble in veganism, and I can understand about the oil. Not all oils may be healthy but don't think of just the oil itself think about the balance of your day. True nutrition is not just about what you eat, it is about how you eat it. Veganism is great because you may be cooking with oil but turn around and look at all of the healthy choices you are making. With animal products out of your diet, I can only assume your fat intake has been decreased dramatically. Besides not all fat is bad. If you are truly cooking with a concerning amount of oil. I would instead look at what you are cooking. If you are frying a lot, maybe try broiling.

On this thread I have seen a lot of reponses about veganism not being healthy. If you are eating only carbs, sugars and crap, yeah that's not going to work. What I suggest is get a vegan cookbook that would fit best for your life. There are tons of options. My personal fav is the Veganomicon. The key to Veganism, as in all nutrition is protein. Build your plate around your protein of choice, fill at least half the plate with fruits and veggies, and then if you want grains, do it. Remember that Veganism is actually the recommended diet by the UN. The only real struggle is b12. Take a supplement.

That may not have answered your question, but I really don't think you should sweat it. Being Vegan is hard enough. Make healthy choices about what you are putting into your body, portion control, read the labels, you will be fine.

Baby vegans, it is hard, don't beat yourself up if you accidentally eat something, just keep on going. It gets easier with time.

veganism and oil etc....
 

Thanks so much for the advice. I really do see your point. Sometimes I feel that I have so much weight to lose that I have to be perfect. And when I am struggling with my way of eating ( as I am now) it is hard to not beat myself up when I make bad choices...Thanks

No problem. Don't beat yourself up, nobody is perfect. You were born a beautiful, remarkable imperfect being. If not for imperfections, we would all be single cells floating around in ooze. We all want to loose the weight to feel better about ourselves. We recieve back the energy we put out into the universe. Keep positive, and remember your goals, and most of all don't forget to live each day to its fullest.