Vegan "Diet" plan

A caveat to those who wonder if a vegetarian or vegan diet will help them lose weight: You can still be an unhealthy, overweight person on these "diets."

I gained over FIFTEEN pounds my first year as a vegan. Carbs, like pasta and bagels, are sometimes the only option when eating on the go.

Also, there's a host of vegan cookies, cakes and desserts now available at a lot of supermarkets. They may not have milk and eggs, but they still have sugar and oil. Some of those delicious Alternative Baking Company cookies have 500-600 calories each.

Bottom line: You need a balance low-fat proteins, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, regardless of whether your protein is from animal sources or not.

Thu. Apr 10, 12:54pm

I second this! I've gained some weight after becoming vegan. About ten pounds in a year, eek. Now that I know how to eat, the weight is coming back off.

I just graduated from a vocational school that had an alternative health store connected to it. That store had these amazing vegan peanut butter cookies that I never thought to look up the calories for. Once I did, I found out that I was consuming 450 calories with just one cookie! This was part of my lunch at least once a week for several months. Crazy.

Any way of eating can be unhealthy when you're uneducated about what you're putting in your body.

Thursday, April 10, 2008, 2:52 PM

You make a good point. No matter 'how' you eat -if you eat more than you need - you'll gain weight! I find myself vulnerable to this if I'm attempting to make any changes in my diet. I'm so caught up in the 'new' things I'm eating - I eat more than I should.

Thursday, April 10, 2008, 3:11 PM

When I first transitioned to a vegan diet I was eating so healthy!! I was eating fruit and oats for breakfast, huge salads with beans for lunch and lentils or tofu with steamed veggies for dinner. It was ideal! Then I found all the 'replacement foods'. Veganaise, toffuti cream cheese and sour cream, ice cream, cobbler, ARGH!! Any food item can be made vegan. I am currently struggling with getting back to a 'whole food' diet, eliminating processed food and just sticking with fruits and veggies and beans.

Thursday, April 10, 2008, 3:32 PM

My 2 cents...

Honestly, I think most of us feel attracted to a vegan diet for very good reasons but the seduction of it - is more fun than the work of it. It takes dedication, awareness and discipline. I guess like anything great for us. I was in great shape on a raw foods diet and loved it (for one year.) I was also healing and on disability and had tons of time to grow food and make great meals. The diet was the best medicine - really hyper- speed my healing. Working there is no way I have the time. Now I just am trying to eat simply, whether vegan or not.

Friday, April 11, 2008, 1:28 AM

Yes, it is hard - at first. But after my first year, I know what things I can/can't have, what pitfalls to watch for (like the OP, those darn carbs!) and it's soooo easy now!

Friday, April 11, 2008, 10:17 AM

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