Vegan weight loss?

[Todayisanewday75]

Hi, I am just starting out being vegan. I could also do with losing some weight to finally get back to pre DC weight. Previously I have lost weight doing low carb but that doesn't seem possible being vegan. Does anyone have any advice on what's best to eat and what to avoid? Cutting out sugar seems the obvious first step but then I get a bit confused.

I think it's easy to lose weight on a vegan diet IF you don't overdose on dates, nut butters, avocado and oils.

Therein lies my current problem!

I think things like avocado, nut butters etc are good as they are the healthy fats and can help you to lose weight (eaten in moderation as everything) as well as keep you much fuller longer and stop that "reaching for more snacks" thing... avoid bread though, starchy carbs, sugar, cakes...those are the things that mean your blood sugar drops and makes you want to eat more again and get hungry quicker. if you read that Blood Sugar diet book by Michael Mosely it will explain - although it's not about veganism there are useful ideas in there for what to eat and not to eat in terms of keeping your blood sugar down to avoid getting hungry again through eating the wrong things...

suggestions are - nut butters, avocado, olive oil, oatcakes, porridge, protein based dishes - eg. lentils / beans etc - dahl, curries, stews, hummus, guacamole kind of things etc will keep you fuller longer and give you the energy you need but with the slow energy release, pair up with a good leafy salad or whatever...!

I'm not vegan, but I managed to gain weight during Veganuary this year . Weight loss wasn't the reason I did it, but honestly, I'd secretly hoped I'd lose some. I think, in my case, it was down to too many starchy carbs and sweet things. I love potatoes, dark chocolate and bread anyway, but I think I went a bit mad on them during Veganuary.

I've heard good things about a vegan, whole food diet. There's a Forks Over Knives book and app I think, though I haven't tried them.

Don't eat loads of Oreos (which is what I did in Veganuary).

Pay attention to protein. So quinoa is good as it's quite high in protein and it's a complete protein. Combining rice with lentils makes a complete protein- eaten together they are higher in protein than the sum of their individual proteins (this works for any legume-grain combination e.g. Peanut butter and toast, but rice and lentils are particularly good).

And just avoid as much processed stuff like coconut cheese etc as you can.

Thanks for the replies.
The good fat and quality protein keeping you full definitely makes sense. I guess I'm a bit wary of grains having stayed off them for a while. I can't eat bread, doesn't agree with me, so trying to stick with quinoa, buckwheat and brown rice (unless OH cooks because white rice is quicker!).
I mostly gave up sugar a few years ago so don't really want any vegan replacements.
I have been tempted to buy vegan burgers and sausages but realise that part of eating this way for me is to avoid processed foods altogether. I did get vegan parmesan yesterday but you only use a bit at a time. So for protein I'm mostly eating pulses. Not sure about tofu, tempeh etc as I don't really know how to cook them.

Have you been on the minimalist baker website OP? I've done a few recipes off there and they were yum- made lovely meatballs out of tempeh whereas I'd never had success with it before. It also has a recipe for vegan Parmesan which has improved my meals. Thinking of getting her book...

Thanks danger I'll have look

Low carb is possible vegan (I did it for a year). You might want to look into nutritarian eating though. It's eating lots of micronutrient-dense foods, then you don't have room left for the unhealthy stuff! Plus it seems to prevent (and even potentially cure) just about anything (including weight gain).

I joined the Dr Fuhrman website for the first three months, then didn't need to subscribe any longer as I'd got the idea and learned some of the recipes. Some people just buy the book though.

www.drfuhrman.com/

What kind of things did you eat rosie?

I am trying to focus on veg, fruit and pulses with a couple of small portions of wholegrains and some nuts and seeds. Not sure where coconut fits in, I do like cooking with coconut milk but it is mighty calorific.

I lost 10kg from following a whole food vegan diet with the odd (well, okay, regular) treat. Try the Forks Over Knives film and some of their recipes - I found them a bit hit and miss but there are some really good ones in there.

Two months ago, I radically switched to a plant based diet, which is vegan/no processed food/ low IGF/ antiangiogenesis and I really saw my weight go down so now I am munching on almonds all day to maintain it.

If you eat only fruit and veg and legumes with some brown rice, whole flour bread, the weight goes. As a PP said, Oreos and chips are vegan so you have to take the extra step to really switch to plants.

I am low carb. Fruit only for breakfast, a variety of salads and cooked/braised/raw vegetables for lunch with plenty of soups and legumes. You can be low carb and vegan

When I became vegan I put on weight but after 4 months on Slimming World, lost over 4 stones.

Eating out is hard. Went for a pub lunch at the weekend and literally the only things to eat were chips and a side salad.

Sometimes if eating out if its possible you might be able to combine some side dishes to make a meal. Depends on the menu though. Some of the chains are doing vegan options now though.

It took two attempts for me to become vegan.

My first time was in the February and I just filled up on carbs, pizza, bread, pasta, meat replacers. I both caved when we went on holiday within the first twelve hours and put on a stone.

Second time I approached it with a far healthier and balanced outcome. It's all about having a well rounded diet. I've found it's far easier to lose weight when I'm eating sensibly.