Help just went vegan and gaining weight!!
Posted by sally99 on Mar 24, 2013 · Member since Mar 2013 · 2 posts
Help, just went Vegan and gained 3 pounds! I do eat a lot of oats. does anyone think that may be a problem. I eat either steel cut oats or a homemade granola (oats, seeds, nuts, aagave, coconut) for breakfast and sometime i have the granola for a snack. I have a vegi sandwich on daves killer whole wheat bread for lunch and usually a salad and bean soup or pasta for dinner. Carrots, almonds, raisins, oranges for snacks. my husband went vegan only a few days a week and of course lost 4 pounds and i gained 3. I just thought i would lose weight.
Going Veg is not a guarantee to weight loss. You still have to make the right decsions. Most of the weight you lose is from the lack of snacking available and smaller choice of foods as well as not eating out as much. Giving up meat is usually replaced with lots of pasta and grains. Not always bad but too many is not going to help with losing the lbs. make sure you choose the right grains. Whole grain(watch for the word enriched in these products)
Also men and women store fat differently. Women have a need for a higher fat content. Thats what gives us all those curves guys love. Also, when you change your diet it puts your body into a stress state. It doesnt really know what is happening and you may hold onto your weight or put on more. It is something our body does from back when meals were scarce and if we didnt hunt or the season was bad we would starve. Once your new diet becomes the norm your body will give it up and you will go back to your normal weight and maybe lose a few.
Remember that what you eat is only half the equation. if you are looking to lose you also have to become more active.
I know this isnt as economically friendly, but how about replacing your normal grains with gluten-free versions. Dairy and gluten are the two things that can help with weightloss if you cut them out. They have a lot of GF choices out there now, but I do recommend you make the bread because there arent any good GF breads out there.
I also agree that being active plays a big role in trying to shed the pounds. I'm experiencing weight changes too. In time our bodies will feel balanced :) Good Luck!
Agreed fully! I am a new vegetarian but I am also gluten free, HOWEVER, I do not substitute the products in my diet very often(for gluten). I eat from the perimeter of the store and occasionally venture to the GF isle to get some quinoa pasta. You still need to watch your portions, calorie intake, exercise regimen, etc.
P.S. I went through an overnight weight change when I changed my diet to veggies. I gained what seemed to be 10 lbs in literally a day. Within a week that 10 lbs was gone and I am steadily losing weight on a healthy level.
I would recommend you look at the serving sizes you are eating. The granola would be very calorie dense given nuts, seeds, and coconut. Dried fruit and nuts are also calorie dense. While they are healthy they pack in a lot of calories. Regardless of what diet type you follow, if you are consuming more calories than your body uses you will gain weight. I would suggest making sure you are getting a fresh fruit or vegetable with every meal or snack. They add nutrition with a smaller calorie count.
Make sure the diet is still low-fat and watch the calories. As mentioned, a lot of nuts and seeds can have high calorie counts.
To cut back my "grains" I started with green smoothies in the morning (usually a banana, some frozen fruits, and some kale or spinach, water) instead of oatmeal. I did this because I know I often resort to rice or quinoa in some form for dinner. It sounds to me like you are getting a lot of refined carbs/ grains in your diet (at each meal). Try cutting grains back and adding in more fruits and veggies.
For example, the morning smoothie, and at dinner use brown rice or quinoa LOADED with veggies (I mean like a 1:1 ratio of grain to veggie). Try to incorporate more salads, if possible.
Do not cut down on your grains. They are not gonna make you fat. Try cutting down on your dried fruit, coconut, and mostly, your nuts. Healthy or not, they have a LOT of fat in them. Basically what packpup says. Cut down on your nuts and calorie dense stuff while losing weight, when you've shifted it, start having it again, just in smaller amounts.