Looking for weight loss tips on a vegan diet.

DoozerT6 · 22-04-2019 3:57pm #1

Hi all,

***I thought about posting this in Nutrition and Diet, but thought I might get a more vegan-centric response here - mods please move if you feel it would be better in N&D, thanks.

So I've been veggie for some time, but I am admittedly very lazy and lack any sense of 'stickability' to go to a gym/classes or stick to a 'diet'. I have over the past year or so become very uncomfortable in my skin, as I have put on quite a bit of weight. Clothes that previously fit are now tight or don't fit at all, I can physically see this excess weight on my body and face and I have had ENOUGH! I spend every summer sweltering in long clothes with long sleeves to cover my flabby bits and wearing big baggy jumpers and jeggings in winter, and I'm tired of looking and dressing years older than I actually am.

Can anybody recommend a vegan-friendly weight-loss diet (not 'diet plan' as such, but a way of eating) that has worked for them to lose a decent amount of weight. I probably need to lost about 4 stone (argh!!) to be slim, which I would like to be for once in my life! I can carry off a certain amount of this weight as I am reasonably broad, but I am definitely a good bit overweight.
Any recommendations?

Dial Hard · 22-04-2019 4:06pm

I'm not vegan but I saw this on the front page. The first thing anyone needs before they can recommend a plan is to know how much you're currently eating. What's a typical day's eating for you?

DoozerT6 · 22-04-2019 4:26pm

^^ It varies a bit, but I would tend to have maybe beans on toast, or a toasted bagel with peanut butter and maybe a banana too, or oats with dairy-free yogurt, berries, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds sprinkled over for breakfast, with a coffee and milk (I'm not fully vegan, would like to be though).

Mid-morning snack might be some fruit, or carrot sticks with hummus, or sometimes just a couple of biccies from the press at work, and another coffee. I am seldom able to resist any goodies in the kitchen at work, should they be there

Lunch, is typically home-made soup from the kitchen at work (I also make my own sometimes), maybe a veggie wrap or sandwich, and an Alpro yogurt, or else yesterday's dinner leftovers from home. Sometimes I'll get whatever the veggie-option full dinner is from work, usually a pasta dish, or something with rice.

Dinner - I do tend to have takeaway maybe twice a week, which I know I need to cut out

Maybe a tofu+veg dish with rice from the Chinese, (I'll add some hemp seeds) or just a bag of chips. Otherwise I often batch cook and freeze stuff. I do try to up the protein when I batch cook with lentils and chickpeas etc. I know myself that I need to eat more green veg.

I don't often snack after dinner.

I do supplement with a multivitamin, Vit D and biotin. I also try to drink plenty of water throughout the day. I am pretty physically inactive/sedentary on a day to day basis, which is my biggest downfall. I have real trouble with sticking to a physical activity regimen, I'll admit that.

davidjtaylor · 23-04-2019 11:09am

I wish you the very best of luck! We all know, putting on weight is easy but getting rid of it is really really difficult.

Here’s a few small tips.

First, try to not eat until you’re hungry - I rarely eat before 11. When you wake, your stomach is empty and the size of an orange. Try to keep it that way for as ling as poss and then only eat enough to take the edge off.

Second, when you cook anything, experiment substituting water for any oil you use. Stir fries, f’r instance. Or avoid fat in soups you make. Steam veggies rather than fry/bake with fat. Steamed veggies are wonderful with a light sprinkle of herb salt or some dried herbs.

Don’t use oil on your pasta. Add lemon juice to the boiling water instead. Oh, white pasta (and white rice) are rubbish, dump them. You need to “fibre up” to get more bulk with fewer calories.

Then, lots of walking and swimming, join a walking club?

Maybe an approach is to think long-term. Just avoiding milk in drinks: imagine if you’d always drunk coffee black, how much milk you wouldn’t have consumed? Lose a quarter pound a month, take your time?

davidjtaylor · 23-04-2019 11:21am

Ps white bread too - what a waste of time and energy!

eoinob50 · 27-04-2019 2:22pm

davidjtaylor wrote: »

Ps white bread too - what a waste of time and energy!

Becuase eating a slice of brown or wholemeal bread over white is going to make you lose weight.... If the Op is eating biccies and takeaways on a regular bases then fussing over the colour of bread is the least of her worries.

eoinob50 · 27-04-2019 2:28pm

Op, from your post above, your lack of consistency is not going to work in your favor long term.

To lose weight, its a simple case of cals in Vs out and some discipline.

Davids first post has very good points, also

1, Stop eating biscuits, we all like biscuits, a few once in the blue moon is fine but not when trying to lose 4 stone.
2, Cut back on Cal dense foods like PB, Seeds etc, eat more veggies and salad (mo dressing or oils)
3, You have a lot to lose, and while you dont like exercise, imo it should be implemented. Something simple to start off like hitting so many steps a day etc

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5 · 27-04-2019 2:39pm

I'd say the takeaways, biccies and canteen meals need to go anyway.

If you're not good at sticking to detailed, proscriptive diet plans then don't use one. They're not magic tricks for losing weight.

Eat more lean protein and fruit and veg (the closer to raw the better) and cut down on processed sugars and fat. Move more. Again, sounds like a detailed, rigid plan is not the right approach for you, make small sustainable changes to increase your incidental physical activity (lift instead of stairs, get off the bus a stop early etc) and find a form of exercise you enjoy, whether that's a walk with a friend or group where there's a big social aspect, yoga that allows you to really zone out, something like weights where you'll have very measurable progress, think about what chimes with your personality and go with that.

A lot of people find a food diary very helpful. Keep one for two weeks and BE HONEST. Every biscuit. Every forkful of cake. Every glass of wine. A lot of people genuinely think they're taking in far fewer calories than they are.

Four stone is a lot of weight to lose, best case scenario it's going to take most of a year and it's going to take daily, realistic, effort. And keeping it off is another challenge.

auspicious · 27-04-2019 3:21pm

eoinob50 wrote: »

davidjtaylor wrote: »

Ps white bread too - what a waste of time and energy!

Becuase eating a slice of brown or wholemeal bread over white is going to make you lose weight.... If the Op is eating biccies and takeaways on a regular bases then fussing over the colour of bread is the least of her worries.

Not quite.
Whole grains contain much more fibre and nutrients than refined foods such as white bread. Choosing whole grains help you feel satiated longer since fibre digests slowly.
Refined carbs spike insulin levels which will in turn reduce blood sugar levels which in turn make you hungry again sooner.
Anybody trying to lose weight should eat whole grains and anybody trying to gain weight should do the opposite.

davidjtaylor · 27-04-2019 5:30pm

Exactly, auspicious.

Vexorg · 28-04-2019 12:35am

I am wondering about the accuracy of the following

Whole grains contain much more fibre and nutrients than refined foods such as white bread. Choosing whole grains help you feel satiated longer since fibre digests slowly.
Refined carbs spike insulin levels which will in turn reduce blood sugar levels which in turn make you hungry again sooner.

Comparing whole grains with refined foods does not make sense as you mention white bread, perhaps a more appropriate comparison is wholemeal bread and plain white bread both of which are processed or refined. I can not say that whole grain / wholemeal help keeps me satiated longer and I have never heard anyone say they have experienced this. Have you experienced it?

I know that coffee and cake does not satiate me in the same way as protein, veg and starchy carbs do but then thats kind of obvious despite them both having the same calorific content and those flowery starchy potatoes having a higher glycemic index than white bread. How can it be that simple?

Glycemic index - rather than bog the thread down with a lengthy definition - here is an easily digested explanation

The glycemic index ranks carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 based on how quickly and how much they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high glycemic index, like white bread, are rapidly digested and cause substantial fluctuations in blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index, like whole oats, are digested more slowly, prompting a more gradual rise in blood sugar.

and here is a link to some common foods and their GI ratings

White bread is quite high as we would expect with a rating of 75/100 however wholegrain/wholemeal bread is 74/100.

White rice 73/100 brown rice 68/100

White pasta 49/100 whole pasta 48/100

They are all very close together on the GI index so will spike glucose levels at a similar rate, so how can one make you so hungry sooner than the other that you will gain weight? (other GI tables have different values for each food, but the gap is pretty much the same) I use Diogenes data base from Diabetes UK, it a larger database that has to be searched and is not a simple table, but has similar results.

Anybody trying to lose weight should eat whole grains and anybody trying to gain weight should do the opposite.

Seriously? Are we talking about bread? wholegrain/whole meal or whole foods?not that it matters. every one should eat whole XXXXX <---- insert grain, meal, foods. Would it not be safer and healthier to go calorie deficit to loose weight until you reach a healthy weight or increase calories to reach a healthy weight while eating whole foods? to suggest the way to increase weight by eating refined or processed foods is just bonkers.

davidjtaylor · 28-04-2019 1:00am

Vexorg

Two things.

1) Whole food on average takes longer (or should take longer) to chew, prolonging the process of eating; I’m pretty sure that accounts for the “fuller feeling” earlier.

2) Fibre.

Vexorg · 28-04-2019 2:46am

David not sure what you are proposing. can you expand of the point you are trying to make. perhaps an example to shows your point?

auspicious · 28-04-2019 3:30am

I'll admit that the similar gi ratings do confuse things but fibre content does play a crucial role.
I'm no expert and I haven't eaten white food types in years.

White pasta 49/100 / whole pasta 48/100

e.g. spaghetti
fibre 1 cup : 2.5g / 6.3g

rice:
fibre 1 cup : 0.5g / 3.2g

"Fiber helps keep you fuller over a longer period of time, so choosing fiber-rich foods may help you consume fewer calories overall.. "
*PubMed Central
Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21676152

"..In one study, 40 overweight women who ate 2/3 cup (150 grams) of brown rice per day for six weeks had significant reductions in body weight and waist circumference compared to women who ate the same amount of white rice."

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-brown-rice-good-for-you

DoozerT6 · 28-04-2019 12:26pm

OP here: Mods, if there is a more suitable forum for this, could you move it please?

To be honest, I've been thinking about it a bit more and I think my problem is more mental/emotional than not actually knowing what I should/shouldn't be eating.

I know I shouldn't eat an entire tub of Haagen Dazs but I still do it.
I eat a takeaway and immediately feel guilty.
I look at my expanding waistline and just wear something with an elastic waist.
I look out the window at a lovely evening with people out jogging and walking, and I turn on the TV and sit on the couch.

Would hypnotherapy help my mindset? Has anybody tried it or know anybody who has? I seem to have a complete mental block about doing anything to help myself and I can't explain it.

Vexorg · 28-04-2019 12:47pm

Hi DoozerT6

I really thing you will be better of using the sports and fitness forum and the diet and nutrition forum. There are examples of people who describe exactly what you describe above and a lot more people qualified to talk about their experiences.

You are not the only person to experience these thoughts, you have taken a step in the right direction asking for advice, now take another.

auspicious · 28-04-2019 12:48pm

Find an active weight loss group in your area. The support will help you succeed.
Throw out the takeaway menus and delete their phone numbers.
After your healthy lunch stay away from the temptations by moving away from them. Talk a walk outside around your place of work or block.
Have apples on hand for when you're feeling peckish.
Don't put that tub of Hagen Das in your shopping trolley - that's premeditation.
Small steps and you'll get there. And one at a time. Good luck.

Vexorg · 28-04-2019 1:35pm

auspicious wrote: »

I'll admit that the similar gi ratings do confuse things but fibre content does play a crucial role.
I'm no expert and I haven't eaten white food types in years.

White pasta 49/100 / whole pasta 48/100

e.g. spaghetti
fibre 1 cup : 2.5g / 6.3g

rice:
fibre 1 cup : 0.5g / 3.2g

"Fiber helps keep you fuller over a longer period of time, so choosing fiber-rich foods may help you consume fewer calories overall.. "
*PubMed Central
Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21676152

The first sentence of the abstract of that report says

Dietary fibres are believed to reduce subjective appetite, energy intake and body weight.

If it said Dietary fiber reduces subjective appetite etc, then you this report would be worth reading, it may or may not support your assertation from my quick overview. I admit I did not read the whole thing after I saw the abstract. You have obviously read the whole thing can you link to where your conclusion is backed up?

"..In one study, 40 overweight women who ate 2/3 cup (150 grams) of brown rice per day for six weeks had significant reductions in body weight and waist circumference compared to women who ate the same amount of white rice."

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-brown-rice-good-for-you

Did you read the paper on which the report above was based? It seems like you have taken a quote from healthline and not read the paper it refers to. Nothing conclusive in the paper, lots of mays/coulds , very small group, 5 people left one group, I am not sure the results are reliable. They also claim a brown rice diet reduces blood pressure. No mention of how they monitored participants stuck to the diet other than food diaries.

I am not having a go at you here, but I am fed up with incorrect information and lack of critical thinking when everyone can google “is my opinion on “whatever” correct” and find a paragraph the appears to support that opinion without examining the source properly.

auspicious · 28-04-2019 2:40pm

I spent some time last night reading studies and such.
I could find no direct references to the disparity between fibre content and similar gi scores but lots saying higher insoluble fibre content slows diegestion, which should make you feel fuller.

"Thus, a total of 40 participants, 35 non-menopausal over weight and obese female completed the study.

In non-menopausal female, since lipid profiles variation may be affected by change in blood estrogen level, patient biochemical measurement were assessed based on menstrual date and all of them were in the same hormone phase. This study was conducted on healthy adults without any specific disorder; hence, our trial should have good external validity.

CONCLUSIONS
BR replacement in the diet as a staple food can be useful to improve weight loss, waist and hip circumference, BMI, diastole pressure and hs-CRP level significantly, among over weight and obese female adults. Our findings show that in overweight or obese female adults BR diet in comparison with WR diet resulted in decreased diastole blood pressure and inflammatory marker (hs-CRP). Furthermore, BR replacement in the diet can be useful to improve weight loss and visceral obesity significantly. Replacement of white rice by brown rice did not have any significant effects on serum lipid profiles and FBG. Therefore brown rice may be recommended for more use considering its benefits."

Yes mays and coulds but nothing seems concrete in ever conflicting dietary analyses. Some studies are better than others. PMC does have a disclamier clause.
If us laymen can't trust peer reviewed papers then it'll take many lifetimes to gain all those degrees.
Rather than us rallying back and forth perhaps a qualified nutritionist can put it to bed ( from dedicated thread on boards)?
All the best.

riffmongous · 28-04-2019 2:56pm

DoozerT6 wrote: »

OP here: Mods, if there is a more suitable forum for this, could you move it please?

To be honest, I've been thinking about it a bit more and I think my problem is more mental/emotional than not actually knowing what I should/shouldn't be eating.

I know I shouldn't eat an entire tub of Haagen Dazs but I still do it.
I eat a takeaway and immediately feel guilty.
I look at my expanding waistline and just wear something with an elastic waist.
I look out the window at a lovely evening with people out jogging and walking, and I turn on the TV and sit on the couch.

Would hypnotherapy help my mindset? Has anybody tried it or know anybody who has? I seem to have a complete mental block about doing anything to help myself and I can't explain it.

If you have managed to stick to being a veggie for a while now you must have some good will power in there so don't be too hard on yourself

stefanovich · 28-04-2019 2:59pm

DoozerT6 wrote: »

Hi all,

***I thought about posting this in Nutrition and Diet, but thought I might get a more vegan-centric response here - mods please move if you feel it would be better in N&D, thanks.

So I've been veggie for some time, but I am admittedly very lazy and lack any sense of 'stickability' to go to a gym/classes or stick to a 'diet'. I have over the past year or so become very uncomfortable in my skin, as I have put on quite a bit of weight. Clothes that previously fit are now tight or don't fit at all, I can physically see this excess weight on my body and face and I have had ENOUGH! I spend every summer sweltering in long clothes with long sleeves to cover my flabby bits and wearing big baggy jumpers and jeggings in winter, and I'm tired of looking and dressing years older than I actually am.

Can anybody recommend a vegan-friendly weight-loss diet (not 'diet plan' as such, but a way of eating) that has worked for them to lose a decent amount of weight. I probably need to lost about 4 stone (argh!!) to be slim, which I would like to be for once in my life! I can carry off a certain amount of this weight as I am reasonably broad, but I am definitely a good bit overweight.
Any recommendations?

You are probably eating vegan junk food. Stay away from sugar, eat lots and lots of vegetables. Stop eating out. It's mostly ****. Stay away from vegan protein bars or vegan cereal or really anything marketed at vegans.

You should not be overweight if you are eating healthy and exercise moderately.

I recommend this book:

How not to die

Vexorg · 28-04-2019 3:08pm

Personally I think it’s better to correct misinformation the thread, What is someone finds this thread and follows your advise?

auspicious · 28-04-2019 3:22pm

Misinformation?
My advice was to swap out refined carbs (
bread, pizza dough, pasta, pastries, white flour, white rice, and many breakfast cereals) for whole ones to reduce appetite. I stand by this.
And the 'opposite' ( eat RC to increase appetite).

"Whole grains keep you full and are loaded with fiber. The fiber in whole grains cause a slower rise in blood sugar and does not lead to sudden dips which can cause sugar cravings. You need carbohydrates for energy but you need to limit your servings, even of whole grains, to lose weight.
Marjorie Nolan Cohn
Marjorie Nolan Cohn on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Nutrition & Dietetics
Whole grains have more fiber than other grains. For example, a slice of whole grain bread has 3-6 grams of fiber where white bread has 0-1 grams of fiber. Fiber is known to be filling. This is true because fiber can’t be digested. Humans don’t have the enzymes that breakdown fiber, therefore it moves through your digestive tract undigested, this provides bulk and helps you feel full longer. If you feel full longer after meal you are more likely to eat less over the course of the day."

https://www.sharecare.com/health/carbohydrates-weight-loss/eating-whole-grains-help-lose-weight

Vexorg · 28-04-2019 3:49pm

Op have a look at veganuary.com, they have some great recipes to follow. If you mail them they may send you their meal plan for they had for Veganuary. It was 7 days of recipes, breakfast lunch and dinner. With an option for low calorie, medium calorie and high calorie.

If you like I can dig them out and mail then on to you, just pm me if you want them. Veganuary may include them in the join up starter kit anyway.

Do you have any vegetarian cookbooks, it’s easy to adapt the recipes to vegan. I did this with the happy pear cookbooks..

Once you find enough recipes you enjoy, it’s handy to batch cook and freeze the leftovers for another day.

My problem even on a plant based diet is portion sizes, I just dont feel as full. So smaller plates, half veg, quarter protein and quarter starchy carbs is a useful guide to fill your plate. You can loose weight by diet alone eating less calories than needed, for me that was miserable and slow. Adding exercise accelerates the weight loss, even walking (as long as the pace is fast) hard to talk and a little perspiration is good rate. It gets easier as you get stronger and fitter.

stefanovich · 28-04-2019 4:12pm

Vexorg wrote: »

Op have a look at veganuary.com, they have some great recipes to follow. If you mail them they may send you their meal plan for they had for Veganuary. It was 7 days of recipes, breakfast lunch and dinner. With an option for low calorie, medium calorie and high calorie.

If you like I can dig them out and mail then on to you, just pm me if you want them. Veganuary may include them in the join up starter kit anyway.

Do you have any vegetarian cookbooks, it’s easy to adapt the recipes to vegan. I did this with the happy pear cookbooks..

Once you find enough recipes you enjoy, it’s handy to batch cook and freeze the leftovers for another day.

My problem even on a plant based diet is portion sizes, I just dont feel as full. So smaller plates, half veg, quarter protein and quarter starchy carbs is a useful guide to fill your plate. You can loose weight by diet alone eating less calories than needed, for me that was miserable and slow. Adding exercise accelerates the weight loss, even walking (as long as the pace is fast) hard to talk and a little perspiration is good rate. It gets easier as you get stronger and fitter.

A lot of the food on that site looks unhealthy.

Vexorg · 28-04-2019 4:26pm

This will be my last response to you as you are changing the goal posts.

I did not say whole meal / whole grain does not make you feel full. I was arguing your assertion that refined carbs cause a spike in blood glucose which in turn leads to hunger, you seemed to be suggesting the whole grain/ meal did not cause this spike. I provided the evidence the the both increase insulin at the same rate and by the same amount. I think there is a flaw in your understanding and they way you presented it was misinformation.

Anybody trying to lose weight should eat whole grains and anybody trying to gain weight should do the opposite.

I also suggested increasing weight by eating refined carbs was not good advice. Eating more Whole Foods and increasing weight by eating more nutrient dense calories was healthier than eating a refined carb diet. You are the only person I have ever heard who suggested eating just refined carbs was the way to gain weight. I believe your advice here is both unhealthy and misinformation.

You have provided another snippet of information regarding fibre in grain being more filling, I am not disagreeing with you. The general consensus medically and among dietitians and nutritionists would probably agree, however I argued that the research paper behind the link you provided previously did not support your claim.

auspicious · 28-04-2019 4:33pm

Vexorg wrote: »

My problem even on a plant based diet is portion sizes, I just dont feel as full.

I'm not having a go at you, but as a vegan don't you think this comment is inappropriate? Especially here on a closely scrutinised vegan forum and in the current climate of trending social media fake-vegan-drop-outs sentiment.

I always feel full after my meals. Maybe you should have more whole grains? (Only joking, don't bite my head off).

We can have a difference of opinion but in the end we are all friends here. Because we are friends of the animals. They need us.

stefanovich · 28-04-2019 4:35pm

auspicious wrote: »

I'm not having a go at you, but as a vegan don't you think this comment is inappropriate? Especially here on a closely scrutinised vegan forum and in the current climate of trending social media fake-vegan-drop-outs sentiment.

I always feel full after my meals. Maybe you should have more whole grains? (Only joking, don't bite my head off).

We can have a difference of opinion but in the end we are all friends here. Because we are friends of the animals. They need us.

Avocados are great for filling you up, as are sweet potatoes.

Vexorg · 28-04-2019 4:42pm

stefanovich wrote: »

A lot of the food on that site looks unhealthy.

I am going to you out on this, there are over 1000 recipes on the site excluding the famous accidentally vegen section how did you come to that conclusion.

What is a lot. Is 10 recipes a lot, 10% or more.

How do you define unhealthy?

Do you know Dr Greger is associated with the site.

auspicious · 28-04-2019 4:43pm

Vexorg wrote: »

I can not say that whole grain / wholemeal help keeps me satiated longer and I have never heard anyone say they have experienced this. Have you experienced it?

Would it not be safer and healthier to go calorie deficit to loose weight until you reach a healthy weight or increase calories to reach a healthy weight while eating whole foods? to suggest the way to increase weight by eating refined or processed foods is just bonkers.

https://www.sharecare.com/health/carbohydrates-weight-loss/eating-whole-grains-help-lose-weight

You said, a few posts back, you found it miserable to eat a reduced calorie diet.
I indicated wiser food choices.

Eating refined carbs can increase appetite. You then top up nutrients with other foods. I never said to eat nothing but refined carbs.

I never mentioned processed foods although processed foods that are good for you include 100% whole-grain breads, crackers, pitas, pastas, ground corn tortillas or other 100% whole-grain products. Additionally, rolled or steal cut oats, dried fruit or frozen vegetables are also health enhancing processed foods. They've all gone through a process, but the food still contains 100% of its original nutrients, unlike refined foods.

My last post too.

Vexorg · 28-04-2019 5:03pm

auspicious wrote: »

I'm not having a go at you, but as a vegan don't you think this comment is inappropriate? Especially here on a closely scrutinised vegan forum and in the current climate of trending social media fake-vegan-drop-outs sentiment.

What are you talking about. What’s inappropriate, why is this a closely scrutinized forum, what trending fake vegan drop out sentiment. How does my having problems with portion size have anything to do with what you posted?

Looking for weight loss tips on a vegan diet.

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