How to Lose Weight on a Vegan Diet

Can you lose weight on a vegan diet?

It is generally known that people who follow a vegan diet are slimmer, leaner and healthier than those who eat meat. It is true that a vegan diet provides an extraordinary protection against overweight or even obesity. Overall, vegans tend to have less body fat than other dietary groups.

The question is if it’s really possible to lose weight while following a vegan diet? Why are some vegans overweight and, basically, ‘don’t like vegans’? The truth is that vegans come in all sizes and shapes like people on any other diets.

Becoming a vegan doesn’t always necessary means that you will lose weight instantly. Unfortunately, going on a vegan diet doesn’t guarantee the weight loss. It can be super frustrating to adopt a vegan diet and not losing weight. But don’t worry, you can still lose a few kilos if you know how. Just follow my easy steps and you will see the desired results shortly!

Vegan diet as a permanent solution

It’s quite incorrect to talk about veganism as a type of diet. Veganism goes beyond a diet. It’s more about lifestyle and a life-changing status. Diets are not permanent but being a vegan can last all life. It’s a lifestyle which suits anyone: children, adults, seniors, pregnant and lactating women. You can adopt veganism at any stage of your life!

Most diets are designed to produce a daily calorie intake deficit. This means people consume fewer calories per day than they burn. This results in losing weight. This solution might sound easy and fantastic but here’s the problem. Most types of those diets don’t work long-term. In the end, people might end up not only regaining the lost weight but also with a few extra kilos!

These diets lack the vision of a life-long duration and after some time, people break changes and go back to their old lifestyle and habits. They end up broken and frustrated which might lead to another try and another diet. With a vegan diet, you can break this circle. Adopting a vegan diet is easier than you think and you will naturally lose weight permanently!

Why choose a vegan diet?

Like I mentioned before, veganism is more a lifestyle than a diet. Because vegans eliminate all animal products from their diet, they naturally consume more vegetables, fruit and whole grain foods. Avoiding animal-based products has a positive effect on you and your weight. You will feel lighter, healthier and full of energy!

On a vegan diet, you will no longer eat foods which might stop you from losing weight. You will substitute this not-so-healthy food with healthy and super nutritious food. After eating your lunch or dinner you will still have tons of energy and won’t feel so ‘puffed’. These are all great reasons why you should switch to a vegan diet!

There is a plenty of evidence that vegans are healthier than those who eat meat. Vegans tend to have lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and they are in a lower risk of getting heath attack and other cardiovascular diseases. They also reduce a risk of type 2 diabetes.

Veganism is definitely a great option for a healthier lifestyle, Regarding weight loss, you still have to pay attention to have a balanced diet. Missing some of the important nutrients can be harmful to your body and end up with opposite results than you expect! You only have to follow a few very easy steps and you will soon boost your overall health!

10 steps for weight loss on a vegan diet

1. Eat enough nonstarchy vegetables

Daily you should eat at least 6 servings of non-starchy vegetables. One serving is usually considered to be one cup (which is about 250 grams) of raw vegetables or 1/2 cup cooked vegetables. Why is eating vegetables is so important? They are the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet!

You should attempt to eat all colours of the rainbow and different variety every day. It is important to eat 3 cups of green leafy vegetables, including dark leafy vegetables, and 1 cup of each other colours, such as red, orange (or yellow), purple (or blue) and white (or beige). Vegetable preserve more nutrients when they are lightly steamedrather than boiled!

 

2. Include more legumes

Legumes such as lentils, soybeans, split peas or fresh peas are super useful for people who are trying to drop a few kilos! They are extremely low in fat but very high in nutrients, especially in dietary fibre. This is important because fibre provides staying power between meals and makes you feel full for longer. Legumes also contain protein, iron, and zinc!

You should include at least 3 servings per day (375 grams). If you are not ready to eat this much serving of legumes yet, you can you can substitute it with tofu, tempeh, soy milk, vegan (pea) protein powder and vegan meats. You can add beans to make soups, salads, stews or patties for burgers.

3. Don’t eat too many grains

Grains are an important source of energy for vegans. However, you should pay attention to how many servings you take daily and if it meets your energy needs. This might be different for older people, women after menopause or for people with decreased physical activity. If you try to lose weight, you should limit grains to not more than 1/2 cup per meal.

By whole grains, I am talking about quinoa, brown rice, white rice, buckwheat, barley or oats. Try to decrease an intake of rolled and ground grains. You can find these grains in all different types of breads, whole-grain breads, pretzels, crackers, and cookies. Avoid products made of white rice and white flour. The same goes for sweet processed cereals with plenty of sugar and salt!

4. Eat fruit when you have a sweet tooth

Here is great news if you feel like something sweet: You can eat fruit! It’s naturally full of vitamins, antioxidants, and fibre! Don’t be afraid to eat all parts of fruit, including skin and seeds. They are often the highest in fibre and phytochemicals!

If you are not used to eating fruits or think about fruits as a dessert, there are a few ways how to help change your mind. Simply cut fruits and arrange them nicely on a plate. Make the fruit salad and add some seeds or top it with coconut or soy yogurt. Freeze berries and bananas and make a nice cream by blending them together with a splash of non-dairy milk.

Eat about three or four servings of fruits per day. It can be 1 piece of fresh fruit, 1medium fruit, or 1/2 cup of cooked fruit or fruit juice. Reduce eating dried fruit to 1/4 cup per day as it contains a lot of natural sugar.

 

5. Get some ‘good’ fat

You can get good fat from avocados, nuts, and seeds. Unexpectedly, they help a lot with losing weight! They contain healthy fats, plant sterols, phytochemicals and a lot of fibre so again, it will make you feel fuller.

Download your cheat sheet of vegan fat sources here:

To meet your nutritional needs, you might eat around half of a smaller or medium avocado per day plus 30-60 grams of nuts or seeds. Nuts and seeds are rich in fatty acids so make sure you eat a good mix of it! Chia seeds, flaxseeds, hempseeds, walnut or cashews are all good examples of fatty acids.

6. Learn how to add spices and herbs

Often people forget about the health power or herbs and spices. They instantly make the taste of any dish better or they even completely change the taste! They don’t add any sodium or fat to your dishes. Several spices and herbs have the power to boost metabolism, help balance blood sugar levels or help calm inflammation!

You can grow your own herbs on a windowsill. many herbs can be grown all year around. As a vegan, you will definitely like to use spices and herbs in your kitchen, namely cumin, coriander, ginger, oregano, rosemary, turmeric, cayenne pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, onion or garlic powder or cardamon.

7. Limit processed foods

I have already mentioned several times that processed foods shouldn’t be consumed the least in a vegan diet. It brings zero support or benefits to your health, not mentioning a weight loss. Always try to consume whole grain foods or consume processed foods as little as possible.

However, not all processed foods are bad. You can still buy frozen or organic fruit, frozen edamame beans, frozen herbs, nut bars or low-sodium beans. Always read the label first and see what ingredients are included!

8. Avoid artificial and concentrated sweeteners

Sugar is full of empty calories so you better avoid adding extra sugar to your dishes or beverages. The amount of sugar is extremely important if you want to lose weight.

Avoid artificial sweeteners. They are not better than natural sugars. They also might have a negative impact on your metabolism and your appetite. You can use stevia for your coffee or tea if you like the taste.

9. Limit an intake of fats and oils

Fats and oils contain about 120 calories per tablespoon and about 2.5 times more calories than protein or carbohydrates. Therefore, you should use them very sparingly. Completely avoid margarine and other foods which contain partially hydrogenated oils and fats. They include trans fats which can help cause several health conditions.

Organic oils are a better option because they are mechanically pressed. They contain some essential fatty acids. Nevertheless, they shouldn’t be used for cooking because all good nutrients can be destroyed by heat. Don’t use more than one tablespoon when you cook.

 

10. Drink plenty of water

The best news of the day: water doesn’t have any calories! You can drink it any time you feel thirsty. If you can, use a water filter. That’s how you can reduce contaminants in water, such as microorganisms, nitrates, chlorine, lead, and other environmental contaminants. However, you still want to leave calcium and magnesium in water!

You can prepare herbal or green tea. Green tea was proved that it can slightly boost metabolism and therefore help with a weight loss. You can also make vegetable juices or juice from wheat grass. These are all good options for your health.

Remember that fruit juices, fruit smoothies, and non-dairy milk are not the same as water. They contain calories, often about 150 calories per one cup! The same goes for alcoholic beverages. One glass of beer can contain up to 110 calories, one shot of liquor up to 190 calories and one glass of wine up to 80 calories!

How to build a great vegan menu

When you try to lose some weight, you should think about your daily calories intake. But that’s not all! You also pay attention to a structure of your daily vegan menu! Remember that you can’t eat too many carbs, oversize your portions or lack of enough protein in your menu. You should get a little bit of everything and as colourful as possible! Watch your sodium intake and intake of concentrated fats, oils, and sugar. Exercise at least one hour every day!

Here are a few tips on how to enhance your daily menu and get the most of it:

• Drink green tea rather than coffee.
• Add herbs and spices in every dish you cook, even your breakfast.
• Always add extra greens or other nonstarchy vegetables, including sprouts.
• Go for higher-fibre fruits, such as berries, apples, pears, and figs.
• Whenever you can pick tofu fortified with calcium
• Eat fruits not only as a snack or dessert but instead of drinking fruit juice, too.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Try to substitute whole grains for bread. If you eat bread, select one made of sprouted grains.
• Use unsweetened non-dairy milk fortified with calcium. Don’t choose flavoured milk.
• You might consider taking nutritional supplements. For example, most of the vegans tend to lack enough vitamin B12 or vitamin D.

Lose weight on a vegan diet forever!

Once you go vegan and adopt all 10 steps for a healthy vegan diet, you will start losing weight naturally. You won’t struggle anymore because being on a vegan diet is so much fun! There is a whole lot to discover and always something new to try: new ingredients, new spices or a whole new recipe!

In conclusion, following a healthy vegan lifestyle is an amazing and great way to lose weight and maintain your health in good condition at the same time! Share my tips for a healthy vegan diet with your friends so everyone can find out about a vegan lifestyle! Let me know what your tips are for losing weight!