21Nov/107
Balanced, healthy ovo vegetarian weight loss diet program. Gained weight after trying to go vegan?
I have been a vegetarian for a bit more than two years now. For the past two years, I had also been gradually gaining weight. I packed more pounds this year after trying to go vegan and switching from milk to "almond milk". I went from weighing 150 to 180. I've managed to come down to 162. That was the only change to my diet and I managed to gain weight. Now I am off almond milk and pasta. I tried going back to milk but I started to get blemishes on my face. I'd like to know if anyone knows of a healthy and balanced ovo vegetarian diet that doesn't require additional supplements. I am exercising and trying to eat healthier; but I want to make sure I am going about it the right way.
November 21st, 2010 - 13:02
No, no, no…almond milk instead of cow’s milk did not make you gain THIRTY FREAKIN’ POUNDS. Are you serious? Think about it…especially because almond milk almost always contains less than half the calories of its dairy counterpart, how the hell is almond milk going to add a whopping 30 pounds to you? Unless you’re HIGHLY allergic to almonds and having a seriously terrible inflammatory response from that allergy, it’s impossible that simple little switch is adding pounds.
Let’s face it: your diet sucks and you’re not getting enough exercise. There’s no two ways about it. Why not shoot me what you’re currently doing via email and I can better help you.
November 21st, 2010 - 13:02
I don’t see a question. What is is that you want? I can only recommend this wonderful vegetarian chickenhead soup for you. It’s healthy, lean and 100% vegan!
http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/102588
November 21st, 2010 - 13:02
I think the key to healthy weight loss in a veg diet is eating lots of greens. I really recommend kale, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, swiss chard, and broccoli. The darker the veggie, the more nutrient-rich. I was the same way, then I adjusted my diet and bought lots of fresh veggies and tried to make dishes with few and fresh ingredients. Even having a small side of greens for a couple of meals a day totally helps!
November 21st, 2010 - 13:02
i agree with hannibal. there’s no way almond milk could make you gain 30 pounds. it’s definitely the pasta. if you’re eating only carbohydrates you’re going to gain a ton of weight. you need to be eating mainly greens, not just bread and pasta.
November 21st, 2010 - 13:02
the problem with the vegetarian/vegan diet is that it is often low in fat but also protein and high in carbs. The high carbs will cause your body to store extra fat since you are not getting much other fat in the diet. You must carefully balance the diet 1/3 fat 1/3 protein 1/3 carbs and lots of green leafies with high fiber to help you feel full.
November 21st, 2010 - 13:02
No, honey, the almond milk didn’t make you gain so much weight. Not unless you were drinking incredible amounts of almond milk calories.
The only way we gain weight is when we eat too many calories. I have found that sometimes when I radically change my diet, I automatically try to "make up" for changed foods by over-eating in one area.
I think if you kept a food diary for the next few days and kept track of all of your foods, you will find those calories are sneaking in somehow. Maybe you’re over-doing sweet things, or fats.
November 21st, 2010 - 13:02
Actually, if you were drinking sweetened almond milk (such as the original or vanilla flavor), it IS possible that you gained weight because of the sugar in the almond milk.
In particular, if you suffer from insulin resistance, then the excess pasta and sweetened almond milk may very well have contributed to your weight gain.
I am saying this because I have a thyroid condition (hashimotos) and I also suffer from PCOS and the dreaded "insulin resistance."
I gained about 12-15 pounds on a vegan diet. Previously, I was on a vegetarian version of the weight watchers C.O.R.E. program and I was able to keep my weight at a healthy 132. Right now I am still within my weight range but I am at the top of the range (142). I have been struggling like crazy to lose that last 10 pounds and it does NOT want to come off
There are a couple of reasons why I gained weight on a vegan diet. The first one being that, I did not restrict myself from eating pasta, bread (sandwiches) and starchy carbohydrates. In order to keep vegan, I allowed myself to have these things (which I knew I was not allowed to have on my vegetarian clean eating diet) and my body paid for it.
I have the sort of metabolism that cannot handle ANY bread, pasta, sugar, or large amounts of potatoes. That’s just the way it is. You may have a similar metabolism, and you need to decide how important veganism is to you and whether or not you are going to be able to stick to a "clean" vegan diet.
One thing that I think you should do is, continue with the non dairy milk but switch to the unsweetened version. Cows milk is really bad for you and can cause severe inflammation (it causes me to have fibromyalgia symptoms).
Unsweetened almond milk has very few calories (35) but also very little protein. I drink it periodically when I need a break from soy. I prefer unsweetened soy milk. It is most similar to cows milk in the way of protein and calories (80 cals and 7 grams of protein). I also sometimes add some hemp protein powder to my soy milk for a "boost." It is VERY important to remember to buy the unsweetened milks. The sugar in those other milks is toxic to YOUR body and probably contributing to your weight gain. The unsweetened milks only have 1-3 carbs which is fantastic for weight loss.
Secondly, you need to cut bread out of your diet and instead limit yourself to ONE SLICE only of sprouted grain bread. At most, you can have one cup of whole grain pasta per day, OR one serving of brown rice OR one serving of potatoes. NO WHITE PASTA, WHITE RICE, OR REFINED CARBOHYDRATES.
Trust me I am a Lifetime Member of Weight Watchers. At this point, you will not be able to lose that weight without changing your eating habits.
There are a couple of books I would recommend for you:
The Eat Clean Diet Recharged by Tosca Reno
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=eat+clean&x=0&y=0
This is a really great vegan diabetic diet program:
The 30 Day Diabetes Miracle (THIS WILL HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT)
http://www.amazon.com/30-Day-Diabetes-Miracle-Overcoming-Rebuilding/dp/0399534768/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290350818&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/30-Day-Diabetes-Miracle-Cookbook–Follow/dp/0399534210/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1290350903&sr=8-2