Has anyone here ever lost weight by going vegan?
- Thread starter Kat2002
- Start date
Mckmain
Cathlete
You might be able to find some old threads about this...
...After reading the Book "Eat to Live" I went Vegan and started a P90X rotation and I lost initially 17 lbs. Then 4 more in the weeks after the P90X rotation. But my body doesn't really like that weight so I went back up 4lbs!! I went fairly cold turkey Vegan and have done very well since May of 2004......Carole
...After reading the Book "Eat to Live" I went Vegan and started a P90X rotation and I lost initially 17 lbs. Then 4 more in the weeks after the P90X rotation. But my body doesn't really like that weight so I went back up 4lbs!! I went fairly cold turkey Vegan and have done very well since May of 2004......CaroleLanieltd247
Cathlete
Hey there! I was a vegetarian, still drank milk and ate cheese/yogurt, but I did in fact lose 20 pounds in about 3 to 4 months. I don't know about total vegan though. Just thought I'd give you my 2 cents! Hope your holidays are going smooth and as well for everyone else too!
Sorry to butt in here, but I have a quick question for you Carole. I was meat/dairy free for almost five years and yes I lost lots of weight. I am at about 108 lbs and 5'2 3/4. My question is regarding your great muscles. Do you think you could have built this being vegan and how has veganism affected your muscle development since conversion. I work SOOOOO hard for my muscles and it seems to be taking an eternity to develop my delts so I have tried to add in yogurt and I was thiking of adding some chicken now and then or possibly more protein shakes (I already feel like I live on them). Any info you could shed on this would be helpful. I felt great on the diet, but only began lifting the last 3 years or so and have been a little frustrated with my muscular advancements. Thanks so much!!
Briee
Briee
Mckmain
Cathlete
Briee....tough question. My feelings are anytime you eat CLEAN and lift heavy you can build muscles. I will say that when I went Vegan the results were much better than when I was eating any other way. But whenever I ate clean and worked out hard I would get results. When I say clean for me it is cutting out the chips I am addicted too, no alcohol, alot of fresh fruit and veggies besides the Vegan protein that I have gotten to crave. Also drinking alot of water. So, no processed food of any kind. I probably only consumed about 50-70 grams of protein a day for the results I got going Vegan. Which is why I don't believe in high protein diets. I am lucky as I don't care much for sweet things which does help. I am more of a chips and salsa girl than a pastry girl!! I will say that building muscle doesn't come naturally easy for me, the women in my family seem to have heavy arms, even on a small build. But it does prove eating clean and working out hard can get results. I do have protein shakes (smoothies) every morning after my workout. Fruit, soymilk, rice protein powder and flaxseed. Hope this helps......Carole
...Caroledogs2birds
Cathlete
I was vegan for about two years about 13 years ago after reading Diet for a New America and I was the skinniest I have been in my adult life. I weighed 20 pounds less than I weigh right now. My very sweet husband said that was too skinny for me. LOVE him! I don't know if it was the veganism or being in grad school and working full time and not having time to eat properly, but I was skinny.
Susan
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France
http://www.picturetrail.com/dogs2birds
Susan
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France
http://www.picturetrail.com/dogs2birds
I was never vegan, but I did go vegetarian ten or fifteen years ago. You have to be very careful with this, though. I initially lost about 35 pounds. (I needed to lose more than that.) However, I gained all that back and more because I didn't eat enough protein. I was always hungry from too many carbs, and I was not healthy because, at the time, I didn't even try to watch my protein percentages. I had a huge weight problem, then. I'm still vegetarian, but I make darned sure I get all the protein I need, and now I'm fine. I'm not hungry all the time, I'm more muscular, and I'm just healthier and feel better. Just didn't want the same thing to happen to you.
Shari
Shari
dani21496
Cathlete
>Hey there! I was a vegetarian, still drank milk and ate
>cheese/yogurt, but I did in fact lose 20 pounds in about 3 to
>4 months. I don't know about total vegan though. Just
>thought I'd give you my 2 cents! Hope your holidays are going
>smooth and as well for everyone else too!
>
Same here. I went vegetarian 2 months ago and have lost 12-13 pounds so far.
ETA: I eat lots of beans/legumes, soy, tofu, veggies, whole grains, fruit. I also include low fat cheeses.
I even treat myself to Lou Malnatis pizza (once in a while) www.loumalnatis.com. They have a low fat cheese option. You can't even tell.
>cheese/yogurt, but I did in fact lose 20 pounds in about 3 to
>4 months. I don't know about total vegan though. Just
>thought I'd give you my 2 cents! Hope your holidays are going
>smooth and as well for everyone else too!
>
Same here. I went vegetarian 2 months ago and have lost 12-13 pounds so far.
ETA: I eat lots of beans/legumes, soy, tofu, veggies, whole grains, fruit. I also include low fat cheeses.
I even treat myself to Lou Malnatis pizza (once in a while) www.loumalnatis.com. They have a low fat cheese option. You can't even tell.
Kat,
Personally, I think eating whole foods and eliminating empty calories is more critical to weight management than whether or not you eat animal products. You can eat a lot of junk or just too many calories while following a vegetarian or vegan diet.
I'm not trying to discourage you. If certain foods with dairy or eggs are trigger foods, maybe going vegan would help. There are lots of success stories here to inspire you.
Debra
Personally, I think eating whole foods and eliminating empty calories is more critical to weight management than whether or not you eat animal products. You can eat a lot of junk or just too many calories while following a vegetarian or vegan diet.
I'm not trying to discourage you. If certain foods with dairy or eggs are trigger foods, maybe going vegan would help. There are lots of success stories here to inspire you.
Debra
kathryn
Cathlete
I work
>SOOOOO hard for my muscles and it seems to be taking an
>eternity to develop my delts so I have tried to add in yogurt
>and I was thiking of adding some chicken now and then or
>possibly more protein shakes (I already feel like I live on
>them). Any info you could shed on this would be helpful. I
>felt great on the diet, but only began lifting the last 3
>years or so and have been a little frustrated with my muscular
>advancements.
Check out www.veganbodybuilding.com or www.veganbodybuilding.org (two different organizations). They can give you lots of support for gaining muscle on a vegan diet. Animal products aren't necessary.
>SOOOOO hard for my muscles and it seems to be taking an
>eternity to develop my delts so I have tried to add in yogurt
>and I was thiking of adding some chicken now and then or
>possibly more protein shakes (I already feel like I live on
>them). Any info you could shed on this would be helpful. I
>felt great on the diet, but only began lifting the last 3
>years or so and have been a little frustrated with my muscular
>advancements.
Check out www.veganbodybuilding.com or www.veganbodybuilding.org (two different organizations). They can give you lots of support for gaining muscle on a vegan diet. Animal products aren't necessary.
Thanks Kathryn...I'll check them out right now. Kathryn...didn't you have pictures posted about 2 years ago. I would love to see some before and after pictures of Cathe vegan's. I lift hard and heavy and, of course, progress is never fast enough for me.
I will say....I've read the threads on the freestyle method lately and I'm working even harder. I've increased legs, I'm now doing "some kind" of work everyday if possible, and my legs are building muscle. For upperbody...I am currently doing 2 P90X upperbody workouts per week....both GS workouts per week and a complete endurance type workout like ME, MM, PH. I just started this killer Upperbod workout in the last 1 1/2 months. I am seeing improvement...but again, I'd love to see more. Thanks again Kathryn...I'd love to see your pictures again!!
Briee
I will say....I've read the threads on the freestyle method lately and I'm working even harder. I've increased legs, I'm now doing "some kind" of work everyday if possible, and my legs are building muscle. For upperbody...I am currently doing 2 P90X upperbody workouts per week....both GS workouts per week and a complete endurance type workout like ME, MM, PH. I just started this killer Upperbod workout in the last 1 1/2 months. I am seeing improvement...but again, I'd love to see more. Thanks again Kathryn...I'd love to see your pictures again!!
Briee
kathryn
Cathlete
>Kathryn...didn't you have pictures posted about 2 years ago.
>I would love to see some before and after pictures of Cathe
>vegans.
I've never had pictures posted. I don't photograph well (at least that's what I tell myself!) And I'm probably not a good model for the type of body you're going for, because I workout for strength and fitness and not for big muscle (I'm an "ecto-endo" so that's not in the cards anyway). I'm not as disciplined as I would need to be to be "buff" and "cut."
Another thing you might want to look at is the recent issue (issue 47) of VegNews magazine (available from www.vegnews.com or through www.veganessentals.com ) which is a special fitness issue. They profile 15 different vegan athletes, including Canadian triathelete Brendan Brasier, 70-year-old marathoner Ruth Heidrich, a 40-year-old ultra runner (212 miles, 424 miles, etc with a backpack), and some ultramarathoner (running 100+ miles in each race) who won some ultramarathon 7 years in a row (vegan diets are excellent for endurance, as you can see!) .
Other sites: www.veganmusclepower.com (where you can probably see a photo of luscious Kenneth Williams, a vegan bodybuilder!) and www.organicathlete.org .
>I would love to see some before and after pictures of Cathe
>vegans.
I've never had pictures posted. I don't photograph well (at least that's what I tell myself!) And I'm probably not a good model for the type of body you're going for, because I workout for strength and fitness and not for big muscle (I'm an "ecto-endo" so that's not in the cards anyway). I'm not as disciplined as I would need to be to be "buff" and "cut."
Another thing you might want to look at is the recent issue (issue 47) of VegNews magazine (available from www.vegnews.com or through www.veganessentals.com ) which is a special fitness issue. They profile 15 different vegan athletes, including Canadian triathelete Brendan Brasier, 70-year-old marathoner Ruth Heidrich, a 40-year-old ultra runner (212 miles, 424 miles, etc with a backpack), and some ultramarathoner (running 100+ miles in each race) who won some ultramarathon 7 years in a row (vegan diets are excellent for endurance, as you can see!) .
Other sites: www.veganmusclepower.com (where you can probably see a photo of luscious Kenneth Williams, a vegan bodybuilder!) and www.organicathlete.org .