How do i lose 10 pounds? Going vegan?

[HI :)]

I have always been overweight. It took a long and slowly fight to defeat some of the kilos, but now I am stagnated at the last 10 pounds...

I run 25 min. every morning and play soccer in the summer, maybe that is not enough?

I am currently a vegetarian. But I've heard that by going vegan you'll instantly lose weight.. So I thought about going vegan for a just a month? Does that sound reasonable?

Or is there another alternative? Any quick-fixes?

[bjorn]

I think it varies from person to person. You might want to try vegan, but it's not certain that you'd loose weight that way.

Maybe you need to cut down on the carbs. Which means, more meat, less pasta/rice/potatoes/bread etc.

But, anyway, a 30-day trial with vegan won't hurt you. Better start today, christmas isn't that far away

[Brutha]

Why exactly do you want to lose those ten pounds?
What would you feel as you lose those ten pounds?

[Lonewolf]

I actually gained weight slightly by going vegan; it was a one week period during a 2 month diet.
I think the problem is that most vegan protein sources are also high in fat; and it is pretty much impossible to avoid carbs whilst vegan.
The best solution for me is to replace most carbs with green vegetables and cut out virtually all fat.

[transcendence]

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

I think the problem is that most vegan protein sources are also high in fat; and it is pretty much impossible to avoid carbs whilst vegan.
The best solution for me is to replace most carbs with green vegetables and cut out virtually all fat.

Whats wrong with carbs? Where are you going to get your energy from?

"Despite current diet fads there is no scientific or nutritional evidence to prove that carbohydrates are fattening nor to support the belief that low-carbohydrate diets achieve long-term weight loss." - Go Grains - Carbohydrates don't make you fat : Leading nutritionist de-bunks diet myths (Media Release, Nov 2002)

Admittedly that is from a site called Go Grains. But do a search for Carbohydrate myth.

Most of the fats associated in a vegan diet are also quite healthy (thats a bit of a generalisation, but I'm thinking of nuts and stuff). Not all fats are bad.

But back to the question at hand, you can definitely eat an unhealthy vegan diet and gain weight. There are a few threads on here about being vegan here - the main message seems to be: be informed in what you eat, do your research. That will make the biggest difference in the end.

[Frans]

There's a huge difference between losing weight and losing bodyfat.

Within 3 months, I managed to decrease my bodyfat from 15.3% to 8.8% while keeping my overal weight (I gained muscle tissue) via:
- 6 (small) meals per day
- cardio (road bike, steady state or HIIT) 5-6 times per week
- weighttraining (bodyweight, dumbbells) 4 times per week (at home)

I followed the "Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle" program (Tom Venuto).

[Niki]

And i'm sure you really want to, you can buy a book about food, Sport-food, or anything related wich describes how your body uses your food to make energy, and when your body burns fat the most etc etc

[elainevdw]

From what I hear, those last ten pounds are frustrating! You can try upping your exercise, but a lot of people find that, if they stay consistent, even though they haven't lost those last pounds for a month -- it will all suddenly start to melt away. Just keep up with what you're doing.

I don't remember if you have to be a member or not, but the Shape magazine online forums are a lot of help with stuff like that. There's a lot of people there that are going through or have gone through exactly that.

[Melanie]

I've never found cardio exercise to be very helpful for decreasing body fat. I spent my college years and beyond as a runner, and reached a point where I was doing 3-6 miles almost every day. My aerobic capacity was good, but I didn't look the way I wanted to. In my early 30s I finally discovered strength training, and that changed everything. Now (I'm 37) I do very little cardio other than walking and gardening. I go to the gym 3x/week for a mixed workout of yoga-style stretching and weight training, and I've had terrific results for what feels to me like a minimal investment of time!

I really like the book "5-Factor Fitness" by Harley Pasternak. It's the latest in that wearisome trainer-to-the-stars category, but he actually does a good job of teaching you how to rev up your metabolism. The two biggies are 1) eat frequent small meals/snacks so that you never go hungry, because your body slows down calorie-burning when you don't eat, and 2) regular strength training! He shows you how to do it at home with one or two sets of hand weights, which is the only expense. No gym membership required.

From my experience and that of several other women I know, not much happens weight-wise for at least 6 weeks after you start strength training, though you might notice improved muscle tone. But then there's a point where your body seems to wake up and say, "Oh! Hey!" and kicks into a higher gear. That's when the inches start coming off.

Good luck! I'm "intending" success for you.

[HI :)]

HI all thx for the great advices and intentions !

Wondering, what about eggs? What effect will it have if I don’t eat eggs? It sounds to me like dairy is the "sinner" ... Some say, cut out dairy products before meat..

My conclusion to this point is that I try going vegan January (1-31)... Until then I'll do research on the topic...

Anyone know any good (easy) cooking sites for vegans?

[thadroe]

Originally Posted by HI :)

HI all thx for the great advices and intentions !

Wondering, what about eggs? What effect will it have if I don’t eat eggs? It sounds to me like dairy is the "sinner" ... Some say, cut out dairy products before meat..

My conclusion to this point is that I try going vegan January (1-31)... Until then I'll do research on the topic...

Anyone know any good (easy) cooking sites for vegans?

My opinion only and from personal experience losing weight....

It's not so much about what you exclude as what you include. By far the most important thing, whether you go vegan or not, is to make sure you are eating large amounts of nutrient dense food....vegetables, fruit, beans, and nuts....especially green vegetables.

Simply going vegan will only get you so far if you don't get most of your calories from nutrient dense foods.

Whole grains, flours, meats, dairy, fruit juices, etc...are all relatively low nutrient foods.

Once your body starts to get it's fill of those dense nutrients, it will begin to "right" itself and shed the weight rapidly.

I saw the most dramatic benefits in my own weight loss after I began eating this way.

Thad

P.S. - And of course....exercise is essential

[transcendence]

Originally Posted by HI :)

Anyone know any good (easy) cooking sites for vegans?

Fatfree Vegan Recipes
Fatfree Vegan Kitchen
Blogs I Like
:: theppk.com Vegan Recipe Database
Random Vegan Recipes
The Vegan Chef - Vegan Recipes - Beverly Lynn Bennett
Vegan / Vegetarian Recipes and More for the Vegan Diet and Lifestyle

[Scipio]

Originally Posted by HI :)

Or is there another alternative? Any quick-fixes?

I have lost about 30lbs in the last two months by eating only meat and protein powder, with occasional green leafy vegetables. The diet is called a protein sparing modified fast. I'd venture a guess that I've maintained all of my muscle, and my strength on major lifts has maintained. One armed dumbbell snatches have actually gone up to 100lb dumbbells for 8 reps.

By the way, there is no secret diet to losing weight. It all comes down to how many calories you put in your body versus how many you expend. If you "go vegan" and eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you go vegan and eat less calories than you burn, you will lose weight.

If you want to get leaner, rather than simply losing weight, I recommend you include dairy such as cottage cheese and protein powder, as well as meat such as tuna, salmon, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, and lean grass fed beef. They will increase your satiety more than most other foods, and they contain way more branched chain amino acids which are anabolic and ergogenic--meaning they will improve your ability to play soccer and tone your body (maintain muscle mass).

[Ali]

Hello

I lost heaps of fat by not eating at night. i.e about 5 hours before you go to sleep. You can eat at night if you want however keep it 0 fat and sugars. Fresh Fruit and vegetables are ok. I was going to say Carbohydrates however transcendence made a post here which I never heard off before, that is very interesting actually I learnt from that. I have always been told by doctors and nutritionists to cut Carbs down but I guess experts have different theories. What I can say is cutting carbs down and not eating carbs at night did help me loose fat.

Regards

Ali

[DQueens]

hey there,
first of all the only way to lose weight is to eat less calories than you consume. it is great that you are active, and your activity level is a good range for someone who wants to maintain good cardiovascular health and other benefits from exercise.

The first thing you need to do is find out how many calories you burn a day. this can be done by finding a calorie counting site... try using google, search for something like "calories burned per day". They will ask you for your weight, age, sex, and activity level.

Now, being in a calorie deficit of 3500 calories results in the loss of 1lb of fat. This means that to lose 1 lb every week (which is a good weight loss rate, and ensures you are not losing too much muscle mass, and that the weight will not come back on, and keeps you from starving yourself) you need to eat 500 calories less per day.

I suggest keeping a calorie journal of everything you eat (even the little nibbles) for one week. Write down things about your energy levels, how hungry you felt that day etc. it also helps to keep track of emotional triggers, and you can see where you may be lacking in fruits nad veggies or whole grains and may be eating too many thing that are not great for you such as saturated fat or refined sugars... if you like going online a great free food diary is fitday.com

Now, after you find out how much you have been eating cut that caloric intake by 500 calories a day. If you are honest with your counting, you will lose weight! This may seem like a real burden and something that is hard to get used to, but you'll find it wont take up too much time in your day, and i find that it is the only way to successfully lsoe weight and keep it off.

hope that helps!
Ps: i wouldnt go vegan unless you research it properly. it is hard to get enough protein and B vitamins on a vegan diet especially if you dont like trying new and unusual foods such as different variations of tofu, beans and soy. soemthing to think about...

[DQueens]

oh and i forgot to mention there are no quick fixes. any way of losing weight that results in the loss of more than 2 pounds a week is a result of losing water and muscle (not fat)!. This, in turn, slows your metabolism down so that when you begin to eat normally (you can't starve yourself forever) you will gain it back and then some. If you are going to make the decision to lose weight and become more healthy please understand that you can't make this change overnight. You need to choose a balanced eating plan to fuel yourself, and nourish your body, and most of all you need to choose a plan that you can sustain for the rest of your life. otherwise, you are just going ot gain the weight back or do damage to your body.

hope this helps!

[Frans]

To lose bodyfat, you need to create a calorie deficit. But, this is not the whole story...

Suppose your body needs 2500 Kcal per day to stay at the same weight.
When you start eating 500 Kcal less per day, your body will "know" after a while that you are eating not enough to maintain your metabolism and it puts itself in "starvation mode": your metabolism will slow down and your body needs not 2500 Kcal per day anymore, but less.

After a while, you notice that your weight isn't dropping anymore and you start eating 500 Kcal less per day (your calorie intake is now 1500 Kcal/day). Your metabolism slows down further and eventually, when you have starved yourself, you decide that this cannot go on and you start eating the same amount of calories as before.
As your metabolism is very slow now, your body isn't capable to process 2500 Kcal per day and it stores the excess as bodyfat.
This is the well-known yo-yo effect. Most people who followed a diet know what this it.

How to avoid this...

- Eat the same amount of calories as usual and start MOVING!
Instead of eating 500 Kcal less per day, burn these 500 Kcal in your muscles (cardio!)
- Spread your calories over more meals per day.
- Start weight training: the more muscles you have, the more calories your body burns

If you eat less calories per day, change your routine after a few days:
For example: 3 days less calories, then a day with normal (or even MORE) calories (like before your diet), 3 days less calories, another "normal" day, etc.
This way, your body won't go in starvation mode because it knows that plenty of food is coming after a while.

[cftwo]

The "plan" which helped me lose 32 pounds in the past year was simply the "too stressed to eat" plan. I wasn't hungry. I don't really suggest the plan to anyone, but it basically meant that I ate the same things I had before, just not as much. The "plan" didn't start out as one, but it has become a habit as I realized that a lot of the eating I was doing before was for emotional reasons. But the key for me was quantity. I don't remember the last time I used my full-size plates. I also looked for pre-packaged low-cal meals since I knew I NEEDED to eat SOMETHING. I know some people who have had luck with a portion plate, too.

[DQueens]

frans,
you are partly correct. If you decrease your calories by 500 calories per day (which is a weight loss of about 1 lb per week) you will begin to see an initial weight loss followed by a plateau. However, this is not for the reason you are describing. Yes, you body will slow on a low calorie diet but this is because your body will start to use muscle mass and essential proteins for fuel. Since muscle burns more energy while resting than fat, losing muscle will cause your resting metabolism to go down. the "starvation mode" that you have described DOES occur, but at very very low caloric levels and will most likely not occur if you lower your calories from 2500 to 2000 calories a day. You are also right, however, in advising weight training. In fact, weight training will increase you muscle mass, which will up the calorie burn while you are resting and keep your metabolic rate a normal level. Another way to avoid losing muscle mass is to slow the weight loss even more by creating a deficit of 200 calories per day (which again is why life long weight loss is NOT a quick fix!). Another thing to keep in mind is that lighter people weigh less and, therefore, need less calories to maintain their weight. If you are 180 pounds eating 2000 calories a day you may lose weight until you reach a certain body weight (for example 150) and then 2000 calories no longer holds a deficit to make you lose weight further and you will need to decrease calories again if you wish to lose more (you'll need to re-enter your statistics into a calorie counter).

Also, I know that the person who started this thread said something to the effect of "dairy being the diet ender"...(not exactly sure of the exact wording). This is actually quite the opposite. In fact, there are numerous studies that show that eating 3 servings of low fat or fat free dairy products (skim or 1% milk or low fat yogurt) aids in fat loss. Remember to eat these in conjunction with a low calorie diet. Cheese and high fat milk and cream can sabotage a weight loss plan because they are high in saturated fat (the bad kind), which is shown to increase body fat, so eat them in moderation or not at all.

Also, when eating breads and cereals choose those that have at lease 2 grams of fibre per serving. Fibre will make you feel full on less calories and is also shown to slow the absorption of carbs. It is crucial to get enough fibre (25 grams a day) for weight loss. I swear by Kellogg's all bran buds. Try adding some low fat yogurt or milk to them with cut up fruit for breakfast or a snack.

I hope this also helps.

[Jerry K]

HI - I went vegan back in July for one month, as an experiment with some ethical issues and a desire to see how it would feel to not take in any meat dairy eggs, etc, only plants. I live in NYC within about 5 blocks of more than 1/2 dozen vegan restaurants so it wasn't too challenging from logistics perspective. I dropped 8 pounds that month without even trying, no additional excercise (I do yoga, a little each day, a lot some days). It was rather amazing how quickly the weight came off. However my body seems to feel better with some protein so I went back to eating some meat though not nearly as much as before (and with a different approach, more mindful) and a little weight came back on but only a pound or two.

It's your body, experiment! If you try it I can't recommend highly enough "Vegan with a Vengeance" as your coookbook & guide. Don't get too caught up in the many off-shoots of veganism like raw food, macrobiotics, etc etc - just give up meat, dairy, eggs, fish and see how you feel. PS I'm a dude , not sure if you're a guy or lady, or if that would matter.

[stephencp]

Quick fixes often lead to quick breaks or quick fall backs, etc.
Don't look for the quick fix, look for the lasting fix.

Stephen
Power-Book Library: Free personal development, success, inspiration and motivational classics
Personality and Growth Bookshelf

[rossio]

Originally Posted by Frans

There's a huge difference between losing weight and losing bodyfat.

Within 3 months, I managed to decrease my bodyfat from 15.3% to 8.8% while keeping my overal weight (I gained muscle tissue) via:
- 6 (small) meals per day
- cardio (road bike, steady state or HIIT) 5-6 times per week
- weighttraining (bodyweight, dumbbells) 4 times per week (at home)

I followed the "Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle" program (Tom Venuto).

Great post Frans - I think this post hits the nail on the head. The only thing that seems to be missing from the orinigal posters lifestyle is weight training. I think that by adding a little muscle weight you will probably burn off the fat you are wanting to lose.


Have an outstanding day
Ross

[gamefeb08]

The best way to loose weight safely is to just cut out fatty foods, and things you dont REALLY need such a crisps, chocolates etc.
I lost 5 lbs in one week eating cerial for breakfast with semi or skimmed milk…cerial such a weetabix (as this helps digestion) with fruit such a grapes (not bananna as this is hig in carbs)…for lunch, brown break with sliced white meat or ham woth plenty of salad and water to drink with some fruit.
then for dinner, steamed fish/chicked with salad or veg..try and cut out big amounts of potato, but if you do have potatio have a jacket spud.
no sauces such as mayonnaise etc…
drink plenty of water..and dont snack of crips & choccie….snack on fruit, rice crackers or low fat yoghurt. that was 5 lbs on one week, without excersie! imagine how much more i could have lost in that week with some gentle excersice!!!!!
hope this helps.