i'm naturally a small person, so this comes as a surprise to me. i've been vegan for a while now, and somehow i seem to be gaining weight, not losing it! what have i been doing wrong? i am healthy, always eat well, try to get enough protein and such, and i work out regularly--how can i stop this?
2007-03-26 07:20:09 · 14 answers · asked by stellar 3 in Food & Drink ➔ Vegetarian & Vegan
Since you're working out, the "weight" may be muscle (or water), not fat. Have your doctor do a body fat analysis and let her interpret the results.
If you're gaining muscle, you're healthy. If you're gaining water, check your sodium intake.
If you do happen to have more fat than desirable, the only thing that can put it there is: too many calories. Even if you eat high protein, if you eat too much, your body will store it as fat. Analyze how many calories you're taking in (there are calculators for this) and reduce it 10% or as necessary.
Make sure to get all the nutrients your body needs. You may need a supplement to accomplish this.
2007-03-26 07:34:55 · answer #1 · answered by John K 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you use a lot of substitute processed foods? Being a vegan is hard, and I would suggest talking to a nutritionist. It could be that you rely too much on "fake" foods, or that you are not getting as much protein as you think, or that you are eating too many carbs in relation to protein. A nutritionist can really sit down with you and take a look at what you are eating and explain the science behind it. Most insurance plans cover at least one visit. That might be all you need to get things on track. Do a little online research as well. Try the US Dept of Agriculture website. Good luck.
2007-03-26 07:27:18 · answer #2 · answered by xfildchild 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't worry, you are not the only one. When I became vegan, I gained weight too! I think it was because I over-relied on carbs, so I was having way more than I did when I was still eating dairy and eggs.
My workouts weren't helping it at all, so I asked my friend who is a fitness trainer for advise. She said the best thing to do is to have carbs for energy before working out, and then have protein after to help rebuild the muscles. Most importantly, wait two or three hours after working out before having any more carbs. You keep burning even after you finish your workout, and if you put carbs into your system, they will get burned and the stored fat won't. I definitely see my workouts doing something since adopting this :)
2007-03-27 09:13:53 · answer #3 · answered by greensong 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Watch the liquid calories. If you're drinking juice (or soda) this can really add to your calories.
Don't worry so much about trying to get enough protein, if you eat a variety of grains and vegetables along with some beans and legumes you will plenty.
It's also possible that you're gaining muscle mass, which is more dense than fat. If this is the case, then you should be proud.
2007-03-26 07:26:33 · answer #4 · answered by Vegan 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ha... skinny vegans.
That's such an awful stereotype!
I'm interested in what your BMI is. If you were small before, you may have not been eating enough?
2007-03-26 10:45:32 · answer #5 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what kinds of foods are you eating? If you are loading up on carbs, like pasta and bread, that can cause weight gain. I lost 40 pounds in a little over two months after going vegetarian. I started juicing twice a day (carrots, celery, onion, parsley, swiss chard, apples, etc) and added loads of fresh, mostly raw veggies into my diet. I would rather snack on an icy cold spicy radish, than a potato chip any day. Perhaps you need to add more fruits and veg? Try keeping a food journal, free, online at nutridiary.com to track your eating habits. Good luck!
2007-03-26 10:08:50 · answer #6 · answered by beebs 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Write down the calories you are consuming each day to see if you are eating more than you think. Fruits and veggies have calories too! I don't know how strict of a vegan you are but there are alot of meatless foods that can be loaded with fat and calories.
2007-03-26 07:24:55 · answer #7 · answered by Me 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
why? big is beautiful, if you are a vegan just to lose weight then i would say that you are not a true vegan, because true vegans, don't eat meat and any animal products because they do not want to harm animals.. i would not want to lose wieght because skinny ppl are really vain and shallow thinking cause i am skinny i am better than everybody.. "seeking the advice of skinny vegans" <-- like that
2007-03-26 07:28:32 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Either you are so skinny that you are becoming bloated (you know like on the africa ads)
OR you are just eating food to make you bloat eg broccoli, brussels, cabbage, etc...
OR you are eating less i the way of chese etc, so you are eating loads more of evrything else!!!
I honestly dont know, maybe you should go tot he docs and ask? They woll prob say you dont need to worry about puting on weight, but just ask them why...
2007-03-26 09:16:06 · answer #9 · answered by the_black_dance1 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you have to tell us what you're eating, becaue it's pretty hard to gain weight being a vegan
really really hard, you got to have a broken scale, or youre drinking some sort of fattening agent
2007-03-26 12:30:32 · answer #10 · answered by mikedrazenhero 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋