I am not losing weight as a vegan!!!?

Question

I am not losing weight as a vegan!

Diet: banana, grapefruit, a few walnuts

salad (no dressing), carrots, squash, salsa

brown rice, vegan sushi

stir fried veggies using a drop of flax seed oil

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

I am supplementing calcium and other important nutrients, BTW. Very anti soy. Been vegan for 2 mos.

Answer 1

I think you should be eating more.  Did you know that skinny people, on average, eat more calories than overweight people?  The reason for their figure is that most skinny people have never dieted and therefore the metabolism is fast and effective.  You have to retrain your body.  Eat more food!  I know this sounds counter-productive but do it!  Calculate your calories.  If you are eating less than 1300 calories a day, your body is in starvation mode and it will hold onto fat.

Answer 2

Your probably not eating healthy enough. Try exercise to. Just 'cause your vegan doesn't mean your eating healthy. I'm not exactly sure what's going on, ask your doctor and see what he/she says.

Answer 3

as the first person said, not eating enough does slow your metabolism. try some vegan "meat". this will give you more energy and protien to go exersize! good luck!!!

Answer 4

First of all, losing weight is not a good reason to go vegan. In fact, it could be a sign of an eating disorder.

That said, this question is less about veganism and more about weight loss. Calories in must be less than calories out if you want to lose weight. As a previous poster said, you mustn't go too low in calories, or your body will go into "famine" mode and store everything.

Seriously. You need to eat more. Add some exercise while you're at it. Start light until you're getting enough calories, then work harder.

I don't know how much you weigh, but if you're doing ZERO exercise, your minimum caloric intake shouldn't be under about 1200. If you're active, you can eat 2,000 calories and still lose weight.

Answer 5

Going vegan doesn't automatically make you skinny.  It sounds like you are not eating enough.  That slows down your metabolism and makes you stay at the same weight.

You are missing a lot of things in your diet.  Where are the whole grains?  Also salsa out of a jar is terrible if you are trying to lose weight.  It is so salty that it makes you retain water.

You just don't have a balanced diet.  And you need to have physical activity if you want to lose weight.  Gaining muscle is the quickest way to lose fat.  It's also the easiest.

This is what my diet consists of:

breakfast:  whole grain fortified breakfast cereal with soy milk and fruit.  (I consume a lot of soy and I don't have any probs.)

lunch:  pb & j on whole grain bread with fruit and more SOY milk or water...or a big salad with a ton of veggies and oil and vinegar.

Dinner: faux meats in place of real meat in regular recipes like chili, sloppy joes, tacos, pasta...and stir fry w/ brown rice.  We limit our rice intake and use olive oil in the stir fry.  I also make mac and soy cheese.

For snacks we have fresh, frozen, or dried fruits and vegetables, raw nuts, soy yogurt, and cereal.  There are other things too, but those are the things I feed my family the most.

Too many people think that becoming vegan will automatically make you lose weight.  I even thought that in the beginning...In the end you just have to burn more calories than you eat and build muscle tone.  There are no weight loss secrets.  It's about math and your metabolism.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I noticed you didn't name any breakfast foods like oatmeal or cereal.

Answer 6

I have been a vegan for about 7-8 months now...i eat soy meat,tofu,vegetables,sometimes i eat rice,pasta,and mashed potatoes.but i also go bike riding or walking for at least an hour and a half a day.i started out at a half hour and i worked my exercise up fifteen minutes when they got too easy for me to do anymore.also you need protein and other stuff they have in meats,poultry, and sea food so it is important to take vitamins daily.i have lost 40 pounds within the last seven to eight months.

Answer 7

going vegan shouldn't be a diet it should be a lifestyle and it doesn't sound like you got all of the ingredients you need to live healthy fruits have natraul sugars but to mant can make you have high blood sugar that makes you gain weight. Walnuts are good for energy and protein but are pure fat. veggie are healthy for you. rice is a grain and also a carb. sushie isn't going to do much for you. You need a good balence in your life and open up more possibillities and there is a skinny that is healthy and what your trying to do idn't . I am a vegetarian so I not putting you down but it isn't going to happen instently

Answer 8

you need to eat less....

Answer 9

What you're doing wrong is considering the vegan diet to be comparable to Weight Watchers. Yes, it tends to be healthier, but it isn't a magic cure-all. Are you exercising at all?

Answer 10

You're not getting a balanced diet because you're not getting enough protein. If you don't like soy, you need to at least eat more beans and legumes (try adding chick peas to your salad eg). Also, a lot of the fruits and veggies you're eating are starchy, like bananas carrots and squash. Not that they're not good for you, but try adding variety so you're reducing your total starch intake. Also, look at your portion sizes and activity level. Plus, it's a good idea to eat good fats, because they keep you full and regulate your blood sugar (which is probably rollercoastering on your current diet, hence impeding your weight loss) - plus the essential fatty acids are, well, essential. And you should never add flaxseed oil to anything hot as it is very delicate and the omega3 will be destroyed. Try instead, making a salad dressing with flaxseed oil, olive oil, and lemon juice.