A lot of people are adopting the vegan diet. Celebrities like Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Zac Effron, Jessica Chastain, Natalie Portman, Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, Joaquin Phoenix, and the Williams sisters have made people take notice of this diet.
It’s hip and cool, good for the environment, and at the same time very effective for those who are looking to adopt a fitter lifestyle.
What is Veganism?
Veganism is a way of life that eliminates all kinds of animal foods, animal clothing, and all other animal products. Dietary vegans shun animal products from their diet. They do not eat meat as well as eggs, dairy products, and other animal-derived products.
Vegans eat nutrient-rich fruits and veggies, protein-packed beans and legumes, whole grains, and healthy fats like olive oil and avocado. This makes the vegan diet healthier than other diets. It’s also sustainable and natural.
The vegan diet has been shown to be effective in fighting against diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and many other health conditions. The health benefits offered by a vegan diet are immense. But can you lose weight on a vegan diet?
Can You Lose Weight on A Vegan Diet?
By following a healthy vegan diet, it is possible to lose excess weight. This is because a vegan diet eliminates unhealthy foods, which are the reason for causing excess weight gain.
If you look at the average diet, you can see that it contains an excessive amount of saturated fats and processed foods while being very low in plant-based foods and natural foods. This is considered as one of the major reasons for people to become fat.
When you’re on a vegan diet, you will not get that unnecessary fat. A vegan diet includes fewer calories in the form of fruits and veggies, grains, nuts, seeds, coconut, and avocado.
Animal meats and other animal products are a major source of dietary saturated fat. Due to their plant-based diet, vegans tend to eat proportionally more polyunsaturated fat and tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI).
Here we will tell you about fast vegan weight loss, how to get the desired vegan diet weight loss results, vegan diet plan, and vegan weight loss recipes.
How to Lose Weight on A Vegan Diet?
Losing weight on a vegan diet starts with eating right. Eating healthy, fresh, and clean. When you are on a vegan diet, you consume tons of veggies, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds.
There’s no need to count calories, carbs or net-carbs. You eat plant-based whole foods that are low in oil, slightly cooked, and full of fiber.
But just because it’s vegan, is it really healthy? And if it is healthy, can it aid in weight loss?
Here are some tips for a fast vegan weight loss.
Know Your Calories
When on a vegan diet and for a fast vegan weight loss, you need to eat food that has less calories but is high in nutrients.
So, you need to weigh calories versus the nutrient density of foods you eat. Generally, vegetables have the least number of calories while providing a healthy dose of nutrients.
Once you understand the concept of calories versus nutrient density, you can consume more volume of food but still be less in calories.
Whole grains, fruits, and beans can be just as filling but have fewer calories than meat, cheese, and eggs.
Cut Out the Oil
One cup of oil contains nearly 2,000 calories. A low-calorie vegetable becomes a high-fat one when cooked in oil. Indeed, oil is the most calorie-packed food by volume. Moreover, since oil doesn’t contain fiber, it doesn’t give you the feeling of being satiated. So, avoid oil.
As a part of your vegan diet, you can learn to saute with vegetable broth, bake with alternatives like applesauce, and make oil-free salad dressings with ingredients like tofu, fruits, or nuts.
Ditch Processed Foods
Processed foods are loaded with sodium, sugar, and fat – the three main ingredients that promote weight gain. Several processed vegan foods available, but just because they exist doesn’t mean that you should have them.
If you want fast vegan weight loss, stay away from all kinds of processed foods. Focus on eating fresh plant-based foods, and enjoy the processed vegan treats only on occasion.
Eat Lots of Fiber-Rich Foods
A lower-calorie, high-fiber, nutrient-rich diet is one of the healthiest ways to lose weight.
Feeling constantly hungry is one of the main reasons why diets fail. When you consume high-fiber foods, you’ll feel fuller for longer and won’t crave food constantly.
High-fiber foods include leafy greens, fruit, beans, lentils, and peas, and oats. Don’t think that eating these foods is monotonous and not delicious.
You can combine these whole foods in different ways and make a mouthwatering delicacy. According to Alone Pulde, MD, family medicine physician, “The variety of foods you can include is limited only by your imagination.”
Half Veggies, Half Starches
Fill half your plate with veggies like cabbage, spinach, kale, and lettuce and half your plate with starches, like rice, potatoes, and beans.
Veggies will give you the volume, and starches will satiate you. Veggies and starches give you the perfect balance between caloric density and satiation.
Drink More Water and Less Alcohol
Staying hydrated is critical when on a vegan diet. But don’t drink alcohol to stay hydrated! Alcohol dehydrates you.
Drink plenty of water. You can add some lemon juice to it or add apple cider vinegar which aids in digestion.
Eating whole fruit is better than drinking fruit juice. Avoid sports drinks, sodas, other sweetened beverages. Water is the only beverage your body needs.
Get Active
Make exercise part of your daily routine. Exercise is essential for good health, but being more active overall is excellent. Go for a combination of activities that covers strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility.
If you can’t exercise regularly, you can do a few things to keep yourself active. Take breaks from sitting at a desk, walk during a lunch break, park far away from the stores, and walk the rest of the distance.
Every year thousands of people try a new diet, only to give up a week or month later. The key to weight loss is making permanent and healthy changes to your diet and your lifestyle. Adopting a vegan diet is the first step towards weight loss. These tips can certainly aid you in fast vegan weight loss.
How Long Does It Take to Lose Weight on A Vegan Diet?
When you begin your vegan diet journey specifically for weight loss, the first question you will want to be answered is – how long does it take to lose weight on a vegan diet?
Your weight loss journey will depend on many factors such as genetics, gender, height, starting weight, and adherence to the diet.
Significant weight loss will take at least a few weeks or even months. Remember that everyone is different, so the amount of time needed to shed considerable weight will be different from someone else. However, when you adopt a plant-based vegan diet with low calories, you can expect to lose significant weight.
A calorie deficit of 3,500 is equivalent to 1 pound of fat loss. For example, if you eat about 250 fewer calories per day, you could lose about 2 pounds a month.
Going by the same average rate of calorie burning, you could shed about 63 pounds in a year on a vegan diet. But again, how quickly you shed those pounds depends on various factors, and it is not guaranteed that you will lose this much weight.
How long it takes to lose weight on a vegan diet will depend on factors such as –
Diet you are following
If your diet is already healthy, then probably a vegan diet won’t change things dramatically. But if you’ve been eating junk food, you may see much faster, more dramatic weight loss after going vegan.
The weight you have to lose
If you have excess body fat, you’re likely to shed more pounds per month. Whereas if you’re only slightly overweight, your speed of weight loss may be slower.
Your body type
Whether you are an Ectomorph or Endomorph will also determine the speed of your weight loss. Endomorphs tend to carry extra weight. You can lose weight as an endomorph— the only thing is that it may not be as easy as other body types.
Your vegan diet
The foods you eat have a significant impact on your weight. Although a vegan diet is healthy, some vegan foods are still unhealthy and may lead to weight gain.
If you don’t see the desired vegan diet weight loss results within a few weeks, don’t be disheartened.
A vegan diet is not a crash diet that can bring instant results. As said earlier, significant weight loss will take time. Try to be patient and keep making adjustments to your diet and lifestyle as needed.
It’s not unusual for people to spend months or years to get their desired weight loss. If you are determined and faithful to your diet, you will soon see positive vegan diet weight loss results.
Vegan Diet Plan
A healthy vegan diet plan involves consuming plenty of fruits and veggies, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
A vegan diet can be a well-balanced diet if you focus on whole foods and recipes with healthy ingredients and restrict the amount of processed “vegan” foods you consume.
However, some vegans run the risk of facing nutritional deficiencies due to the vegan diet. People on a vegan diet may suffer from vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, iron, or zinc deficiencies. Therefore, vegans have to carefully plan their diet to get all the essential nutrients from it.
You will need to ease into your diet rather than rushing into it. Slowly begin to include more plant-based foods into your diet and build up from there.
Start going meatless once a week and see how your body adapts to it. You can gradually increase your vegan meal consumption each day. Check how you’re feeling, and if the results are positive, swap your animal-based dishes for plant-based dishes.
Learn about vegan foods. Once you feel comfortable with vegan food, make a diet plan that you can follow easily. Ensure that your diet plan has low calories but enough nutrients.
Here is a sample one-week diet plan that features whole, nutritious and healthy foods. The vegan weight loss recipes suggested in this vegan diet plan are sustainable, easy, and delicious.
Day 1
Breakfast: quinoa pudding with berries
Lunch: lentil tacos made with corn tortillas, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and guacamole
Dinner: Miso soup with ½ cup tofu and 1 cup cooked kale or collards
Day 2
Breakfast: porridge with nourishing toppings
Lunch: hummus pita sandwich with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and baby spinach
Dinner: burrito bowl comprising of white rice, grilled zucchini, red bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, corn and black or kidney beans and topped with Pico de Gallo
Day 3
Breakfast: oatmeal flavored with cinnamon and topped with apples or bananas
Lunch: wholewheat pasta salad with butter beans, black beans, kale, basil leaves, red peppers and cherry tomatoes
Dinner: vegan risotto topped with sauteed mushrooms in soy sauce
Day 4
Breakfast: eggless French toast with bruschetta made from tomatoes, basil and garlic
Lunch: black bean enchilada burger
Dinner: Mediterranean lentil salad with cucumbers, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, peppers, kale, and parsley
Day 5
Breakfast: chickpea flour pancakes
Lunch: whole-wheat tortilla with refried beans, lettuce, tomato and salsa
Dinner: oat risotto with mushrooms and butternut squash
Day 6
Breakfast: sweet potato toast topped with mashed avocado and sprinkled with chia seeds and paprika
Lunch: chickpea and spinach curry with brown rice
Dinner: quinoa salad with cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, tomatoes and vinaigrette
Day 7
Breakfast: banana nut scone, scrambled tofu, coffee with 1 tbsp. coconut milk creamer
Lunch: vegan spaghetti Bolognese (with ground beef substitute)
Dinner: grain bowl made with brown rice, carrots, red cabbage, scallions, farro, baby spinach and drizzled with garlic cilantro dressing.
If you feel hungry in between the meals, you can try fruit smoothies, roasted nuts, fruit slices, granola bars, kale chips, and other vegan snacks.
This vegan diet plan should go a long way in helping you to achieve the desired vegan diet weight loss results.
Vegan food need not be bland and boring. You can easily combine the vegan ingredients to whip up delicious and nutritious recipes. If you’re looking to lose weight, the suggested vegan weight loss recipes are ideal for you. The vegan weight loss recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner are unique, ensuring that you get your quota of essential nutrients and calories.
Moreover, you can scour the internet for more vegan weight loss recipes. You will find thousands of recipes on the internet. Try these at home and find the best that suits your diet and temperament. Most of the vegan recipes are low in calories and rich in nutrients.
The vegan meal recipes combine legumes, whole grains, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, tofu, and tempeh. You can also bake vegan goodies by using whole grain flours, unrefined sugars, and nonhydrogenated oils.
These vegan weight loss recipes are so delicious and nutritious that your palate won’t miss your regular non-vegan food.
Furthermore, they keep you satiated throughout the day, thus minimizing mindless snacking.
A vegan diet that is low in calories and high in fiber keeps you fuller longer and aids in weight loss.
Conclusion
A vegan diet is capable of transforming your life and reinvigorating your body. By consuming natural plant-based foods, your body can function properly. The benefits of going vegan come from eliminating animal-based products and eating a wide variety of nutrient-rich plant-based foods.
A balanced vegan diet reduces the risk for many chronic diseases. Moreover, you are more likely to lose weight after switching to a vegan diet. Over a period of time, being vegan may even help with considerable weight loss.
If you take the help of vegan weight loss recipes and religiously follow your vegan diet plan, you can get your coveted vegan diet weight loss results and achieve fast vegan weight loss.
