Im fat, vegan, and i hate beans!

[Jaydoesitgood]

Ive been vegan for the past maybe 6 months and I was HOPING that I would have lost weight by now. I didnt go vegan for health reasons (though the is definitely a perk) but, you know, I know veganism cuts out a lot of unhealthy animal fats and cholesterol and forces you to eat more veggies so I thought it might help! I cut out soda and avoid sugars. I went oil free a few months ago even! Buuut im still stuck at 230lbs.
The other factor is definitely my birth control. I had an IUD for about three years and gained almost a hundred pounds on it. Went from normal to obese in a matter a months. And when I had it removed I lost 7 pounds in literally one week. It was kinda freaky. BUT I have endometriosis so I have to be on it or face the painful consequences.
The good news is, even though Im overweight I seem to be pretty healthy. Excellent blood pressure, low cholesterol, not anemic, and all my levels seem to be normal. Its just that DAMNED weight!
Thankfully, I DID go to a nutritionist a few days ago and their recommendation was to replace starch and wheat based carbs with protein, particularly beans. The issue? I hate beans. Theyre like little waxy balls willed with sand. Ick. Tofu is ok and so is hummus but i cant just eat that with every meal (and tofu isnt very filling)

So now that the intro is out of the way, heres my actual question:
How the hell do I make beans not taste like crap? And are there any other weight loss recommendations people have?

 

[Veganite]

Hello Jaydoesitgood, and welcome to the forum!

How the hell do I make beans not taste like crap?

Gosh, this list can be endless. Personally, one of my favorites is a simple rice and bean dish, but spiced up with Mexi-style seasonings. then add some black beans and corn niblets, diced tomatoes and top that with some homemade salsa, and that is dinner.

Yams and black beans go together very well in burritos and tacos. There's lots of recipes for hummus. You can really put a lot of different twists on hummus.

And what about curry dishes? I seriously mean endless. You can cook beans in many different ethnic styles, in soups, stews, chilies, salads, stuffed peppers, etc. Lentil soups are delicious, and don't have a beany taste, in my humble opinion.

And are there any other weight loss recommendations people have?

Try and stick exclusively to whole foods. If you are eating lots of avocados and nuts, you may consider reducing those high fat foods. It might also help to keep a food journal and document every last bite you put in your mouth.

While losing weight for many people goes far beyond the simple mathematics aspect of calories in and out, it really is that simple...in theory at least. Documenting will help you get an idea of where you're going wrong.

You might be snacking too much between meals. I dunno, but you are obviously eating more calories than you are burning. I'd take a guess that it's from high calorie foods like nuts and avocados. Again, documenting every bite will tell you exactly where the calories are. You could even use chronometer to keep even better track of your calorie intake.

Lastly, if you're sedentary, there's no question this will make it a bit more difficult. Obviously, you won't be burning as many calories throughout your day.

You may also find some good tips on YouTube. There's certainly no shortage of vegan channels and weight loss videos.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=losing+weight+on+a+vegan+diet


*

 

[Veganite]

I did post this in the recipes before, but try this red lentil recipe. I think you'll like it. Red lentils to me have a much milder bean flavour. Don't be afraid to tweak it the way you like it.

Red Lentil Coconut Curry

IMPORTANT! (Do not add salt until finished)

1-2 carrots

1 stalk celery

1 lg. onion

1 Tbsp. coconut oil or water sauté.

2-3 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger

1-2 Tbs. Thai red curry paste (or to taste)

1 cup red lentils (soaked and rinsed)

1 can diced tomatoes

3-4 cups of vegetable stock (part water may be substituted)

1 large bay leaf

1 x 12-14 oz can coconut cream, full fat coconut milk

Garnish with cilantro (optional)



Instructions

Soak lentils for minimum 20 minutes, and then rinse them thoroughly, until the water runs through them clear.

Dice carrots, celery, and onion (mirepoix).

Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large stockpot on medium heat. Add the mirepoix and sauté. While this mixture is cooking, mince garlic cloves and ginger then add to the pot. This will allow the mirepoix to cook longer and will help to keep the garlic and ginger from burning. (Again, do NOT add any salt or the lentils will not absorb liquid. Add the salt last, when finishing the soup to taste!!)

When the onions are translucent, add red curry paste. Allow to sauté briefly, and then add the tomatoes, lentils, and stock. Make sure the lentils are covered with at least an inch of the stock.

Add bay leaf, and stir occasionally, adding water or more stock if the lentils become too dry.

When the lentils are soft, and have lost their form, they are done! Add coconut cream at the very end. Don’t skip this part, as it truly defines the soups flavor.

Garnish with fresh cilantro

 

[Lou]

First off, your nutritionist may have given you good advice. But be forewarned, in most states, there are No qualifications or licensing body for "nutritionists". Here in California, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. You should maybe explore that a bit.

you probably want to see a Registered Dietician, RD. Your own doctor can recommend one. And in a lot of cases, their costs can be paid by your health insurance, maybe not all but some. RDs are great. It's a certificate program, with tests and a governing body. Of course, not all RDs are great. So look into that as well.

However, your nutritionist advice seems pretty sound. Beans are great. All the variations of the WFPB diets suggest several servings of beans every day. (thankfully, servings are not particularly large). Oh, and they usually suggest you cut back on grains, too. So far so good.

The nice thing about beans is that there are so many variations. You already mentioned tofu and hummus. I eat those almost daily. Baked beans aren't great, too much salt and sugar. But who doesn't like baked beans? Oh, and canned beans aren't the best either - although there are usually low sodium versions of those. I always put a couple of tbsp of chickpeas on my salads. Don't forget about soy milk. Each glass of soy milk is a serving of beans. You can add a cup of soymilk to your morning oatmeal. Or make a smoothie with soy milk and bananas and PB.

don't forget about bean recipes. Homemade burritos are a staple here. I make up a big pot of filler and mass produce my burritos. Ten to twelve at a time and then freeze them. Don't let them get stuck together tho. you can use foil or wax paper to keep them separated. They are great lunches or even breakfasts when you get stuck for time.

How about bean soups? There are very tasty black bean soups.

Oh, and don't forget Peas are a legume. So Split Pea soup also counts as a serving of beans. (or two). Peas are also great to add to salads.

You might want to check out Jesica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious. Its mostly for moms to fool their kids into eating the veggies. but it has some pretty tasty bean recipes.

While you are at the library check out one of the WFPB cookbooks. Right now I'm reading the Forks Over Knives Plan and Fuhrman's Eat To Live Quick and Easy Recipes. The chickpea burger is pretty good.

Last thing. Try Fuhrman's 6-week plan to lose weight in the book Eat To Live. It's hard - but it works.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

To lose weight, it's ideal to focus on what you eat, if you can't do that, you will need to focus on just eating less food.

This doesn't necessarily mean just fasting, but make a rule to never eat when not hungry, trim down portion sizes,don't snack in the 1-2hours before meals andso on, even if hungry. If you are already doing that stuff then I won't be able to help, sorry.

Reading your post, I wonder if your existing diet is sustainable from a weight standpoint if you can be just get it back to where it was.

If you don't like beans, don't eat them. Eat another legume or another food high in lysine.

Good luck.

 

[Nekodaiden]

Ive been vegan for the past maybe 6 months and I was HOPING that I would have lost weight by now. I didnt go vegan for health reasons (though the is definitely a perk) but, you know, I know veganism cuts out a lot of unhealthy animal fats and cholesterol and forces you to eat more veggies so I thought it might help! I cut out soda and avoid sugars. I went oil free a few months ago even! Buuut im still stuck at 230lbs.

Most people who go vegan lose weight initially, so this is unusual. I lost a considerable amount of weight still using oil often and drinking beer. The weight loss stopped after about a month (with some to lose still), but I did lose even continuing with 2 bad habits.

The other factor is definitely my birth control. I had an IUD for about three years and gained almost a hundred pounds on it. Went from normal to obese in a matter a months. And when I had it removed I lost 7 pounds in literally one week. It was kinda freaky. BUT I have endometriosis so I have to be on it or face the painful consequences.

I assume this is an oral type. If I were you, I'd look into this further and examine any possible alternatives.

Thankfully, I DID go to a nutritionist a few days ago and their recommendation was to replace starch and wheat based carbs with protein, particularly beans. The issue? I hate beans. Theyre like little waxy balls willed with sand. Ick. Tofu is ok and so is hummus but i cant just eat that with every meal (and tofu isnt very filling)

This is a strange recommendation for a nutritionist to make unless the type of carbohydrates you eat are the empty or nearly empty kind.

Just a refresher:

Fat - 9 calories per gram (yes, even plant fats)*
Alcohol - 7 calories per gram
Carbs and protein - 4 calories per gram.

By weight, carbohydrates and proteins are your lowest calorie load per gram. That being said, if they are of the low fiber and low vitamin/mineral type (this includes "enriched", as the grain loses 11 vitamins and minerals in processing with only 4 added back in), then hunger for more of them as your body isn't getting what it needs can be the result. Try whole grains (100% corn, barley, wheat etc), oats, potatoes etc.

*fats from seeds/nuts, when they are in whole food form (ie: they are not isolated from it as a fat) can cause some weight gain/inability to lose it, but they are nowhere close to being "bad" for you, as the isolated oils are - which will all significantly hinder weight loss over the longer term as well as have detrimental health effects.

So now that the intro is out of the way, heres my actual question:
How the hell do I make beans not taste like crap? And are there any other weight loss recommendations people have?

Beans, like most other seed type foods either have a mild taste or nearly no taste at all. They are not unlike most meat, which, unless it is seasoned and smoked has nearly no taste. How the beans are prepared and with what flavorings and spices determine their taste. This is why something like soybeans (to name but one) can be used in both savory and sweet dishes, depending on the other ingredients used.

 

[Jaydoesitgood]

I assume this is an oral type. If I were you, I'd look into this further and examine any possible alternatives.

Yes they are the oral kind. I really dont know what else to do about it because its been literally the only thing thats helped with the pain. When I have my cycle its so bad that ive had to go to the hospital and even morphine and fentonyl didnt make a dent in it. The only thing thats seemed to help is the hormones. But based on how much weight I lost after I got off of them briefly and how I gained it back immidiately afterwards, its definitely a huge factor. I just have no idea what to do about it. Its really frustrating.

This is a strange recommendation for a nutritionist to make unless the type of carbohydrates you eat are the empty or nearly empty kind.

Yeaaaaaa I thought it was a little weird too. Seeing as I know that the "vegans dont get enough protein" myth is big. But I just kind of assume she knows what shes doing given its her job?
Anyway, I will admit, I partake in the white flour foods a Bit too often. The other issue is that as a part of my roomate set up, I often cook dinner for my roomate who is on the gluten free train and she wont let me even use the strainer if Im making whole grain pasta. So, ive been kind of having to avoid it for a while.
I might honestly just say **** it and stop cooking for her at this point if its really negatively impacting my health though.

Anyway, your post was really helpful and informative! Thank you!

 

[Jaydoesitgood]

Reading your post, I wonder if your existing diet is sustainable from a weight standpoint if you can be just get it back to where it was.

I want to get back to where I was basically. Which is about 54lbs lighter

 

[Sho]

My fitness pal. It’s all about calories in and calories out. I could eat 1200 calories a day of jelly beans and lose weight. Anyways when I lost weight I had no idea about portions so I joined a calorie counting app and did it for about a month just to get a general idea of how many calories are in the things I eat. Since I eat the same stuff everyday it was easy to keep it up. Maybe go for a walk

 

[Forest Nymph]

- Drown them in curry sauce (if you enjoy a good curry)

- Eat them on a burrito with tons of guacamole, hot sauce of choice, and other toppings such as rice, olives, lettuce, tomatoes, and/or grilled onions.

- Mash chickpeas with a fresh avocado, the juice of about 2-3 limes, and your choice of fresh cilantro or fresh dill. Salt to taste, eat in a green salad or turn into a sandwich with bread or a wrap

- Make huge awesome salads and find a dressing that you absolutely love, and throw beans in the mix

Those all make beans very enjoyable, imo, in a way that shouldn't offend those who aren't crazy about a tasty bowl of bean soup or something (I do happen to like that myself, but I don't think that would be the right choice for you yet).

I am not qualified to give you weight loss advice, especially if your health is good and you've even tried being oil free. Please don't starve yourself.

 

[Changing4Better]

Ive been vegan for the past maybe 6 months and I was HOPING that I would have lost weight by now. I didnt go vegan for health reasons (though the is definitely a perk) but, you know, I know veganism cuts out a lot of unhealthy animal fats and cholesterol and forces you to eat more veggies so I thought it might help! I cut out soda and avoid sugars. I went oil free a few months ago even! Buuut im still stuck at 230lbs.
The other factor is definitely my birth control. I had an IUD for about three years and gained almost a hundred pounds on it. Went from normal to obese in a matter a months. And when I had it removed I lost 7 pounds in literally one week. It was kinda freaky. BUT I have endometriosis so I have to be on it or face the painful consequences.
The good news is, even though Im overweight I seem to be pretty healthy. Excellent blood pressure, low cholesterol, not anemic, and all my levels seem to be normal. Its just that DAMNED weight!
Thankfully, I DID go to a nutritionist a few days ago and their recommendation was to replace starch and wheat based carbs with protein, particularly beans. The issue? I hate beans. Theyre like little waxy balls willed with sand. Ick. Tofu is ok and so is hummus but i cant just eat that with every meal (and tofu isnt very filling)

So now that the intro is out of the way, heres my actual question:
How the hell do I make beans not taste like crap? And are there any other weight loss recommendations people have?

My reponse is not about beans, but I suggest you go to a well-reviewed and experienced Naturopathic Doctor, and even a second one.

IMO, these people that only recommended "beans" are missing many things about the *causes* of your situation.

 

[amberfunk]

Red lentils do not have the same texture as other beans. They can be quite soft if cooked long enough. Here's a recipe that I love https://www.budgetbytes.com/dal-nirvana/ I do not put cayenne in mine and you just switch out butter for earth balance and the evaporated milk for a full can of coconut milk. It turns out amazing.

 

[Wendy Diaz]

You could always eat beans like you would hummus. Cook them and then blend them. I like to make a seasoning with onions, garlic, peppers and spices. Then I saute the seasonings with the blended beans, And you get like refried beans. It tasted delicious and you don't feel the actual beans texture. I'm hispanic and Ive been eating beans my entire life. I would not be able to live without it. So I know how to cook them in many different ways. I also think it's a matter of getting used to them. They say that it takes trying things at least 7 times to start liking the. So good luck!

 

[Emma JC]

So many great suggestions and ideas from everyone - I personally love beans and so don't have any issues eating them and today I watched Dr Greger's latest video on which beans/legumes are the best for you and why it is important to include them:

Enjoy! Emma JC

 

[Wendy Diaz]

This is how I make beans and I think they're absolutely delicious. Maybe you like them this way.

 

[veganDreama]

I blend beans and add them to curry soup along with a few vegetables. That should hide the taste and texture.

As for your weight. I was very overweight and found it very difficult to lose weight until I looked into my metabolism which was sluggish until I started taking Thyroid supplement as well as thyroxine as I was born with an under active thyroid. I also started going to the gym and cutting down on fatty foods like Chips, crisps, ice-cream, and other fried and sugary foods that I like. Well I did manage to lose weight. Do you snack? I'm always hungry so I snack on raw carrots and cooked Broccoli.

 

[new vegan]

These are some great suggestions, to follow..

But, i have to say i LOVED the title!! It's exactly how i feel - and yes.. i hate beans too!

 

[gab]

Without exercise, you will not lose weight in a sustainable manner. It is not to do with calories in, calories out ... but with regulating the way your hormones work.

I like cycling up hills, but recently I got into swimming.

Small and consistent effort is better than long and rare effort.

 

[seekingdhamma]

STORY OF MY LIFE!

Hi there! Sounds like we have the same problem. I had an IUD for a few years and had it removed; my weight has fluctuated since. I was a very comfortable 160 lbs before I got pregnant and got back down only a few months after; the IUD made me balloon to 240. I was able to lose the weight and keep it off for quite some time, getting back down to about 165. However, I was recently diagnosed with some autoimmune issues that made it difficult to exercise and was directly affecting my metabolism. I got back up to 215.

I haven't lost any weight since going WF/PB vegan, even with exercise, and I'm still trying to figure out the right balance for my body. If you figure anything out, let me know!