Weight question

[shelly]

Hello! I am 67 and have been a vegan now for about six months. I am finding it easier than I thought I would and feel good about this choice, but in my research one benefit was I thought that I would be losing weight. I have not gained weight, but I seem to think that my stomach has gotten bigger with this diet . Would I be doing something wrong to make my stomach larger?

 

[Veganite]

I'm going to ring in with my opinion here, and personal experience. I have had a similar problem until....#1/ I cut out all the nuts, oils, and any vegan processed foods, with the exception of Tofu. Occasionally, I will allow a bit of oil in my cooking, but for the most part I stick to what they call the plant-based SOS diet (SOS meaning: No Sugar, Oil and Salts), and #2/ By adding exercise, the weight has pretty much peeled off me.

It is also possible you're not eating enough protein rich foods. Protein is essential in maintaining and building muscle mass. It could also be that you're consuming additional calories through beverages. Certain medications can also slow your metabolism down or possibly increase appetite. Maybe ask your doctor next time you go if any of the medications you take, if any, could prevent or slow down weight loss.

I think it comes down to burning off what you put in. If you're sedentary, you will obviously need less calories. It's not rocket science, but I do understand where you're coming from. Maybe try documenting everything you eat in a daily journal, and see how that adds up in a week or two.

I'd also suggest being more aware of your portion control, and mealtimes. Obviously you shouldn't be eating your biggest meal before bedtime. Instead, try eating your big or heavier meals for lunch, and go easy for dinner.

Keep in mind that fried vegetables is not healthy eating, and living on carbs alone won't help you lose that weight either.



*

 

[shelly]

Thank you! I know my problem is not beverages and I’m not on any medications, but I certainly do eat some nuts and prefer vegetables sautéed in olive oil as opposed to steamed. I will definitely try and cut down on nuts, oils and salt, though. I do move around a lot, but don’t do any formal exercise so maybe I can try to add some of that too. So the processed vegan foods like garden burgers etc. are not good? Boo! I have been trying to find more of those so I will always have something on hand to eat.

 

[Veganite]

A veggie burger is certainly a healthier choice than a real meat burger. Having said that I still believe a homemade veggie burger would be far better than the store bought processed one. I treat these foods, as in processed vegan foods, as a treat. Maybe for a special occasion or something, but I definitely don't make it a regular thing.

I can help a bit with some ideas to keep on hand for quick meals. I've found YouTube to be my best friend with information on how to make do without oil. Salt is not so hard for me, but the oil is something I struggled without in the beginning. I was used to frying everything. Since I've stopped using excessive amounts of oil, I not only feel better, but my arthritis has gone completely away. I also stopped eating all sugar, with the exception of about a tablespoon of maple syrup on my oatmeal in the morning and the odd stir-fry (sauce). Some people even go as far as using a super ripe banana to sweeten their cereal instead of the maple syrup.

So the thing I try to do is make enough food preparation for a meal that will leave enough leftovers for another the following day....soups, stews, chili, to name a few. Humus is also easy to make (can be delicious oil free) and lasts a few days in the fridge. It makes a great snack food with some celery sticks, crackers, whatever.

I love rice and beans, which can evolve into different meals as leftovers. Like from a simple bowl of rice & beans topped with salsa, to a rice & bean taco topped with avocado and fresh mango.

I really enjoy sushi veggie rolls. They're quite easy to make. Sushi rice comes together fairly fast, after the rinsing process. Sushi rice must be rinsed really really well, but aside from that it cooks fast and makes delicious fast meals once cooked. It really is best used up the same day, but I've used day old sushi rice before. It's doable. Anyhow, check out Youtube if you want to learn how yourself. The fillings can vary from yummy avocados, yams, shredded carrots, daikon radish, cucumber, asparagus, and so on.

The trick is to always think ahead, but if you want something really fast, just freeze some leftovers that can be microwaved or reheated in the oven at a later time. One meal I do enjoy from frozen is a simple bag of frozen veggies (I like the Asian blend) sautéed up in a wok style frying pan with a delicious homemade sauce. No oil is needed, but you need a lid for your frying non-stick frying pan.

So toss the frozen veggies into your frying pan (wok), add a wee bit of water or vegetable stock, and I mean a wee bit. I also add some fresh minced ginger and garlic to give it a more authentic taste. Cook it on medium high with the lid on for about 8-10 mins or until desired tenderness. Just before they're done, you can add your sauce, and cover and finish. The sauce is simply maple syrup and soy or soy like alternative. If you know how much corn starch, you can mix that into the sauce at this point, but I prefer to make a corn starch and water solution and thick it at the very end. Sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds and viola, dinner is served. I don't often have leftovers with this one, as I don't usually make rice or noodles, but if you wanted to stretch this out into a couple meals, just make some rice or rice noodles to accompany it.

It might sound really hard, but try to work your way up to a eating more whole plant-based foods. So opposed to eating the olive oil, have the olives instead. Have coconuts, but not coconut oil. Remember, just because it's not fried or has oil in it, doesn't mean it won't taste good. You just need to find good recipes and adjust your diet to living this way. Youtube for me has been so helpful in learning to cook without oil. It's useful for a lot of very delicious recipes, perioid. There are channels dedicated to cooking vegan without oil. I like this one "HERE" , but there's many more if you look.

I will make an exception once in a while. You know, like when you dine out, or for special occasions, holidays, etc.

If you want to know why I don't do oil, you can thank Dr. Esselstyn for that..."No Oil!" so he loves to say. Check his video out. My mom died at 59 from a heart attack. My brother just died a couple years ago from colon cancer. I had my reasons for going vegan. It was mostly for health reasons, I am not ashamed to say, but I am happy to no end to not contribute to the torture and killing of animals for food.

Sorry for the long rant, but hopefully it's helpful.

 

[amberfunk]

It might also be bloating from gas. If I eat a lot of gas producing foods my stomach will extent more but it's just gas and it goes down. I had a lot of bloating when I first started out and don't have as much now.

 

[shelly]

A veggie burger is certainly a healthier choice than a real meat burger. Having said that I still believe a homemade veggie burger would be far better than the store bought processed one. I treat these foods, as in processed vegan foods, as a treat. Maybe for a special occasion or something, but I definitely don't make it a regular thing.

I can help a bit with some ideas to keep on hand for quick meals. I've found YouTube to be my best friend with information on how to make do without oil. Salt is not so hard for me, but the oil is something I struggled without in the beginning. I was used to frying everything. Since I've stopped using excessive amounts of oil, I not only feel better, but my arthritis has gone completely away. I also stopped eating all sugar, with the exception of about a tablespoon of maple syrup on my oatmeal in the morning and the odd stir-fry (sauce). Some people even go as far as using a super ripe banana to sweeten their cereal instead of the maple syrup.

So the thing I try to do is make enough food preparation for a meal that will leave enough leftovers for another the following day....soups, stews, chili, to name a few. Humus is also easy to make (can be delicious oil free) and lasts a few days in the fridge. It makes a great snack food with some celery sticks, crackers, whatever.

I love rice and beans, which can evolve into different meals as leftovers. Like from a simple bowl of rice & beans topped with salsa, to a rice & bean taco topped with avocado and fresh mango.

I really enjoy sushi veggie rolls. They're quite easy to make. Sushi rice comes together fairly fast, after the rinsing process. Sushi rice must be rinsed really really well, but aside from that it cooks fast and makes delicious fast meals once cooked. It really is best used up the same day, but I've used day old sushi rice before. It's doable. Anyhow, check out Youtube if you want to learn how yourself. The fillings can vary from yummy avocados, yams, shredded carrots, daikon radish, cucumber, asparagus, and so on.

The trick is to always think ahead, but if you want something really fast, just freeze some leftovers that can be microwaved or reheated in the oven at a later time. One meal I do enjoy from frozen is a simple bag of frozen veggies (I like the Asian blend) sautéed up in a wok style frying pan with a delicious homemade sauce. No oil is needed, but you need a lid for your frying non-stick frying pan.

So toss the frozen veggies into your frying pan (wok), add a wee bit of water or vegetable stock, and I mean a wee bit. I also add some fresh minced ginger and garlic to give it a more authentic taste. Cook it on medium high with the lid on for about 8-10 mins or until desired tenderness. Just before they're done, you can add your sauce, and cover and finish. The sauce is simply maple syrup and soy or soy like alternative. If you know how much corn starch, you can mix that into the sauce at this point, but I prefer to make a corn starch and water solution and thick it at the very end. Sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds and viola, dinner is served. I don't often have leftovers with this one, as I don't usually make rice or noodles, but if you wanted to stretch this out into a couple meals, just make some rice or rice noodles to accompany it.

It might sound really hard, but try to work your way up to a eating more whole plant-based foods. So opposed to eating the olive oil, have the olives instead. Have coconuts, but not coconut oil. Remember, just because it's not fried or has oil in it, doesn't mean it won't taste good. You just need to find good recipes and adjust your diet to living this way. Youtube for me has been so helpful in learning to cook without oil. It's useful for a lot of very delicious recipes, perioid. There are channels dedicated to cooking vegan without oil. I like this one "HERE" , but there's many more if you look.

I will make an exception once in a while. You know, like when you dine out, or for special occasions, holidays, etc.

If you want to know why I don't do oil, you can thank Dr. Esselstyn for that..."No Oil!" so he loves to say. Check his video out. My mom died at 59 from a heart attack. My brother just died a couple years ago from colon cancer. I had my reasons for going vegan. It was mostly for health reasons, I am not ashamed to say, but I am happy to no end to not contribute to the torture and killing of animals for food.

Sorry for the long rant, but hopefully it's helpful.

A veggie burger is certainly a healthier choice than a real meat burger. Having said that I still believe a homemade veggie burger would be far better than the store bought processed one. I treat these foods, as in processed vegan foods, as a treat. Maybe for a special occasion or something, but I definitely don't make it a regular thing.

I can help a bit with some ideas to keep on hand for quick meals. I've found YouTube to be my best friend with information on how to make do without oil. Salt is not so hard for me, but the oil is something I struggled without in the beginning. I was used to frying everything. Since I've stopped using excessive amounts of oil, I not only feel better, but my arthritis has gone completely away. I also stopped eating all sugar, with the exception of about a tablespoon of maple syrup on my oatmeal in the morning and the odd stir-fry (sauce). Some people even go as far as using a super ripe banana to sweeten their cereal instead of the maple syrup.

So the thing I try to do is make enough food preparation for a meal that will leave enough leftovers for another the following day....soups, stews, chili, to name a few. Humus is also easy to make (can be delicious oil free) and lasts a few days in the fridge. It makes a great snack food with some celery sticks, crackers, whatever.

I love rice and beans, which can evolve into different meals as leftovers. Like from a simple bowl of rice & beans topped with salsa, to a rice & bean taco topped with avocado and fresh mango.

I really enjoy sushi veggie rolls. They're quite easy to make. Sushi rice comes together fairly fast, after the rinsing process. Sushi rice must be rinsed really really well, but aside from that it cooks fast and makes delicious fast meals once cooked. It really is best used up the same day, but I've used day old sushi rice before. It's doable. Anyhow, check out Youtube if you want to learn how yourself. The fillings can vary from yummy avocados, yams, shredded carrots, daikon radish, cucumber, asparagus, and so on.

The trick is to always think ahead, but if you want something really fast, just freeze some leftovers that can be microwaved or reheated in the oven at a later time. One meal I do enjoy from frozen is a simple bag of frozen veggies (I like the Asian blend) sautéed up in a wok style frying pan with a delicious homemade sauce. No oil is needed, but you need a lid for your frying non-stick frying pan.

So toss the frozen veggies into your frying pan (wok), add a wee bit of water or vegetable stock, and I mean a wee bit. I also add some fresh minced ginger and garlic to give it a more authentic taste. Cook it on medium high with the lid on for about 8-10 mins or until desired tenderness. Just before they're done, you can add your sauce, and cover and finish. The sauce is simply maple syrup and soy or soy like alternative. If you know how much corn starch, you can mix that into the sauce at this point, but I prefer to make a corn starch and water solution and thick it at the very end. Sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds and viola, dinner is served. I don't often have leftovers with this one, as I don't usually make rice or noodles, but if you wanted to stretch this out into a couple meals, just make some rice or rice noodles to accompany it.

It might sound really hard, but try to work your way up to a eating more whole plant-based foods. So opposed to eating the olive oil, have the olives instead. Have coconuts, but not coconut oil. Remember, just because it's not fried or has oil in it, doesn't mean it won't taste good. You just need to find good recipes and adjust your diet to living this way. Youtube for me has been so helpful in learning to cook without oil. It's useful for a lot of very delicious recipes, perioid. There are channels dedicated to cooking vegan without oil. I like this one "HERE" , but there's many more if you look.

I will make an exception once in a while. You know, like when you dine out, or for special occasions, holidays, etc.

If you want to know why I don't do oil, you can thank Dr. Esselstyn for that..."No Oil!" so he loves to say. Check his video out. My mom died at 59 from a heart attack. My brother just died a couple years ago from colon cancer. I had my reasons for going vegan. It was mostly for health reasons, I am not ashamed to say, but I am happy to no end to not contribute to the torture and killing of animals for food.

Sorry for the long rant, but hopefully it's helpful.

A veggie burger is certainly a healthier choice than a real meat burger. Having said that I still believe a homemade veggie burger would be far better than the store bought processed one. I treat these foods, as in processed vegan foods, as a treat. Maybe for a special occasion or something, but I definitely don't make it a regular thing.

I can help a bit with some ideas to keep on hand for quick meals. I've found YouTube to be my best friend with information on how to make do without oil. Salt is not so hard for me, but the oil is something I struggled without in the beginning. I was used to frying everything. Since I've stopped using excessive amounts of oil, I not only feel better, but my arthritis has gone completely away. I also stopped eating all sugar, with the exception of about a tablespoon of maple syrup on my oatmeal in the morning and the odd stir-fry (sauce). Some people even go as far as using a super ripe banana to sweeten their cereal instead of the maple syrup.

So the thing I try to do is make enough food preparation for a meal that will leave enough leftovers for another the following day....soups, stews, chili, to name a few. Humus is also easy to make (can be delicious oil free) and lasts a few days in the fridge. It makes a great snack food with some celery sticks, crackers, whatever.

I love rice and beans, which can evolve into different meals as leftovers. Like from a simple bowl of rice & beans topped with salsa, to a rice & bean taco topped with avocado and fresh mango.

I really enjoy sushi veggie rolls. They're quite easy to make. Sushi rice comes together fairly fast, after the rinsing process. Sushi rice must be rinsed really really well, but aside from that it cooks fast and makes delicious fast meals once cooked. It really is best used up the same day, but I've used day old sushi rice before. It's doable. Anyhow, check out Youtube if you want to learn how yourself. The fillings can vary from yummy avocados, yams, shredded carrots, daikon radish, cucumber, asparagus, and so on.

The trick is to always think ahead, but if you want something really fast, just freeze some leftovers that can be microwaved or reheated in the oven at a later time. One meal I do enjoy from frozen is a simple bag of frozen veggies (I like the Asian blend) sautéed up in a wok style frying pan with a delicious homemade sauce. No oil is needed, but you need a lid for your frying non-stick frying pan.

So toss the frozen veggies into your frying pan (wok), add a wee bit of water or vegetable stock, and I mean a wee bit. I also add some fresh minced ginger and garlic to give it a more authentic taste. Cook it on medium high with the lid on for about 8-10 mins or until desired tenderness. Just before they're done, you can add your sauce, and cover and finish. The sauce is simply maple syrup and soy or soy like alternative. If you know how much corn starch, you can mix that into the sauce at this point, but I prefer to make a corn starch and water solution and thick it at the very end. Sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds and viola, dinner is served. I don't often have leftovers with this one, as I don't usually make rice or noodles, but if you wanted to stretch this out into a couple meals, just make some rice or rice noodles to accompany it.

It might sound really hard, but try to work your way up to a eating more whole plant-based foods. So opposed to eating the olive oil, have the olives instead. Have coconuts, but not coconut oil. Remember, just because it's not fried or has oil in it, doesn't mean it won't taste good. You just need to find good recipes and adjust your diet to living this way. Youtube for me has been so helpful in learning to cook without oil. It's useful for a lot of very delicious recipes, perioid. There are channels dedicated to cooking vegan without oil. I like this one "HERE" , but there's many more if you look.

I will make an exception once in a while. You know, like when you dine out, or for special occasions, holidays, etc.

If you want to know why I don't do oil, you can thank Dr. Esselstyn for that..."No Oil!" so he loves to say. Check his video out. My mom died at 59 from a heart attack. My brother just died a couple years ago from colon cancer. I had my reasons for going vegan. It was mostly for health reasons, I am not ashamed to say, but I am happy to no end to not contribute to the torture and killing of animals for food.

Sorry for the long rant, but hopefully it's helpful.

It might also be bloating from gas. If I eat a lot of gas producing foods my stomach will extent more but it's just gas and it goes down. I had a lot of bloating when I first started out and don't have as much now.

 

[shelly]

Thank you both, very helpful info. And I loved watching "no oil!!" Message received! I am already trying to cook larger quantities and freezing for convenience, but I definitely need to start looking at calories, because I don't pay attention to portion size when I'm eating beans and vegetables, etc. Never dreamed they could have too many calories! I like the idea of watching You Tube for ideas as well. That has already helped, so now I will: only use oil very, very sparingly; watch my calorie count; try to exercise more; cook from scratch as opposed to prepared vegan options; and find healthy homemade snack options for my sweet tooth. That seems mostly doable, I'm excited! Thank you again very much!

 

[Veganite]

I hope you see some positive differences soon.

I think counting calories with things like beans and veggies are not so important. It is really common sense when you think about it. I mean, reduce fat intake, and worry less about calorie intake. For example, one of my absolute favorite meals is my Thai peanut stir-fry, but I know it has a heap of heavy calories from the sauce. It's the same if you over indulge in avocados, nuts, olives, etc.

One thing I have discovered is roasted veggies are amazingly delicious. This can easily satiate your desire for fried foods. I also suggest eating your heavier meal for lunch, and try eating lighter for dinner.

Keep us posted to your progress. I wish you the best of success!

 

[windrose]

Watch what goes in and WATCH what comes out....sounds a bit sick but it is important to monitor..frequency, consistency, liquidity!