You may be reading this title like: What d’you mean by lose weight as a vegan, doesn’t that just happen by default?
The reality of it is, no. Though fruits and vegetables tend to be low in fat and calories, not every vegan is on the thinner side.
Some types of vegan diet, for instance the junk food vegan, is heavy on the fat-rich oils, starchy foods and nutrient scarce processed meat replacements. Being vegan alone doesn’t keep you thin, that’s for sure.
A common misconception the world makes about vegans is that we’re all skinny, when in reality, how your body composition turns out is entirely based on what you eat on a daily basis.
And also genetics and stuff, obviously.
This post will provide you with some top tips on how to lose weight as a vegan, helping you out with which foods to go for, and/or avoid to help achieve your weight loss goals.
What to avoid when losing weight as a vegan
First thing’s first, here’s what do avoid if you want to lose weight on a vegan diet.
Processed foods
I think this one’s a bit glaringly obvious, processed foods in any context is probably not going to be good for you in the long term.
I know it’s tempting, going into the supermarket and seeing a range of tempting vegan meat and cheese brands, but abusing those processed vegan ingredients will not be good for you in the long run.
From artificial flavourings to preservatives and sugars, some processed vegan foods can spike your insulin levels which may lead to weight gain if you’re not careful.
As the age old saying goes, everything in moderation, very much applies here when we’re talking about processed vegan foods.
Eating massive portions
A simple, but often overlooked tip to help you lose weight on a vegan diet, is simply to practise portion control.
According to Healthline, a caloric deficit of just 500 calories a day is enough to effectively lose weight, along with regular exercise, but we’ll get to that.
For women, this looks like a daily recommended 2000 calories, and for men, a daily recommended 2500 calories. Portion control may come easier to some than others, and I find that planning my meals and portions in advance helps. What isn’t measured, isn’t tracked, after all.
It may not seem like much, but that extra tablespoon of olive oil is 119 calories.
Excess unhealthy fats
Speaking of olive oil, what we consider a healthy plant-based fat source, there are a lot of other unhealthy fats you definitely want to avoid if you’re trying to lose weight as a vegan.
These so-called “unhealthy fats” includes saturated fats, hydrogenated fat (unsaturated fat with added hydrogen to make it saturated), and trans fats. These are the types of fats you find in margarine (vegan butter made from oils), processed oils (such as coconut and palm), and non dairy coffee creamer.
According to research, saturated and trans fats both contribute to weight gain by raising your cholesterol. Now, cholesterol is healthy in small doses, and your diet is okay with up to 25% of your calories being healthy (monounsaturated) fats, if you keep the saturated fats under 10%, then it’s fine.
It’s advised to limit hydrogenated and trans fats as much as possible.
Check out this post on healthy vegan fat sources you can try today.
Excess sugars
You know I’ve always had a bit of a sweet tooth. But once you reach your mid 20s and you start eating too many sweets you’re bound to get a bit jiggly eventually.
It’s a well known fact that eating too much sugar’s detrimental for your weight loss journey. If you’re eating too much sweets, chocolate (yes there’s vegan chocolate), cookies and cakes, it’s not gonna help.
Even sweet drinks that may seem innocent, no pun intended, can be the reason you can’t shed off those extra pounds. Studies show that one extra serving of a sugary beverage per day can make you 60% more likely to become obese. This isn’t just about soda by the way, some of the studies also found similar patterns with apple juice.
As we mentioned before, all in moderation. It’s all about the balance baby.
Excess starchy foods
Starchy foods are quite common in everyday society, with most meals having some sort of starchy element.
But what is starch in this context? We’re talking potatoes, peas, corn, refined grains such as pasta, white bread and white rice that break down easily into starch. Studies show that with a slight increased consumption of just 100g of refined carbs, may lead to excess weight gain over time.
Now I know what you’re thinking, aren’t carbs all that vegans eat? Kind of, but the key lies in which carbs you choose to include in your diet. The same study concluded that those who consumed more wholegrains, fruits and non-starchy vegetables saw weight gain, as opposed to weight loss other participants experienced.
Your diet doesn’t have to be that complicated. No one’s saying to not eat pasta, rice or bread anymore. Just replace them with wholegrain pasta; red, black or brown rice; spelt or rye bread.
A lot of the time these wholefood alternatives taste better too, and also provide you with additional nutrients, as well as protein and fibre.
What to do to lose weight as a vegan
Now that you’ve learned what not to do to lose weight as a vegan, here’s what you should do.
Eat more fibre
The reason why wholegrain foods are beneficial for weight loss, is due to the extra fibre intake you get from them. Studies show the higher your fibre intake, the higher the likelihood that you’d lose weight.
So, how does fibre help with weight loss? In a few ways, by helping you feel fuller, as well as helping improve your body’s overall metabolism.
Now I know what you’re thinking, as a vegan, don’t you naturally eat more fibre than non vegans? Not all the time, it still depends on the person. The typical go-to for rice options is white rice, but if you sub it out with brown rice you get almost 6x the fibre; and subbing out regular pasta for wholegrain can almost triple your fibre intake.
Fruits are your best friend
Fruits are low calorie, rich in nutrients and minerals, and easy to digest. Probably the healthiest snacks to enjoy when you’re peckish, with no dodgy fillers or extras.
If you want a light daily breakfast and a surefire way to lose excess weight, fruits are the way to go. Just be sure to eat them when they’re fresh, as dried fruits can actually make you gain weight.
Eat your protein
Contrary to popular belief, a common misconception is that vegans don’t consume enough protein. Protein helps to improve weight loss efforts in a similar way to fibre, by reducing appetite, as well as improving metabolism, according to Healthline.
The general guideline is to eat around 60-80g of protein a day, but if active, the more realistic number is around 1-1.5g per kg of body weight. So if you weigh 70kg, the daily recommended protein is 70-105g a day.
Check out our past post on vegan protein sources.
Substitute unhealthy snacks for better alternatives
What may seem a bit of a no-brainer, is genuinely one of the best pieces of advice on the list.
You’d be surprised how simple some swaps may be, like replacing your unhealthy chips with some type of nut; Or replacing sweets with a fruit, healthy food swaps are a great way to get some extra fibre and nutrients in your diet, without having to go out of your way.
Don’t neglect the gut foods
One thing about doing the vegan diet right, is making sure your gut’s happy.
If you don’t prioritise gut foods, then how can you expect your digestive system to do it’s job and break down the food you eat? When you think of your gut in that way, essentially a system to remove waste, you understand why it’s a lot easier with a bit of gut foods.
What is a vegan gut food in this context? We’re talking anything fermented, which helps introduce new beneficial bacteria to help with enhancing digestibility of complex carbs. In combination with a high fibre diet, you’ll be well on your way to losing that extra weight.
Some examples of vegan gut friendly foods include yoghurt, kimchi or sauerkraut, miso and tempeh.
Stay active, even if it’s walking
The single best tip help to lose weight as a vegan is to stay active. Get in the gym, get up and run in the morning, start a new sport.
If you can’t bring yourself to go to a gym or get a run in, try walking 10k steps a day. Studies show that groups that performed exercise, whether at a high or low level, were able to maintain their weight loss over 3 years.
Baby steps, baby steps.
Is it hard for vegans to lose weight?
Since the vegan diet naturally contains less calories, comparing meat and dairy to vegan alternatives, it shouldn’t be considered difficult for the average vegan to lose weight.
Research suggests a vegan diet can help you lose as much as 2.5kg (5.6 pounds) over 18 weeks, but this of course various from person to person, and you can probably lose more if you practice the above principles.
Why are some vegans not skinny?
Some vegans may not be skinny due to overeating junk food, genetics, or a poorly planned diet in general. Just because your diet is vegan doesn’t mean it’s automatically healthy.
That said, that’s not the typical case with most vegans. In general, vegans are considered skinnier than meat eaters on average, though this also depends on who we’re talking about.
Will I lose weight if I stop eating meat?
If you stop eating meat you will most likely lose some weight naturally. Studies have proven that following a vegan diet may lead to weight loss, with even better results for heavier participants.
Eating less meat naturally will have you consuming less fat, calories and animal hormones that you don’t see on your ingredient lists, and eventually result in weight loss.
Losing weight as a vegan
Whether you’re a meat eater or devout vegan, hopefully you got some valuable insight into how to lose weight on a vegan diet.
No judgement here, everyone is at different levels of their journey and learning, but I’m sure we can all agree that the world will be a better place if we all ate more fruits and vegetables.
If you liked this post, be sure to share with a friend that could use the insight, we really appreciate the support. Thanks for picking Veganisingit for your vegan lifestyle inspiration. Stay blessed.
