The weight thing....

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

So, veggies and vegans, do you think your diet affects your weight (as in a non omnivourous diet)? Personally, I've been veggie my whole life, always been pretty slim (size 10-12, 5'10), and since going vegan when I started college in September I've gone a size to 8-10, despite upping my alcohol intake significantly. I would just attribute this to the fact that I now have a twenty minute walk to college every day, but everyone else seems to have gained weight over the year, even though I drink miles more than most of my friends. Do you find it easier to keep weight off as a veggie?

I never get any of that. I'm exceptionally broad, and therefore robust looking.
Noone has ever questioned my health as a result of my diet ever.

I put on weight during time of stress.
I maintain my weight with no effort otherwise. I don't feel that the vegetarianism has an effect.
Some of the heaviest people I know are veggie. I know a lifelong veggie who is super obese, he is at least 30 st. He is also fit and extremely agile.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

ya my uncle has been vegetarian, almost vegan, for the past twenty years or so, and he's a biiiiig guy. Also ginger, unfortunate combination, but anyway...Msot of the veggies I know are normal weight, though the only other vegan friend i have definitely has a bit of cushion for the pushin...I am actually finding it hard to keep weight on at the moment, I'm almost tempted to give up for a week or two to see what happens. Almost. I eat plenty seeds, peanut butter, olive oil, all that stuff, so it's not like I'm not getting enough fat.

Tar.Aldarion

I think it is all he potatoes I eat that affect my weight. :P
Whopping 12.5-13 stone these days. Better get on the meat. :-)

t-ha

Calories affect your weight. Obviously if you take no care at all to eat adequate amounts of protein you're likely to carry less muscle than someone who does, but basically your weight will come down to how many calories you eat.

Stef1979

its all about what you eat...ive been veggie for 15 years and was always a size 10-12. In the last few years i have crept to about 2 stone overweight:o...my own fault caused by bad food choices and lack of exercise....trying to remedy that now...better late than never...junk food and white bread are my enemy!!:(

Bottle_of_Smoke

When I went vegetarian fora while I lost an awful lot of weight.

Nature Boy

Derrick Helpless Raindrop wrote: »

Do you find it easier to keep weight off as a veggie?

Simply put, no. I lost weight at first but I've put it back on and have kept it on despite my 30 min walk to and from work every day.

Tusky

What vegetarian foods are good for putting on weight ?

Tar.Aldarion

Sugar, butter.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Preferably at the same time...used to be one of my favourite snacks before I went vegan

Tusky

Tusky wrote: »

What vegetarian foods are good for putting on weight ?

As in muscle or fat? How active are you?

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

t-ha wrote: »

Calories affect your weight. Obviously if you take no care at all to eat adequate amounts of protein you're likely to carry less muscle than someone who does, but basically your weight will come down to how many calories you eat.

Aware of that fact but like, I take in plenty fat (olive oil, sesame seeds, peanut butter, more peanut butter, gawd I love peanut butter), and drink 6 or seven pints on a night out, but still, since I've been vegan, I've been skinny.

Tusky

Moonbaby wrote: »

As in muscle or fat? How active are you?

Both I suppose! Moderately active. Play football as much as I can and I walk instead of getting bus when possible.

Tar.Aldarion

The exact same food that you would eat if you ate meat, just not meat. Replace it with imitation meat?

Well for muscle there are a couple of good sites for vegetarian and vegan bodybuilders.
I take ensure that I always get enough protien by taking a daily pot of cottage cheese.
At the minute I am using www.sparkpeople.com to track my nutrients and excerise. Apparently I am Calcium and Zinc deficient.

I'd recommend following for a few days if not a week to see where you stand, it will also tell you how many calories you need to eat to gain weight.

sweet-rasmus

being veggie/vegan isn't going to change your weight. it's all down to what kind of food you eat (carbohydrates, fats, protein etc.) and how much.

DangleDevil

Glad i stumbled upon this..... i've always been underweight , even before i was veggie. Its in my genes to be slim. Before i turned veggie i was around 7 stone, I've been veggie for about 4 years now and i've lost weight, think i'm around 6 stone now and i just can't put weight on.... it sucks.... but nice to know im not alone.

t-ha

DangleDevil wrote: »

Glad i stumbled upon this..... i've always been underweight , even before i was veggie. Its in my genes to be slim. Before i turned veggie i was around 7 stone, I've been veggie for about 4 years now and i've lost weight, think i'm around 6 stone now and i just can't put weight on.... it sucks.... but nice to know im not alone.

Look at the post above yours, it explains it all pretty much. I've had alot of people think they couldn't put on weight & all it took was for them to keep a food diary for a month and start increasing how much they ate. By keeping a record they could be 100% sure that they were upping their food. 99% of the time it works all of the time!

While you make a good point tha.
Some people genuinely don't have genetics on their side.
I have a male friend who literally devours 5000 calories most days, he would eat a buttered cake every day buy himself and he finds it hard to maintain 10 stone.
Then more people simply don't have large appetites and alot of veggie food is low cal in nature.

t-ha

Moonbaby wrote:

Then more people simply don't have large appetites and alot of veggie food is low cal in nature.

Yeah exactly, I also find personally that when I eat alot of veggies and fibrous stuff that my appetite isn't nearly what it is if I eat sugary crap and bounce my blood-sugar around all day. But basically, most skinny people I know just don't eat that much - they might stuff their faces completely but then not eat for the next 12 hours. I've yet to meet anyone that I couldn't put weight on by making them consiously up their calories.

DangleDevil

Well even before i was veggie i was thin... so i don't think it veggie diet tbh, my sister isn't veggie and she is similar. I have a pretty normal appetite, i do eat erratically though. I'm also drinking ensure plus drinks to try gain weight for like 2 months and so far i haven't put on any weight.
I don't exercise though, apart form walking. Is it essential to start if i wanna gain weight?

Tar.Aldarion

Exercise and eat regularily to increase metabolism.

Getwellsoon

It is DEFINITELY all about what you eat. True I lost weight since cutting out meat and dairy, I've gone from a size 14 to a size 6-8 in a year and a half, but a lot of that was exercise too. But I can totally see how someone could be a much heavier vegan - I'm sure if I baked more vegan cakes/flapjacks, ate a lot more carbs, ate more sweets/dark chocolate and drank a lot more alcohol I'd put on a load of weight!

Sorry for bringing back old topics, thought I'd have a look through old ones cos I'm new here!

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

yay bump my thread

sweet-rasmus

Getwellsoon wrote: »

Sorry for bringing back old topics, thought I'd have a look through old ones cos I'm new here!

no harm there are indeed some interesting threads in this forum's history...

Aoifums

Oh this is a nice thread

I wish I went all skinny when I turned veggie/vegan. I put on a ton of weight when I went veggie though I think that might have been due to the school shop.

I lost about jean size in the month after I turned vegan and I've sorta managed to keep it off. I think thats only because I ate so healthly back then :pac:

Censorsh!t

I think i ma even have put on weight when i went veggie. I defo didnt lose any anyway

Whispered

I think most veggies are carb junkies (or maybe it's just me and I'm tarring you all with the same brush ) but because of that I find it hard to loose weight. Nothing nicer than a chip sambo - carb overload.

entropi

I would agree with that statement helena, i AM a carb junkie but thats only because i do a fair bit of exercise...ok you got me i loooooovvveee bread when i'm at home too!!:P

As for the weight thing, i probably lost around a stone about 5 months after turning veggie but that was all fat from a pretty unhealthy lifestyle. So now i'm 5'9" approx and 10st...finding it hard to put weight ON, not lose it lol.

Tar.Aldarion

Well it's just what you eat exercise etc. I lost a stone when I became veggie, then gained 2 stone over a few years, now back working out so it's lowering again. Can still eat the crappy foods ye know, just eat more veg by default really...Most people.