4 Tips for Losing Weight on a Vegan Diet
If you are reading this, then chances are that you are either a vegan already, or at least considering the possibility of adopting a diet that would spare animals from being slaughtered for meals. In spite of all the theories about human beings not being able to derive sufficient nutrients from a plant-based diet alone, studies have proven beyond doubt that not only can a vegan diet be adequately nutritious, it can even come with quite a few health advantages of its own when done right. On that note, we are now going to discuss four points to keep in mind while trying to lose weight on a vegan diet.
The Importance of Protein
The general rule is that every person needs approximately 0.41 grams of protein per pound of body weight, on a daily basis. A lot of people often forget that switching to a vegan diet will not magically make them lose weight because whether you are getting them from plants or animals, the nutrients are the same at their core, so plant-based fat will still make you fat! This is why you need to incorporate lots of protein into your diet, but instead of chicken breasts and egg whites, you will be getting your protein from beans, lentils, peas, quinoa, almonds, soybean, tofu, seitan, and peas.
Water is Your Best Friend
Whether you are a vegan or not, you should stick to water and skip the sodas and the aerated drinks altogether. Most soft drinks do not contain any animal parts, but the tremendous amount of refined sugar content in them makes these beverages an instant roadblock in front of your weight loss goals. Not even copious amounts of fruit and vegetable juices are good because they have a very high-calorie content as well, especially when sweetened with sugar or any other artificial alternative. Water, on the other hand, doesn’t add calories to your daily diet and may actually help you to lose fat by boosting your metabolism.
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Don’t Eat Too Much
If you shifted to a vegan diet recently, you will need to watch your portions because a lot of meat eaters tend to compensate for the missing meat in their diet with more food than before. If you don’t intelligently replace the meat, eggs, and dairy with plant-based foods of equal nutritional value, but just continue to consume more calories, you will grow fat and remain nutrient-deprived at the same time. Count your calories and keep the portions small, just like you would do even if you were not vegan.
Avoid Eating Too Much of the Following Foods
It’s important to understand that just because it’s vegan, it doesn’t mean that it won’t make you fat. So, avoid having too many granola bars, vegan snacks, and chips, coconut milk, or just about any vegan desserts for that matter.
It’s okay to indulge yourself a bit every now and then, but if you are trying to lose weight, watch what you eat!