I'm a big fat vegan!
*sigh* It's true! I've always been, as cartman would put it "Big Boned" or "Festively Plump" & sometimes I haven't minded & sometimes I have & tried diet after diet. Well Now is another time I mind, mostly because I seem to have put on lately (cold weather I think) & it has to stop.
So why am I telling you this? Well I was hoping that for my sake there may be some other vegans in my situation who want to do something about it, perhaps we could email our progress once a week or something? I'm off to buy a proper scale this morning I'm terrified but I know it's nesseccary.
So firstly I'd like some tubby buddies to talk to & secondly, anyone who has been there & done that I would love to hear how. How do you stay motivated? What did you eat? What did you absoloutly not eat? How did you manage cooking for partners or family?
Oh, I'm also sick of hearing "I thought vegans were skinny?"!!! ???
I'm trying to be vegan but due to weakness, I fail and eat cheese or something with eggs in it. One of the reason I went vegetarian was to make it easier to lose weight and get off the blood pressure meds. I think I've accomplished the getting off the blood pressure meds! I still need to lose at least 30 pounds (I've lost 54 pounds.) I recommend keeping track on what you eat on Fitday.com and setting a calorie limit for the day. Even eating vegan it's easy to overeat unless you stay aware of what you're eating. Actually, sometimes keeping track of my calorie level encourages me to eat more than I planned to get up to my limit!
There's a yahoo group Vegetarian Slimming, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vegetarianslimming/ that's not very active but they're very supportive if you want to vent. The fat free vegetarian site has a forum too.
I'd be happy to be your email buddy, if you like. I'm a subscriberr so you can send me a personal message and I'll give you my email address.
I'm not quite vegan, but I am quite chubby! lol!
I too started my veg*nness in part because of weight issues, and I've found that it's easy to stay overweight on a veg diet. (Even when I eat healthy food...I tend to eat too much. :P ) I go back and forth with how much (if any) eggs & dairy I eat, but I do try to cut back. I've only been vegetarian since last summer. I haven't gained weight since then, but I haven't lost any either...
Hi. I really think I should be in the Guiness Book of World Records for the world's slowest metabolism. I sometimes do checks to make sure I'm eating enough carbs, protein, and fat. I just got done recording my food for a week and found out that I eat, on average, 1,200 calories a day (that's eating until I'm uncomfortably stuffed) - and - drumroll - I'm overweight.
Summer's here! So now we can all get out and move around more. I just bought a camera, so I'm all about pictures now. I think it would be fun for us to get outdoors and post pictures of places we've walked or hiked on our myspace-type pages or we could start our own google/yahoo group. We'd be out moving and be mindful of cool stuff around us.
I've been over weight all my life. I didn't lose weight until I started training in martial arts (I never did any sport or active thing before that ... I'm not saying you haven't, but it's a possible). And my advice is ... DON'T BUY A SCALE!!! Muscle weighs more than fat. So if you're getting in shape, specially as a guy, you'd probably gain weight before you lose, as I did (and I'm a girl). Go by the way your clothes fit, not by your weight.
And as for the "I'm a big fat vegan" thing, vegans can gain weight, too. I've been there done that. I gained weight when I wasn't training and working. I was eating too much "junk" and not enough good stuff. Then I decided to drop the cookies and chips, and learned to cook more healthy stuff. I lost most of the weight I gained over the winter.
You have to stick to your guns and say, "I want to do this!" You can. Just do it!
I said this in an earlier post, so sorry about repeating myself. But I've just joined Calorie-Count.com. It's free and calculates how many Calories you need for your level of activity, height, frame etc. If you have any Calorie or weight questions you just ask them and they tell you.
Maybe they can help with the technical side of losing weight, the actual 'how-to'. They have support forums too. I'm hoping it'll help my small frame be small again.
So if you're getting in shape, specially as a guy
Um, I'm not a guy.. did I give that impression? Anyway, thanks people for your replies. I did buy the scale & it is NOT GOOD. Both my boy & I have put on 10kgs (I have no idea what that is in lbs, if that's what you guys weigh in) since we moved to a colder area, & it's coming into winter anyway. Ugh. This means I am back as heavy as I've ever been & that's REALLY depressing.
I'm going to check out that calorie site & work out my limit. My problem always always is staying motivated. I am easily swayed with not alot of will power & I get disheartened SO EASILY. I know it's all in my mind. I know what I should eat. I know I should exercise, but knowing & doing are 2 completly differnt things.
Well, the first step will be taking the dog for a walk in the morning before breakfast, rugged up of course. Maybe I'll take her to the newsagent & get a pretty book for my food diary.
Will let you know how tomorrow goes.
What helps me is that I've found healthy foods I enjoy eating and physical activities that are fun to do. If you always feel like you're having to deprive yourself it's hard to stick to anything!
VeganVic- if none of these suggestions seem like they will get to the root of the problem, let me know. ;)
So if you're getting in shape, specially as a guy
Um, I'm not a guy.. did I give that impression?
Oops. I thought you were a guy because of "Vic" in your screen name. Sorry. I had a guy friend name Vic in High school.
"I'm a big fat vegan!" ;D ;D
What a compelling title! Who wouldn't click on this thread!!!
I've been vegan for 7 years, & there is lots of tasty vegan junk food & if you can't find it in the stores, you can make it, so yes, I also wonder at the "A fat vegan?" commments. I would like to drop 30 pounds. I took 25 pounds off last year, & even lost 2 pounds during the holidays! Then I stalled out for a long period & gained & lost the same six pounds over & over. So I am finally back on track & have lost the six plus a few more. "It's hard work!" like someone we all know says. ::)
You don't mention your age, but if you're young, now is the time to get your weight under control. It will only get harder as you get older. Diet is only half the equation. Exercise is the other half. The funny thing about exercise - I've never been active, I hate the thought of exercise, getting off my butt in the morning is hard, but once I get moving, I'm glad I did.
And I have seen the best results from exercise. I started with walking & weight lifiting. After 8 months of lifting weights, I am seeing results which are fantastic!! I'm starting to see definition where I never had it before, even when I was skinny. And I am sleeping much, much better!! The biggest detriment to my routine is booze. :-\ I have gotten in the habit of having a few drinks after work & it has been hard to break. Without a doubt, drinking is the biggest negative influence in my life, so I am working on that as well. My "Friday only" routine is can be tough, but it has been rewarding, too.
So, good luck to you! Tell us action you decide to take & keep us posted. If you want to do weekly check in, I would love that. We have discussed that here before, but it doesn't seem to happen. ;)
Here are some sites that I like:
If you are into exercise videos, you will not find more video reviews than here: http://www.videofitness.com/ I never buy a video without going here first.
Here is a source to purchase exercise videos: http://www.collagevideo.com/
I found this page to be very inspiring: no fat chicks: http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/displayarticle.php?aid=37
8)
Hi. I really think I should be in the Guiness Book of World Records for the world's slowest metabolism. I sometimes do checks to make sure I'm eating enough carbs, protein, and fat. I just got done recording my food for a week and found out that I eat, on average, 1,200 calories a day (that's eating until I'm uncomfortably stuffed) - and - drumroll - I'm overweight.
Summer's here! So now we can all get out and move around more. I just bought a camera, so I'm all about pictures now. I think it would be fun for us to get outdoors and post pictures of places we've walked or hiked on our myspace-type pages or we could start our own google/yahoo group. We'd be out moving and be mindful of cool stuff around us.
I'm right there with you as far as metabolism goes. Mine is slower than frozen molasses! What helps me most is exercise. I drop a pound or so a week if I can get one hours worth of cardio-type exercise at least four times a week. I try to do 30 minutes on the exercise bike and 30 on the ski machine. It always seems like something happens most weeks and I don't get my four times in!
You do know that if you click on your vegweb profile there's a place to post your pictures, don't you? I don't know how many you're limited to there. I plan to post a few. Maybe y'all will get to see a picture of me that's not 28 years old (I was 22 in the one that shows with my posts.)
You do know that if you click on your vegweb profile there's a place to post your pictures, don't you? I don't know how many you're limited to there. I plan to post a few. Maybe y'all will get to see a picture of me that's not 28 years old (I was 22 in the one that shows with my posts.)
That's funny, because you once mentioned your age and I thought you looked incredibly young. My picture was taken the day before I posted it, so it's current - but I don't always squint and grimmace so much.
I've thought about places to post pictures. I love all kinds of pictures: nature, macro, rusty cars... Being engaged in my surroundings makes me more appreciative of my life and is a great stress reducer. I live by a couple of mountain lakes inundated with tourists, so there are a lot of opportunities. :)
What helps me most is exercise. I drop a pound or so a week if I can get one hours worth of cardio-type exercise at least four times a week.
Yeah. I know what you mean about exercise. I like hiking more than machines and I'm lucky enough to live in an area with lots of hills. If I don't hike at least 30 miles a week I'm completely catatonic. I always thought that if I got shunned by my lunch group, I'd join the gym and go there for lunch, but to date I remain unshunned.
You do know that if you click on your vegweb profile there's a place to post your pictures, don't you? I don't know how many you're limited to there. I plan to post a few. Maybe y'all will get to see a picture of me that's not 28 years old (I was 22 in the one that shows with my posts.)
That's funny, because you once mentioned your age and I thought you looked incredibly young. My picture was taken the day before I posted it, so it's current - but I don't always squint and grimmace so much.
I've thought about places to post pictures. I love all kinds of pictures: nature, macro, rusty cars... Being engaged in my surroundings makes me more appreciative of my life and is a great stress reducer. I live by a couple of mountain lakes inundated with tourists, so there are a lot of opportunities. :)
What helps me most is exercise. I drop a pound or so a week if I can get one hours worth of cardio-type exercise at least four times a week.
Yeah. I know what you mean about exercise. I like hiking more than machines and I'm lucky enough to live in an area with lots of hills. If I don't hike at least 30 miles a week I'm completely catatonic. I always thought that if I got shunned by my lunch group, I'd join the gym and go there for lunch, but to date I remain unshunned.
Quote within quote within quote. :D
I couldn't find a current picture of me that I don't look terrible in (IMHO). We had our picture taken earlier this month for our church directory and I think I look about as good in it as I'm going to. I'm not very photogenic. I'll scan the pic, cut the DH out and post it when we get our copies.
I work 8 am to 5 pm and I don't like to go walking by myself. My DH is on his feet teaching all day and he refuses to go with me and I haven't found a workout buddy. I should get over that. I'd have to drive there to get to a pretty place to hike. I'm not willing to burn the extra gas. There are two "gyms" here; I put it in quotes because neither one would be called a gym in a bigger city! I joined the less sucky of the two for a while and it was still too sucky. No locker room, no showers, I had to change out of my work clothes in the restroom and there was no hooks to hang clothes on or even a chair (and the toilet didn't have a lid) to put my bag on to take things out of it. The equipment was old and sub-par too. I have a few exercise DVDs but most of them require more floor space to do the routines than I have available. It always seems to be something but I'm managing.
I'm with you!
I battle a compulsive eating disorder, so that throws a few wrenches into the mix, but I want to try 'fighting back' as it were this summer. I live where we get snow 7 months of the year so it's hard to have motivation to get out and exercise and I don't have the budget for joining a gym so I'm going to walk and ride my bike this summer and try to cut back my calorie intake (right now mine is off the charts) . I'm realizing having a ring of support is important and most of my friends don't struggle with weight issues (though they are encouraging me all the same) it's nice to know someone who struggles just like you do.
A year ago I decided to become a healthy vegetarian (having been a somewhat unhealthy one for 20 or so years) and I started cutting out all processed foods and junk. I started eating more fresh produce (I'm lucky enough to live near several farmer's markets AND have organic produce delivery - Boston Organics rocks!) and cooking with whole grains. I lost 20 pounds in 6 months, just by cleaning up my diet. The only exercise I got was routine daily walking (I don't have a car). Then right after this past Christmas I decided to become vegan and I've lost another 5-8 pounds when I cut out dairy. I hate going to the gym, so I joined a local dance class and love it! Being in the class (it's Scottish country dancing so it's very social) is like having 30 workout buddies. If I skip a week, they all want to know why! Great for motivation. Plus it's so much fun and we have live music! I also make it a point to always take the stairs. I still slip occasionally, usually when eating out and/or drinking, but I feel so much better that just the feeling better motivates me to keep on track as much as possible. The temptations will always be there, but if I can do it, anyone can!
AND....this site is great for healthy recipe ideas and support!
Good luck! ;D
Im not overweight but I find that if I eat alot of carbs which is really easy to do while being vegan and also alot of the sweets which i love to bake ill get plumper haha
I do yoga and take bike rides and walks nothing extreme but it helps me stay fit.
Good luck hun!
I work 8 am to 5 pm and I don't like to go walking by myself.
Do you have an MP3 player? When I'm out hiking, I'll listen to audio books. Some of my routes have miles of continuous climb and the way I enjoy them most is by listening to audio books. I also listen to audio books during my commute to work, so I just download a couple of the discs of wherever I'm at in the story onto my mp3 before I head out.
First off; I love this thread title!
*stands up & clears throat*
I am also a big fat veg*n, and before I was veg*n, I was a big fat omni.
I currently eat much more healthily (is that a word?) than I ever did. I notice if I fall off of exercising for a little bit I won't gain any weight.....Which is nice, but I can't seem to lose this last 15lbs. >:( I exercise quite a bit.
Cardio: 30-60mins / 5-6 days per week
Strength training: 3-5 days per week
I'm thinking about seeing an RD.
VeganVic ~ 1 kilogram = 2.2 lbs
i studied nutrition in college
what you need to do to speed your metabolism up is eat every 2-3 hours.
even if you aren't hungry
that is the main key!
of course, you don't want to be putting horrible food in you every two hours either.
try being really strict at first and don't let yourself have certiain things...then you can work them in if you really really want them
say no to fried foods
sodas
and try to stay away from juices too..they are high in sugar
drink water....and lots of it
of course you should incorporate physical activity into every day. whether it's hiking, swimming, snow shoeing, walking to the store instead of driving, gardening, or flat out going to the gym.
try parking your car far away from the entrance of the place you are entering.
also try not eating out for a little bit too...at home you can control how much oil and butter, if any, that you use
In general, I eat soooooo much healthier now than I did when I was an omni, although I wasn't THAT bad as an omni. I gained weight initially by eating out in restaurants and, once I moved to New York City, ordering in for delivery, which is a form of art here! I haven't ordered in food for years, and that made me lose about 15-20 pounds, without dieting or doing anything special. Like most NYCers, I'm pretty active, as I walk pretty much everywhere....about an hour everyday, often more.
I need to step up on my exercise a bit, and try to avoid my pitfalls....tortilla chips!!!! Avoiding cheese would help also...I'm trying to move more toward being vegan, but it's difficult.
I have a great cafeteria at my office at work, which is both good and bad for me...good because there's tons of yummy vegetarian & vegan food...and bad because there's a ton of yummy vegetarian and vegan food. :o lol!
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