For a long time, the vegan diet was touted as one of the best ways to lose weight. Contrary to that belief, however, it can actually be quite difficult to lose weight when following a vegan weight loss diet. In this article, we’re going to run through some of our favorite weight loss tips on how best to lose weight while following a vegan diet.
Time your meals
Whether you’re going for a vegan diet or not, timing your meals is a great way to boost your metabolism and promote healthy eating habits for yourself.
A great place to start is by making sure that you eat breakfast at the same time every day. This will get your mind and your stomach into a predictable pattern, which is great for your metabolism and digestive health. Once you’ve got your breakfast routine down, try eating a larger breakfast, and having a smaller noon and evening meal - this will allow your body to efficiently metabolize the food you eat in the morning, cutting down on fat gain.
Watch your portions
Portion size is a really important part of good nutrition. If you’re eating too much food you’re going to put on weight, that’s a simple truth. Portions can be a little more difficult to control when you’re following a vegan weight loss diet as you’re likely to be eating more salads and stews than before. Those types of meals are very easy to eat in large quantities, so make sure to keep an eye on your portions.
Make sure you’re getting enough protein
This is a tip that you’ve surely heard about vegan diets in the past, though you’re likely to have heard it in the context of adequate nutrition rather than weight loss. We completely understand this, and it makes perfect sense for both that reason and for vegan weight loss.
The thing is that protein-heavy foods fill you up more efficiently than other foods, that’s why nuts and beans are often recommended as snacks. By making sure that you get enough protein to fill you, you’re eliminating the chance that your future self will binge on unhealthy, high-calorie snacks.
Pass on ‘healthy’ drinks
This is a bit of a surprising one that we tell to everyone who’s considering veganism. A lot of vegan diets speak a lot about the benefits of smoothies, and how great than can be for your diet. This is true, smoothies can be a wonderful addition to your diet, and eating them is a great idea for vitamins and minerals.
However, by drinking large smoothies, you’re likely eating a lot of calories all at once that you otherwise wouldn’t. For example, you wouldn’t eat an apple, a banana, and a punnet of strawberries all in one go, but you’d likely drink them in one go as a smoothie. Keep an eye on the number of smoothies in your diet - they’re uncommonly high in sugar.
Don’t binge on plant-based desserts
Plant-based desserts are often just as unhealthy for you as non-plant-based desserts are. The reason for this is that a lot of the calorie content of desserts typically comes from sugar rather than fats. By replacing the fats (butter and cream, for instance) in your dessert with healthier vegan alternatives, you aren’t cutting down on the calorie count of the sugar content. For that reason, moderation is always wise with desserts, which is one of the most universal weight loss tips.
Eat a lot of leafy greens
Leafy greens are the backbone of a healthy vegan diet, so getting more of them into your meals certainly won’t be a bad thing. Food like kale, collard greens, and bok choy have a huge amount of vital nutrients in your system. Included in that vitamin list is calcium, which is something that your body needs to lose weight efficiently.
Drink a lot of water
In a vegan weight loss diet, you’ll be eating a lot of fiber which is stunning for your digestive health. We applaud this wholeheartedly but do make sure to drink a lot of water alongside it. Fiber-rich foods need a lot of water to take effect, to aim to drink six to twelve glasses a day if you can - you’ll see some great effects in your diet.
