Going Vegan...

Well I’m going to try for a little while, at least.

First, let me say that I am doing this for health reasons and though I am open minded about the other reasons that people choose to be vegan or vegetarian, such as animal cruelty, I am posting this thread in The Mess Hall because I would rather this thread focus on Vegan nutrition, food options and meals. Especially the meals, I am not a mono-eater; I need variety in my food consumption.

The back story: in my mid-twenties I found out I had high blood pressure, as did my older brother. Also my father, who is diabetic, had a quadruple by-pass about that time as well. So I went to see a doctor, who put me on a few different meds and after awhile I just stopped taking them… I know, I know, I was young (and stupid ) and I guess I thought if I ignored it, it would just go away. It didn’t go away.

About 7 months ago I was at a party and a few friends who are in the medical profession that knew I had stopped taking my meds, cornered me and scared the be-jesus out of me. They took my blood pressure and it was 145/100, fun party, right? Any way I went to a doctor and tried a few meds and we settled on Beta-blockers because they seemed to be working at the time. Six months later and thirty pounds lighter I go back and my blood pressure is even higher!

For the last 7 weeks prior to my most recent doctor visit, I changed my diet quite drastically and lost a little over 20lbs. I would like to lose another 30 – 40lbs; I’m 29 years old, 6’1” and currently weigh 220. I would like to get to the 190-180 range.

So why go vegan? While I don’t see myself doing this for life; my main goal is lower my cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as develop some healthy lifestyle habits. My doctor believes my condition is mostly due to genetics but he thinks if I lose the weight and continue exercising, I’ll be able to stop taking medicine.

That’s my story, if you didn’t read it, I don’t blame you. I’m hoping there are some fellow vegan/vegetarian B&Bers that can help me stay healthy on the vegan diet and give me some recipe ideas.

Also I’m trying to watch my glycemic index too, kinda ignorant on the concept at the moment though…

I was seriously thinking of doing this, for some of the same reasons. I have never been thin. I eat healthy, exersise and have struggled with my weight most of my life. I figure its worth a shot. I have eliminated dairy, opting for almond milk instead, and while I haven't completely dropped meat, I have reduced intake quite a bit.
Good luck. I will be checking this thread for updates.

Upon rereading my post, I fear I might have come off as a bit of a I guess I've always gotten the impression that Vegans catch a lot of heat for their lifestyle, but I also grew up in Texas . Plus everyone here seems to be obsessed, and rightly so, with barbecuing large hunks of meat! Really gonna miss that part of my diet

KeNd0 said:

I was seriously thinking of doing this, for some of the same reasons. I have never been thin. I eat healthy, exersise and have struggled with my weight most of my life. I figure its worth a shot. I have eliminated dairy, opting for almond milk instead, and while I haven't completely dropped meat, I have reduced intake quite a bit.
Good luck. I will be checking this thread for updates.

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Over the last 7 weeks, I too have cut back on my meat intake so I figure the transition to vegan wont be so bad...hopefully. I started my vegan diet yesterday, my last meat meal was Monday which was a brown rice tuna roll. My protein intake the last two days has been beans and while I like beans, they are the "musical fruit". I can only blame the cat so many times before swmbo gets suspicious

I was vegetarian for a year myself, I'm underweight and decided I was eating healthier with meat. As far as food goes you may also want to try lentils, chick peas ect, IMHO the best vegetarian food around is Indian, but you can also do a lot of italian as well. I would also advice staying away from meat substitutes(things like meatless chichen nuggets and such) a lot of them are horrid processed foods,meatless but still not good for you. I also found that for me there is no way to ever make toufu palatable, I tried for a year.
As for the musical side of beans, pick up some Beano, work wonders for it.
Good luck and I hope it works out for you.

Vegan? No tallow for you!

But I empathize. Almost two years ago I went vegetarian five days a week. I'll have meat on Saturdays and occasionally on Sunday. I don't want to cut meat out entirely, but needed to cut back for health and weight loss. It worked.

One reason I don't cut out meat entirely is that it gives you a lot of nutrients and protein that you need. You can work around it, but it requires a lot of nutritional planning that I'm too lazy to do. For me, it was a lot easier to cut meat intake to a minimum and load up on healthy food 90% of the time.

If you want to lose weight, you really have to watch the calories. Google for "hacker's diet" and you'll find an excellent explanation of how calorie restriction works and takes off the weight.

The good news is that you can follow it by eating vegetables and fruit primarily. Fill up on bulky vegetables - they're low cal and keep sodium intake low. I like potatoes, cabbage and carrots. They're cheap, easily prepared, low cal, and you'll lose weight without feeling too deprived. Add a few other veggies, too. I especially love the wide variety of squashes. There are always a half dozen varieties at the market. They're colorful, have a variety of delicious flavors and are easily prepared.

If you haven't cut sodas out, you should do that, too. HFCS is not good for you and even the diet ones aren't much good. Get used to unsweetened beverages, like black coffee, tea and water. Soda water is a good substitute, too.

When you make the change, stick with it. The first few weeks are tough and you'll feel deprived. But, in time, you'll come to crave healthy food just as much as you
loved unhealthy food. I used to love going out for a big burrito. Now, I'll go out for a bean tostada or salad. When I get to the restaurant, I actually look forward to the salad now. Lettuce with lots of salsa is delicious and like 20% of the calories I used to eat. Instead of 300-400 calories with a Coke, I get zero calories with a glass of water.

Once your cravings change, it's smooth sailing. The weight will continue to disappear and you'll be satisfied with what you eat. It's just the first 3-5 weeks or so that's difficult. Once you get past that you'll be fine. If you cheat now and then, don't sweat it. Just get back on the horse the next day.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I really wish I had an Indian restaurant in town!

I guess I should mention that so far I have cut out processed foods and refined sugar and have been drinking green tea several times a day.

I have been eating lots of raw carrots, celery, radishes, cucumbers and cabbage. I've made a few soups with sweet potatoes, beans and squash but I always use chicken broth. 100% vegetable soup seems to taste so bland...

Uncle Erik said:

Vegan? No tallow for you!

But I empathize. Almost two years ago I went vegetarian five days a week. I'll have meat on Saturdays and occasionally on Sunday. I don't want to cut meat out entirely, but needed to cut back for health and weight loss. It worked.

One reason I don't cut out meat entirely is that it gives you a lot of nutrients and protein that you need. You can work around it, but it requires a lot of nutritional planning that I'm too lazy to do. For me, it was a lot easier to cut meat intake to a minimum and load up on healthy food 90% of the time.

If you want to lose weight, you really have to watch the calories. Google for "hacker's diet" and you'll find an excellent explanation of how calorie restriction works and takes off the weight.

The good news is that you can follow it by eating vegetables and fruit primarily. Fill up on bulky vegetables - they're low cal and keep sodium intake low. I like potatoes, cabbage and carrots. They're cheap, easily prepared, low cal, and you'll lose weight without feeling too deprived. Add a few other veggies, too. I especially love the wide variety of squashes. There are always a half dozen varieties at the market. They're colorful, have a variety of delicious flavors and are easily prepared.

If you haven't cut sodas out, you should do that, too. HFCS is not good for you and even the diet ones aren't much good. Get used to unsweetened beverages, like black coffee, tea and water. Soda water is a good substitute, too.

When you make the change, stick with it. The first few weeks are tough and you'll feel deprived. But, in time, you'll come to crave healthy food just as much as you
loved unhealthy food. I used to love going out for a big burrito. Now, I'll go out for a bean tostada or salad. When I get to the restaurant, I actually look forward to the salad now. Lettuce with lots of salsa is delicious and like 20% of the calories I used to eat. Instead of 300-400 calories with a Coke, I get zero calories with a glass of water.

Once your cravings change, it's smooth sailing. The weight will continue to disappear and you'll be satisfied with what you eat. It's just the first 3-5 weeks or so that's difficult. Once you get past that you'll be fine. If you cheat now and then, don't sweat it. Just get back on the horse the next day.

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Oh, I'm keeping my tallow!!!

Thanks for the Hacker's Diet recommendation, looks interesting, going to give it a read through.

CitizenDan said:

I have been eating lots of raw carrots, celery, radishes, cucumbers and cabbage. I've made a few soups with sweet potatoes, beans and squash but I always use chicken broth. 100% vegetable soup seems to taste so bland...

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Lots or raw is great for weight loss as your body has to work harder at processing it.
As for soup, spring pea soup is great, just use chicken stock, fresh or frozen peas, some onion and garlic and blend it all up.

CitizenDan said:

Oh, I'm keeping my tallow!!!

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Your not vegan then. They dont use anything that comes from animals. I tried the veg. thing for a bit (2 years) I just ate foods that didnt contain meat. This way of eating left much to be desired and I love hamburgers way to much to try it again.
Good luck with your journey and hope you get healthy soon.

you can make pertty decent "hamburgers" out of kidney/red bean and red lentile paste in the right form and consistency,

btw: incase for the wife, remember that some soy based products contain products that might act negativly on hormone induced cancers, when my mother had breast cancer she was told to exclude soy based products from her diet,

faster_than_u said:

Your not vegan then. They dont use anything that comes from animals. I tried the veg. thing for a bit (2 years) I just ate foods that didnt contain meat. This way of eating left much to be desired and I love hamburgers way to much to try it again.
Good luck with your journey and hope you get healthy soon.

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Technically as long as he's not eating the tallow soap he could still be considered vegan.

I was raised ovo-lacto vegetarian (we ate eggs and dairy, but nothing that had to be explicitly killed) but started eating meat as my teenage rebellion. My parents and sister are still veggies.

There's a bit of a fallacy that eating vegetarian/vegan is immediately healthier. Remember things like french fries and pirogies are still vegan. As long as you're making the right choices and pay attention to what your diet may be lacking and supplement it you should be fine.

Good luck!

Pick up these two cook books: "Vegan with a Vengeance" and "The Veganomicon" They are fantastic cookbooks, fun to read, full of useful vegan advice. Make sure to check out the recipe in The Veganomicon for chickpea cutlets (you won't miss meat, trust me!). Also check out the blogs: "Fat Free Vegan" and "The Vegan Dad."

Jordan's words are quite insightful. My uncle, a life long vegetarian, just had gastric bypass because he had been in excess of 400 pounds for years. When I went vegan a year and a half ago, however, I was empowered to lose 50 pound and reclaim my physical health (my blood pressure is the best it's been since high school!).

Good on you for making this decision. Couple it with an effective an fun exercise. Buy a bike, ride it everywhere you go within a mile of your house. Pick up a kettlebell and learn to swing and do the turkish get up.

Thanks for the kind words and advice guys.

Yes I know I'm not full vegan, I'm just adopting the diet not the lifestyle; still using tallow soaps and wearing leather shoes.

My main concern is getting the proper nutrition I need. I once I had an employee who claimed she was vegetarian, only she was fat as a cow! She said she actually didn't care too much for vegetables. Turns out she was more of a snacketarian, preferring to eat snicker bars and whole bags of potato chips instead of a real meal. I know this wont happen to me though, like I said, I've already cut out processed foods and sugars, just concerned with being under-nourished.

Confuzius said:

There's a bit of a fallacy that eating vegetarian/vegan is immediately healthier. Remember things like french fries and pirogies are still vegan. As long as you're making the right choices and pay attention to what your diet may be lacking and supplement it you should be fine.

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Excellent point. Regardless of your diet, you can certainly make it unhealthy. As with everything in life if you practice moderation and variety you will be doing just fine (NOTE: the only part of life were moderation is not applicable is shaving supplies).

If you are looking recipes/help go to your local library and check out a couple of vegetarian/vegan cookbooks or see if they have any vegetarian/vegan magazines.

No Tallow soap, no badger brushes...Oh my!!!!!

Seriously, I cut out all red meats for a time (still ate fish and a little chicken)and it really did wonders for me physically. Today I still watch my intake but I do occasionally indulge is a nice steak. Good luck. You'll be surprised at just how much good food is really out there.

The Moosewood Cookbook is great, if a bit dated, but it's what I was raised on; loads of tasty things in there.

I can't remember 100% but I think the big ones that are hard to come by without extra effort/supplements in Vegan diets are Vitamin B12, Zinc and Calcium. It's not that they're not available, you just have to work harder to include them, or take supplements.

Please please please be adventurous in your cooking, I think a lot of the reason that people fail at vegetarianism is that they're just eating plates of boiled beans steamed veggies and brown rice night after night then they just say "well being vegetarian sucks" and give up on it. Check out some indian, middle eastern and asian cookbooks, there are so many incredible things that you can do without meat.

Also as far as tofu is concerned there are two wildly different styles of tofu, one that's very firm, almost like an unripened cheddar or feta cheese and another that's silken and more like congealed yogurt/jello. I'm convinced that the majority of people in the "i hate tofu" camp have only tried the silken stuff. It's got it's uses, but if you're using it as a meat substitute it's bound to fail. Now that I'm well into the omnivore category I love a good steak, but I've still got a weakness for tofu slathered in a good bbq sauce and slapped on the grill, it's good stuff.

A while back my doctor told me to get serious about diet and exercise. All of the wrong things were up, blood glucose, weight, blood pressure, triglycerides. I started to ride my bike again and that helped. I read that Jack LaLanne has been a vegetarian for most of his life, so I decided to slowly introduce more vegetarian type meals into my diet.

The results have been very encouraging so far. I still do eat meat, far less than I did before and I find myself now leaning to vegetarian type meals more. I still like bacon and barbecue and pork chops and fajitas , but I now can go for days just eating beans, rice and other grains as the main part of the meal. Add the veggies and fruits and you have making of a lot of fine meals. When I do choose a meat item, I lean to very low fat.

The weight is slowly and steadily coming off and the statistics of the state of my health are getting better.

One book that has helped me is a book called "The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook." Lots recipes that are easy to make, taste good and can be done is a hurry. I have put my own spin on the ingredients to vary the taste to my liking and he and his wife (her recipes) encourage you to do this.

I don't think I could forever give up meat. I like cheeseburgers too much, but I am now thinking of them as good for occasional treats.

Don't have any practical experience with veganism (sp?) but I know enough about nutrition to know that getting complete proteins will require some work. If I was going to do it I would take advice from vegan athletes -- google "vegan" + "weightlifter" or "athlete." I'm pretty sure there was was a MMA fighter who was a vegan, and I know there are a few vegetarian weightlifters out there. A while back there was also a thread on bikeforums.net on training on a vegan diet.

I can think of some all vegetable meals that would be bad for both blood pressure and potential diabetes. Mashed potatoes seasoned with salt would be bad for both, for example. White rice seasoned with salt has it's own problems diabetes and BP-wise (I mention this because your dad had diabetes and you might be at some risk).

I think the amount of weight you lose will probably be more of a function of how much meat you ate in the past, and what kind of meat you ate.

Also, modern vegetarianism does not worry as much about getting a "complete" protein at each meal, this is covered in some of the newer books I think. However, I think the B12 in meat is superior to vegetable sources, and some people will be advised by their doctors to eat meat at least once a month.

I have personally found that portion size has more to do with my weight than what I eat per se. I can eat beef as long as I don't eat a huge portion of it, etc. Good luck with what you are trying to do.