One of the most challenging tasks in life is being healthy consistently. When it comes to your health, weight is also a factor, and as you age, it may fluctuate.
Sometimes you could be at a healthy weight, and then in other moments, circumstances may crop up, causing you to neglect your body.
As you may be already aware, having an unhealthy weight can expose you to many chronic illnesses and diseases, putting your health at risk.
That still goes if you're out of shape and you're vegan.
Sometimes it could be as simple as eating too many processed carbohydrates, exercising little, and not eating a greater variety of plant-based food.
To help you on your weight loss or maintenance journey, I've come up with some tips specifically for the vegans out there.
7 Tips to help vegans lose weight
1. Be wary of vegan processed food
Nowadays, turning vegan is on an uprise. This means there's probably a large aisle in your grocery store offering meat-based alternatives. While consuming plant-based foods is healthy, not all the ones you find in your grocery store are.
Many of these can come with hidden ingredients such as starch and a high sugar content due to preservation. Therefore I thoroughly recommend you to read each label in-depth and review how healthy it actually is.
2. Fiber fiber fiber!
Are you trying to lose weight? If so, I want you to think about the amount of nutrient-dense foods and fiber you're having. There are foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, beans, and whole grains.
Consuming more of these will make you feel fuller for longer, as they're slower for your body to digest. It's best to hit around 40g of fiber a day to fill you without having to indulge with additional calories.
3. Limit or avoid fats
Healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, and seeds are high in calories, so if weight loss is a goal be wary of this. 1 gram of fat is 9 calories, unlike 1 gram of carbs or protein that gives you 4 calories. Instead of cooking with oil, use water or vegetable broth.
4. Familiarise yourself with plant-based food
If you've just switched to a vegan diet or currently considering adding more plantbased meals to your diet, try and keep an open mind to trying out new recipes. Sometimes, it can be challenging to enjoy vegan meals if you don't experiment with different flavors. Start by trying to veganize your favourite meal and use the same seasonings and flavours you would normally.
Now and again, cravings can pop up and, if not disciplined, can make you prone to eating unhealthy food. Remember, try and push through the cravings as, over time, they will decrease, and you can feel fuller for longer. It's all about mindset and keeping healthier options readily available to you.
5. Hydrate
On average, you should be consuming at least 8 glasses of water a day. Water is essential to speed up your metabolism to metabolize fat quicker and regulate your body temperature. If you struggle to drink water, try consuming more water-based foods like cucumber, apples, tomatoes, and carrots or simply add some lemons to your water.
6. Maintain good sleep levels
As humans we can all tend to neglect our sleep. But, you must get a good 7-8 hours in per night as this can help restore cognitive function, boost our immune system and recharge each day.
Most importantly, having the correct sleep levels can help our body fight off diseases like Alzheimer's, certain cancers, obesity, heart disease, and more.
7. Remember to plan
Planning your meals at least a week in advance will help you stay on track. If you have a fridge full of fresh fruit and vegetables, you're more likely to prepare a meal out of them instead of calling a takeout and indulging. Alongside your fridge, you will want to stock your pantry with canned beans/legumes and some fresh food such as fruits or nuts in your travel bag, and at your desk, so it's there when your body craves it.
If you would like some support, I offer customized meal plans that cater to your goals and lifestyle.
I hope these tips have been helpful. If you’d like to learn more about losing weight without dieting, don’t hesitate to get in touch - As a vegan health coach, I’d love to help you start your journey on transforming your life for good!