How to Lose Weight on a Vegan Diet

Just a few years ago, “vegan” was anything but mainstream. If your friend told you they were going to start following a vegan diet, your response probably ranged anywhere from “What are you actually going to eat?” to “Well, I guess I can’t invite you to a party ever again.”

In recent years, however, the vegan lifestyle has gained more and more traction. Now, almost all restaurants serve vegan options, most of us know what kale is, and if we haven’t committed to veganism ourselves, we likely know at least one person that has.

People that decide to follow a vegan diet do so for many reasons. Anything from animal rights to environmentalism to heart health can motivate people to become vegan. But there’s another reason, too, and it’s one that followers of the vegan diet share with the followers of...just about every diet ever.

They want to lose weight.

As is the case with any diet, however, it’s a bit more complicated than eating a few salads and waiting for the pounds to fall off. Truthfully, there’s a right way and a wrong way to lose weight when you’re following a vegan diet. One way will lead you to healthy, sustainable weight loss, and the other might make it harder to lose the weight and keep it off.

Today, we’re looking at some of the “best practices” to follow when it comes to losing weight on a vegan diet. But first, let’s get on the same page about what it means to “go vegan.”

What is a vegan diet?

Simply put, a vegan diet is one that avoids any and all animal products, including:

• Meat
• Fish
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Honey and other bee-made products

Beyond these basics, there are other animal by-products that vegans avoid as well, some of which can be hiding in your food. These could include:

• Gelatin (which—don’t read this while eating—is made from boiling animal skin, cartilage, and bones)¹
• Natural flavorings, some of which are animal based
• Omega-3 fatty acids, usually derived from fish
• Vitamin D3, which often comes from fish oil or lanolin from wool²

This means that it’s not only the “obvious” animal products vegans need to avoid. Reading the label is always a good idea if you’re wanting to go vegan.

Additionally, many vegans also choose to avoid purchasing any and all animal products, period. This includes things like leather, wool, silk, fur, and feathers.

What do vegans eat?

This is definitely a common question among the non-vegan set, who can’t seem to imagine a world without hamburgers, omelettes, and cheese.

But vegans still have plenty of options for keeping their diet exciting and varied. The staples of a vegan diet include:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Whole grains
• Beans and legumes
• Nuts and seeds

As veganism has become more popular, the vegan diet has also expanded to include vegan substitutions for common animal by-products, like vegan meat and vegan cheese. These are often made using the vegan-friendly ingredients listed above.

Does a vegan diet help you lose weight?

So we arrive at the million-dollar question. As we mentioned before, the answer is a resounding...sometimes.

It’s true that people who follow a vegan diet potentially enjoy various health benefits, including, lower body mass index (BMI).³

And one study3 even indicates that a vegan diet is more effective at helping people lose weight than other diets.

This might not be surprising, considering vegans tend to eat more fruits and vegetables and less...well...bacon...than the rest of us.

But there are definitely some things that vegans should do to increase their chances of losing weight.

Tips for losing weight as a vegan

There are a couple important things to remember if you really want your vegan diet to help you lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way.

Supplement as needed

Your body needs certain nutrients to survive and to perform optimally. Ignoring these key nutrients can wreak havoc on your health in various ways, and may end up impacting your ability to lose weight.

Unfortunately, some of these nutrients are most commonly and abundantly found in animal products. Things like omega-3s, iron, protein and vitamin B12 are among them.

If you want to lose weight in a healthy way, you need to make sure you’re giving your body what it needs to feel its best.

Take a close look at your diet and do some research to find out what nutrients you’re lacking. Then find vegan-friendly supplements that will help you get the right amounts of the right nutrients in the right formats, so you can focus on other things (like dropping the pounds).

Don’t replace animal products with junk products

These days, there isn’t really a shortage of vegan-friendly food. That’s a good thing, in general. But it also means that along with the healthy options, you’re going to get some options that are technically vegan, but not technically healthy.

(Ruffles potato chips, Hershey’s chocolate syrup, and Sour Patch Kids candy, for example, are all “vegan” foods, but they’re hardly healthy).⁶

When it comes right down to it, the same rules apply to losing weight, no matter what kind of diet you’re following: eating junk is not going to help you slim down.

Practice portion control

Have you ever heard the phrase “too much of a good thing?” The thing is, even healthy foods can make you gain weight if you eat too much of them, too often. That’s why a great practice for any kind of weight loss is to limit your portions.

Look up the recommended daily amounts of certain food types and nutrients, and try to limit yourself to these amounts. Practicing this self control could make all the difference when you’re trying to lose weight.

Plus, certain vegan foods have ingredients added that make them not-so-healthy anymore (vegan cheese often contains additives, nut milks often contain sugar, etc.) so limiting portions is going to be crucial when it comes to cutting back on these less healthy ingredients.

Plan your meals (and your snacks)

It’s really easy, when that “hangry” feeling strikes, to reach for the closest thing on the shelf, whether it’s a bag of raw almonds or a bag of Doritos.

Fortunately, you have a very good opportunity to avoid this scenario—when you shop.

Take time before your grocery trip to plan out your meals and snacks for the week. Shop accordingly, and don’t let yourself wander too far from your list. If you only have healthy options on hand, you’re guaranteed to reach for healthy options when those hunger pangs strike.

It helps to have several great recipes on hand, so you never get stuck in that “What should I eat for dinner?” cycle that tends to end up at the nearest drive-thru. (Been there, done that.) Here is one of our favorite vegan recipes: Vegan Overnight Oats.

Another great strategy for planning out your meals and snacks is to have a few healthy “staples” that are delicious, and nutritious, and easy to keep on hand. Which brings us to…

Plexus Lean™ Vegan, Natural Vanilla

If you’re ready to build up your arsenal of healthy vegan meals and snacks, then you’ve got to include Plexus Lean Vegan.

Lean Vegan combines the convenience of fast food with the smooth deliciousness of a milkshake—all in a nutritious, 100% vegan package! It makes the perfect, on-the-go vegan meal or snack that can help you stay on top of your nutrition and even lose weight!^

By helping you feel fuller, longer, Lean Vegan helps you avoid overeating, so you can curb your calorie intake and focus on dropping the pounds!^

Lean Vegan features 20 grams of ultra-pure, non-GMO plant protein from pea, rice, and ancient grains, so you get a healthy dose of vegan protein with every serving. Even more than that, Lean Vegan contains:

• All 9 essential amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine)
• 5 grams of dietary fiber including prebiotic fiber, to support digestion and gut health
• Highly bioavailable forms of 23 vitamins and minerals 5-MTHF methylated folate, Calcium, Zinc, Vitamins A, C, E, and more
• Digestive enzymes
• Plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids
• Lean Vegan delivers several health and happiness benefits like:
• Promotes weight loss while providing healthy nutrition as a complete meal or nourishing snack^
• Satisfies and helps control hunger with protein and fiber
• Supports gut and digestive health with prebiotic fiber and digestive enzymes
• Use twice a day for weight loss or once a day for weight maintenance^
• Helps support and maintain lean muscle
• Leaves you feeling energized and satisfied
• Supports feelings of satiety, helping to curb cravings

Plus, Lean Vegan is free from artificial flavors, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, artificial preservatives, and contains no soy or gluten.

And with its delicious Natural Vanilla flavor, it’s the healthy choice that tastes like a decadent treat!

Lean Vegan is the ultimate way to “shake and sip” your way to a happier, healthier, leaner you—while staying true to your vegan regimen!

Veganism has been growing in popularity for several reasons, and weight loss is definitely one of them! If you’re ready to try losing weight on a vegan diet, follow our tips, stock up on Plexus Lean Vegan, and stick with it! We see health and happiness in your future.

References/Sources:

1. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319124.php
2. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/things-vegans-dont-eat#section2
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900714004237
4. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321477.php
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4517036/

Disclaimers:

^When combined with a reduced-calorie weight loss diet plan