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Staying fit is the new mantra, and the whole population seems to be bent upon fulfilling it. However, all your plans to lose those extra kilos are going waste. Either, not choosing the right diet plan or not sticking to your workout schedule there could be many reasons for you not succeeding. Being vegan you are providing your body with the required proteins through all healthy options. Do you know that you can also break weight loss puzzle and here are some ways in which a vegan diet plan for weight loss can be used?
What does being vegan mean?
Being vegan in a simple language means chucking away with the meats and adopting the greens in your daily diet. There has been much research conducted which shows that by cutting down on animal products and incorporating the beans, fruits, vegetables, and nuts in your diet is sure to reduce the risk for diabetes, heart disease and certain forms of cancer.
Another benefit of starting a vegan diet is that the veggies tend to help you keep feeling full for a longer time. With this feeling of completeness you avoid binging on junk food, and hence your weight automatically comes down and stays in control too.
Apart from these being vegan also increases your lifespan. A study of more than 70000 adults was conducted, and it concurred that the vegans outlived the non-vegetarians. Though this study did not keep other lifestyle considerations into mind, the truth is that by eating healthy you give yourself a new lease of life. A part reason could be that by becoming vegan, you ditch processed meats which contribute to cancer and heart disease.
Tips to start practising a vegan diet successfully
It is good if you are feeling quite inspired to start the vegan diet. However, if you are not dedicated to the cause, your diet plan would fail even before you have started practising it. Here are some simple tips that you may need to adopt initially. Later when you get comfortable with the diet, you can change your methodology accordingly.
1. Focus on vegetables–
Instead of focusing on what you should not eat pay attention to what you can and should eat. Veggies are rich on the best of minerals and vitamins, and they are quite filling too. Being rich in fibre they would keep your gut and stomach healthy too. Think about which ones are the most suitable for your cause and experiment with them.
2. Variety is the key–
Being vegan involves many kinds of foods that you can try eating. Hence do not limit yourself to just one or two types. While tomatoes are rich in lycopene, beans can give you protein and fibre. Orange sweet potatoes are full of Vitamin A helpful in keeping your eyes healthy. When in doubt, make a salad and add up some brown rice with beans and sautéed veggies and you are in for a pleasant surprise.
3. Whole grains–
Skip the white pasta and bread from your everyday consumption. Replace it instead with whole grains like brown rice and quinoa. These items add vitamin b and iron to your diet something which you are deprived of if you eat refined grains. The presence of extra fibre is an advantage for you.
4. Not all vegan products may be healthier–
It is easy to assume that all the vegan items are high on the health quotient but that may not be true. Just advertising a cookie saying it is vegan does not mean it is a healthier option. Nor is garlic bread with vegan margarine. Instead of opting for vegan processed food items pick up whole, nutritious items like hummus, nuts, dried fruit and whole grain tortilla chips with guacamole.
5. Fish free omega 3 are key–
In spite of eating the most healthy vegan foods would not ensure that you are getting all the correct nutrients required. For heart health and eye and brain development, it is important that DHA and EPA (Omega 3 fatty acids) be regularly taken. Focus on a variety of foods like soy milk, breakfast bars, walnuts, flaxseed, and canola oil are quite good sources of the same.
6. Vitamin D–
It is an integral part of all non- vegetarian items and also of dairy products too. When you go vegan, you have to let go of them, but your body needs the Vitamin desperately. However, you can find it as a part of orange drinks, and non -dairy milk like soy and almond milk. In case you still do not get the required amount you can always accompany your diet with a health supplement.
7. Iron–
This is another factor that you may need to pay attention to. Meat and chicken have animal proteins which are full of these items. However, for vegans, the iron can come from items like legumes, leafy greens, and but just remember one thing that iron from plant sources is not easy to digest to take full advantage of the same try iron-rich foods which also have Vitamin C in them as they aid in absorption.
8. Vitamin B12–
Your daily recommended quantity of Vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms per adult. However, this item is mostly found in chicken and meats something that you may miss now. You can get some help from cereals and energy bars, but that may not be sufficient. Consult your doctor as he may suggest some supplements to up the same for you.
Seven days vegan diet plan for weight loss
This diet plan is for seven days and gives you 1200 kcal and up to 60 grams protein. Diligently following the same can help you reduce 1-2 pounds weight per week.
Day 1
| Time | Menu and Quantity |
| Breakfast | Pancakes 2, 1 Tsp. peanut butter |
| Morning snack | ¾ cup Edamame pods along with a sprinkling of salt |
| Lunch | One serving of white bean and avocado toast |
| Mid-afternoon snack | 1 Plum medium size |
| Dinner | Falafel salad with lemon tahini dressing |
Day 2
| Time | Menu and Quantity |
| Breakfast | 1 Serving of peanut butter with muffin |
| Morning snack | 1/2 cup Edamame pods along with a sprinkling of salt |
| Lunch | 4 cups of white bean and veggie salad |
| Mid-afternoon snack | Green tea |
| Dinner | 2 cups of black bean and quinoa salad |
Day 3
| Time | Menu and Quantity |
| Breakfast | Peanut butter banana toast |
| Morning snack | Two tablespoon pumpkin seeds |
| Lunch | 4 cups of Edamame and beets green salad |
| Mid-afternoon snack | 2 cups of air popped popcorn |
| Dinner | 1/3 cup hummus, ½ small whole wheat pita, and roasted cauliflower and potato soup |
Day 4
| Time | Menu and Quantity |
| Breakfast | 2 cups unsweetened soymilk and 1/3 quinoa and oatmeal mix |
| Morning snack | Plum |
| Lunch | 1 ½ cup of roasted cauliflower and potato soup |
| Mid-afternoon snack | Two tablespoon pumpkin seeds |
| Dinner | One serving of stuffed potato with hummus |
Day 5
| Time | Menu and Quantity |
| Breakfast | Two completely vegan pancakes and ¼ cup blackberries |
| Morning snack | Green tea |
| Lunch | A serving of Veggie and hummus sandwich |
| Mid-afternoon snack | 1/2 cup Edamame pods along with a sprinkling of salt |
| Dinner | 1 cup chickpea curry and quinoa |
Day 6
| Time | Menu and Quantity |
| Breakfast | 1 Serving of peanut butter with muffin |
| Morning snack | Two medium celery stalks cut in slices |
| Lunch | 1 ½ cup of roasted cauliflower and potato soup |
| Mid-afternoon snack | Plum |
| Dinner | I cup vegan Thai cucumber salad and one serving spaghetti squash |
Day 7
| Time | Menu and Quantity |
| Breakfast | 2 Vegan pancakes with ¼ cup blueberries |
| Morning snack | One orange |
| Lunch | 4 cups of Edamame and beets green salad |
| Mid-afternoon snack | 3 cups of air popped popcorn |
| Dinner | 2 cups of black bean and quinoa salad |
It is true that a vegan diet is sure to keep you safe from the different kinds of ailments related to heart and brain. If you are careful and plan your diet accordingly, you might lose the weight which otherwise is difficult to budge. But every diet needs the support of regular exercising as well. It is only when you pay attention to your diet as well as your physical fitness then the weight comes under control. With more and more people adopting vegan, it is time you jump onto the bandwagon too. But do remain aware about the consequences else it may be difficult for you to keep stick to being vegan.
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