WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT AND TONE UP AS A VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN
Get Plenty of Fiber – Fiber is essential to a healthy digestive system. It sweeps the intestines and colon clean, feeds beneficial bacteria, removes toxins and cholesterol, and slows the absorption of nutrients so the body can keep up. Fiber also makes us feel fuller and satiated sooner and longer so you eat less throughout the day and have fewer cravings. Getting more fiber means you’re eating plenty of vegetables and fruits.
Cut the Sugar – We use too much refined sugars in our foods, vegan or not, and it causes problems. Not only is sugar caloric-dense, it overwhelms the body with glucose and fructose, leading to unnecessary fat creation and storage. Often we drink our calories in sugary beverages that have no nutritional value. Soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit juices, and candies should be avoided.
Avoid Processed Foods – Processed foods use excess oil, sugar, fats, sodium, and chemical preservatives to make them last longer and taste better. And in the meantime so many of their natural vitamins and minerals have been removed. This includes vegan substitutes. Most of the animal-like replacement products are highly processed and far from healthy. Many new vegans and vegetarians find that they don’t lose weight when they make the transition and these processed foods are one of the major culprits.
Drink a lot of Water – Water is essential for life. Proper hydration boosts metabolism and helps us burn calories, produce energy, and feel good, yet most of us drink way too little water. Water also helps us not overeat, aids digestion, and helps us remove toxins. Our bodies tend to hoard what we don’t get enough of, so drinking water actually helps us lose water weight.
Cut the Calories – It actually doesn’t take a lot of calories off your norm each day to begin to lose weight. Restriction and starvation diets don’t normally work. We’re talking just a slight limit on the calories you consume. This is easily done by cutting back on the processed foods and sugars while eating more fruits and veggies.
Don’t Cut All the Fat or Carbs – Your brain runs on carbs and is made of mostly fat. You need both for your metabolism to run well and your body to function properly. Nuts, seeds, grains, nut butters, avocados, coconut oil, and starchy vegetables all have their place in your diet, but should be used moderately. You should still be avoiding the refined and processed carbs and fats though.
Eat Real Foods at Home – Use fresh, organic, whole foods in your recipes as often as possible. These will provide the most nutrients and convince your body you’re getting what you need so the cravings stop
Use Herbs and Spices – Those herbs and spices you ignore in the spice rack are full of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. They also make food taste amazing without having to resort to the sugars and sodium you need less of. Many spices, like ginger, basil, turmeric, and cayenne may even help you lose weight by boosting metabolism, assisting digestion, and promoting detox.
Get Enough Protein – Protein actually creates a thermic effect after we eat it, burning extra calories for hours. Get lean, clean protein from vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, and legumes. Remember to watch the calories and fat content of these to some degree. There are good vegan protein supplements available to make this easier.
Up the Activity Level – You want to lose weight and tone up? What you eat is only part of the equation. You must be active to burn the calories you want, break down and use up fat, and reveal the muscle tone underneath it all. Walk, run, bike, swim, play soccer, hike, dance, or do whatever you love that gets you up and moving.
Allow Yourself Small Cheats – Going completely without any indulgences is dangerous and can easily lead to binges when the cravings get out of control. Cravings come and go. If you give yourself a small treat, they are more likely to go away. A small square of dark chocolate is a great way to feel like your rewarded yourself with something decadent when it’s actually pretty healthy in that small dose. Just don’t go overboard with any of them and if you have something you can’t control yourself around, don’t let that be your cheat.
- information used for educating the public about weight loss on a vegan or vegetarian diet : adapted from https://sunwarrior.com/healthhub/14-ways-lose-weight-tone-vegetarian-vegan
