400lbs-Starting a natural vegan diet.

[Sadlittlesunflower]

Hi there,

So first off I'm vegan for the animals and I've recently started to watch forks over knives and read up on the starch solution. I have plenty of books about animal rights and welfare but nothing about health. I want to be a healthy vegan.

Well I weigh well over 400lbs and the last time I was at the doctor my blood preasure was 170 which freaked out the nurse. I haven't been back sense. Anyways I think a whole food plant based diet can help but at the same time I totally disagree with not using a olive oil to cook and staying away from nuts and seeds unless your under weight. Anyways I'm only 25 and I feel like the clock is ticking for me to get my stuff together and be healthy as I can be. But where do I start ? I feel so helpless.

 

[shyvas]

You can find some very useful information on the following site. You can also download the app:

How to go vegan

Overnight or gradual change? Top tips on how to go vegan.

www.vegansociety.com

Nutrition and health

Expert tips for making the most of your vegan diet

www.vegansociety.com

 

[Emma JC]

welcome to the forum and we are here to help where we can

I am one of those that agree with using minimal fats for health and weight loss and if you understood the whole diabetes Type 2 issue where fat in our cells blocks the proper use of sugars in the blood - see Dr Neal Barnard - google the words... diabetes dr neal barnard ... it may help you understand why it is so important I am happy that you have read the starch solution as Dr McDougall is who helped me the most on my switch away from animals, extra sugars, salt and fats.

a whole food plant based diet is tasty and healthy and not difficult and I do hope you will try - the cool thing about eating starches and limiting fats is that you can eat even largest quantities of food which is very satisfying...

You will see on my posting about what I eat for brek/lunch every day that I eat what I call 'noodley soup' and I eat it in a pasta bowl that is piled high. It is a ton of frozen vegetables, fresh kale and/or spinach, the broth is made from gochujang and miso but can be made from whatever taste is your favourite, there is one block of ramen noodles, a few soy curls, and spices on top along with some rice vinegar, a bit of soy sauce, lemon juice, sriracha and a drizzle of tahini for the fats (as it is important to have some). It is full of great nutrients, it extremely tasty and fills me to the brim to the point that we only ever eat 2 meals per day and often dinner is much smaller on the days that I eat the noodley soup which is usually Mon-Wed-Fri and on Tues-Thurs-Sat I have oatmeal and berries. Sunday brunch is usually breakfast beans (with added onions, jalapeno, chipotle sauce) on toast with orange/banana sliced and sometimes a Just Egg patty or a vegan sausage.

I wish you all the best in your journey to health.

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[Lou]

Hi there,

Well I weigh well over 400lbs and the last time I was at the doctor my blood preasure was 170 which freaked out the nurse. I haven't been back sense.

You already got some good advice .... but... it's like they didn't pay attention to the quote above.

Their advice would be great if you were something like just 20 or 40 pounds overweight. But at 300 or more pounds you are what the doctors call morbidly obese. ( the new terminology is class 3 obesity) This is not a judgement or something to be embarrassed about. It's a medical definition. Just like diabetes or cancer. And needs to be treated medically. By doctors. And (as you probably already realize) this is a life threatening condition.

So first thing is you need to do is go back to your doctor.

if you don't have health insurance you need to get it. And I think you have to do that right away. Windows are closing.
I would go with an HMO and the most inclusive plan you can afford. and if there are money issues - once you have a plan, most HMOs will set you up with financial assistance. please do this right away.

When you do see a doctor - you'll probably get a bunch of referrals to other doctors. and probably some prescriptions. This is why health insurance is so important - it's going to get expensive.

you might be tempted to try doing this all by yourself without a doctor. But you didn't gain all that weight overnight. If you could have lost the weight on your own - you would have done so already.

This IS a life threatening condition. Being overweight will statistically reduce your life expectancy. and you are already at risk for a stroke, heart disease, some cancers and diabetes.

I just read this over and my first impression was that this is too harsh. And maybe it is. You must have been told this stuff already. and maybe even know it. I'm guessing that since all you asked about is nuts and oil - it hasn't gotten through to you yet.

 

[Sadlittlesunflower]

welcome to the forum and we are here to help where we can

I am one of those that agree with using minimal fats for health and weight loss and if you understood the whole diabetes Type 2 issue where fat in our cells blocks the proper use of sugars in the blood - see Dr Neal Barnard - google the words... diabetes dr neal barnard ... it may help you understand why it is so important I am happy that you have read the starch solution as Dr McDougall is who helped me the most on my switch away from animals, extra sugars, salt and fats.

a whole food plant based diet is tasty and healthy and not difficult and I do hope you will try - the cool thing about eating starches and limiting fats is that you can eat even largest quantities of food which is very satisfying...

You will see on my posting about what I eat for brek/lunch every day that I eat what I call 'noodley soup' and I eat it in a pasta bowl that is piled high. It is a ton of frozen vegetables, fresh kale and/or spinach, the broth is made from gochujang and miso but can be made from whatever taste is your favourite, there is one block of ramen noodles, a few soy curls, and spices on top along with some rice vinegar, a bit of soy sauce, lemon juice, sriracha and a drizzle of tahini for the fats (as it is important to have some). It is full of great nutrients, it extremely tasty and fills me to the brim to the point that we only ever eat 2 meals per day and often dinner is much smaller on the days that I eat the noodley soup which is usually Mon-Wed-Fri and on Tues-Thurs-Sat I have oatmeal and berries. Sunday brunch is usually breakfast beans (with added onions, jalapeno, chipotle sauce) on toast with orange/banana sliced and sometimes a Just Egg patty or a vegan sausage.

I wish you all the best in your journey to health.

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

Thank you kindly for your input about fats. I think I will definitely start cutting down on my fat intake. I just can't imagine eating food without fat and oils..it's like I need it to be full.

 

[silva]

Thank you kindly for your input about fats. I think I will definitely start cutting down on my fat intake. I just can't imagine eating food without fat and oils..it's like I need it to be full.

I strongly recommend Dr Michael Greger and his NutritionFacts.org | The Latest in Nutrition Related Research
A note of caution--He is quite the nutrition nerd, and his critics make it out to sound like he's touting crazy extreme theories. In actuality, his recommendations of whole plant foods is far more practical than most any of the 'diet' recommendations. He advocates for doing better--like what is the most nutritious food? the most nutritious of the ones you will eat! And always try to do better
He's formatted the daily dozen of what types and serving sizes you should eat in a day that gives the optimum nutrition. It's hard to be that strict, but having a roadmap does make it easier, and is something to strive for

Oils really are the best thing to give up, maybe pick the nutritious food that you have the hardest time eating without it, while finding ways to avoid adding oil.

Don't fear whole carbs either! Processed carbs are bad, but in their whole form are excellent in satiety, fiber and nutrients you need

 

[silva]

And take the transition to plant foods slowly if you find yourself getting bloated, or digestive problems. It's all about changing the biome of your gut, and that doesn't happen overnight. introducing beans, cruciferous veg, more fiber, can take time to adjust, so don't think you can't do it, you need your gut to change.
Soups, and ''bowl'' dishes of grains, legumes, veg, fruits, and lots of water are good examples

 

[shyvas]

You already got some good advice .... but... it's like they didn't pay attention to the quote above.

Their advice would be great if you were something like just 20 or 40 pounds overweight.

What a presumptuous statement! It would seem that, as very often, you are the only one who detains knowledge concerning health matters.

I don't see anything in the title or request about weight loss. The OP states that he wants 'to be a healthy vegan'. A natural vegan diet is all about simply consuming plant based food. That is exactly what I have posted ; 'How to go vegan' & 'Nutrition & Health'.

Lou said:
This IS a life threatening condition. Being overweight will statistically reduce your life expectancy. and you are already at risk for a stroke, heart disease, some cancers and diabetes.


I certainly would never give anyone any advice concerning weight loss. The OP is stating a mere fact about his weight.

I would neither give the person such a lecture about how dangerous it is to be obese. I would assume the person is aware of these facts thus no need to make the person feel bad.

As usual, a simple question very often gives way to answers that can only be considered as personal opinions. We don't offer medical advice, which we define as anything meant to replace a conversation with their GP.

The following link gives some useful information on how to eat a balanced vegan diet.

The vegan diet

Find out how to be healthy on a vegan diet, including vegan sources of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and iron.

www.nhs.uk

 

[Emma JC]

sometimes we need to see a visual representation of what we are eating vs what we are burning caloriewise.... maybe it would be helpful for you to sign up to Cronometer, which is free for most activities on it.... you can input what you are eating and your activity (if you like... I don't bother as I know I am a couch potato) and then the chart will show you all the vitamins and minerals you are getting from your food, all the percentages of carbs, fats and protein and the total number of calories... I have only done this a few times or the past few years and it has definitely helped me to visualize what I am taking in - I am not a calorie counter and don't encourage it, I just stay aware of what I put in my mouth which is simpler to do when we only eat 2 meals a day and limit snacking

regarding oils - there are a lot of substitutes like using olive brine or veggie stock for sauting, apple sauce in baking, adding mushrooms to sauting veggies can also add the moisture that you and spices add the flavour - I use an air fryer for potatoes etc so that I don't have to add any oil - when we do use olive oil we use just a small amount instead of liberally pouring it in the pan like we used to - also for salad dressings there are tons of great recipes online for them that use things like walnuts to give the oil mouth feel and that best part of that is that you get the fibre which is why the oils are not great because they don't have any fibre or really any nutrients at all... if you read the label you will see

and even vegan cheez, which we do eat, I try to always buy the shreds instead of the sliced as I find I can eat a lot less, at a time, by sprinking the shreds on a burger or the pizza or the top of chili etc and the processed vegan foods we eat I try to eat less that I would have previously eaten - 4 chkn tenders instead of half the package, a square of dk chocolate instead of a chocolate bar... instead I fill up on the rice and the potatoes and the pasta and lots of veggies and beans and we use lots of spices to make everything tasty

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[silva]

What a presumptuous statement! It would seem that, as very often, you are the only one who detains knowledge concerning health matters.

I don't see anything in the title or request about weight loss. The OP states that he wants 'to be a healthy vegan'. A natural vegan diet is all about simply consuming plant based food. That is exactly what I have posted ; 'How to go vegan' & 'Nutrition & Health'.

Lou said:
This IS a life threatening condition. Being overweight will statistically reduce your life expectancy. and you are already at risk for a stroke, heart disease, some cancers and diabetes.


I certainly would never give anyone any advice concerning weight loss. The OP is stating a mere fact about his weight.

I would neither give the person such a lecture about how dangerous it is to be obese. I would assume the person is aware of these facts thus no need to make the person feel bad.

As usual, a simple question very often gives way to answers that can only be considered as personal opinions. We don't offer medical advice, which we define as anything meant to replace a conversation with their GP.

The following link gives some useful information on how to eat a balanced vegan diet.

The vegan diet

Find out how to be healthy on a vegan diet, including vegan sources of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and iron.

www.nhs.uk

Very good points!
The high blood pressure is really concerning though, I'm wondering what the doctor suggested?
Anyway, it is important to distinguish between a healthy vegan diet, and an unhealthy vegan diet because all vegan means is no animal products-there are more than enough junk foods and processed foods that can shut out the produce and whole plant foods

It's as, if not more, important to incorporate good food than cut out the bad!

How to Lower Blood Pressure Naturally with Lifestyle Changes | NutritionFacts.org

The effect of fasting to lower blood pressure compared to medications, cutting down on alcohol, meat and salt, eating more fruits and vegetables, or eating completely plant-based.

nutritionfacts.org

 

[Sadlittlesunflower]

So yesterday I messed up and ate pizza... but today was a new day....I wanted vegan junk burgers and pizza soooooooo damn bad that I told myself I'd rather starve than eat something that I wasn't craving. Eh so I did... kinda. I drank a glass of soy milk and water for most of the day and then I finally made dinner.

I baked 1 potatoe, 1 sweet potato sprinkled with water so the seasonings can stick, the seasonings I added was cumin, smoked paprika and a bit of tuneric on parchment paper,

2 chopped bananas

2 cups of steamed kale with lemon juice, raisens, minced garlic, onion powder

2 cups of slow cooked beans

1 1/2 cup of calrose rice

3 dates for desert.


Im trying my best guys. I'm very shocked how good this meal was wheb I didn't use any oil!

 

[Emma JC]

well done!!

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[silva]

@Sadlittlesunflower You've got this!

These kind of date based balls are my go to when I'm hungry and craving

Energy Ball Builder - Natural Delights

Build your own Natural Delights® Medjool Date Energy Ball recipe and get live nutrition calculations as you go!

www.naturaldelights.com

 

[ConvenientVegan]

So yesterday I messed up and ate pizza... but today was a new day....I wanted vegan junk burgers and pizza soooooooo damn bad that I told myself I'd rather starve than eat something that I wasn't craving. Eh so I did... kinda. I drank a glass of soy milk and water for most of the day and then I finally made dinner.

I baked 1 potatoe, 1 sweet potato sprinkled with water so the seasonings can stick, the seasonings I added was cumin, smoked paprika and a bit of tuneric on parchment paper,

2 chopped bananas

2 cups of steamed kale with lemon juice, raisens, minced garlic, onion powder

2 cups of slow cooked beans

1 1/2 cup of calrose rice

3 dates for desert.


Im trying my best guys. I'm very shocked how good this meal was wheb I didn't use any oil!






View attachment 31523

 

[ConvenientVegan]

You go, Sunflower! This is a smashing meal! You can toss together some unusual stuff, and calm your cravings. And you can eat a LOT of fruits and vegs, to feel FULL, with a small amount of calories. Good Job!! : )

 

[Sadlittlesunflower]

You go, Sunflower! This is a smashing meal! You can toss together some unusual stuff, and calm your cravings. And you can eat a LOT of fruits and vegs, to feel FULL, with a small amount of calories. Good Job!! : )

Thank you very much kindly!

 

[LoreD]

Hi there,

So first off I'm vegan for the animals and I've recently started to watch forks over knives and read up on the starch solution. I have plenty of books about animal rights and welfare but nothing about health. I want to be a healthy vegan.

Well I weigh well over 400lbs and the last time I was at the doctor my blood preasure was 170 which freaked out the nurse. I haven't been back sense. Anyways I think a whole food plant based diet can help but at the same time I totally disagree with not using a olive oil to cook and staying away from nuts and seeds unless your under weight. Anyways I'm only 25 and I feel like the clock is ticking for me to get my stuff together and be healthy as I can be. But where do I start ? I feel so helpless.

One of biggest issues with newbie vegans is that they don't eat enough plant based calories. With plant based WHOLE FOODS, you can eat quite a bit of food, and still lose weight.

Lots of salad. A woman doctor in Chicago lost 150 pounds eating salad for breakfast.

Buy a lot of beans. You are going to be eating a lot of them.

Invest in a meal planning app for a few months until you get to know the vegan diet. They give you a meal plan, recipes, and grocery list. You shop once a week, and your fridge is empty at the end of the week. Most of the good ones run about $20 per month, but after about 3 months you should be knowledgeable enough to go it on your own. But it is a small amount, and it might be good to contine.

All of the apps have free trial periods, so you can try them out and find the one you like.

You mentioned Forks Over Knives. They have a vegan meal planner. 2 weeks free trial!

• Forks Over Knives Meal Planner
• Clean Food Dirty Girl Meal Planner
• Rich Roll’s Plantpower Meal Planner
• PlateJoy Meal Planner
• Plant-Based on a Budget Meal Plans

And the biggest tip is not to be too hard on yourself.

 

[LoreD]

For vegans out there, Simon Hill, author of The Proof is in the Plants and has a popular vegan podcast, has a free two week meal plan with shopping list to download. I always love a freebie!

2-Week Meal Plan

Plant curious? Dip your toes in the water with a 2-week plant-based meal plan!

theproof.com

 

[fakei]

Hi there,

So first off I'm vegan for the animals and I've recently started to watch forks over knives and read up on the starch solution. I have plenty of books about animal rights and welfare but nothing about health. I want to be a healthy vegan.

Well I weigh well over 400lbs and the last time I was at the doctor my blood preasure was 170 which freaked out the nurse. I haven't been back sense. Anyways I think a whole food plant based diet can help but at the same time I totally disagree with not using a olive oil to cook and staying away from nuts and seeds unless your under weight. Anyways I'm only 25 and I feel like the clock is ticking for me to get my stuff together and be healthy as I can be. But where do I start ? I feel so helpless.

The starch solution is a great book that helps a lot. You can also check Doctor Neal Barnard and the physicians committee on YouTube if you like, the host is a weight loss champion if I'm not mistaken.

The cut oils diet can have great benefits, but it is important to notice it is designed for people who have health problems. It can also have inconvenients. You may try to consume instead foods that are naturally more fatty like chickpeas and whole grains, but it still may not be enough, or use nuts.

One table spoon of oil probably contains all the fat or more one needs in one day. Small amounts of flaxseed oil which cannot be used to cook but to season are also an option.

Also it is important to confront information with what you feel is right for you, that is the feedback from your body.

 

[fakei]

In "eating healthy" should also be considered what is being absorbed by the skin, that is the stuff people put in their hair and skin or are exposed to. Parabens alone should get one alarmed.