Need to lose about 10-15 lbs - any advice

[Blinky]

Hi all,
I'd like to lose about 10-15 lbs, but I just seem to be having a heck of a time doing it. I don't eat a lot of fats. I'm thinking it's because of all the cabohydrates in the vegan diet. I don't eat any white bread or white rice. I use wheat bread and brown rice. I don't eat a lot of junk food.

Besides exercising which I already do 3-4 times a week, does anyone have any advice to give me.

Thanks!

[Emily]

maybe you're at a healthy weight already.

Emily

[Blinky]

Well, It would not hurt me a bit to lose 10 lbs! :) In fact, it would be more healthy for me. Don't worry, I'm not one of those obsessed with being too thin. I just want my clothes to feel more comfortable.

[Brain Gardener]

How much water are you drinking?
Try drinking at least 1 gallon of water per day (no other liquids) and continue
your veggie diet (don't worry about complex carbs or healthy fats:ie,found in nuts and seeds) make sure youre getting lots of fiber as well.

[Erin Pavlina]

Not sure why I never responded to this post because I would have wanted to.

But I just lost 14 pounds myself. I'm on Weight Watchers, their winning points system. Being on their program has taught me a lot about how I used to eat and how bad it was. Basically, I was just eating way too much, eating unconsciously, and eating all the wrong things.

I highly recommend the Weight Watchers program. it's great for vegans because they don't tell you what to eat. You just get a certain number of points to spend each day based on your current weight. It's not difficult, and I'm losing about 3-4 pounds per month.

[yemenmocha]

I'd also like to suggest you look more closely at what kind of exercise you're doing. My mother in law would say she exercises about the same as you, but for her that means a morning walk with her gossipy neighbors and some women's doubles indoors at the local club. My mother, on the other hand, exercises about that much but she's a marathon runner. Guess who is in better shape?

I've noticed that for me and others I know, running, serious cycling, swimming, and other intense aerobic workouts yield exponentially better results in terms of weight loss. Also, mixing in some weight lifting (even those nautilus machines) helps a lot because you build a little muscle tone and it boosts your metablism greatly.

So, I kindly recommend some light weightlifting along with some of the aerobic exercise mentioned above - if , of course, that doesn't already apply to you. I know you said you exercise 3 to 4 times per week but you weren't specific.

[Pooky1515]

I just discovered ediets.com. While they do not have a specific vegan diet plan, they do have a nondiary, nonegg option with recipes. You have to look them over carefully but I think the recipes would be easily converted to vegan. Ediets also has a couple veggie online support groups. For an extra fee they provide a tailored work out. I just joined so I can't yet vouch for how successful it is but here is hoping I can lose these extra baby lbs I gained along with my daughter.

[Blinky]

Thanks for all your replies! I found a great website: http://www.a-personaldietitian.com/

where I have access to a whole website of wonderful info and recipes but also access to a dietician who provided me with a personal plan designed to fit my needs based on my current weight, age, exercise level, and vegan lifestyle. I'm already starting to lose weight: 3 pounds. That might not sound like a lot, but it is to me, and it has not been a rapid weight loss. It has taken me about 3 weeks so far. I would be nice if it came off faster, but this way it's permanent.

I'll post periodically to let you know how the diet goes. It's basically just a well-balanced nutritious diet. My problem was not knowing how much of what I should have.

[butterbean]

Blinky-

I am very curious if you could share a bit more about the meal plan that they generated for you. Could you share a typical menu for a day?

[xrodolfox]

My wife and I have been plump Vegans for about two years now. I used to weigh in at 205lbs, after being Vegan for 7 years. I also exericised about 3-4 times a week for 2 hours a piece. I would eat A LOT and A LOT of processed, albeit Vegan food.

Three months later, I had lost almost 30 pounds, and my wife 20.

We just started cooking at home and using vegetables. We also upped our exercise levels and walked everywhere -- no car.

I have kept the pounds off for the past two months... so I figure if I keep it up, I will stay in this great shape.

Good luck!

-rpl