Is it possible to lose weight respecting your own principles?
This is the question we ask ourselves today, referring in particular to the vegan lifestyle, which seeks healthy but plant-based solutions, even in the common diet.
Who said that excluding certain foods can compromise a balanced slimming process? In reality it is just a question of changing some eating habits and choosing certainly healthy foods that not only help to lose weight, but which are also good for our body and its basic functions.
So the focus of this article is the vegan diet to lose weight, to rediscover the pleasure of eating healthy, respecting the animal world and indulging in some benefits for your body.
But let's start with the basic concepts: what is a vegan diet? And what foods does it consist of? But above all: does it have any contraindications for health?
The vegan diet
By definition, a vegan diet is one that excludes all foods derived from animals from its diet.
No to meat, fish, eggs or dairy products.
But fruit, vegetables, cereals, dried fruit, legumes and pumpkin seeds are welcome.
The crux of the matter is that animals are not food to put on the table, nor are their derivatives. So it's all good as long as it doesn't include living beings on the menu!
But is it a healthy diet? Obviously we must always pay attention to the nuances: speaking of vegetable and wholemeal foods we are led to think that everything is healthy, but when you go shopping it is advisable to pay attention to certain details that can compromise a healthy diet, but also the diet itself.
So in a vegan diet to lose weight it is always good to give priority to fresh, vegetable and whole foods, however discarding processed or refined ones.
Why choose vegan food?
The reasons that push people to become vegans are not only of an ethical nature.
Let's try to list them together:
- They love animals: they cannot bear the suffering they have to undergo and therefore they choose not to indulge in a diet of animal origin.
- They respect the planet. They help to slow down the phenomenon of deforestation which is often done to expand farms.
- They take care of themselves and their body! Choosing a vegan style helps prevent heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancer.
But that is not all! It seems that vegan food is a panacea for digestion, for the skin that remains younger, and also to improve sleep.
Of course, it must also be said that not everyone adapts to the new diet without difficulty! The body, but also our palate, needs some time to get used to new foods but once we conform to the vegan perspective there are so many positive aspects that there is no turning back!
And then there's another advantage that shouldn't be underestimated: the vegan diet is also excellent for losing weight because it modifies the metabolism! Let's find out how.
The secret to losing weight: vegan and healthy
The vegan diet for weight loss includes mostly vegetable and wholemeal foods: these are foods that are low in calories by nature and therefore give that sprint to embark on a slimming journey without effort or sacrifice, reducing calories with the normal daily meal.
Furthermore, these are foods rich in fibers that fill you up for longer and therefore eliminate the sense of hunger that you feel during the day.
Did you know that vegans greatly limit the use of sugar? Although it is not a sweetener animal, is not part of the ingredients of a healthy diet. So in the vegan diet to lose weight it represents an element that you can very well do without.
After all, if we think about it for a moment, whole foods do not contain large percentages of sugar like refined ones and consequently the stomach is already used to doing without it without missing it.
What are the results of a vegan diet for weight loss?
Making a precise estimate is not possible and would not even be realistic.
Each of us has physical characteristics, and above all a different metabolism, and therefore reacts differently to the diet. And then there are other factors to consider as well. For example: do you exercise? How many times a week? With what intensity?
In short, we can't tell you how much weight you will lose in a certain number of days, but we can certainly assure you that the scale will send you back a different and more satisfying weight than when you hadn't yet approached the vegan style.
This happens because the vegan diet to lose weight is done without realizing it, every day, transforming itself from a real diet into a habitual diet.
And eating a little bit of everything! Anyone who tells you that you will only have to eat fruit and vegetables is totally wrong. From soups to burgers, from pancakes to smoothies: as long as it's all strictly vegetable.
Recommended foods in a vegan diet for weight loss
Even if you are not expert cooks know that cooking vegan is not difficult at all. All you need to do is shop carefully and choose the right foods before making the weekly menu.
- Fruits and vegetables. You are spoiled for choice among the products that nature offers, so base yourself on your preferences. Asparagus, beets, aubergines, fennel, ginger, lettuce in quantity can lend themselves to many fresh recipes that are also good for lunches away from home. The same goes for fruit: we always recommend fresh seasonal fruit, but then it's always a matter of personal taste!
- Legumes. Lentils, chickpeas, beans: these are all ingredients that don't necessarily need to be cooked in hot soups, but are also excellent for preparing more elaborate dishes. For example hamburgers or meatballs, strictly vegetable and healthy, as well as tasty alternatives to classic dishes. And there is also soy, a protein food that is found both as a basic ingredient in many foods and some drinks.
- Cereals. Buckwheat, quinoa, millet, spelled, oats: they are all excellent elements that are part of the vegan diet. Bread and pasta are also allowed, as long as they are wholemeal and therefore made from cereals.
- Aromatic spices. There are no cons to their use, so they can be added to your shopping list to add flavor to your dishes.
- Oil? Here the question mark raises some doubts because despite being admitted in the vegan regime, it is advisable not to abuse it if you want to lose weight and maintain a healthy regime. Better to prefer healthy fats. Have you ever tried theMct oil?
- Dried fruit and seeds. Also excellent as a snack in other diets (such as the keto diet), nuts, pumpkin seeds and dried fruit variants are allowed in this plant-based diet. And then they don't make you fat.
Vegan weight loss tips
Are you vegan and also want to lose weight? In addition to the usual diet, there are some small tricks that will have to become an integral part of your daily life.
Take notes!
- Don't give up on the main macronutrients and if you can, fill up on protein! They increase muscle mass and make you lose weight faster.
- Practice sports consistently, or exercise during the day. It doesn't matter how, but don't stand still, otherwise the results will be slow in coming.
- Choose the most genuine food. Organic products are the healthiest ones and come from controlled supply chains, so you can take advantage of all their benefits.
- Organize your weekly planner. This will allow you, even if you are often out for lunch, not to buy convenience foods.
It's not difficult is it? The vegan diet to lose weight is the right compromise to get back in shape and not give up your ideals, or even the taste!
