Reasons You’re Gaining Weight on a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet
You’re eating plant-based, but you’re not losing any weight. Why? This is a common dilemma I see on many of the plant-based Facebook groups I belong to, so thought I would offer a few tips to help turn your scale in the right direction. I understand your frustration, don’t worry, I’ll help you get this figured out.
First of all, if you’re trying to lose weight, discard all the nonsense you’ve heard about dieting over the years and start with a clean slate. Erase all your knowledge about Keto, Paleo, Adkins, Weight Watchers, Medifast, NutriSystems, etc. And please, please stop with the juicing and smoothie protein shakes, more on that shortly. Oh, and STOP FEARING CARBS!
Reasons You’re Gaining Weight
Too Many Calorie-Dense Foods
You Haven’t Cut Out ALL Oil
You’re Eating Vegan/Plant-Based Processed Convenience Meals
You’re Consuming Vegan Junk Food
You’re Consuming Large Portions of Nuts and Seeds
That Sweet Tooth Overpowers You
You’re Juicing Your Fruits and Vegetables
You’re Drinking Smoothies Daily
Don’t Overlook the Importance of Hydration
Now that we’ve identified potential obstacles that have prevented you from losing weight, let’s discuss two words that concern so many. PROTEIN and CARBS.
Don’t worry about getting enough protein. Eating a whole food plant-based diet will not only get you all the protein you need, for the first time in your life you won’t suffer from an EXCESS amount of it. Yes, EXCESS. You’ll consume an ample amount of protein from whole, natural plant-based foods. For example, spinach is 51 percent protein; mushrooms, 35 percent; beans, 26 percent; oatmeal, 16 percent; whole wheat pasta, 15 percent; corn, 12 percent; and potatoes, 11 percent. It turns out, our body needs less protein than you may think. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the average 150-pound male requires only 22.5 grams of protein daily based on a 2000 calorie a day diet, which means 4.5 percent of calories should come from protein. Most American are taking in 20 percent or more protein per day. From Dr.’s Caldwell Esselstyn, to Dean Ornish, to Joel Fuhrman, all suggest that getting an adequate amount of protein should be the least of your worries. Let’s be real here, when was the last time you heard of someone who was hospitalized for a protein deficiency?
Carbohydrates DO NOT make us fat. Some carbs do, but good carbs don’t. Carbohydrates are the body’s primary fuel source. They’re responsible for managing your heart rate, digestion, breathing, exercising, walking, and thinking. Roughly 70 percent of your daily calories should come from good (complex) carbohydrates. The ones to avoid are called simple carbs. Simple carbs include table sugar, molasses, honey, alcohol, white bread, white pasta, white rice, fried chips, sugary cereals, fruit juices, candy, and milk. These simple carbs are striped of their fiber, minerals, and vitamins and are digested quickly by the body which causes a sharp spike in your blood sugar levels. Stay with me for this…because simple carbohydrates are digested so quickly, any excess sugar is converted to fat. For these reasons, most simple carbohydrates are a poor food choice. In contrast, complex carbohydrates are nutritious, and include vegetables, whole grain breads and pastas, beans, peas, brown rice, sweet potatoes, oats, whole fresh fruits, and whole grain cereals. So if you consume, whole, good, natural carbs, you will enjoy more consistent energy throughout the day WITHOUT gaining extra pounds.
What You Can Do to Achieve Your Weight-Loss Goal
Start a food diary and write down every single morsel that crosses your lips. That way you can see where you’re having trouble. Be honest with it. Just the act of writing down what you eat can help curb bad habits. Then you’ll want to look for patterns. Are you snacking at unusual times or on unhealthy choices? How can you turn these bad choices into better ones? Keep in mind there’s a chance you’re not eating enough of the right foods.
Record your weight daily on the same chart. Some gurus don’t recommend this, but I’ve read that seeing your daily weight can psychologically set you up for the day. If you’re up a few pounds you’ll probably be more aware of what you actually eat that day. A great tool to log your meals and your weight is MyFitnessPal.
Don’t purchase items that you know are your weakness. For example, since store-bought crackers are one of mine, I’m instead using my recipe for Gluten-Free Oil-Free Crackers.
Make a commitment to add some MOVEMENT to your week. All you need is a minimum of 30 minutes of brisk exercise a minimum of 4 days a week. I’m a big fan of the American Heart Association’s 3 Mile Walk series with Leslie Sansone on YouTube. Start slow and work your way up, it’s about making progress my friends!
Start each week with a meal plan, a couple of meals prepped and a couple in the freezer waiting to be thawed and reheated. If you have good ingredients peeled, sliced, and diced you’re more inclined to eat them. I always have a container of cooked beans, rice, and roasted veggies just waiting to be turned into a delicious meal.
And finally, when evening strikes, so does your desire to graze. What can you do to avoid the evening munchies?
Close the kitchen at 6:00 p.m.
Brush your teeth after eating
Have healthy snacks ready to eat (fruit, a bowl of miso soup, roasted potatoes and carrots)
Take time to meal prep; chop the vegetables for tomorrow’s meals and feel free to snack on raw veggies with no guilt while you’re doing it
Take a walk instead of snacking. Remember, all it takes is 30 minutes a minimum of 4 days a week to work your way to a healthier you!