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
Calorie Dense Food
One of the primary reasons people gain weight is by eating too many high calorie-dense foods such as dairy, meat, and processed junk foods, and not enough low calorie-dense fruits, vegetables, beans, and intact whole grains such as brown rice. This handy chart from PlantStrong gives you a clear visual on what I’m talking about. PlantStrong recommends that you primarily eat foods to the left of the vertical red line.
You Haven’t Cut Out ALL Oil
No Oil!
Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the monounsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other type of oil. Avoid ALL oil. You don’t want to take my word for it? Have a listen to what Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn has to say about it in this YouTube video.
You’re Eating Vegan/Plant-Based Processed Convenience Meals
Don’t Let the Label Fool You!
Just because it says Plant-Based or Vegan on the label doesn’t mean it’s healthy. It’s merely a non-meat version of convenience food that is laden with fats and highly processed ingredients you’re likely unfamiliar with because the food industry knows you’ll purchase it anyway. Don’t be fooled! Avoid this crap at all costs.
You’re Consuming Vegan Junk Food
Confusion Between Vegan and Whole Food Plant-Based
This is a common mistake. When you don’t fully understand the new lifestyle you’ve adopted you’ll gravitate to lists of vegan food options you found online. Yes, Oreo Cookies, Doritos, Pringles, Takis, Fritos, Pop-Tarts, Ritz Crackers, Fruit Roll-Ups, Sour Patch Kids, Ruffles, and Cliff Bars are all free of animal products making them vegan. But they’re unhealthy, highly-processed snack food loaded with oils, sugar, and salt. Avoid them completely.
You’re Consuming Large Portions of Nuts and Seeds
Limit or Eliminate Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are calorie-dense and are not meant to be eaten by the handful which can many times turn into an entire bag. Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn explains that nuts and seeds are a rich source of saturated fats. He recommends no nuts for heart disease patients. That also eliminates peanuts and peanut butter even though peanuts are officially a legume. For people with no heart disease who want to eat nuts and avocado and are able to achieve a cholesterol level of 150 and LDL of 80 or under without cholesterol lowering drugs, some nuts and avocado are acceptable. Chestnuts are the one nut, very low in fat, that is ok to eat, just don’t eat handfuls. 1 -2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds or chia seeds daily for omega 3 are appropriate for everyone to eat, including heart patients, if they wish.
That Sweet Tooth Overpowers You
Cut Out Sugar
Let’s face it, sugar is equally addictive as narcotics and opioids because it alters the brain and makes you crave more. Can you really sneak just one piece of chocolate? Be honest with yourself and how much you’re really eating. I know, I know, it’s just a little treat. Your treat is derailing your weight-loss goal, is it really worth it? Try eating a bowl of fresh fruit when your evening sweet tooth attacks.
You’re Juicing Your Fruits and Vegetables
Do Not Juice
Fructose separated from fiber is too rapidly absorbed and injurious. Plus you lose the benefits of fiber best obtained by eating the fruit, and in the long run you will get hungry sooner because you lack the fiber to keep you full. The same holds true for fruit and vegetable smoothies. Chew your food!
You’re Drinking Smoothies Daily
Avoid Smoothies
Much like juicing, when fruit is blenderized, the fructose is separated from the fiber and the absorption is very rapid through the stomach. This rapid absorption tends to injure the liver, glycates protein and injures the endothelial cells. And by all means, please stop with the protein powders. The extra protein is truly unnecessary and has the potential for harming you more than helping you.
Don’t Overlook the Importance of Hydration
You’re Not Drinking Enough Water
Water, the simplest, healthiest, and least expensive beverage on the planet. To optimize hydration, have two large glasses of water first thing in the morning. Then add two glasses of water to each meal. This will help you get up to eight glasses of water per day and help your body function the way it was meant to.
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!
