Going realistically vegan

[Lysander]

Over the weekend I had the idea of improving my diet for health reasons. I am not fat, but could lose a little weight. I love a health challenge and came up with the idea of going vegan because vegetarianism still allows you to eat cheese, dairy and all kinds of other stuff.

However, going from full omnivore to vegan is a bit much, so I originally thought of having three non-vegan meals a week [because of, e.g. socialising, the fact that I do love beef occasionally etc]. But yesterday, my plan hit an early snag. My wife and I were at a funfair and I got hungry. Of course, as you can imagine, there was no healthy food, it was all burgers and chips and candy floss, so I opted for chips. While chips are vegan, generally, it made me realise that being vegan could be hard when you 'find' yourself in certain situations.

So I am currently thinking of a 5:2 rule, so five days vegan, two not. This would make it easier to slide into the vegan 'lifestyle' while also not compromising too much about the things I like and not being that **** at a dinner party that only eats carrots.

My wife has decided to join in and go 'pesce-yogo-vegan' [her invented term] since she loves fish and yoghurt too much to give them up. I may join in this, we'll see.

I've started by making a list of foods I like and that I can easily get hold of, and recipes will come off the back of this. I had an Alpro yoghurt this morning which was nice but I prefer the real thing.

Any advice welcome

 

[Lysander]

I guess there's always going to be the odd time like at funfairs, but i'd say 99% of the time it's easy now.

So you shouldn't be too hard on yourself, I imagine, if you're 100% vegan, starving, and the only thing to eat is e.g. a cheese sandwich at a work lunch buffet?

 

[Lysander]

Cheese Sandwich is not vegan

That was my point

 

[Lysander]

Could go 'vegan first'. Means you don't have to stick to a schedule if you go out and there are no suitable vegan options.

Hmm not a bad idea, thanks.

 

[Lysander]

It is really not that hard to find vegan options in most places. Othertimes a small bit of planning goes a long way, e.g. at the funfair you could have packed some vegan sandwiches etc.

Also, a lot of the vegsn alternatives work really well. E.g. coconut yoghurt, oat nilk etc. Others don't work so well, yet, like cheese so these can be used as yiur non-vegan cheat meals.

Fair point, thank you.

Today has been a bit of a fail so far. I have stuck to the vegan plan BUT consumed more calories that I would have expected in the process.

I have eaten

1 pot of Alpro yoghurt - 250 kcal
a packet of nuts - 300 kcal
A felafel salad - 300 kcals
A vegan rocky road bar - 300 kcal
A smoothie - 150kcal

I had to eat all that to feel full! That's nearly 1400 kcal by the end of lunchtime!

I have to sort out what I'm eating otherwise this is going to be counterproductive.

 

[Lysander]

As for going Vegan to lose some weight by itself I do not think it is going to work. All the thing you have listed are rather high in fats or sugars and as such high in calories.

Come on, give me a break, this was my first day! I still have a lot to learn. Tomorrow will be a bit different.

The Alpro yoghurt to start the day was a terrible idea. Porridge [with water] is surely a way better start. And then soup with bread for lunch, that's the work plan.

yea you need more brown rice and vegetables

Yup, as recommended by Showgirls.

 

[Lysander]

porridge with water is a stoic/puritannical option - milk.

No true Scotman would ever use milk in his porridge.

 

[Lysander]

A colleague just gave me a packet of Haribo for a job well done.

I told her I was now vegan and it was unacceptable to assume my dietary choices. She looked kind of upset but I knew I was in the right. Because vegan > *. Get on my level.

 

[Lysander]

Or just say thanks and palm them off someone else

No, I have to make a point of it

What you suggested is what I'll do.

 

[Lysander]

Today has been way better than yesterday. I've had

1 plain bagel for breakfast

and for lunch

1 plain bagel
Cup of lentil soup


All in all that's about 550 calories, less than half the amount of this time yesterday and I feel way more satisfied too.

 

[Lysander]

never watched it.. I almost live on brown rice, sweetcorn and petit pois with chicken right now

Yeah, in the film they're always going on about brown rice and vegetables to keep their shape. Personally I love brown rice and vegetables. Esp with soy sauce.

 

[Lysander]

So much food contains milk and egg which is often the struggle.
Also is anyone really fully vegan, the amount of insects in fresh fruit/veg and those caught up in food productions

I think you have to take a view on some of it. Depends how hardcore you want to be.

For instance, I had some gnocchi for dinner last night. Now, nowhere on the packet and in the ingredients did it say milk or eggs, even milk in powered form, but it still didn't say "vegan" on the packet, just "vegetarian". I still ate it. I think gnocchi are vegan in a lot of cases, but not all.

Since Tue this has been a breeze. Tomorrow is my second and final non-vegan day till next week, so I'm looking forward to some Scotch eggs and pizza The 5:2 rule works rather well.

 

[Lysander]

@Lysander how are you getting on with this?

Erm, breakfast and lunch are fine but I've slipped up a few times at dinner. I had ravioli with pesto last night and tagiatele the night before. In fact the last four nights have been non-vegan, I would say. The daytime has been fine, but in the evenings it's hard for me to avoid things which are egg and dairy.