Should I go vegan?

Discussion in 'Member Casual Chat' started by AndrogynousMale, Jul 24, 2013.

  1. AndrogynousMale

    AndrogynousMale Active Member

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    I'm a fairly skinny guy, but I've been gaining weight within the last year or so, and while most people can't see the extra weight if I wear a loose enough shirt, it still bugs me and I feel like crap.

    My family has a lot of vegans, and my mom has been trying to convert me for a while, even despite my constant refusals.

    However, I've been thinking of trying it out for a month or so, just to see if my weight problem goes away, as well as just feeling healthy in general, considering I eat more than my fair share of fast food.

    I know many of the conservatives on here will probably grill me for even considering something liberal and hippie-ish like being a vegan, but it's a radical plan that might help me out in the long run if I stick to it. Cutting out all meat and dairy for a month can't be too bad.

    Do you think it's a good idea?
     
  2. Pennywise

    Pennywise Banned

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    Most vegans I know are sugar addicts. It's a pretty dumb lifestyle requiring you to combine several different vegetable proteins in order to create one complete protein that can be derived from any animal meat or fish.

    Lay off the fast food except for an occasional treat. Eat whole natural foods omnivorously and avoid too much wheat of any kind including "whole grains".

    Vegans are the most annoying people in the world, hands down.
     
  3. Angedras

    Angedras New Member

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    Hi AM,

    I see no reason why you couldn't try it for a month or so, if you wish. Obviously it's not for everyone, but hey, that's a personal choice, no biggie.

    As for the minor weight issue you alluded to, that can easily be rectified by addressing your diet, and of course regular exercise, which I would recommend for everyone. The number one benefit of a clean diet and routine exercise, is how much better you will feel overall. Both mentally and physically. Set for yourself an attainable goal, work to achieve it, then set another if you wish. It is important to not set an unrealistic goal, far too many people do that, and ultimately get burned out failing to reach it, which often results in only compounding the initial issue.


    **Equally important to diet and exercise, is proper amount of sleep and hydration (drink sufficient water).**

    ...dropping a couple pounds in the process, is just icing on the cake (so to speak). lol


    Good luck with your decision, I wish you well. ~
     
  4. smevins

    smevins New Member

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    If your primary concern is a weight issue then I suspect when you fall off the vegan wagon, and you will, then you will binge and undo whatever weight loss you may have achieved.

    Just walk. walk as often as you can. You can do it wherever you are and it burns calories. If you can mix in some hills, the all the better.
     
  5. HonestJoe

    HonestJoe Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    No. Cutting out all animal products from your diet it totally unnecessary from a health point of view and managing a healthy vegan diet can be even more effort. You may well loose weight but that doesn't necessarily mean you're more healthy.

    If your diet is like most westerners, you could probably stand to cut down on some things like meat and dairy but a good diet should be about balance and variety, not exclusion and restrictions. Having a little of the unhealthy food on occasions is probably better for us overall, especially if you use that to focus on quality over quantity. Just cutting down on the fast food (it's my kyptonite too) and planning more home cooked meals would probably be sufficient to get a noticeable benefit over time.

    Edit: I agree on the walking comment above too. A little exercise goes a long way.
     
  6. Rapunzel

    Rapunzel New Member Past Donor

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    Carbs are death for me and if you like meat you most probably won't like a vegan diet...but you could try it for awhile.
     
  7. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

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    Not really, but it you want to do it, go for it. I think humans are omnivorous, and it makes no sense to get rid of animal products, but people can survive that way if they wish.
     
  8. antb0y

    antb0y Well-Known Member

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    Going vegan is not a guarantee for losing weight. I know quite a number of vegans, and not all of them are thin.
    Those I know have to carefully monitor their diet to stay healthy, which requires self-discipline. Even vegan pasta and falafel burgers will make you overweight if you eat them every day.

    Another point, and hope I don't offend you: you say you're rather skinny, but still unhappy with your body. This can have psychlogical reasons.
    Again, no offense, I don't know you and have no idea how you look.
     
  9. Beevee

    Beevee Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    The most healthy diets are diabetic diets.

    Do some internet research on diabetic diets which tend to focus on minimum amounts of sugar and lower carbohydrates.

    Many are quite tasty but the quantities tend to be smaller than average so you have to discipline yourself in that respect.
     
  10. CKW

    CKW Well-Known Member

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    I can see going meatless and dairyless based on ideological reasons---but it doesn't make sense to use that diet simply to lose weight. Exercise is great for the brain and increases your metabalism and the best option. You can get addicted to exercise after the positive effects come in---and frankly that's a good addiction.

    Good luck!.
     
  11. Shangrila

    Shangrila staff Past Donor

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  12. AKR

    AKR New Member

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    I'm the only vegan here, it seems, so I'll give my view. There are a lot of reasons to go vegan. Health is definitely one, and some people tend to slim down on a vegan diet, but others don't, because really, it's about calories in/calories out - how much you consume vs how much you burn off. You can eat donuts for all of your meals and as long as you're consuming fewer calories in donuts than you're burning, you'll lose weight - you'll also get diabetes, but that's another matter. But while it can be broken down to a simple math equation, generally, if you're eating junk food, you're going to be addicted to some extent and you're going to be eating a lot more of it.

    I don't recommend going full on vegan all at once to people most of the time because it can be such a huge change in your diet, and you'll probably get overwhelmed and then, not stick with it. You probably don't even realize all of the different animal products that are in your food when you're not even eating meat/dairy. If you just do it on a whim, you're probably going to screw it up from the mental shock of abstaining from so many of your regular foods and not understanding that you need to make sure you're getting the right vitamins and such. I would suggest cutting out animal products in segments. Stop eating fast food. Stop drinking high calorie sodas with your meals. Have your mom make you some vegan pizza and other delicious healthy foods. Start cutting the dairy products out of your diet. You know vegans, so I'm sure they'll be more than happy to introduce you to some healthy, and yet, tasty vegan meals.

    You should also be exercising - running, biking, hiking, swimming, etc for your cardio, and doing some weight lifting. The weight lifting can help you put on muscle, which will raise your metabolism and help you burn calories. But don't look at the scale and be disappointed if you're not losing weight, because you could be gaining muscle, but that muscle helps you burn fat and look better. It should be less about losing weight and more about losing fat.


    You should also consider the other reasons for going vegan, which are not just your weight issue but your overall health. Red meat is horrible for you, and a number of other meats have their dangers as well. It's a huge strain on the planets resources and it causes a lot more pollution, including greenhouse gases. It's screwing up our antibiotics and going to result in anti-biotic resistant super bugs. Dairy is terrible for you and all of that propaganda about good calcium is an ironic lie. People who drink milk actually have higher rates of bone breakage, and it can actually block your calcium intake. And we're all animals - other species are not that different from humans, as much as most humans would like to believe. The animals we eat are generally more more emotional and aware than people give them credit for. Animals are kept in horrible conditions and brutally slaughtered. Even animals that are hunted deal with hunters that are bad shots and only wound the animal, or cause it great fear and pain in the process of killing it, along with possibly causing emotional loss in the other animals it could be grouped with.

    I'll leave you with some articles for you or for the people who are sure to come in here and spread ignorance. I would also recommend reading Thanking the Monkey. This book made me go vegan after being on the fence for a while.



    http://www.health.qld.gov.au/nutrition/resources/antenatal_vegan.pdf


    The American Dietetic Association:

    http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/705344

    The American Heart Association

    http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4777


    Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/140964.php


    Red meat is bad for you at any amount.
    http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-red-meat-20120313,0,565423.story


    Animal Emotions/intelligence
    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article416070.ece
    Milk is bad for you. There's a lot more in this research if you click on the link:

    http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/health-concerns-about-dairy-products



    CHICKENS GROUND UP ALIVE
    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/01/national/main5279295.shtml


    http://www.animallaw.info/articles/ovuschick.htm


    Meat industry responsible for a large percentage of global warming
    http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.HTM
    ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a0701e/a0701e03.pdf


    MORE C02 EMISSIONS AND MORE RESOURCES
    http://www.sciencenews.org/view/gen..._Public__AAAS_Climate-friendly_dining_…_meats

    You can have balance and variety without having animal products. There are TONS of other things to eat besides animal products, and the exclusion of them does not mean one does not have a diet of balance and variety.



    False, you can get a complete protein from hemp powder.
     
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  13. Angedras

    Angedras New Member

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    Thanks AKR, for the thought provoking and interesting post, and links. ~ :thumbsup:
     
  14. Smartmouthwoman

    Smartmouthwoman Bless your heart Past Donor

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    I'll play the naysayer who comes in to warn you about the risks of vegan lifestyles.
    Certainly no expert, but I had the experience of working for a woman who developed something called pernicious anemia, which can be caused by a strict vegan diet. Basically, its a lack of vit b12 in your system, but its non reversible and requires ongoing injections of b12 since your body cant store this vit. Symptoms include personality changes, psychosis and general sluggishness. she had all those symptoms.

    B12 is mainly found in red meat and in smaller quantities, some leafy greens.

    Just be careful to eat a variety of b12 sources if you give up red meat. Otherwise you COULD end up with some nasty side effects.

    I agree the diabetic diets are better for you... and of course exercise is always the key to maintaining a healthy weight.

    Good luck.
     
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  15. der wüstenfuchs

    der wüstenfuchs Member

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    Every time you come to my place you stop at DQ for a blizzard and for other obvious reasons. You also ask me to make burgers every time you're here. I don't think you will enjoy veganism. You definitely need dietary changes. I'm not sure how much exercise you get but that's probably another key factor for weight loss.
     
  16. Ronstar

    Ronstar Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    "should" you go vegan?

    its your choice. :)
     
  17. liberalminority

    liberalminority Well-Known Member

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    Vegan's are very healthy, that is because when the body is starved of calories it resorts to repairing itself on the DNA level. There was a study on the native village people in different parts of the worlds, and why they don't get diseases as much as civilized nations, and the science said when people eat too many calories, the body works hard and begins to destruct itself.

    But when calories are limited, the body has more time to repair itself instead of convert energy.

    Although Vegan's sometimes are prone to cancer, because meat in very small portions have health benefits that protect against cancer. So it is better for balance and moderation, but in very small portions of the different food groups.
     
  18. Mr. Swedish Guy

    Mr. Swedish Guy New Member

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    Become a vegan? My advice is, hell no. Isn't that like vegetarian, but even worse? meat is good for u, meat loves u, love it back <3.

    Really, it's unnatural to be a vegan so you can expect that your body will suffer for it. Humans aren't made for doing that, you need some meat. As for you getting fat, that's what work out is for. Me personally thinks working it just to work out is boring as hell, but luckily I live irhgt next to a river so I can just go swim. You don't need to do something terribly hard, just take a walk or swim some days in a week, and you're free to eat at Mcdonalds all you want.
     
  19. Ethereal

    Ethereal Well-Known Member

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    I say heck no. The health benefits are largely speculative and theoretically flimsy. Humans evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to eat animal products.

    Balanced omnivorous diet, regular exercise, socializing, adequate sleep, adequate hydration, and a stable routine are your best bets for physical and mental well being.
     
  20. AndrogynousMale

    AndrogynousMale Active Member

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    My first day is today, so wish me luck.
     
  21. AKR

    AKR New Member

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    Evidence?


    Good luck!
     
  22. Steady Pie

    Steady Pie Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    People will shred me for saying this, but Veganism is purely for ethical reasons. If you want the health bonuses go with responsible vegetarianism. Eggs and milk are really good for you.

    I was in a similar position. I was kind of a fat kid (not by genetics or anything, purely because I ate a pie + sausage roll a day throughout high school). I started losing the weight once I left high school, and took up vegetarianism about half way through that weight loss. Went from 105kg to 67.5kg (230lb to 150lb). Was always above average height though.

    Anyway, after I lost the weight I got into lifting, and got my body weight up to 75kg, where I'm at now. If you're around 6ft and under 75kg I'd highly recommend that instead of trying to lose weight you start to do weights. Muscle uses significantly more energy than fat, and while your increased meal footprint might (*)(*)(*)(*) off some vegans, the muscle will act like passive exercise 24/7. You'll be able to eat what you like as long as it's within your macros. That's a lot of food! Around 3000 calories per day.

    You'll lose fat and gain muscle. To start with your body weight will probably stay constant, but people everywhere will say "Have you trimmed down? You look great!", basically because you're becoming more toned.

    [hr][/hr]

    Don't listen to those rubbish workout programs on TV or Personal Trainers - the former only wants you working out in front of the TV, the latter is only interested in justifying their wage. In reality it's much easier to lift than most people think. You only need to lift barbells for ~30 minutes, 3 times a week. You'll see significant gains because the weight is constantly increasing. Your body naturally gains muscle to compensate.

    Use this program, it's the Bible for weight gainers everywhere. It actually works, I know from experience.

    If you want something for free, Medhi's Stronglifts 5x5 program is practically identical. It even has a really handy iPhone app. All for free.

    Source: 2 years as a vegetarian.
     
  23. Unifier

    Unifier New Member

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    I wouldn't recommend doing anything that radical, personally. If you just make a conscious effort to eat healthy and work out, you'll typically stay in pretty good shape and you'll feel great. I go through phases. I've actually gained a good 30 lbs. since the beginning of the year which I am now busting my ass to work off since going back to the gym. Greens are good and they're good for you. But your system needs more than just that. Humans aren't meant to be full-on herbavores. You might want to try going pescetarian for awhile. No meat except for fish. I tried that for a month last year, and it was hard but it was an interesting experience.
     
  24. reallybigjohnson

    reallybigjohnson Banned

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    I know a couple of vegans and unless you are taking supplement or following a strict diet requiring certain foods it is actually very unhealthy. Simply not eating animal products isn't good enough, you will end up harming yourself that way.

    Regarding weight loss the two most popular alternatives are to work out more or take up smoking.
     
  25. nom de plume

    nom de plume New Member

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    Meat, poultry and fish are the highest sources of protein. Vegetables (especially beans) also have protein but not nearly as much as meat.

    Hair is dependent on a generous amount of protein to survive. Vegan men have a much greater tendency to go bald.

    Protein to the scalp is as fertilizer to grass on the lawn. :smile:

    Bald is beautiful, so who cares?
     

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