Looking for a safe and effective way to shed those extra pounds? Well, with all these diets and lifestyle movements popping up recently, it’s quite hard to pick one that would work for you and be effective as well.
Of all of them, veganism seems to be the most popular ones. Plenty of people are slowly converting to this lifestyle, and many swear by its effectivity in making them not just lose weight, but feel and look better overall.
So what exactly is veganism? According to the Vegan Society, “Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose.” In simpler terms, it means the denouncement of all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to all animals, either for food, clothing, or any other purpose.
Way back in 1944, Donald Watson, from the Vegan Society of England, developed the term “vegan.” Initially, it meant “nondairy vegetarian.” But in 1951, society redefined it as “the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals.”
Currently in the United States, veganism is noticeably on the rise. The movement is very popular with the younger generation as close to half of all vegans are aged between 15–34.
When you decide to go vegan, here’s a warning: it will be helluva lot difficult. You won’t be eating almost all of the foods you’re accustomed to. It takes dedication and full commitment. You have to make a conscious effort to stay on track and keep focus. But once you’ve fully immersed yourself in this culture, for certain, you’ll start seeing and feeling all the wonderful results. Read all about veganism and all its wonderful benefits here.
One of the best things about veganism is attaining a healthy weight and plenty of shed pounds. Some researchers even consider it as the best and healthiest way to lose weight. Vegans tend to be thinner, have lower body mass indexes (BMI), and are less likely to be overweight or obese.
In a study found in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, people on a vegan diet for 18 weeks lose, on average, 4 pounds more than those who eat meat.
So how exactly can veganism help you lose weight? It’s because most of the food that vegans consume have high fiber content. And when you regularly eat fiber-rich food, the fiber sweeps through your intestines and takes out all the toxins and waste out of the body. Eating fiber every day ensures that you are cleaning your insides every day as well.
Related reading: Easy 4 Week Digestive System Cleanse
And the good thing about going on this plant-based diet is that you can eat more but have less body fat. This is because plant food contain noticeably fewer calories and more nutrients than animal food. So you can eat to your heart’s content without having to worry or count your calories.
Another reason why the vegan diet can help you lose weight is it limits your intake of certain foods. These include processed meat, food with lots of sugar, food with high carbohydrate content, food with plenty of sodium, baked goods—basically the foods that’ll make you fat. A vegan diet is strict on the type of food you are consuming, and none of these unhealthy types of food are included.
In order for you to be successful in removing excess fat, here are a couple of tips to help you out.
1. Get to Know the Vegan Food Pyramid
This is an updated and veganized version of the typical food pyramid, which puts bread, grains, pasta, and cereal as the foundation of a good nutritional regimen. On the other hand, in the vegan food pyramid, it shows greens and vegetables as the foundation of the pyramid, followed by fruits and whole grains. Familiarize yourself with the types of foods that you can consume.
2. Pile On the Protein 
Eating food packed with protein is essential in any weight loss regimen since it makes you feel fuller faster. That means you will eat less. So go ahead and load up on those vegetables that have the highest protein content. Proteins are available in many forms, so it’s easier and more convenient to add them to any meal. You can go for protein powders to add to your smoothies, or opt for beans, quinoa, lentils, tempeh, and oats in your meals.
3. Avoid Meat or Cheese Substitutes
This is most especially of you’re looking to lose weight. Many of these types of food have high fat and sodium content, and these will go against your effort to losing weight.
4. Don’t Replace Meat
In line with the tip above, stop pretending that you’re eating your favorite burger. Because if you just converted to veganism, you know that those recipes with meat substitutes will never taste like the real thing (a slab of steak, your favorite fast-food burger, etc.). Instead, embrace the absence of meat, and be open to the thought that you are eating all plants, so what? In then end, you are achieving your goal to healthier weight loss.
Related reading: Healthy Veggie Burger Recipes
Author Bio: Kate B. Forsyth is a writer for Be Healthy Today, who specializes in health and nutrition. Her passion is to help people get an overall transformation of health that lasts a lifetime. In her blog posts, she goes beyond research by providing health-concerned citizens doable and simple tricks to achieve a healthier lifestyle.
Sources:
https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism
http://www.vegancoach.com/vegan-weight-loss-1.html
http://www.eatthis.com/veganism-found-to-be-the-best-diet-for-weight-loss
http://www.peta.org/living/food/vegan-weight-loss/
http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?catId=5&pageId=7576
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-veganism-127598
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/how-a-vegan-diet-can-help-you-lose-weight-and-get-a-flat-stomach-a7156931.html
