See how much weight you can lose through this one lifestyle change!
If you haven’t considered it before, now is the time to consider becoming a vegan for weight loss. Mishra et al (1) studied 291 participants across the United States through 10 corporate sites of a large organization. Participants had a body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m and/or previous diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. The participants were enrolled for 18 weeks either in a low-fat vegan diet, with weekly group support and increased food selections at the work cafeteria or no dietary changes for 18 weeks. Average weight loss for those on the vegan diet was 6.4 lbs versus those in the control group lost virtually no weight (0.1 lb).
What is a Vegan Weight Loss Diet?
A vegan weight loss diet or plant based diet consists of eliminating all animal products (meat, fish, poultry, and dairy) from your diet. Vegan weight loss meals would include plant proteins, fibrous greens, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. The majority of vegan protein would come from different types of legumes. Regular consumers of various types of beans had lower body weights, lower rates of obesity, and a smaller waist size (5). A vegan weight loss plan would include making healthy dietary choices such as reducing sugar, refined carbohydrates, and empty calories.
Vegan Weight Loss Compared to Non-vegetarian Weight Loss Plan
Huang et al (2) conducted 12 randomized controlled trials with a total of 1151 subjects over the course of 18 weeks. After the 18 weeks, those on the vegan weight loss plan on average lost more than 5.5 lbs compared to those on a non vegetarian diet, and those on the lacto-ovo-vegetarian lost on average more than 3.3 lbs than those on a non-vegetarian diet.
Similarly, Turner-McGrievy (3) et al conducted a randomized controlled trial with overweight adults into 5 different low fat, low glycemic diets without emphasis on calorie reduction. After 6 months, those on the vegan weight loss diet lost anywhere from 3 to 12% of their body weight, vs. 0 to 6.7% of body weight in the omnivorous group.
Ferdowsian HR et al (4) found that a group which ate a low-fat vegan diet for 22 weeks lost on average 5.1 kg vs a gain of 0.1 kg in the control group and an average of 4.7 cm from their waist vs gain of 0.8 cm in the control group. Among the intervention group, 48.5% had a weight loss of 5% body weight compared to only 11.1% among the control group.
Regular consumers of various types of beans had lower body weights, lower rates of obesity, and a smaller waist size (5).
First Steps in Exploring a Vegan Weight Loss Plan
There is a vast number of on line resources for food choices that provide well balanced nutrition for every taste bud. Although eliminating animal products from your diet may initially seem daunting, once menu choices are explored, a vegan diet provides for an endless list of food choices. Your vegan weight loss plan like other weight loss plans would need to ensure adequate protein, nutrition, and vitamins from your food sources. As an added bonus your vegan weight loss plan will contribute to your overall health and prevention of disease as well as benefit environmental and animal causes. Read More…
References for Vegan Weight Loss
1.Mishra S, Xu J, Agarwal U, Gonzales J, Levin S, Barnard ND. A multicenter randomized controlled trial of a plant-based nutrition program to reduce body weight and cardiovascular risk in the corporate setting: the GEICO study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013 Jul;67(7):718-24. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23695207
2.Huang RY, Huang CC, Hu FB, Chavarro JE. Vegetarian Diets and Weight Reduction: a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Gen Intern Med. 2016 Jan;31(1):109-16. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26138004
3.Turner-McGrievy GM, Davidson CR, Wingard EE, Wilcox S, Frongillo EA. Comparative effectiveness of plant-based diets for weight loss: a randomized controlled trial of five different diets. Nutrition. 2015 Feb;31(2):350-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25592014
4. Ferdowsian HR, Barnard ND, Hoover VJ, Katcher HI, Levin SM, Green AA, Cohen JL. A multi- component intervention reduces body weight and cardiovascular risk at a GEICO corporate site. Am J Health Promot. 2010 Jul-Aug;24(6):384-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20594095
5.Papanikolaou Y, Fulgoni VL, 3rd. Bean consumption is associated with greater nutrient intake, reduced systolic blood pressure, lower body weight, and a smaller waist circumference in adults: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. J Am Coll Nutr 2008;27:569-76. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18845707