Weight Loss/Gain
A varied vegan diet provides all the nutrients needed for good health. A vegan diet based on whole foods, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, plus cereals, pulses, nuts and seeds, will typically be low in sugar and fat, and high in carbohydrates. It's therefore uncommon for vegans to experience weight problems, and male vegans tend to be lighter than the average weight recommended for their height.
However, there are an increasing number of vegan convenience foods available, which tend to be relatively high in fat, and so it is quite possible to have an unhealthy vegan diet (just as it is possible to have an unhealthy meat or dairy based diet) or to be an 'overweight' vegan.
Although adopting a vegan diet won't necessarily lead to an instant weight reduction (especially if the individual has spent a large proportion of his/her life as a meat eater or vegetarian, or if s/he has a metabolic disorder), research has shown that a well-balanced vegan diet is generally healthier than both a vegetarian and a meat-based diet, so a change to veganism will certainly bring positive health benefits.
Weight Loss
General advice for losing weight, if you need to, is to cut down on fats - so try to avoid fried foods, spread fats thinly on bread, and replace high fat snacks with fresh fruit. Fill up on plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, pasta, potatoes, rice and other cereals. Make sure you eat regularly, and try to start the day with a high fibre breakfast (missing meals can cause you to eat more to compensate). Finally, you could look at increasing your activity level - walking being one of the best exercises. A number of slimming clubs (e.g. Weight Watchers) accommodate a vegan diet.
Weight Gain
If, on the other hand, you need to gain weight (and we receive roughly an equal number of enquiries from people wanting to gain weight as from those wanting to lose weight), you'll need to make sure you're following the basic rules for healthy eating. Again, this means eating regularly; something starchy at each meal (bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, cereals, etc); plenty of fruit and vegetables; daily servings of pulses, nuts and seeds; and a regular source of vitamin B12. Increasing the amount of energy-dense food will help - using oils, sprinkling or blending nuts and seeds in dishes where appropriate, and consuming other relatively calorie-dense foods such as dried fruit and avocados can also help. If you're interested in bodybuilding, please see the separate information sheet on that subject.
Suggested Reading
Weight-loss books
- Foods That Cause You To Lose Weight by Neal Barnard MD
- Fat-Free and Easy by Jennifer Raymond
Nutritional guides with sections relating to weight
- Plant Based Nutrition and Health by Stephen Walsh PhD, Published by The Vegan Society
- Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis RD and Vesanto Melina MS, RD
Nutritional Advice
As well as gaining advice from books such as these, you could consult a dietitian, a nutritionist or an alternative healthcare practitioner. A naturopath can give individual guidance on diet, exercise, etc. The Yellow Pages will have a list of local practitioners. The Vegan Society has a list of Healthcare Practitioners (nutritionists, dietitians, herbalists, etc.) sympathetic to the vegan diet who could be contacted.