Already Vegan & Looking to Lose Weight!

There are many stories of people losing weight when they change their diet to reflect a vegan lifestyle. I’m one of those people who defies this scenario and have actually gained 30 pounds over the past couple of years.

There are many factors for gaining weight, and most smart diet plans call for cutting caloric intake and increasing exercise. I have given up many times while looking to lose weight and implement a consistent exercise plan in my life. 

As stress in my life increased, so did the weight! YUCK!

What I have found is that there is very little support or information out there for people who are ALREADY vegan and are trying to lose weight. So I thought I would begin to blog about my weight loss and what has worked for other friends who are vegan and looking to lose weight.

First Step:

Nutrition has to stay a top priority. I want to make sure I am taking in the vitamins and minerals that are needed to keep me healthy! I found a good resource online from a vegan nutritionist who has helped to develop a vegan food intake guide.

http://www.theveganrd.com/food-guide-for-vegans

Second Step:

Increase exercise. This is one of those areas that I struggle with constantly. I currently try to do Yoga for at least 15-30 minutes a day but other than that, exercise happens in spurts. Usually after 2-3 weeks of a great routine life happens; I go on vacation, have to travel for work, get sick…or any number of things that will throw off a routine.

Aerobic exercise can be really intense for me as well, and when I do heavy aerobic exercise I end up getting short of breath or wheezy which does not motivate me to keep exercising.

Third Step:

Motivation. Here is where I need a little help! Ready to have some motivation just drop out of the sky. Since I know this is not likely to happen, I am going to work on motivating myself by setting a goal of putting up a weekly blog update. Hopefully I will be motivated to show results and update everyone through the blog.

My goal is to lose 30 pounds by February 1, 2012 and get back down to my favorite weight ever, 125. Any motivational tips you have are welcome! Anyone else looking to do a little weight loss on a vegan diet is welcome to join me – just leave a note in the comments below!