Eating a plant-based diet offers some critical health benefits, including greater overall immune support, decreased inflammation throughout your body, and even a decreased risk of cancer. That decreased inflammation may also lead to feeling a little lighter and, in some cases, significant weight loss.
However, if you need to manage your weight while being plant-based, especially if you have a significant amount of weight to lose, it might not fall off as easily as you thought. Try some of these tips to keep up with weight loss while continuing your plant-based diet.
Make Sure Your Plant-Based Diet Includes an Adequate Amount of Protein
Protein is the essential building block that helps repair cells throughout your body. Eating adequate protein is key for ensuring that you can recover after a workout (which should be part of your weight loss plan, if possible). Some people struggle to get adequate protein on a plant-based diet, especially at first.
Not only can that lead to a decline in your overall quality of health, but you also may not feel as full or sated, which means that you may find yourself snacking more often. Are you trying to lose weight on a plant-based diet? Make sure you incorporate these key protein sources.
- Tofu
- Beans
- Hemp seeds
- Nuts and nut butter
- Green peas
- Quinoa
You may also want to consider adding protein powders and supplements to your diet, especially if you’ve recently transitioned to a more demanding workout routine.
Pay Attention to Calorie Content
When you’re trying to lose weight on a plant-based diet, it’s critical to keep up with how many calories you’re taking in. While many plant-based foods, including most vegetables, are inherently low-calorie, some of them are higher-calorie than you may think. Ultimately, to lose weight, you must maintain a calorie deficit.
If you’re regularly eating large quantities of nut butter and nuts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other high-calorie foods, you may quickly discover that the weight is not coming off as quickly as you might have hoped. Pay attention to your calorie counts and choose food accordingly.
Watch Your Sugar (and Sweetener) Consumption
Most sweeteners, including sugar, agave, and maple syrup, are high in calories and have relatively few nutrients. Not only can sugar interfere with your weight loss directly by packing on the calories in many of your favorite foods, but you may also find that excess sugar consumption leads to a lot of blood sugar spikes and then immediate blood sugar lows and increased cravings for those sugary favorites. Decrease your sugar consumption to make it easier, in general, to lose weight.
Eat Adequate Fiber to Stay Full
The good news is, that if you’re eating a plant-based diet, you’re probably already consuming a lot of fiber. Fiber helps you stay full longer, which may make it easier to avoid snacking throughout the day. Furthermore, fiber may help with your gut microbiome, which can help keep you healthier and more energetic.
Look for ways to add more fiber to your diet, including:
- Popcorn
- Beans and legumes
- Berries
- Apples
- Whole grains
- Broccoli
If you regularly notice that you’re getting hungry shortly after a meal, adding some fiber to your next meal may make it easier to stay sated. Over time, you may naturally find that you start eating less as you add more fiber to your diet.
Eating a plant-based diet can be great for weight loss. However, if your weight loss is stalling or you can’t seem to get started the way you had hoped, following these key tips may help get you off to a better start and help you see your weight coming down.
Until next time,
Sherimane
