A vegan diet can help you with your weight loss plan but first we must establish what a vegan diet is and the different types of vegans.
1. Some vegans only eat a strict diet of vegetables and stay strictly away from dairy products, eggs, meat, honey, processed foods, stimulants such as coffee, etc.
2. Some vegans eat a non-meat diet strictly because they believe the killing of animals is inhumane and their diet is consistent with their beliefs.
3. Some vegans have been put on a vegetarian diet due to certain health risks.
These are all good and acceptable reasons to be vegan. So whatever type of Vegan you subscribe to you can lose weight with a well-BALANCED vegetarian diet with healthy exercise.
When losing weight, however, the key is to make it attainable, and make it easy. With attainable weight loss and easy weight loss you will find yourself much more successful in the long run. So, here are ways to make a simple vegan diet attainable and easy.
ATTAINABLE:
o Pick a plan that you can live with. Don't restrict yourself too much at first. For example, if you are used to coffee in the morning, tackle that issue later. Go simple at first and once you are succeeding, move on to conquer other things.
o Don't allow yourself to get discouraged. If you cheat, or slide...so what? Go back on it next meal! There is never a reason to get mad at yourself or beat yourself up. THAT is the reason people fail. They get discouraged and quit. Even if you decide to eat only raw vegetable, yet one day you are out of food, open up a can of green beans for goodness sakes, and forget about it!
o Control your thoughts! The bible says the battlefield is in the mind. If you can conquer this, you have won your battle. If you keep your mind NOT on how and what and when you eat and what you did not eat and when can you eat next and ...so on....you are allowing yourself to focus on the wrong things which is probably what got you over weight or unhealthy in the first place. Eat your food, stick with your plan, and go do something else. Make your thoughts go on a diet too. Do not think about food or eating.
EASY:
o Buy a variety of food to have on hand. When shopping at the grocery store, ONLY buy the types of foods on your diet. Buy fresh, maybe have some canned or frozen on hand if you run into a bind, but don't buy chips, or other temptations making it hard on you. Get that stuff out of your pantry so you won't have to look at it. Only have on hand the type of food you should eat even when you are cheating. Cheat with special things that you will only eat when you feel you have to cheat. For example, cheat with fresh fruit or a smoothie if you must. It will conquer the sweet tooth and help keep you on target.
o Pre-Plan what to order when at a restaurant. Know what you are choosing before you show up at the fast food place or a restaurant. Of course and most of the fast food restaurants offer many salads to choose from. Don't even try to be tempted. Remember...the battlefield is in the mind.
Again, keep special foods onhard when you want to cheat such as special nuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, blueberries, etc. Have a special "treat" just for you keeping it within your dieting plan.
The key to a nutritionally sound vegan diet is variety so you can include fruits, vegetables, lots of different kinds of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, legumes and seeds. Be creative here!
A healthy vegetarian diet is not just cutting out certain foods such as meat. It's about making sure you are getting ample amount of nutrients and all of your daily nutritional needs. Do not skimp on nutrients. Learn your diet and find out what your body will need to continue and be successful!
You do not need to count calories or mess with carb counting, or weighing your food, but it would be wise to eat organically grown fruits, plants, whole grains, and natural foods. Foods without these chemicals are better for everyone, vegan or not.
Judy Stevens writes on weight loss and weight gain with a specialty in hormonal imbalances. To read more go to [http://www.review-suite.com] or for free charts on food cravings and ideal weight go to [http://www.squidoo.com/menopause-and-weight-loss]
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