missykay

Wow, thanks JR! I've seen Forks Over Knives, but I have not heard of the Engine 2 diet...I'll have to look it up! It sounds very similar to what I'm doing except it probably includes beans, grains, and starchy veggies and roots like potatoes. Whole foods is where it's at for sure.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I've following the 811 diet and working out for about a week now. I don't see a difference in my weight at all. Pretty dissapointed as I read that people lose tons of weight on this diet, but I guess I'll stick with it for a few months and see what happens. If I'm not happy with the result I'll come back here and take up everyone's advice

Thanks, Vicious! I'll check it out

Thanks for the great reponse, David! You actually answered a lot of my questions I think I will stick to a traditional vegan diet this month, just to get used to eating this way and making it a lifestyle change, and then next month do the 811 diet to lose the extra weight and then go back to a regular vegan diet. The fact that you lost weight and said you felt great on the 811 pretty much has me set on trying it for at least a few months. Not sure if I'd do it forever though...where do they get their B-12? I take vitamins everyday anyways so I'd probably be OK, but I am curious how others get theirs while doing 811. I became vegan for the same reason! Factory farming is SO awful. I am 100% against animal cruelty and it makes me sick to think there are so many innocent animals suffering everyday so people can feast off their flesh. I've been a meat eater my whole life and while I never liked meat much, I ate a ton of it when I started weight lifting a few years back...I'm talking like 6 oz of chicken for 4-5 of my meals a day (I was eating 6 small meals a day). I knew a little bit about what animals went through, but I just chose to not think about it. And then about a month ago I watched Earthlings and that was it for me and I have no desire to go back to eating animal products. Congrats on choosing to be vegan again!

So I am new here. I have recently gone vegetarian about a month ago and am now starting to go vegan (my diet is all vegan with the exception of eating eggs and whey maybe once or twice a week, at most). I really need to lose weight. What should I be eating exactly in order to lose a lot of body fat. (FYI: I used to eat a very high protein, very low carb diet several years ago and got down to my lowest weight ever...the diet was unsustanable and caused me to binge a lot, hence the weight gain). How much fruit and grains can I have? Should I just focus mostly on vegetables, beans, and legumes with a few servings of grains and fruit a day? I recently heard about the 811 diet...has anyone tried it? Is it more effective then a traditional vegan diet? If you eventually stop doing the 811 and convert to a basic vegan diet, will you gain the weight back? Sorry for so many questions...I am just desperate to lose this extra weight as soon as possible. I'm so insecure about my weight I'm embarrassed to even go to the gym as a lot of people there have seen me before in excellent shape and will wonder what the heck happened I've been going a few days a week, but I hit the cardio room and steer away from the weight room, which used to be like a second home to me. I really just need to find a sustainable and effective diet asap so I can start feeling good about myself again.

I'm Kayla! Originally from the Bay Area in California, but has lived in Idaho for the 3 years (prior Air Force and hubby is still active duty). I'm a full-time student on-line, wife, and step-mommy. Right now, I am pretty overweight..bigger than I've ever been It bothers me A LOT. I was at my skinniest a few years ago when I started eating a "clean" high-protein/low-carb diet (LOTS of chicken and other animals products). While I was very thin and gained a lot of muscle through weight lifting, I found the diet hard to stick to for long periods of time. I had cravings for carbs/sugars a lot and would often binge, hence my weight gain. Out of my love and concern for animals, I have recently decided to go vegan (I am almost there, still eating whey protein powder or eggs a few times a week). I am the only one in my house making this decision, so that alone makes this a pretty hard lifestyle to maintain, but I am still happy I've made this decision. My dilema, however, is HOW I will LOSE weight! I NEED to lose weight badly. I am feeling very uncomfortable and my insecurity has even made me dislike going to gym. I have been starting to get back into going to the gym, just doing light excerise for now since I haven't been to the gym in months. SO, what should I eat for optimal weight loss? I am fearful of eating too many grains considering my very low carb past. Lately I've been eating too much vegan junk, but this week I started eating more fruits and veggies, whole grains (oats, brown rice, quinoa, soba noodles, Ezekial bread), beans, and some fats like peanut butter and olive oil. I also have soy yogurt and almond milk. Is this type of eating appropriate for weight loss? Is the 811 diet perhaps more effective? I am interested in hearing the stories of people who have lost a significant amount of weight being vegan or raw vegan (and which is better/more sustainable). So that's why I'm here. To learn how to lose weight and get back in shape while being vegan. Sorry for the novel...I am just desperate for info!