Vegan Weight Loss

Editorial Note: This is a guest post by Susan Daffron, co-author of Vegan Success. I was interested in learning more about veganism and how it might be conducive to healthy weight loss. In this article, Susan shares her thoughts on this topic.

by Susan Daffron

Image: stock.xchng

Many people struggle with weight issues. I know that personally, I spent most of high school and college fretting about it. Yet I still gained weight. After I graduated, it seemed like every year, I gained a pound or two that just wouldn’t go away. By my late 20s, the pounds were adding up.

Everything changed when my husband and I became vegan back in 1994. I lost the 10-15 pounds that had accumulated, and he lost 20 or 25. I didn’t really know it at the time, but one advantage of being vegan most people don’t talk about is that you can eat a lot of food and not gain weight. In fact, many people lose weight when they switch to a vegan diet. I know I did. But probably the best thing is that I honestly can say that I never think about my weight anymore. All those years of obsessing about “being fat” in high school and college are gone.

The other misconception people seem to have is that veganism involves a life of depressing deprivation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I really LIKE to eat and I like good food. My husband and I eat better now than we ever have and really enjoy our meals.

Last night for example, I improvised an oriental veggie and tempeh meal that I served over rice. That was followed up by some strawberry rhubarb pie that I made over the weekend. It was all vegan, and all mighty tasty, particularly considering it was a quick throw-it-together Monday night meal.

Neither of my husband nor I are chefs, but we got so many compliments on our meals from people who visited our home, that we started writing stuff down. The result is a cookbook called Vegan Success: Scrumptious Healthy Vegan Recipes for Busy People.

Vegan Success serves up a bunch of easy, vegan recipes that anyone can make even after a long day at work. The recipes have no complex techniques or obscure ingredients. Many can be made from ingredients you already have sitting in your refrigerator or pantry.

The reality is that vegan cooking doesn’t have to be “weird” or unappetizing. In fact, a lot of tasty meals are vegan, even though most people don’t think about it. Simply incorporating a few vegan meals into the mix can help you lose weight. Plus, you might even save money on groceries, since vegan meals generally involve fresh ingredients from the produce aisle, instead of more expensive packaged goods.

At this time of year, including more fresh veggies into your diet is a great opportunity to take advantage of locally grown produce at farmers markets, too.

About Susan Daffron
Susan Daffron is the author of Vegan Success: Scrumptious, Healthy Vegan Recipes for Busy People, two books on caring for pets that have been adopted from animal shelters, and six other titles. She is also the Founder of the National Association of Pet Rescue Professionals, a membership organization that provides tools and information for those working to save homeless pets.

Image: Susan Daffron