How I Gained Weight on a Vegan Diet

As you have recently learned, I was once a crazy unhealthy vegan with some pretty crazy beliefs. But if you happened to miss this and want to know more, click here for more information. During this time, I used to believe that I could eat as much food as I wanted, so long as I was eating “clean, unprocessed” plant-based foods (strictly fruits, vegetables, with some dietary fat like avocado).

After all, they're good for me, so there’s no overdoing it, right?

I will be real with you: this was something that I was a wee bit proud of, and as a result of this line of thinking, I would eat until the point of putting myself into a food coma and most of the time it looked as though I was carrying a food baby. Sometimes, I would even eat to the point that I had to stop as my jaw was tired from chewing (for reals)… Looking back, I now realize that my beliefs surrounding food were problematic, resulting in not only food phobias, but disordered eating to some extent, and more.

But here is one thing that I learned, albeit, the hard way, that I’m sure many may be wondering: can you gain weight while eating healthily?

The simple answer is, yes.

Regardless if you are eating fruits, veggies, or whole grains, you can still gain weight.

📷​​📷Take it from the person who regularly walked around carrying a food baby to dropping over 20 pounds. The moment that I shifted away from the idea of eating like a glutton and ditching my all-natural mentality, things started to change. My diet shifted from a high carb fruit-based diet with a mix of raw veggies, to include whole-grains, beans, legumes, vegan proteins (tofu, seitan, tempeh, mock meats), and more. As a result, not only had my weight dropped, but my cystic acne cleared, along with some of the fears I had surrounding foods.

Truth is, plant-based foods are good for you - there’s no denying that - and you should continue to strive to include as many fruits and vegetables into your diet, as they contain a myriad of nutrients that your body requires. It’s why it’s recommended to eat 5 - 6 servings of fruits and veggies a day; but that doesn’t change the fact that you can still overeat them.

During the time that I was eating a high-carb raw vegan diet, I was working out regularly but was still gaining weight. This is simply because I was still consuming more calories than I was burning.

And that's what it all comes down to folks, calories in versus calories out.

With that said, I want to tread lightly here for a moment because I don’t want anyone to run themselves into the ground, especially if you have tried multiple diets in the past or are struggling to lose weight. The principle of calories in versus calories out is fundamentally correct for weight loss, weight gain, or maintenance. However, what it doesn’t take into account is metabolic adaption or the rate of which your metabolism slows down or speeds up.

Your metabolism determines the number of calories that your body requires for simply existing. Therefore, if you are someone who has dieted several times for years and is finding it difficult to lose weight (even when going back on a diet where you experienced a lot of weight loss in the past), chances are your metabolism has slowed down. When your metabolism slows down, the fewer calories that you require for simply existing; resulting in a larger caloric deficit to lose weight.

Ultimately, the calories in versus calories out principle is simple; however, there are individual factors that need to be taken into consideration depending on what your goals are.

So what does this mean?

• Just like any other food, you can overeat on fruits and vegetables. The difference being is that it is usually harder to overeat plant-based foods, as they are not as calorically dense as processed foods ...but that doesn’t change the fact that you can, as I clearly did.

• Incorporate as many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your diet, as they are abundant in nutrients and phytochemicals that your body requires to maintain an optimal condition.

• Continue to workout regularly. As mentioned, exercise offers a myriad of health benefits that you cannot get from food, so don’t think you’re off the hook, pal.