I've been a vegetarian since I was 14 and when I was 20 I became vegan.
My weight then was 165 and I thought turning vegan would help me loose some pounds.
I thought I could eat lots and lots of organic cashew butter, pasta and tofu and still be skinny..... Turns out I couldn't. I actually gained 33 lbs and developed soy allegy.
Now I'm half right again (aka ovo-lactose vegetarian)
I've been some variation of vegetarian for about 10 years now, and strangely enough the years I was practicing a vegan diet (probably close to 4 years) were when I was at my heaviest! I don't blame veganism at all - I was the one practicing a diet of french fries, vegan burritos, and toffuti cheesecakes. I've been following an ovo-lacto diet for the last 4 years, and find that for me it's much easier to get a balanced, healthful variety of foods this way. Sometimes I wonder how I ever went so many years without cheese! Or yogurt! Kudos to those that make a vegan lifestyle work - it takes a lot of planning, cooking, and creativity to do it right!
I don't know if this has been posted before, and I apologize if it has, but since I am new here, I would like to address the vegetarian/vegan community:
Have any of you ever experienced someone's shock that you are a vegetarian/vegan and fat?
I find that when I tell people I am vegetarian and have been for the last four years (before that, one year of being vegan), they are shocked that I am so big. Of course, many of them don't come right out and say that, but I'll get the passive-aggressive approach instead: "I thought it would be easy to stay in shape if you ate only vegetables," and the like. I'm easily hurt by these comments (I didn't get a thick skin with my thick thighs!), but I try to laugh off their comments with, "Onion rings are vegetarian, too!"
Anyone else dealt with this stereotype of very fit, healthy vegetarians?
Hi asharksrevenge,
I'm vegetarian since I was born and I over weight...people doesn't know. Vegetarian food has lots of carb. And there are many people a bit sensitive with carb... don't be so sad...I'm struggling too.
And have to exercise every single day...still I'm over weight
I understand perfectly what you mean. My weight has more to do with eating disorder binges than anything else but when people find out I'm vegetarian they look me up and down. I'm vegetarian for animals and the environment more so than for health, but as a plus, meat doesn't appeal to me anymore. It hasn't for a long time.
I've been comforting myself with food since I was a child. Being vegan hasn't stopped me from wanting to sit in front of the TV eating chips. Being vegan has helped me mentally though. It's one of the things I think of when the world gets me down. "I"m so grateful to be vegan"
So yes, there are fat vegetarians and vegans. I'm a fat vegan. Always working on it and really trying now which is one reason I joined this forum.
I'm not too tolerant of taking grief from people because I'm vegan. Or fat.
Back when I was a vegetarian, I remember a guy who was dating a friend of mine saying 'How can you be a vegetarian and be so fat?' I wasn't as confident as I am now, and I remember locking myself in a toilet cubicle and crying for AGES. I just got so sick of people looking at me, noticing I was overweight, and thinking that meant they could be as rude as they wanted.
Even now, I still think of that incident (among many others) and use it to spur myself on in losing weight.
I have been there too. I would eat all this processed stuff that had no meat or dairy but it did not mean it was good for me. My doctor even thought I may have a tyroid issue becasue I was an over weight vegan.
Oh God, being a fat vegetarian is so embarrassing. I'm fat because I eat far too much chocolate (honestly, a shameful amount) and I LOVE bread and cheese, but I'm always sure people must think I'm stuffing myself with meat on the sly.
Earth to omnivores - vegan and vegetarian diets also contain carbohydrates and fats!
Fortunately since I came to university I haven't really experienced too much body discrimination, though I did audition for a musical and hear the people say on the way out that it was a shame about my 'look.' D:
I have been there too. I would eat all this processed stuff that had no meat or dairy but it did not mean it was good for me. My doctor even thought I may have a tyroid issue becasue I was an over weight vegan.
I think a lot of new vegans do this. I did. I now avoid most processed vegan foods and they are a rarer treat now. I can't go through life NEVER having a veggie dog again!
There has been a lot of controversy about the isolated soy protein contained in many substitute foods. So while I don't think I'll ever not eat them. It's going to be a few times a year type thing.
Everything in moderation. And I don't worry considering how much better I am for myself and the planet eating a vegan diet.
It highly depends on what type of vegetables and fats you eat instead of the animal ones.
If you change lean chicken into peanuts or soy, you might find more calories in your food. Vegetable oils are just as calorie rich as animal fats for instance, but olive oil has more calories than goat butter for instance.
And then come the ammounts you eat. If you eat lentils covered with oil it is just as fattening as eating hamburger and chips.
I am so glad that I found this forum. I have been a vegetarian for 19 years and I am now at my heaviest that I have ever been. People do think that being a vegetarian/vegan= thin but chocolate cake is vegetarian as well as cookies, ice cream and french fries! I can't tell you the "I can't see how you survive on twigs and berries" speech I hear when people find out that I am a vegetarian. I am this size because of portion control not twigs and berries.
People make all kinds of assumptions, including what kinds of eating habits make one fat.
Too many calories of any kind of intake, combined with too little exercise, will cause weight gain. Doesn't matter what kind of diet you eat--it's all in the numbers.
As has been noted, education is the key to people understanding vegetarian, vegan or any other kind of eating philosophy.
