I don't know if this subject has been discussed previously - I'm new here. But I would like to try & offer a warning for those on the South Beach Diet or any newly incorporated diet/ healthy eating habit.
I thought I would increase my weight loss by going almost totally vegan. I permitted myself chicken breast 1x per week & low fat fish 2 x's per week. The rest of the time I diligently followed the glycemic index (for permitted veggies & fruits) as per SOBE Diet & added several low fat soy products to my diet. I also did a meal replacement shake once or twice per week & cut out eggs & cheese completely (I continued to consume low fat yogurt several times per week).
What a mistake! After 3 weeks I had gained weight - especially around my waist, hips & butt. All of this happened even though I've been working out like a fiend! I truly think it was the soy products! I am a little depressed about it.
The even weirder thing is that my husband also ate the soy products & has been doing the SOBE diet (although not as stricly as me); he takes no exercise other than walking; still drinks 1 or 2 Guinness pints at night & drinks wine (usually white) & yet he has lost more weight than me & maintained his loss. (Oh & did I mention that he eats Ben & Jerry's 2-3 x's a week!?)
Anyway. I don't know if women's bodies are more 'sensitive' to soy products or if some individuals (for a reason unknown to me) should avoid soy products until they've achieved their targeted weight - all I know is that the soy products sabotoged my progress & set me back almost a full month.
I'm actually thinking about doing a juice fast or the Fat Flush Plan to try & recoup lost time & gained fat!
I'm curious if anyone else has had trouble with soy products? For now I am staying far away from all processed foods regardless if they claim to be vegan & healthy.
I would have your doctor check your thyroid. In sensitive individuals soy can affect your thyroid.
Another possibility is that it's water weight due to high sodium. Anything that is processed (regardless of what it's made out of) will more than likely contain a lot of sodium. I know when I'm retaining water, I hold it in the tummy area, but it goes away after a few days (and a lot of water.)
I use a lot of soy products, and have never experienced a problem with them. I make sure to use low sodium soy sauce, and the lite tofu. I agree with zenor, that you may need to have your thyroid checked to see if that is the problem.
I agree. I've been a veg-head for 12 years and live on soy pretty much. DH has taken a liking to some of the soy options too, as they're lower fat than some of the real things.
I'm not a vegetarian, but I eat a number of soy products because I like the taste. While they are lower fat, I still watch portion sizes and they can be a bit higher in salt.
Thanks everyone. Not sure. I had a check up in April just prior to beginning SOBE & my thyroid was tested, as was blood pressure, sugar & cholesterol levels, cardiogram for heart etc..All my blood tests registered well within the normal ranges & my cardiogram was 'text book perfect'. Maybe it is the sodium content as zenor77 mentioned. I had added 3 soy product dinners per week & one Boca breakfast product just after Memorial day & by June 20th had gained the weight. No other dietary changes other than having added these frozen products (I never really ate frozen foods - other than frozen veggies - until last month.) I had even started exercising 5 times per week (increased from 3 x's) - mostly biking & swimming & still there was a significant weight increase.
Oh I don't use soy sauce - not even low sodium. I don't care for the taste. I didn't use any sauces with these products. When I have a salad the only thing I use is olive oil & vinegar & use as little oil as possible. I rarely add salt to anything except when I make soup & then it's not very much & I use Cerrulean sea salt. I don't purchase any sauces or dressings because I have never really liked the taste & don't use stuff like ketchup or mayonaise. I do make my own salsa & again use just a dash of sea salt.
Well I'll track what happens now that I have removed frozen soy products from my food choices. I'll still eat tofu & edamame but I will not consume anything processed like the stuff by Morning Star or Boca. In my experience it seems that anything overly processed - even if an originally healthy ingredient like soy - in the attempt to make the soy taste & texturally feel like chicken or sausage etc......is actually destroyed & greatly altered from it's original state. And for whatever reason is not friendly to my body. (Not sure about the low carb soy protein meal replacement drink. I think I will hold off for now.)
I'm sorry you gained weight when you were trying to lose, but with daily servings of animal products (chicken, fish, "several" days with yogurt) you really can't place the blame on veganism.
Labels like "vegan" or "healthy" don't mean anything if you're trying to control your calorie intake. Highly processed foods of any type are usually not your best bet if you're trying to lose weight. If I want some soy protein, I'll prepare something with tofu (I will have a Boca burger as a very occasional treat).
Anecdotal evidence: Most of the vegans I've known have actually been carrying around extra pounds, especially those who use processed foods. My sister GAINED twenty pounds in a year as a vegan. Other than the absence of animal products, there is zero difference between a vegan processed food and a "regular" one.
Soy seems to be a trigger for me as well. I try to avoid it as much as possible (which is probably a good thing- I could eat a whole block of tofu plain! I love it!). My doctors suspect something is wonky with my thyroid but don't really know what.
In any case, I think the reason people think vegans are skinny is because they think they only eat raw foods and such. And yes- those are the stick skinny vegans. But most people aren't like that. Especially be careful with soy milk- it often has a TON of sugar!
Also, I've read scary reports about eating too much soy. It can have some really negative effects on you (like there's anything that doesn't?). So it might be a good idea to limit it anyway.
Vegan Soy Products Made Me Gain Weight!
