WILL A plant-based DIET HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?
…MAYBE!
There are plenty of examples of people losing weight on a Plant-Based Diet.[5]
However, there are also stories of the opposite where people gained body fat when going vegan.[6]
However, anecdotal evidence isn’t science.
What does the research say?
If you look at studies on the subject, there’s nothing here that will surprise us: plant-based calories count just as much as animal-based calories.[7]
There are some studies which show the success of veganism compared to omnivore diets for weight loss.[8] Then there are others showing that a diet including meat outperforms vegan diets for trimming body fat.[9]
Depending on who you’re trying to impress, you can find six studies that say vegans will lose more weight than meat eaters, or half a dozen studies that show vegans will lose less weight.
It honestly doesn’t matter, because when it comes to weight loss, it comes down to calories, calories, calories.
Oh and calories. Did I mention calories?
Put bluntly, if you’re not losing weight, you’re consuming too many calories.
It doesn’t matter if they’re vegan or vegetarian or Paleo or certified organic. Check out our “Why can’t I lose weight?” article to learn the science behind why!
Let’s get to the point: You’re here, you’re eating plants, and you want to lose weight. So here’s how to do it.
If you typically ate a standard American diet filled with burgers and french fries, and then moved to salads? Yeah, I’d imagine that you would lose weight – simply because you’re now eating fewer calories than you were eating in the past.
However, if you go from scarfing down normal burgers to scarfing down an Impossible Burger or a vegan burger? Maybe not.[10]
Let’s take a look:
- An Impossible Burger’s three-ounce patty has 220 calories.
- A three-ounce regular beef patty has about 205 calories.
The Impossible Burger is made with wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein and heme (a molecule found in plants and animals). So it’s very calorically dense.
Moral of the story: don’t assume that food without any meat in it will have fewer calories in it.
While there are plenty of nuances, when it comes to weight loss, calories in and calories out plays a major role in whether or not you are successful.
Just because something is vegan doesn’t mean it’s necessarily healthy. As someone pointed out in our private Facebook Academy group, “Oreos are vegan.”
If you don’t plan properly, you could be deluding yourself into thinking veganism will be a weight loss strategy.
I know that adopting a new lifestyle can be challenging, especially if you’re really busy. Whether it’s veganism, a low-carb diet, or trying to build muscle, embarking on a new habit can be tough if you don’t know what to do.
Weight-loss, no matter which strategy you pick, can be a hard road to follow.
I want you to know that you’re not alone, we’re here to help. We offer a 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program to help busy people like you embark on complete life overhauls. We can help you with dietary changes, exercise, and accountability so you can create new healthy habits that fit into your chaotic day-to-day life!
If you’re thinking about a Plant-Based Diet for weight loss, we can help you switch to a less restrictive diet over time. Slow and steady is our preferred approach.