Now, when you become a vegan, eggs, dairy, meat, chicken, and fish and any foods containing byproducts from these foods are replaced by beans, nuts, seeds, fruit, and vegetables.
By doing this, it is sometimes erroneously believed that A) you will automatically become healthy, and B) that you will always lose weight.
Both of these beliefs, however, are false.
Just because you cut out processed foods and foods containing animal byproducts, you will not automatically become super healthy, lose weight, and get in shape. You still have to stick to a healthy diet within the vegan space, eat the right foods in the right portions to achieve either weight gain or weight loss, and maintain an active lifestyle in order to get your body into the shape you want it to be in.
Why We Gain Weight
No matter your diet, you will gain weight when you consume a greater number of calories than you use and burn in a day. This simple truth will never change regardless of your diet.
Now, for those looking to put on a few pounds instead of shedding them, this can be done by increasing your daily caloric intake by anywhere between 250 to 500. This rate of caloric increase should lead to a fairly healthy net weight gain of approximately ½ to 1 pound a week.
Bad Weight Gain
Bad weight gain happens when you start stacking on weight that you don’t want or stacking on weight after you have hit your target goal.
This happens when you do not have a clear-cut goal or do not have a healthy diet – even within the vegan diet space. Regardless of what foods you eat, you still have to eat the right foods and in the right portions.
In fact, goodies can lead to serious, unhealthy weight gain.
Cutting Out the Vegan Junk Food
Some people who are new to vegan food and even some who are vegan loyalists may be under the false assumption that all foods vegan are low calorie and healthy. While a vegan diet overall is the most healthy way of eating, it is not without its goodie category.
Now, some not familiar with vegan cuisine may not realize that certain foods such as soy ice cream, cakes, cookies, DONUTS, chips, white bagels and vegan cream cheese, and other vegan goodies carry the same rich calories as their non-vegan counterparts.
These vegan junk foods are fattening and can lead to packing on unhealthy weight because of the excess sugar, fat, and refined grains.
Creating a Healthy Vegan Diet to Gain Weight
Again, regardless of your diet, including a vegan diet, you have to select your foods and your portions carefully just like any other.
If you are trying to gain weight, believe me, you can do it on a vegan diet just as easy as you can on any other. You just have to be sure to select foods that are healthy, yet calorie dense, while remaining active and exercising.
For example, a salad or a stir fry is healthy, contains healthy fats and oils and contains healthy calories. This diet can include fruit smoothies, avocados, and other high caloric – yet healthy foods.
At meals, eat a higher portion of seeds, nuts, and quinoa. Tofu is also high in calories while remaining off the junk food list.
The point is, creating a healthy high-calorie vegan diet will not only assist you in gaining the weight you are looking to acquire, eating the right vegan foods will help you to gain the right kind of weight.
