I took upon a friend’s challenge and spent 3 days eating as vegetarian and 2 days eating as vegan. When people decide to go vegan or vegetarian they do it so because of a religious cause or an ethical point of view NOT as a diet to lose weight.
I will start saying that the diet of a vegetarian or vegan will be mostly carbohydrates and fat but you can eat a lot of protein If you are on point of your diet and macros and that was my goal for these 5 days.
My macros were around this:
25% – Carb
25% – Protein
50% – Fat
My meals were basically vegetables, smoothies, and grains and rice powder to add more protein. I also used wheatgrass powder, maca powder, spirulina and chlorella.
My main protein sources for my first 3 days (vegetarian) were:
Eggs
Rice Protein Powder
Cheese
Tofu
Mushrooms
Broccoli
Vegan Burgers (bought at a Polish shop)
My main protein sources for my last 2 days (vegan) were:
Rice Protein Powder
Tofu
Mushrooms
Broccoli
Vegan Burgers (bought at a Polish shop)
I thought it would be a lot harder for me because to be honest I don’t think I ever spent a day without eating an animal product source. (Sad! I know!)
HOWEVER, It was not hard at all! Nowadays the food offer is so large and even in restaurants they offer vegetarian or vegans options, in the supermarket you can find anything dairy free and despite being a very active and hungry person , these 5 days I was not hungry AT ALL! Because my diet consisted of almost 50% fat every day, there were a few days I had to eat even though I was not hungry (again my goal was NOT to lose weight!)
My only issue was that I found really hard on my stomach, I was bloated most of the time and in order to get my 25% protein I had to consume a lot of fat source which led to this bloating sensation.
I have a few vegan and vegetarian clients and in order to get more lean muscle mass I always try to explain to them the importance of consuming protein (and the other macronutrients in an appropriate ratio) to build up and maintain these muscles, it is a lot harder I agree but at the same it is very important and yes, It does take a lot more work for a vegan or vegetarian to increase lean mass than It is for a person with no restrictions.
But my MAIN concern with my experience was this: Being Vegetarian or Vegan does NOT make you healthier than a person that consumes meat or animal products and I will explain why.
Please, please do not take it personal, I’m not here to say that you should or should not become vegan. Again it is more of an ethical decision rather than dieting, but I see a lot of people saying: “Julia, this is super healthy , it is VEGAN! “ Ok, I saw a lot of vegan products with loads of refined sugar and vegetable fat, as well as ton of preservatives, coloring and fried! Eating a vegan product does not mean you can eat the entire package or that it is calories free and good for your health.
Some people think that they are having a very balanced and healthy meal just because it is vegan but they are eating: bread, pasta, french fries, mushrooms and vegetables. This plate right there has very little source of micronutrients and a lot of carbohydrates with a bad source of fat (worst combo- fried food!)
Now, I have to point out the fact that those who search for a healthy living, If they are vegan or vegetarians chances are you will most of the time consume fresh, nutritious and tasty sources of food. I’m very used to eat little to no package food and that is probably why I didn’t have a hard time finding food sources for my diet.
If you are vegan or vegetarian and want to have a better diet , try one of our programs they are customized for your food preferences and goals.