whole food plant-based diet weight loss tips
There’s no need to count calories on the WFPB diet, but that doesn’t mean you should dive in without knowing what you’re doing. Transitioning to a nutritious plant-based diet takes some preparation, and a little guidance certainly helps. Here are a few tips to help ensure that you’re giving your body what it needs while you’re dropping the weight that it doesn’t:
1. Transition slowly
If making too many drastic changes all at once sounds intimidating, you can take it slow. If you force yourself into something you’re not ready for, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up falling back into your old habits. Instead, transition gradually. Start by switching out two or three meals per week for healthy plant-based alternatives. As you get used to it, expand to include the rest of your weekly meals. Learn more about biofit.
From there, you can begin weeding out the other processed and non plant-based ingredients that tend to find their way into your daily life. Research plant-based dairy alternatives and stop including animal milk and cheese on your shopping list. Then, switch over to cutting out eggs. (Here’s the MamaSezz guide to cooking and baking without eggs.) As you take things one step at a time, you’ll give yourself a chance to adjust to your new dietary lifestyle, and that will make it easier to really commit to it.
2. Eat the rainbow and don’t stress over deficiencies
With the exception of vitamin b12, you can get all of the nutrients your body needs from non-animal sources. That said, it takes some planning. For example, if you’re not eating meat then you’ll need some good plant-based sources of protein (such as nuts, edamame, chickpeas, and tempeh). Likewise, omega-3s, iron, calcium, and zinc are all available from plants. To get all these vital nutrients just ensure you’re eating a diverse plant-based. Check out these steel bite pro reviews.
3. Don’t skip meals
Remember, it takes more plant-based foods to equal the calories in traditional American meals, so don’t jump the gun. Sure, if you’re trying to lose weight fast, cutting out meals may seem like a logical solution. But the reality is that you’re going to need the nutrition to keep yourself healthy and happy. Besides, fiber-rich, plant-based meals will help you feel full, and go a long way towards helping you avoid unhealthy snacking. Starving yourself is not part of the WFPB diet; focus on healthy meal prep, and give your body the food it needs.
4. Eat your whole grains
Carbs are bad, right? Well, no, actually; they’re not. Not intrinsically, anyway. In fact, carbs should be your main source of energy, and a plant-based diet meal plan for weight loss should reflect that. That said, not all carbs — or carb sources — are equal. Heavily refined/processed carbohydrates are basically empty calories that have been stripped of fiber and nutrients. Whole grains (and the whole carbs they contain) are just fine. In fact, it’s suggested that that the majority of your plant-based diet should come from whole carbs. Foods such as brown rice, rolled oats, quinoa, barley, and farro will help you get the whole carbs you need.
5. Cut the oil
A lot of diets promote the use of oil in cooking as a better alternative to butter, which it absolutely is! The problem here is that better doesn’t necessarily mean good. Plant-based oils replace harmful saturated fats with less-harmful monounsaturated fat — which can still damage arteries and increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
The WFPB diet isn’t about eating less-harmful foods; it’s about eating healthy foods. That means cutting out the oil, for a low-fat, plant-based diet that will help keep you happy and heart healthy. Besides, oil is incredibly high in calories, and even if you aren’t counting them, they still count. When cooking, replace oil with healthier options (here’s how to cook without oil), and you’ll see the results in your health, and on your scale.
6. Snack when you’re hungry
It seems pretty central to most diets that snacking is the enemy, but ask yourself this: Is snacking still wrong if you’re snacking on the right foods? If you find that you’re hungry, then by all means grab a little something, just make sure that it isn’t junk. Healthy nuts, fruits, and vegetables can curb your cravings, and help you remain committed to your plant-based diet.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to eat between meals, then make sure that you have high-quality, whole-food snacks on hand for when you need them. After all, a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts aren’t going to derail your diet, but a hunger-motivated junk-food binge definitely could.
