I'm vegan and it's hard for me to reach 1200 calories. Do you have any suggestions?
Asked by anonymous on Aug 13, 2008
in Alternative & Integrative Nutrition
I eat mostly fruits, veggies and whole grains. I also do a mixture of Pilates, yoga, weight training, and cardio everyday. I'm never hungry - but I find myself eating a ton at dinner to make up for the extra calories to meet 1200. I haven't lost weight in over 3 months and I have been eating/exercising this way. I'm 25, 5'2", my current weight is 128 lb and my goal weight is 116 lb.
Answer
A vegan diet excludes all animal products, including honey. You can jump start your metabolism by eating a meal within 30-60 minutes of completing your workout. Make sure your meal has ample protein from soy foods, dried beans and lentils, nuts, seeds, and nut butters. Make that meal one of your two main meals of the day. In-between, have small snacks of fruit, soy yogurt, peanut butter and crackers, protein drinks, or leftover vegan foods that you prepare. Be sure to take a multivitamin mineral supplement that contains vitamin B12 since plant foods don't provide an adequate amount.
