Losing weight is a common goal for many people, as it can improve your overall health immensely. Reducing weight alone can help regulate cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Achieving your fitness targets can also significantly increase your confidence.

Yet to effectively lose weight, you must set realistic goals and have a healthy diet. One of the best ways to do this is by subscribing to a vegan diet. Rather than consuming a ridiculously small number of calories, you can rely on a balanced vegan diet that provides abundant nutritional benefits. Here’s how you can shed pounds by going vegan.

Pay attention to nutrition, not calories

To some extent, calorie counting may be effective. Limiting your calories can result in the calorie deficit you need to lose weight. However, this can cause pressure and anxiety in the long run and may be counterproductive to sustaining your weight loss efforts. Besides, not all calories bear the same nutritional value. That’s why the best weight loss programmes don’t push you to track calories. Instead, they encourage you to eat more foods rich in protein, fibre, natural sugars, and unsaturated fats. This is particularly convenient with a vegan diet, as many vegan foods contain higher nutritional value per calorie.

Know your vegan protein sources

Protein is vital for weight loss: it eases the hunger hormone and helps you avoid overeating to satiate yourself. However, a vegan diet eliminates animal products like meat, some of the best protein sources. However, this doesn’t mean you have to carry on with a reduced protein intake. Plant-based foods can be a rich source of protein, so it’s good to know which ones you can incorporate into your diet. Foods like beans, seitan, and mushrooms are high in protein but low in calories. You can also incorporate them into a versatile range of dishes to make your meals enjoyable.

Avoid ultra-processed vegan foods

Don’t be fooled by vegan labels — not all that’s vegan is healthy. Many processed vegan products contain saturated fats, sugars, and other components that can take away from your weight loss efforts. In particular, faux meats include many ingredients that you don’t recognise. They’re also highly processed. This can change the makeup of the food and reduce its protein and fibrecontent. These foods have a weaker effect on the appetite, so you end up feeling hungry. Instead, try going for fruit, vegetables, and whole foods.

Keep a list of recipes you enjoy

Cutting meat from your diet can make it seem like your list of recipes is incredibly narrow, but that’s far from the truth. A diet based on plant-based foods can be an opportunity to try out new ingredients you’ve never considered before. Try to experiment with new vegan recipes when you have the time. If you’ve never tried tempeh, aquafaba, and nutritional yeast, then now’s your chance to cook with them. Take note of the foods you enjoy and incorporate them into your meals more often. Broaden the list of snacks, meals, and desserts you like so you can enjoy a weight loss journey that still allows you to indulge in the foods you love.


A vegan diet can be highly complementary to weight loss—if you do it right. With these four tips, shedding pounds on a plant-based diet can become even more enjoyable. For more lifestyle tips, you can find more here on Pale Girl Rambling!