Last night I went to one of my all-time favorite veggie restaurants. I ordered two entrees. One for me, and the other for … me! This is not uncommon – in fact, my manager once told me that I’m only to expense my own meals when I'm traveling for business – not my friends’ meals … and I had to fess up – they’re both MINE!!!
However, this is one of the things I love most about being vegan: You can eat a lot of food and still not get fat. If I ate normal-sized portions, I’d be one of those skinny vegans like Kathy Freston, showing off my Size 2 butt on Oprah. But I love food and like to eat a lot of it, and since I sometimes order two entrees, I have a Size 6 butt. Size 8 on a bad day. I figure that’s not too bad for someone who eats like she's eating for two.
So, here’s what I’d like to tell you if you are new to veganism:
The vegan diet is not a calorie-restriction diet!
When you are hungry, simple eat...
Just make sure it’s vegan. The more you eat healthy vegan foods (like fruit, salads and beans) and the less you eat unhealthy vegan foods (like vegan cookies, cakes and ice cream) the more you can eat and the thinner you will be.
Furthermore, the more you eat healthy vegan foods, the more you will crave healthy foods. We are a nation addicted to sugar, salt and fat – even vegans – so before you pick up that bag of vegan cookies, ask yourself, “Would I be happy if I had a (whole!) cantaloupe for dessert instead?” If not, how about some whole grain toast with some almond butter on it? The more you can make those swaps, the healthier – and thinner – you will be … and you can eat like a horse along the way!
Thanks for the post. As I've researched vegetarian/vegan diets and lifestyles, I am surprised to see a lot of meal plans which focus on highly processed soy products as oppposed to fruits and vegetables. I had always assumed vegetarian/vegan meant clean eating. So I'm glad to see someone like you acknowledging that there are unhealthy vegan foods.
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