Female Vegan - How to Meet Nutrition Needs & Maintain Metabolic Rate?

[ashleyjolin]

Hi! Several years ago, I lost a significant amount of weight/lowered fat% by having simple meals such as broc****, sweet potato, ground turkey dinners and the like.

A year ago, I decided to go vegan and a week ago I started restricting my caloric intake to 1350 (lowest advised based on calculator I've used over the years that has worked). I eat very protein-heavy meals such as quinoa, appropriate amount of nuts, avocado. Berries, spinach, nutritional yeast, tofu, kombucha, protein powder, coconut/olive oils, and various other vegetables are staples of what I eat. As you can see, complex carbohydrates and processed foods have been excluded.

I work out 3 hours a day, every other day - kickboxing, 1 hour cardio, 1 hour weights. I noticed initial significant weight & fat loss (presuming water weight), but also saw both my body fat% and weight kick up a small amount when I went to weigh in yesterday (water weight maintained).

Is this a sign that my body's survival mode has kicked in, my metabolism is slowing and I need to do a refeed? It was the only thing I could guess. I wasn't sure if it was too soon given I'm only a week in. I try to meet my nutritional goal, but it's hard to max out my protein without going over the caloric intake.

Overall, any feedback from folks who are vegan who have successfully lost fat/weight would be greatly appreciated. Or, feedback on whether I should eat meat for this effort instead because it's just not possible otherwise, also appreciated!

[GA1N5]

Firstly, body fat percentage readings aren't too reliable. Also, both weight measurements and BF% can fluctuate during different parts of the day.

You'd have to give it another week to see if the trend continues. It helps to weigh-in at the same time and day each week.

I don't think the excessive deficit is healthy for you by the way. You're undereating a lot on top of a load of cardio. I'd suggest increasing your caloric intake because that can't be good for you.

[Mikeez0]

Just stop being vegan and eat normally, you need a adequate calorie deficit, not typical malnourish vegan diet

[gbullock32]

You're body wont go into 'survival' mode, but that is a hell of a lot of exercise given calorie intake. Also, you do not need refeeds, ever.

In the end, weight loss is calories in vs calories out; however you achieve that is up to you, but you do not need to be vegan for this.

[RedRusty]

If you do decide to stay the vegan course, check out Scott Jurek's Eat and Run. It's about ultrarunning but he also talks a lot about converting to veganism and the structuring of his diet for optimal performance. He wasn't trying to lose weight, however.

[desslok]

What are your actual macros? And are you vegan for moral reasons? Kind of pointless for nutritional reasons as it only makes things more difficult.

[dest0]

I woudl advise against consuming 1,350 calories for you, specially when you're working out for 3 hours a day (and I wouldn't recommend that you work out that much full stop; unless it's for professional reasons/certain goals).

What are your stats? (weight, height, age, and body fat percentage).
Why do you work out for 3 hours a day?
At 1,350 calories now, what's your rate of weight loss per week?