Vegans? Vegetarians?

[Angeltoes]

I don't see anything wrong with keeping complex carbs in your diet. You can have potatoes, but the problem is that if you're on a diet you can't have butter or cheese with them. I'm a vegan and if I didn't eat complex carbs like potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, etc., I'm not sure what I would eat. I eat mostly carbs like pumpkin, lentils, corn, but I don't eat anything with added sugar. No white bread and obviously no eggs or dairy. I use vegan cheeses which are not delicious on their own, but taste fine when added to dishes in moderation. I use all kinds of sauces that are vegetable-based, nooch (nutritional yeast), fruits, and vegetables, vegan butter. It takes some research and experimentation for people to find what works for them. I think the trick is when you're starting out on a vegan diet is to always have suitable snacks on hand so you don't give into temptation. That's what worked for me.

Originally Posted by Gayandgray

Ok, I need some help and I hope this is the right place to post this? I am very overweight, and I am wanting to get myself together and lose weight before I turn 50. I know that low carb diets work, because I lost over 100lbs following Atkins in the past. However, I'm really getting sick of eating so much meat!! And I've been reading about the stuff they feed the animals, chemicals, abuse the factory farm animals go through their entire lives, etc. I can't afford to buy only organic food and grass fed beef, but I really am wondering about what I'm actually putting in my body??? Growing up, I saw chickens living OUTSIDE, not inside. They ate grass and bugs and they took dust baths and they laid eggs and we ate them and that was fine by me. Nowadays I rarely see chickens outside. The farm across the road has them locked up inside these big chicken houses and they never see the sun. I don't know what the farmer feeds them? I'm just feeling like maybe I need to not focus so much on avoiding carbs and eating a lot of meat, but eating HEALTHY for awhile....... I have been craving fruits and veggies the past few days and the doctor my sister works for said that may be a sign I need the nutrients. I'm not saying I want to just become a vegetarian overnight, but I'd like to at least cut back a bit on meat and eat more healthy. In the past when I did Atkins I avoided tropical fruits and only ate berries once in awhile. Now I'm craving pineapple and mangoes. And I like putting bananas in my protein shakes with kale. I'm also thinking about trying this substituting cauliflower for potatoes thing? I hear a lot of people talking about it. I'm afraid of potatoes and pasta because I have no willpower and won't practice portion control!!!!!! I'm looking into maybe a lower carb vegetarian way of eating, if that makes sense? I'm sorry if this post seems like I'm rambling but I just needed to get this out somehow and don't want it to sound weird. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!