Vegan Fasters

This topic contains 28 replies, has 17 voices, and was last updated by Anni 9 years, 9 months ago.

Viewing 29 posts - 1 through 29 (of 29 total)

GeorgieG

3:42 pm
2 Dec 13
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Hi, I’m week 4 into the diet and as a high raw vegan I have had to play with what I can eat on my fast days that give me some sustenance. I have decided to divide my 500 cal allowance into two meals. Breakfast and dinner. I tried making big bowls of veg soup but I just felt very full and then very empty. So now I’ve found a little solution. I make half a litre of fresh green juice in the morning then put half into a blender and add half a banana (50 cals) , one scoop of raw vegan protein powder (80 cals), one tbl spoon chia seeds (70 cals), one tsp of Love Your Liver powder, handful of rocket, half a cucumber and blitz. I have this around 8.30am and again at 5.30pm. I also have 2 cups of fresh raw almond milk in some dandelion coffee at around mid morn and mid afternoon (100 cals). Otherwise it’s copious herbal teas and if I am desperate I have one small piece of fruit at lunchtime. My energy is high and I a very clear headed. I also go to bed feeling empty side so my liver can rest and detox.

I would love to hear from other vegans with meal ideas.

MountainMyst

4:07 pm
3 Dec 13
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Hi Georgie, welcome!!! I’m not vegan but wanted to wish you luck. keep us posted. Phyllis

tea rose

9:36 pm
3 Dec 13
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Hi GeorgieG,
I’m not a vegan but I am a vegetarian. Its my second week on the FD, my first fast of this week was meant to be yesterday but I had an epic fail as soon as I walked into the the local toddler group with my young daughter and helped myself to the free biscuits that come with the tea! But, I have managed to fast today and am really chuffed.
I find my fasts so mental. What I mean by that is I mentally worry about fasting all day and then realise it is 3pm in the afternoon and I haven’t eaten anything and then it dawns on me that I can actually achieve the fast as I only have to have dinner and go to bed and its done! I find fasting makes me very aware of my thoughts, behaviour and habits around food!

Anyway, I have also been drinking tons of herbal tea, it really does help doesn’t it. I also mainly eat soup on my fast days but today I factored in hummus and a couple of small oatcakes, they tasted GOOD! I had a salad tonight of lettuce and lightly steamed broccoli with lemon juice and balsamic vinegar salt and pepper, that was also GOOD! I have actually just got a library book out of veggie recipes if I find any good ones I’ll post them on here.
Good luck with all!

Nika

1:03 am
4 Dec 13
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I’m afraid I can’t help you with vegan recipes, I love my meat and eggs too much for that. What I can suggest is that you eat protein and veggies / fruit on your fast days, so you get all the nutrients you need, but I believe you’re already doing that so I’m gonna shut up 😉

Good luck with the program!

ChrissieinBrittany

7:24 am
4 Dec 13
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Hi! I’m a struggling vegan. Struggling because it’s so hard to avoid eggs and dairy when you eat out (work). I too fill up on soup and get that full then empty feeling so I can really relate to that! I’m not sure I can be doing with processed stuff like protein powders and I strongly believe we over do it on the whole protein thing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R07FL1wVo4&feature=youtu.be

Let us know how you get on! Good luck 😉

GeorgieG

6:19 pm
4 Dec 13
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Hi tea rose, yes it is a mental thing. I get a wave of ‘ I could eat now’ and then I remember I’m fasting and give myself and internal hug and words of encouragement like ‘I am nurturing my body’ ”I deserve good health” ‘I am healthy and free of food addictions”. Plus keeping a journal and this forum help to support my fast days. One thing I have noticed is that on these days I have so much more time. I didn’t realise how much of my day was spent preparing and eating food! Keep it up, I do believe its potentially an excellent way of keeping in good health as long as you dont revert to large amounts of processed foods on the other days. That would be a pointless waste of time.

GeorgieG

6:46 pm
4 Dec 13
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Hi Chrissie

The protein powder I use is top quality. It called Warrior Blend by Sun Warrior. It’s used by the top raw vegans in the US and I recommend you have a look. However we are all different. I have mild IBS and so I can’t tolerate lentils, pulses and soya. I had blood tests and my protein levels were very low. So this blend works for me and indeed I was surprised how good I feel on it.
As to eating out as a vegan…..groan…..I am with you on that one. It’s really hard. I don’t eat out every day so if egg or dairy can’t be avoided than so be it. 99% of the time I am able to enjoy my own food choices but sometimes you gotta go with the flow. However, if you eat out regularly then either take an avocado and seeds with you, ask for a salad then toss on your own additions. Stuff what anyone else thinks, what matters is what works for your body and your social conscience.

ChrissieinBrittany

8:38 pm
4 Dec 13
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I couldn’t get hold of that brand here in France anyway but thanks for the info.

When I finish at the post office I run over to the school dinner kitchens where I work for a couple of hours. We eat what the children will be having that day. They already think I’m nuts here not eating meat (the French haven’t come to terms with vegetarianism yet) but I’d really insult the chef if I was truly vegan at work! I’ll have to give them a few more years yet to get used to the idea!

Vikster

10:52 pm
4 Dec 13
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Hi
I’m on week 2 now and just finishing my 4th fast day. I’m a vegan (but not a raw food vegan) and so far I’ve found the diet alot easier than I thought it would be. I’m having my 500 cals in one evening meal which I’m keeping low carb but lots of veg and protein like tofu or beans. Tonight I had tofu with vegan pesto, various veggies, tomatoes and 30g of wholewheat pasta. I’ve also tried soups like butterbean and carrot which are really filling. I’m managing through the day with loads of water and chamomile tea. I lost 3lbs the first week and feel good on fast days. My sweettooth seems to be diminishing as well. Good luck to everyone with your diets.

bronny

7:53 am
15 Dec 13
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Hi,

I’m a vegan and really interested in trying this way of eating. I am carrying about 10 kg more than normal at the moment and feeling awful. I eat when I’m not hungry so I’m wondering if there is some sort of psychological reason for my weight gain. I walk 30 minutes on my treadmill most days. I’m glad to see other vegans here and to read of your ideas….planning to start in the new year. Question – is it worth buying the book as a vegan? Also how best to count calories? Thinking that perhaps rice milk green smoothies might be the way to go on fast days….

Bron

GeorgieG

11:11 am
15 Dec 13
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Hi Bron, good to hear from you. There is a lot I can advise you on but let’s start with the basics. If you think comfort eating has psychological roots then you are most probably spot on. Buy yourself Louise Hays You Can Heal Your Life and climb aboard the self-love train because changing your mindset from I’m Bad to I’m Worthy of Love and Abundant Health is one journey you’re never going to want to get off. Cut the BS about starting in the NY, that’s just fear. Start today with Bron you are an Awesome Vibrant Woman who is taking charge of her life and letting go of what no longer serves her to give room for the those things that nurture and support the new woman she is becoming.
Keep up the exercise, do a green smoothie one day fast twice a week. Recipe I use is green juice, 1/2 has avo, 1 tbs chia seeds, one scoop Sun warrior protein powder, handful of rocket, half a cucumber… Whizz and chew (don’t gulp smoothies you need to chew eat mouth). Big hugs, keep me update xx

bronny

9:33 pm
15 Dec 13
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Thanks for the advice Georgie – I’m only hesitating because it’s the silly season and I’m going to Queensland for the holidays next Monday for two weeks (I’m in Australia – staying with rellies so really hard to do my own thing, re juicing etc.)

My comfort eating is not about low self-esteem though, quite healthy in that area….I don’t know what it is…I just love eating, but understand there is more to it.

So you don’t use rice/almond/soy in your smoothie? And do you just have smoothies on those fast days? I bought Michael/Mimi’s ebook, looking forward to reading it.

Thanks again
Bron

bronny

9:38 pm
15 Dec 13
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BTW in my smoothies I use maca, super greens (a powedered mixture of chlorella, spirulina etc.) and usually raw cacao. I also usually put LSA in, but guess I should cut the LSA on a fast day….

GeorgieG

1:10 pm
8 Jan 14
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Hi Vikster how is the fasting going? I like your recipe ideas. I still keep my fast days simple with a green protein smoothie in the morning and again in the evening with a green juice first thing and a couple of grapefruits if I’m feeling desperate. I also make a couple of cups of raw almond milk for black tea but I add a fair amount of water to it so its quite thin but gives me the sensation of having a cappuccino as I add it to fresh dandelion coffee. Drinking fire water is helpful…..warm water with lemon and cayenne pepper. It sparks you up. However variety is the spice of life so I am going to make the following as my reasons for the fast is not weight loss but liver and kidney support.

Based on physician Henry Bieler’s ‘Bieler Broth’, this vegetable tonic provides an ideal combination of minerals for restoring acid-alkaline and sodium-potassium balance to the body’s organs and glands.

Vegetarian, cleansing and perfect for the cooler months of the year. (Serves 4)

Ingredients
4 cups of spring or filtered water
4 medium zucchini, finely chopped
15 oz (425 grams) green string beans, roughly chopped
1 small bunch of parsley, stems and leaves roughly chopped
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt

Method
1. Put all ingredients in a pot. Bring to a gentle boil, lower heat and then simmer very gently for 30 minutes, with lid on.
2. Strain and use as a broth. Alternatively, leave vegetables in, or even blend to create a thicker soup.
Note
A particularly good adrenal tonic for stress-related conditions and general fatigue. A handy vegetable stock to use as a base in other recipes.

GeorgieG

1:12 pm
8 Jan 14
Permalink

Hi briny HNY how is the fasting going? Here is a recipe for you to cleanse….add beans, quinoa etc for calories
Based on physician Henry Bieler’s ‘Bieler Broth’, this vegetable tonic provides an ideal combination of minerals for restoring acid-alkaline and sodium-potassium balance to the body’s organs and glands.

Vegetarian, cleansing and perfect for the cooler months of the year. (Serves 4)

Ingredients
4 cups of spring or filtered water
4 medium zucchini, finely chopped
15 oz (425 grams) green string beans, roughly chopped
1 small bunch of parsley, stems and leaves roughly chopped
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt

Method
1. Put all ingredients in a pot. Bring to a gentle boil, lower heat and then simmer very gently for 30 minutes, with lid on.
2. Strain and use as a broth. Alternatively, leave vegetables in, or even blend to create a thicker soup.
Note
A particularly good adrenal tonic for stress-related conditions and general fatigue. A handy vegetable stock to use as a base in other recipes.

footsieusa

2:27 pm
23 Feb 14
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I’ve been vegan for many years now. On the fast diet at the recommendation of my doctor for about 6 months now. Had a hard time coming up with satisfying fast day meals but I now have a Qrunch burger (doesn’t say vegan but can’t find anything in the ingredients that say otherwise) with as many vegetables to make up the 250 calories to equal the balance. So far it’s working but need to come up with other easy solutions too.

bronny

9:39 pm
23 Feb 14
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Yay, another vegan! And thanks Georgia for that soup recipe – I think you were referring to me in one of your posts? 🙂

Thrilled to say that since mid January I have lost just under 4 kg and I love it. Feel great. Have about 6 more to lose, but will see how I’m feeling before then. I seem to have gotten into a nice pattern now, green smoothie for brekkie with coconut water and no superfoods (all high cal, who knew?!) Then some carrot sticks and cucumber with salsa for lunch. For tea I usually have a low cal soup (McDougall’s or one that I make myself) or mashed cauliflour with onion, garlic and nutritional yeast – so yummy! Or scrambled tofu. I’m also walking at least 20 minutes a day on my treadmill and have 3 coffees with rice milk a day….and lots of sparkling mineral water. I’m generally eating more raw on all my days and that is helping. Have recently bought a ‘spirooli’ and raw zucchini pasta is lovely – with marinated mushrooms and a marinara sauce.

I’ve also recently read that saurkraut is very low cal, so are artichokes so have been including them in my lunch recently. Today is a fast day so I’m going to try skipping breakfast and having a smoothie for lunch instead.

Footsieusa, we don’t have Qrunch burgers in Australia….tell me what they are like. try my ideas above – the cauli is really yummy. How much weight have you lost in your 6 months? Good luck!

footsieusa

11:31 pm
23 Feb 14
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Hi bronny, Qrunch burgers are quinoa based. I put them in the toaster so their easy to make and mixed with veggies taste good. I’ve only recently found them in a couple of stores here.

bronny

11:36 pm
23 Feb 14
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Wow! I love quinoa, must check them out and see if we have a supplier here – how many cals?

bronny

11:38 pm
23 Feb 14
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Just checked and no-one has them here 🙁

viennesish

9:01 am
9 Jun 14
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Hi!
I am only in my second week of TFD but very excited about all the support available in the forum! So I thought I share my vegan food-options as well…

Even though I do not consider myslef a vegan I try to have as many vegan meals as possible (on fast days and non-fast days), for moral and health reasons.

I notice it would be much “easier” to get lean protein from egg, dairy or even fish on fast-days, so I am trying to plan ahead and have enough vegan options available.

My usuals are big salads (lettuce and veggies like cherry tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, carrot, mushrooms, ect) with balsamic-mustard dressing and some protein from either tofu (prefer the firm one cut into cubes and seasoned), nuts (roasted pinenuts or cashews) or beans/lentils (e.g. clack beluga lentils). Fairly simple.

i find soft tofu works well blended with few beans like chickpeas for a lower calorie version of hummus. I add some sesame seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and herbs and blend it all until creamy. I then have a heap of veggies like celery sticks, peppers, cucumber etc. to dip in.

Vegetable curries also work well for me if I need something warm. I have them with tomato sauce as a base and just a little bit of coconut milk for flavour to keep calories down. I like to add a little bit of TVP (cubes or minced) just for texture and protein, however it is higher in calories so it is never a big amount.

I use calorie counters (e.g. myfitnesspal) to calculate the (more or less) exact amount of calories, starting with the most tricky ingredient (lentils, chickpeas, TVP, coconut milk… whatever I think will add the most calories) and then fill the rest of my balance up with the veggies/salads.

As I try to not have anything caloric till the evening the remaining balance of usually 500kcal makes it easy to create a satisfying meal with lots of volume from the veggies and a bit of protein from beans, tofu or nuts. 🙂

I have yet to try some of my favourite vegan staples (burger!) in a low cal version suitable for fast days.

Would love to hear from other (semi-)vegans how they are getting along and learn about your fasting-staple foods.

Nymphenburg

11:44 am
9 Jun 14
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Hi Georgie,

I’m not vegan, but I often cook vegan for lunch. Today on my fast day I had vegan courgette “carbonara”: Corgette, smoked tofu, almond mush, some drops of lemon juice and herbs, one can also add onions, but I had none at home.

Mostly I just cook vegetables with variations of tofu (e.g. with herbs), seitan, tempeh or legumes, lots of herbs and spices, olive oil and sometimes nuts or seeds. Once in a while I transform that into a curry, with coconut cream, ginger, kaffir lime leafs and curry paste.

That’s quick and easy and I always cook 2-3 portions to take with me to work.

Hope that helps.
Debby

vegangal53

11:57 am
22 Jun 14
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Hi, I’m vegan and I’m making soy protein shakes on my fast days.

I also drink a lot of milky (light soy milk!) tea throughout the day and chew on fiber gummies.

I also made a soup with 10 calorie vegetable broth, tofu, shiratake noodles and seasoing. Very filling, easy and low cal.

veggiemaggie

5:01 am
11 Aug 14
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Yay there are vegans here!!
I’ve only recently heard of intermittent fasting, and plan on starting it in the next couple of days.
Question for folks that have been doing it for a bit, when you make a green smoothie are you strict with how many greens you throw in there or because they are so low in cals do you just go for it?
I’m thinking of doing at least one but probably two green smoothies a day on the fast days, (along with eating some low cal fruits and veg as snacks to get through the day), and I often make massive smoothies, (1L), do you think it’s important to be cautious of my leafy green intake?
Oh! I also use the warrior blend from Sunwarrior- it’s the best protein powder I’ve ever come across!
Thanks and good luck everyone!

nanna0077

10:34 pm
17 Sep 14
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Hi all, I’m day 4 & fast day 2 for the week. I have been a Vegan for the last 19 months which has made my high Cholesterol finally come down to a normal level. My weight is my last problem. I’m a 63yo Grandma from Australia who battles with an under active thyroid. I know the 5:2 will do the trick. I registered with myfitnesspal.com & stick to the calorie allowances for each day. So much easier using this site each day. I’m taking recipes out of 2 fat-free vegan cookbooks from the library, as I don’t want to get bored with tasteless meals. My Husband has become a Vegan 6 weeks ago, so it makes it so much easier when you are vegans together. Love reading all your blogs. Good luck to us all.

Happypaddock

9:42 am
18 Sep 14
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Hi everyone, I have just connected with this site but my husband and I have been doing this diet for about the last six months or so. We are both vegan and have had no trouble at all in doing it. Most of our friends told us that we were crazy and that we couldn’t possibly lose weight like that when we first started but my husband has lost about 12 kilos and I have lost about 8! Good luck everyone!

SSure

10:25 am
18 Sep 14
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SunWarrior powders are available from Amazon Fr if you would like to take a look at them (I’ve mostly seen positive recommendations for them with only 2 people disliking them, to my recollection, which is very good for protein powders as a lot of them are unpleasant):

http://www.amazon.fr/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_10?__mk_fr_FR=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&url=search-alias%3Dhpc&field-keywords=sunwarrior&sprefix=sunwarrior%2Caps%2C227

Nessa B.

4:29 am
27 Dec 14
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Hi all! I’m a 47 year old vegan from Melbourne, Australia. This is my first fast day and while I’ve felt very hungry between “meals”, I haven’t had any drop in blood sugar levels, which is great.

Here’s what I’ve had today:

Breakfast: Smoothie made from 1/2 a mango, 1/2 a large banana, 1/2 a large cucumber (130 calories)

Lunch: 1 cup of cooked bok choy (20 calories) followed by a smoothie made from 1/2 an apple, 1 whole raw beetroot, 1 large stalk of celery, 2 tbpns of oats and a squeeze of lemon juice (132 calories)

Dinner: 2 cups of cooked, sliced cabbage, 1 cup of cooked broccoli, 1 cup of canned tomatoes mixed with a 1/4 can of refried beans and 2 tsp of nutritional yeast. (218 calories)

I got VERY hungry between brekky and lunch (I’m not a person who can go all day without eating), so next fast day I think I’ll put oats in my morning smoothie rather than my lunch smoothie. I’m currently between lunch and dinner and I still have a little of the lunchtime smoothie to drink, so it’s been pretty good. Dinner looks like it will be pretty filling, so I’m not anticipating getting too hungry before bedtime.

Good luck to all you lovely vegans. 🙂

Anni

8:53 pm
16 Feb 15
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Hi @nessa-b I’m another fasting vegan from Melbourne. I post some of my fast day meals on IG @vegananni. I find two meals: brunch and dinner work for me, with lots of green tea inbetween. My meals are similar to what i normally eat(HCLF) but I quarter the starches and increase the fruits and veges. I love soups so will make a miso soup or a minestrone even in the middle of summer – I prefer these to a smoothie. The myfitnesspal app is great to help me track my fast days – I dont track the other days.
Happy healthy fasting fellow vegos!