There are a few things I’d like to address about my plant-based diet and my vegan lifestyle.
- Veganism is not a diet. There are many reasons one decides to adopt a vegan lifestyle, but there is not a vegan diet. I decided to call this blog “The Vegan Hermit” because it is descriptive of who I am. I am vegan. I happen to be many things. The reasons for my veganism are varied, but none of them were health or food related. I won’t get into veganism here, but I thought it should be addressed. I wanted to make clear that everything I am doing is in the context of veganism, but not a product of it.
- I am following a whole foods, plant-based diet (WFPB), specifically the recommendations of Dr. John McDougall. For years, I bought into the idea that Dr. McDougall didn’t know what he was talking about. It is true that sometimes he sounds a bit conspiratorial, but his plan works. Those who don’t succeed are almost always trying to do his plan, but adding things they shouldn’t add. And when I really look back at those who try to discredit John McDougall, most of them were trying to sell me something–supplements, a book, coaching. They rarely had pure motives. That said, nobody is perfect and my guess is that Dr. McDougall gets it right about 95% of the time. And that’s pretty good. There are some ways he talks about things in his books that bother me a little, but nothing I cannot handle. And he’s not great at taking criticism, especially from those he perceives as being beneath him (in terms of his experience and time working in this field. He definitely thinks some of the younger doctors need to know their place). Regardless of what you think of him, Dr. John McDougall saves lives.
- I have read the science on keto diets. I have listened to many discussions on the topic. It is one of the most recommended ways of eating by well-meaning friends and family. I hear you all, but that is not the plan I’ve chosen. As an ethical vegan, keto is not as simple for me, but it remains an option. Many well-known vegans are following a low-carb keto diet. I personally find the science interesting, but not terribly compelling. There are many breakdowns of the science, but I’d recommend checking out Plant Chompers. He has covered the subject many times in his deep dives. He was a scientist first, so I trust his ability to digest the literature. He is also one of the few vegan YouTubers who spends a lot of time reading books by authors who do not share his interpretations of the information. His goal is always truth, whether it agrees with his preconceived notions or not. For me, when I saw the charts that show that initial keto weight loss is excellent compared to low fat, what I wanted to know was what happened after a year. What about two years? Five? While we don’t really have comprehensive studies (that I’m aware of) concerning five years out, we do know how the two diets do at one year and at two. Sometime between 12 & 18 months into a keto diet, folks will have lost about the same amount as those on a low fat diet. The low fat dieters got there in a slower, steadier pace. Beyond that, low fat dieters seem to actually do better. For myself, I want long term success. It is also true that low fat diets require a lot more food to get the calories in. I like to feel full. Further reading on keto:
- I am not currently planning on adding intensive workout routines to my plan. While I love a good workout, even though it’s been a long time since I did that, I am currently trying the recommendations of several people who have successfully lost weight on a WFPB, high carb diet.
- Plant Based Gabriel–”How I lost 100 Pounds on a Vegan Diet”
- Plant Based Gabriel–”How I Lost 100 Pounds with Calorie Density!” (Gabriel discusses working out at 1:13:40)
- High Carb Hannah’s Story – Hannah did little exercise during her weight loss, but increased her workouts as she lost.
- Well Your World’s Dillon’s Story – Dillon did not exercise at the start of his weight loss, but added some during his loss.
I’ll probably have more updates on my thoughts. I guess I wanted to make clear that I haven’t just decided to lose weight and think I might know how without doing some research. I have. I have a goal, but also a path I’m following. And I will make mistakes.
What if I’m wrong? What if I have followed the wrong advice and I discover that what worked so well for the people I’ve been following does not in fact work for me? What if I start to gain weight or start to feel sick? Well, then I will have been wrong. I’m not worried about trying something and failing. It’s so much better than not trying something at all.
