What about if it wouldn’t be about the weight loss but more about just being healthy and happy and friendly to our bodies?
Sometimes people get confused in the jungle of „healthy“ eating and within concepts of diets, which promise a fast weight loss. Everyone of us has at least tried one of them. May it be, no carbs, size zero, rawtill4, weight watchers, high carb low fat, high fat low carb, protein based diet, and all the other I forgot. I am not questioning these form of diets, and they might work for people. However, in my opinion, everyone has to figure out what is right for him. It might take a while until we found our place where we are happy and we start to listen to our bodies. Don’t stress yourself, if you are not at this point right now. I had 8 years to find it 🙂 It is ok to try different things, also to fail!
Remember that saying: „Stop searching, and you’ll find it“? Sometimes my journey reminds me a lot of this saying. The more I tried to eat perfect, or to control my sport activities, the less output I got. Then I started to focus on the journey more than on the actual goal. To be honest, I got rid of every goal and just focussed on the moment. Your body will learn to crave fruits and healthy veggies and carbs. I learned that I love to have smoothies after my trainings, no matter how many fruit sugar or carbs they contain. Sometimes I eat Pasta for lunch and then sweet potatoes for dinner. Further, I’ll have dessert everyday! Not a Snickers or Maltesers, but I love protein bars from Squarebar, dark chocolate or homemade sweets. While you might expect that I gained weight, the opposite happened. The first month after going vegan I did not weight myself. Actually, I threw that machine that spits outs a number away. My weight might have fluctuated but after weighing in after some month I lost 1 pound. Besides of feeling happy on a 24/h basis, having a high level of energy during the day and eating whatever I wanted, my body started to change. I don’t care about numbers cause the feeling I have is more important than any number ever could be. (Except my birthday date, cause then I’ll have cake)
It is hard to describe my eating routine, but I could name it balanced vegan lifestyle with the freedom to be imperfect.When I feel like having chocolate, I’ll have chocolate. And if it happens the next day, I’ll have it again. (I am not speaking about having a piece of dark chocolate, cause that is like having a tiny small 1/16 of a tomato. No ONE would do that, right?!) Further, I am lucky enough to have a great family and great friends. They are not vegan. Whenever we cook or eat together, we try to eat as vegan as possible. Of course, this is not always possible, and I eat a cake with eggs or just normal sugar from time to time. Cause I think it is just not the moment to ask for the ingredients, when your grandma is making you a cake. This is my way and my opinion about it 🙂
Of course I am still working out and try to move my body as often as possible. A good thing is always to love different kinds of activities. I love Yoga, Gym, Tennis, Volleyball, Dancing, Walking, Surfing and many more. You can basically do whatever you like, just move that body. Positive effect: Better digestion, happy, more energy, positive mindset, better skin 🙂
I am curious about your experience and would love to hear your opinion!
Lisa Berg meint
I don’r understand, did you gain weight or what?
Lara Delilah meint
No, that was ironic. It was the best decision for me <3
Belinda meint
This is very refreshing to hear. I am constantly struggling with over training then under eating in an effort to lose a few kg’s and all that is happening is that I’m further away from what I want. I honestly don’t know what to do anymore…I guess just stop it all??
Lara meint
Overthinking kills you! Try to find your happy balance! I bet you are wonderful the way you are and so many people love you this way. Hope you are better now! Have you already subscribed to my new Blog vanillacrunnch.com?
Milena meint
Hey 🙂 this is a very inspiring and beautiful blog post and I think it is quite true, the things you wrote about stopping to care. I think going vegan is a great way to eat healthier too, because you can’t just eat a snickers when you want to 😉 I am not vegan (I hope you don’t hate me for that), but you’re a huge inspiration and I love your vegan recipes even though I only discovered you a day ago 😀
Lots of love xx
Lara meint
I would never hate you for that! I do not judge people by there eating. Thanks so much for all the compliments! Have you already subscribed to my new Blog vanillacrunnch.com?
anya clark meint
I find it really hard to resist cravings, are there any strategies that you use?
Lara Delilah meint
Hi anya, well it depends often I snack on sweet banana icecream or have some dates. But hey they are just days when I eat that cookies in on sitting or the whole chocolate bar. I learned to accept it and eating more fruits the next day 🙂 try to relax on cravings and you’ll see they shrink!
Sophia meint
I love the relaxed approach you have to diet 🙂
Lara Delilah meint
Thanks sophia! Makes life easier ❤️
Cara meint
I think your view of health and weight is great, eating right, caring for yourself, indulging here and there, making your body move is the way to go.
However, I’m super bummed to see you refer to it as a balanced vegan lifestyle. There is nothing vegan about eating eggs no matter how occasionally. Veganism is an ethical stance against animal exploitation. All of it, 24x7x365. One cannot support animal abuse when it’s convenient. I’d most certainly ask ingredients to ensure I’m not hurting others. I’d be more worried about the actual victims than someone’s hurt feelings if I turn down their dessert. If you’re not vegan and don’t strive to be, that’s one thing but please do not use the term vegan – the correct term would be vegetarian or plant-based. Watering down the definition of veganism is doing more harm to the movement than good, especially for us activists who are constantly battling the masses who already feel veganism is a „diet“ that can be cheated on. Thank you.
„Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.“ – Donald Watson, 1944
laladylann meint
Thats real true! I used to not really watch my diet when i got my bodyweight decrease, but when i do im becoming really ambitious and its ruining everything
Now im havin with myself and my diet
I eat a lot a fruits and water but still allow myself to eat cakes and meat and eggs
But also i balance it with morning jogging
And whatever how my body looks right now. Im happy inside 😀
Edith meint
Great post! And good to hear how you deal with it, when somebody offers you cake…love your blog 🙂
http://thehappyvegangirl.com
Lara meint
Thanks for reading Edith ❤️
superfitbabe meint
Weight really comprises of only a small amount of healthiness. Sometimes overweight people are very healthy, underweight people can be healthy too. Sometimes people who are at a normal weight are not. I went through a time when I both overate on terrible foods that weren’t good for my body, but I also underate on the cleanest, lowest fat and lowest calorie foods that gave me zero energy! It’s all about how you feel and how you perform that matters.
Lara meint
I could not agree more with you! Very wise words. Thank you for this contribution.
Xenia meint
Liebe Lara! Das hört sich ohne Zweifel super spannend an, aber ich bin mittlerweile der Meinung, dass es doch an den Kalorien liegt, wenn du älter als 27 bist. Mit dem Alter wird wohl eine unsichtbare Linie überschritten und auf einmal ist es doch wichtig, wie viel Kalorien am Tag man zu sich genommen hat. Alles über 1500 führt zu den unerwünschten Kilos. Es ist meine Erfahrung, vllt mache ich auch was falsch (kann ja sein), drum würde ich mich über deine Meinung „Gewicht/Alter“ freuen!
Lara meint
Hallo Xenia,
Lieben Dank für deinen Beitrag. Ich stimme dir voll und ganz zu das die einfache Grundrechnung Input-Output= Endresultat stimmen mag. Ich denke aber, dass es wichtiger ist, WAS man zu sich nimmt anstatt wieviel. Bei mir hat das eine das andere reguliert. Wenn ich mich gesund und starch-based ernähre, nehme ich zwar im Moment mehr kcal auf, bin dann aber schön satt und habe keine Fressattacken wo ich locker dann auf 2000kcal komme. Selbstverständlich ist auch jeder Körper anders. Was ich aufzeigen möchte, ist dass man durch eine hohe Kaloriendichte und angemessenem Sport (nichts extremes, 3-4 die Woche joggen, Yoga, Bewegung im Alltag) sein Gewicht halten kann und dabei auch glücklich und satt ist. Für mich aht diese Lösung sehr gut funktioniert. Ich bin 28 Jahre alt. Ich hoffe meine antwort macht irgendwo Sinn 🙂 Hab schöne Weihnachten und Festtage.
Lieber Gruss
Lara