Going vegan was a monumental step for me. Just a few months prior, I couldn’t imagine a life without tuna-filled sushi rolls or cheesy pizzas. While making the dietary shift seemed to be the final step in my plant-based journey at the time, in truth it was just the beginning.
The long learning process that followed could have been a lot less troublesome had I avoided these five mistakes I made going vegan.
Read on to learn about common pitfalls to look out for.
#1. Avoiding Carbs
Carbohydrates are a controversial topic (sadly).
With countless self-declared “nutrition experts” demonizing carbs as the culprit of weight gain and media outlets jumping on the low-carb trend, it’s no wonder that myths about the macro-nutrient are widespread.
At the beginning of my vegan transition, I too avoided eating “too many” carbs (in the form of breads, rice, and pasta) due to the worry instilled in me that I would inevitably put on weight. Not only was this mindset restrictive, it also prevented me from becoming my fittest self and left me in a constant state of energy depletion.
In fact, the scientific literature suggests that diets low in carbohydrates do not have any advantage over those with higher amounts of the macro-nutrient in terms of weight-loss and -maintenance (1). Actually, eating carbs is pretty beneficial for overall health!
Not only are carbs the body’s main source of energy, they also play a crucial role in the production of serotonin (a.k.a the “happy hormone”), stabilizing cortisol (a.k.a the “stress hormone”) levels (2) , and regulating blood sugar (3).
Conclusion: Carbs are not the enemy you’re made to believe. In fact, they’re an important part of a balanced, healthy diet.
#2. Accidentally Eating Low-Calorie
When people hear the terms “vegan” or “plant-based”, they inevitably think of spinach salads, spiralized zucchini “noodles”, and other raw veggies. What all of these foods have in common is not only a high amount of health-promoting vitamins, but also a low caloric density.
While eating in a caloric deficit may be beneficial for those seeking to shed a few pounds of weight, only living off of fruits and vegetables makes it difficult for a reasonably active person to consume enough calories to sustain their energy levels.
A common pitfall for new vegans is mistaking “eating a lot of food” for “eating a lot of calories”. At the beginning of my journey, I frequently loaded up on large veggie bowls, which left me full but unsatisfied. I was constantly tired and unmotivated.
The turning point came when I started learning about nutrition and discovered the rich world of plant-based foods. Introducing more grains, legumes, and healthy fats to my diet (as well as the occasional tub of ice cream…) meant I was now eating enough calories to sustain my daily activity. The result: restored energy levels and drastic mood improvements.
#3. Being “That Preachy Vegan”
Everyone who has gone vegan can likely relate; you’ve just discovered the “solution” to what feels like nearly every problem out there and now have to the urge to enlighten all those who ask (or don’t ask) you about it. Newsflash: Trying to convert everyone on the spot is probably not going to work.
Aggressively preaching to your friends, family, and strangers on the internet often backfires. If you don’t want to come off as an ideological wanna-be guru, try a gentler approach.
I learned that doing my own thing and leading by example automatically made people curious about my lifestyle.
In the long run, this approach turned out to be more effective for me than actively trying to convert people. When someone approaches you by themselves, they already have an open mind and are ready to actually listen to what you have to say.
#4. Making Veganism My Identity
When I turned vegan, my new lifestyle was all I could think about. At the time, being the only person in my social environment who didn’t consume any animal products, I was quickly labeled “the vegan”.
In retrospect, I’m not sure whether that was solely the result of my peers’ perception of me or if I purposefully wanted to stand out. Because I identified myself primarily through my lifestyle choices, I felt alone and distant in that regard.
I learned that obsessing about slip-ups, like accidentally eating a muesli bar containing milk powder (the secret nemesis of every vegan), did not make me less vegan. Letting go of such controlling thoughts fostered a much more relaxed mindset!
While veganism is still an important part of who I am, as it reflects my environmental standpoint and ethical opinions, I do believe that revolving too much around it is limiting. Embracing other sides of myself opened the door for self-growth and more meaningful interactions with others!
#5. Being Perfectionist
Am I getting enough calcium? Did I hit my daily minimum of 100 grams of protein today? What about my iron levels? As a new vegan, it’s easy to get caught up in the minutia of nutrition. At the time, this was quite the stress factor for me.
Don’t get me wrong: Paying attention to your intake of certain nutrients (such as vitamin B12) is important on any plant-based diet. But only because you’ve stopped eating animal products doesn’t inherently mean that you are in imminent danger of nutrient deficiency.
If you’re eating (whole-food) plant-based, chances are that your diet is already less processed and more nutrient-dense than the standard Western diet. People are quick to accuse plant-based diets of being nutritionally insufficient, but fail to consider that the average Western lifestyle and eating habits are the culprit of pervasive chronic conditions (think heart disease, type II diabetes, and arthritis…).
As long as your diet is balanced and you eat a variety of whole foods out of the grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fruits, and veggies categories, most of your nutritional needs are covered. Besides a vitamin B12 supplement, the recommendations to supplement with vitamin D, omega 3s, and other nutrients such as iron, do not exclusively apply to vegans.
So unless you’re an elite athlete that seeks that 1% of extra performance, meticulously tracking your nutrition to the gram may do you more harm than good because of the additional stress that it entails.