Judging Vegans at a Glance
My voluptuous vegan friend
When a member of the general public hears the word “vegan,” they often think of a very thin, sallow, generally unhealthy-looking person. So when I tell someone that I am vegan, they tend to be shocked, because I don’t fit the scrawny stereotype. At 6’1″ and wearing a size 16-18, I am more likely to be stereotyped as Amazonian before I am stereotyped as Vegan. However, as the healthier lifestyle of avoiding animal products catches on, more people of every shape and size are discovering this wonderful lifestyle. As our voices are heard, the public perception of veganism is becoming more accepting.
A Twitter friend of mine, @veganhope, posted about being a fat vegan. And I was surprised and pleased at the outpouring of support and similar stories in the comments section. Another dear friend of mine, the beautiful Carol (pictured) has, through her vegan diet and many hours of sweat at the gym (people don’t like to hear the working out part), lost 100 pounds, and struggles daily to lose more. Even after this weight loss, her family still says to her when she gets sick, “You just need to eat some meat, it will help you fight off that cold!” or something similar. Through the adversity of being overweight and having negative family feedback, she is still one of the most positive and happy people I know.
I am not advocating a vegan diet solely for weight loss, because being vegan is an entire lifestyle. The point I am trying to make is that we all have our reasons for being vegan. And just because we don’t look a certain way, it doesn’t mean that we are any “less vegan” than the people that fit the public’s mental stereotype.
As a tall, curvy, and yes, somewhat overweight vegan, I'm really happy to see this post. I've had friends call me an “Amazon”, too (which isn't the worst thing to be called, I guess, lol). I think some groups would rather us not be so visible because we are living proof that becoming a vegan won't necessarily make you thin and that might hurt their diet and cookbook sales. But we must remember that being vegan is about opposing animal exploitation, not about weight-loss. Healthy weightloss is often a welcome benefit, but neither the goal nor a given.
Considering that some people believe they couldn't go vegan because they're worried about getting too thin on a strict vegetarian diet, it's good for people to see that you don't have to worry about becoming malnourished. In fact, my husband has gotten some flak from family for losing a lot of weight even though he's now right at the perfect weight for his height. Of course, they blame it on him being a vegan, but the strict vegetarian diet is only a part of the weight loss which he could have avoided had he wanted to. Of course, I'm there to point out that “vegan” doesn't mean “thin” (though I'm actually a bit jealous at how easy he can lose weight).
My underweight husband has actually gained a few pounds since becoming vegan! I attribute it to eating foods that break down a lot more quickly in the body, so his digestive system is keeping up with his fast metabolism, allowing him to be closer to his target weight.
For non-vegans: Fruits and veggies break down very easily, so people accustomed to the vegan diet (especially with raw foods) and having higher metabolisms will often find eating four to five meals a day more ideal.
That's great news about your husband — both for quitting smoking and gaining a bit of healthy weight!
I do think it's easier to eat more often as a vegan, though it still depends somewhat on what you're eating. I find that while I am not as hungry between meals that I don't feel as nauseatingly full, either. So, I do find it much easier to control my eating. Hopefully that will lead to some weight loss for me, but it's been excruciatingly slow. If I were doing this as a weight loss diet, I would have quit a long time ago. But, no worries, I have absolutely no desire to stop being a vegan.
Working out is key. If you're not burning the fat and calories, you're not going to really lose any weight. People hate the work part, but it's what you've got to do!
Good luck!
Yeah, unfortunately that's not always much of an option for everyone. But thanks!
Yes, you must burn more calories than you consume if you want to lose weight! I am a vegan that has struggled with my weight for several years. And that's great that you told Carol's story and posted her photo (wearing my shoes at my place
). She is a beautiful, non-stereotypical vegan with a very positive attitude and I am glad to know her as well. 
I actually heard a reverse vegan stereotype once from a friend who heard a female fitness buff say that vegans/vegetarians were round-bellied like cows that graze on grass and meat eaters were lean like predators.