I wasn't trying to lose weight, but it happened anyway — it's common when people make the switch to a vegan diet. You have to eat more to make up for the calorie-dense meat and dairy you omit (great — I get to eat more food!). I haven't continued to lose weight, but my resting body weight is about five to eight pounds lighter now, which is still in a healthy range for me.
Not everyone loses weight on a plant-based diet, but many people see a weight change after just a few weeks, especially if they are medically obese or overweight. One recent study found vegetarian diets to be almost twice as effective for weight loss than typical caloric-restriction diets — and that was a vegetarian diet, not a vegan one.
Dr. Michael Klaper, an internationally recognised authority on diet and health, explains that metabolic changes begin soon after adopting a plant-based diet. He says that after just a few weeks, "Obesity begins to melt away and people observe bloat and oedema fluid leaving their tissues, especially in their legs."
Image Source: Rachel Krantz