This Vegan Diet Is the Opposite of Keto, and People Are Losing Weight on It

HCLF vegan is a whole foods, plant-based diet that involves eating mostly carbs and limited fats, explained registered dietitian Jessica Levings, MS, RD of Balanced Pantry . The macro breakdown is about 75 to 80 percent carbs, 10 to 15 percent protein, and 10 to 15 percent fats.

There are several ways people can follow this diet, including only eating raw fruits and veggies, eating mostly raw fruit and veggies with a small amount of cooked food like whole grains, eating Raw Till 4 (meaning eating raw, unprocessed foods until 4:00 p.m.), or eating a starch-rich diet including tons of foods like potatoes, winter squashes, whole grains, and whole grain pasta and bread.

Here are some reasons to try a HCLF vegan diet:

• Whole plant foods are more nutrient-dense than processed foods, which can boost your immune system. Studies even show a plant-based diet can prevent heart disease.
• Whole plant foods are low in calories and offer tons of fibre, so eating them allows you to consume fewer calories and feel fuller, which research has shown can help you lose weight (if that's your goal). Fibre is also great for digestion and for preventing constipation and bloating.
• You get to eat carbs! This includes all the foods that popular low-carb diets say are off limits, so you can enjoy whole grains, fruits, pasta, bread, and even (vegan) pizza.
• Carbs offer your body fuel, so you'll feel energized for workouts (and life in general).

You may be wondering what a person would eat on a HCLF vegan diet. Here's an example of a day:

Breakfast: oatmeal with fruit (a tiny bit of nuts and seeds on top is OK).
Morning snack: apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon and chopped dates.
Lunch: kale salad with bell pepper, celery, cucumbers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, sliced strawberries, chickpeas, quinoa, and baked sweet potato.
Afternoon snack: overnight oats banana smoothie.
Dinner: whole wheat pasta with lentils and tomato sauce.
Dessert: frozen cherry nice cream.

Your first question may be, "Wait, I thought eating too many carbs caused weight gain? Isn't that why so many people eat a low-carb diet to lose weight?," but what sets the HCLF vegan diet apart from other diets is that you're focusing on whole-food sources of carbs such as fruits, whole grains, and veggies, and these contain fibre. Fibre in these foods will fill you up more than eating refined carbs like white bread or cookies.

Aside from avoiding refined grains and sugar, here are some other things to consider if you want to avoid weight gain when eating a HCLF vegan diet:

• Although whole grain flours are allowed, if your diet consists mainly of pancakes, bread, pasta, and muffins, for one, you won't feel very good. Also, since these are high in calories without offering you filling fibre, registered dietitian Leslie Langevin, MS, author of The Anti-Inflammatory Kitchen Cookbook said you won't feel as satisfied, so you'll reach for more food.
• While avocado, nuts, seeds, and the butters made from them like almond butter and tahini are allowed, they should be consumed in moderation. Grabbing handful after handful of raw almonds adds up in the calorie department!
• Don't overeat. Be mindful of the hunger scale and eat until you're satisfied but not stuffed.
• Be mindful of your macros, and track them at first to make sure you're actually eating low-fat. If you're eating high-fat and high-carb, you'll likely gain weight.
• Your diet should be mostly whole foods, so even though a cookie, chocolate, or ice cream might be vegan, these types of processed foods should be limited.
• Make sure you're feeling satisfied emotionally and physically, and vary your diet to prevent boredom. Eating HCLF should be enjoyable, and if it's not, you might end up bingeing on foods that are not part of the HCLF vegan diet, which could result in weight gain.