Looking to shed a few pounds as the festive season approaches? You may want to think about adapting to a vegan diet. Eliminating meat, fish, eggs and dairy products from your diet can have a drastically positive result on your health and wellbeing. Swapping for things like fresh fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, as well as a plant-based milk and other non-dairy products and meat alternatives.

According to recent studies, the vegan lifestyle can help you lose a significant amount of weight. If you aren’t choosing the vegan lifestyle out of ethical concerns, the diet can have many health benefits.

If you’re skeptical and wondering how, going vegan may can lead to the reduction of the number of high-calorie foods you consume. With a vegan diet, you can end up swapping foods with high-fiber content for alternatives that are low in calories but will actually keep you fuller for longer.

A big taboo with the vegan diet is whether it is healthy for us to cut out so much of the food groups from our diets. To do this, you must pay more attention to your nutrition and consumption. For example, some worry about whether they are receiving enough protein or other essential nutrients, like vitamin B-12. This vitamin is found naturally only in animal products, and if you become deficient in this vitamin, it may lead to anemia. However, on the vegan diet you can upkeep these with supplementary vitamins and fortified cereals and soy products.

They key, alongside any diet, is to focus on nutrient-dense foods and reduce empty calories. For vegans, foods like this would be:

-fresh fruit and vegetables

-whole grains

-beans and legumes

-nuts and seeds

Limit and avoid vegan processed foods that contain these ingredients:

-fats

-sugars

-starches

-sodium

-food additives

Men should, on average, be eating 2,500 calories each day to maintain their weight, and limit it to 2,000 a day to lose weight. There are many factors that affect weight loss, including:

-age

-height

-current weight

-diet

-physical activity levels

-metabolic health

-other medical related issues

Although you cannot control all of the above factors, you can control your lifestyle, diet and exercise. Regardless of the diet you choose, you should always follow these guidelines for healthy eating.

-Time your meals

-Watch your portions

-Make sure you’re getting enough protein

-Pass on “healthy” drinks

-DONT binge on plant-based desserts

Swapping to a vegan diet may help you lose weight, but it is still a good idea to consult your doctor or dietician before making such a big change to your life. Coupled with regular exercise, the vegan diet is a consistent and healthy way to lose and maintain your weight.