Skinny vegans? Yeah, right

I guess I haven't been that good of a friend, but I haven't talked that much to one of my best friends in years. It's the distance thing. He lives in the Dallas area, eight or so hours from here. I certainly have never talked that much about being vegan to him. Maybe I was afraid to because I wasn't that knowledgeable about what being a vegan really was about. I don't know. In our conversation yesterday, he brought up a point that is a common misconception about vegans. He said I must be losing weight because I'm a vegan. I'm working hard on getting healthier these days, but my weight has nothing to do with being a vegan. I still consume too many calories. I didn't cut out the hamburgers and replace them with nothing. I found other things to eat. Some vegans are skinny, and some are fat. That's just how it is. Vegans fall into the same traps of over consumption as meat-eaters. It's true we probably consume less saturated fat, more fiber and less protein, but that doesn't mean we don't eat too much. I recently gave up drinking alcohol regularly, I started doing aerobic exercises for 30 minutes each morning, and I try really hard not to buy soy ice cream too much. I also try not to eat out too much, as well. That's not that hard of a thing to do when you live in such an unfriendly place for vegans as we do. Those things will help me lose weight. I've noticed I'm starting to look a little slimmer lately. My double chin is whittling down, as are my love handles. My beer belly is still there. I still weigh way too much, but like I say, "I didn't put on these pounds quickly, so why should I expect to lose them that fast?" Yo-yo diets are not the answer. It's about making lifestyle changes. You should work at make permanent changes so the weight stays off. At least, that's what I'm hoping for. Being vegan is one thing that will help with so many health problems, but it's not the be-all answer. Vegans still have to work for their health.