Vegan #WeddingDiet Plan

By Kayley George, RDN, LD

Getting married is an exciting time despite all the stressors and planning that comes along with it. Figuring out how to eat well and eat smart during this time can be an added stress, especially when you are living a vegan lifestyle. Knowing how to eat healthy and whole foods that fit into your vegan diet doesn’t need to add any stress to your wedding season if you follow this 12-month vegan wedding diet plan. 

12+ Months Out

With a whole year before the wedding bells, there’s plenty of time to shift into healthier eating habits without jumping into an intense and unrealistic crash diet. If you’re in this time frame, it’s important to focus on cleaning up your overall diet.  

One simple first step towards cleaner eating is limiting processed foods and added sugars. Instead, focus on whole foods that provide a bigger nutrient punch for your body. If you are picking up a packaged food (a culprit in the vegan world), make sure that the label states less than 10g of added sugars. Opting for nutrient-dense foods will not only support weight loss, but also give you a boost of much-needed energy. You’ll also want to consider cutting back on alcohol and eating out. When you eat out, it’s easy to overindulge and lose track of exactly how much you’re consuming, especially if you’re out with a group. Limiting the drinks will also help you save money, eliminate unnecessary calories, and feel like the best possible bride-to-be in the months leading up to your wedding. 

6-12 Months Out

You’re officially less than a year out from saying “I do” and beginning to envision how you will look your best in your beautiful dress. Don’t fret, even if you didn’t start cleaning up your diet yet, it is not too late! It’s time to start focusing some attention on calorie intake and macros. 

No matter what eating style you follow, the key to weight loss is finding the sweet spot for your metabolism, meaning the calories you burn in a day exceed the calories you consume without going into “starvation mode”. You can estimate your calories using the trick of 14-16 calories/lb of body weight which determines the number of calories you need to maintain your current scale status. Depending on your weight loss goals, you can adjust your calories to a deficit of around 20% less than the maintenance number. 

It’s also important to focus on your consumption of macronutrients: protein, carbs, and fats. For fat loss it is important to focus on protein intake as protein reduces hunger hormones which aids you in consuming less calories. There are many valuable protein sources that fit into a vegan diet, beans, lentils, and chickpeas are solid sources of protein and nuts can be a good source of both protein and healthy fats.

 A solid breakdown of macros for fat loss is about 40% carbohydrates, 20% protein, and 40% fats. When following a vegan diet, start with the goal of 15% protein and work your way up from there to 20%. If you’re vegetarian, a realistic goal is 20-25% of calories from protein with the addition of dairy sources. These numbers can and should be adjusted depending on activity level and personal dietary needs. Try not to obsess over hitting macros exactly every day, but they are a good outline and of what you should try to eat each day to feel and look your best.

3-6 Months Out

The big day is getting closer and the headaches of planning a wedding may be overwhelming you, but don’t let your diet add to that stress. Plateaus are totally normal and expected in a fat loss journey. You have made it this far so don’t give up now! Continue to push yourself out of your comfort zone in both diet and exercise. Switch up your workouts and push yourself to continue to eat clean and break through those mind blocks. You definitely won’t regret it when you break through and see even more progress! 

Keeping your protein intake high can be a challenge for some people with the vegan diet. Don’t let the business of wedding planning draw you into the world of processed vegan products (dairy-free ice cream bars, anyone?). Just because it has a vegan label doesn’t mean it’s automatically healthy. Fueling for your workouts and pushing yourself requires energy from quality protein and carbohydrates, don’t opt out for the cheap “Impossible Meat” options. You will need plenty of energy to keep you going during this busy time and it is important to get that from whole food sources!

1 Month Out

Congrats! You are officially in the home stretch! Some last little adjustments will help you in this final month. With your macros calculated from before, it is now time to cut back on the carbohydrates for the final weight loss push. Limiting intake of carbs will lower your insulin levels which in turn causes your body to burn stored fat. Instead of burning off the carbs you consume, your body will be forced to burn your stored body fat to make energy! Focus on consuming whole foods high in protein and healthy fats, but limit carbohydrates. Nuts and avocados are healthy ways to get fats and continue to get protein from the same sources.

1 Week Out

T-7 days till “I do’s” and contrary to popular belief it is not time for a detox or to eat as little as possible! Instead, focus on continuing to consume whole foods and really limiting processed foods, excess salt, sugar, and alcohol. Avoiding these will help to keep off fat, bloating, and reduce the chance of breakouts. Try to keep your meals low-carb and don’t try foods that you have never had before as you don’t know how your body will react! Lastly and not to be overlooked: drink your water! It is so important to stay hydrated in order to feel and look your best. 

Don’t let the stress of creating a diet for wedding season stress you out! Just follow this plan and ease into an all-around healthier lifestyle by creating balanced habits while getting wedding day ready!

For plant-based meal plan guidance, check out our FREE 1-week meal plan sample to get started.

For a more personalized 6-month meal plan to help your out during this stressful time - no one wants to worry about what to eat when planning a gorgeous wedding - book a FREE discovery call with Kayley today!

Published on Mar 30, 2020 at 5:09 pm