You look great! Eliminating oils and large amounts of nuts, as well as going more starch-based, has been a huge help to me too in dropping a few pounds. Digestion also improved!

I had a similar experience. I lost 80 lbs on a vegan diet without counting calories, except I eat a high amount of fruits and veg, some starch and little fat.

I'm 5'10 and weigh 130lbs. I'm vegan and never count calories and eat as much as I want. Go Vegan! For the animals planet and your health! 🍌🍌❤️❤️🍌🍌

It breaks my heart that people are still scared to eat avocados and nuts and seeds in their diets. We need healthy fats every day for a healthy heart and a healthy life. Moderation is the key, but healthy fats are necessary!

I just started the same thing about 7 months ago. People are like dude cut the carbs but I lost 15lbs without trying

I absolutely loved your 130 lb picture 😳 Beautiful and such a perfect weight. I wish I was that weight! I understand you may feel better now and think you look better thin, but I hope you don't think you were overweight at 130 lbs!

WTG! 👍 living the starchy proof & spreading the truth!

I'm vegan, eat whatever amount I want so long as I follow the hclfv lifestyle. I've also lost weight without even trying. I work a desk job and lost weight eating in abundance and sitting! Carbs are soooo good for you (and fruits, veg, nuts, seeds too)! I follow McDougall as well! Best decision I ever made!

The way you talk about this is incredibly proper and clean! I've been familiar with this for awhile, so nothing new. Just loved the way you talked about it

This is probably the best video I have ever seen on weight loss and veganism. So clear and concise! Thank you very much!

Melissa you are so amazing! I love that you always strive to be the best you but at the same time don't get caught up if you make mistakes. You're truly an inspiration since there aren't that many people like you out there.

Nice video! You look great! You are staring out with good health while you are young! I am newbie plant-based vegan at age 52! I wish I had started when I was your age.

how is live without avocados and peanut butter? I don't even want to figure it out

Yes! Another McDougall fan! I love posting videos of meals that are McDougall approved. Great video!

Very helpful video, thank you! That picture of the tummy made sense. 😘

awesome, good job girl!! i'm just starting this journey, thanks for the inspo xo

I'm 4'11. And yeah, I can say I felt very different physically and mentally at 115 than I do now at 124. It's not a lot of weight in general, but for a small frame it makes a huge difference. Thank you for your message about counting calories. I needed to hear it. It's always great to hear from people on my end of the height spectrum lol. The average-heighted person's advice ("Don't worry about gaining 10 pounds! That's shallow!") is not always valid for all.

This is actually very helpful. I am trying to lose 35lb and have been vegan for about a month. You have lots of great points and I am going to lessen my oil and fats.

Yes! I had the same results too. I used to be heavy handed when cooking with oils. Just cutting back on that and eliminating it completely in some dishes is helping me lose weight very easily, great video!

Very helpful info. Thanks.

Nice video straight and to the point just subbed:)

This is so inspiring ❤️

I loved this! I have been trying to find a video that describes exactly what you described. So thanks for sharing :)

Fantastic video, very concise and to the point thank you. You look amazing by the way!

So happy I found this video, I love the benefits of being vegan. I have recently gained weight and yes it was high fat. I will try more starches than high fat

Subscribed! I am slowly transitioning back into veganism and am so glad I found your channel! A lot of the comments here are positive and uplifting which makes me so happy to have found somewhere where there isn't a ton of hate or shaming. Thank you!

Thank you for this! I've been getting frustrated not seeing my weight go down despite eating super healthy and plant based. I had a hunch it was due to too much fat, and this kind of just confirmed it for me because I do the same: eat oils on most things, avocados too often, and lots of nuts and seeds and nut butters!

I've seriously attempted low-density diets, filling up on mainly vegetables and fruits, and all I can say is this: lethargy. Some say this is due to inadvertently not eating enough calories, but I beg to differ. I ate plenty of calories. So, what I soon realized is it wasn't the /amount/ of food that mattered, it was the quality. Eating tons of potatoes, bananas, etc. would fill me up of course, but it wouldn't hit the spot. My body craved something else. Calories by themselves is not everything, which is why I strongly advise against seeing everything in that sense. I advise you see food in terms of nutrition, on the contrary (the moment I did so, I immediately regained energy and strength). What this looks like is, instead of me thinking, "I'm hungry, time to fill up on some *healthy*/*starchy* calories", I think, "What do I feel like? Do I feel like potatoes? Bananas? Fruit? Rice", and if not, I would find out what I did. Maybe it was nut butters, maybe it was eggs (I'm not vegan), and once acknowledged, I would eat as much as I wanted of those, but key word *wanted*. Until satisfaction, which comes quickly with fat and protein. If I'm craving cake, instead of ignoring this and eating some carrots, I would delineate each individual ingredient in the cake and isolate what I wanted. Was it refined carbs? If so, fruit would be a good alternative. Was it fat? If so, any healthy fat would be a good alternative, and so on. The point is to recognize what your body is truly in need of and satisfying that deficiency fully, rather than demonizing the cravings or eating for simple calorie sake.

Great video, well done

Great info thanks! Just went vegan 2 months ago and I'm addicted to avocados. This is a great perspective and makes sense.

You changed mu life . I'm Not obese but I was definitely gaining more weight than I was comfortable with. More so than I ever had before and I became vegan again after taking a 2 year break for personal reasons and I was starting to feel a bit better but I wasn't really losing way and I happen to see your video chance and went right over to the John mcdougall videos and I've been watching his videos for weeks now and I definitely lost a lot of weight to the point words and very noticeable to everybody else. And unfortunately the last couple of weeks I've been a little over indulgent and oils and nut cheeses but I am getting back on track and I started to exercise a little bit more and am continuing to eat a starch based plant based diet and all things to you.

i lost 15 already :) i'm at 120. i love eating what i want so much

I have been vegetarian/vegan for 5 weeks now and this week i have started a starch-based vegan diet. I have really noticed a difference by not eating meat and diary, i dont have stomach pains anymore (atleast not daily) and my acid reflux has almost dissapeared completely as well. And mentally i feel great as well knowing im actually doing something that makes a difference :)

im sitting in the exact same boat. Ive been vegan for a while and not eating huge portions, working out and eating quite healthy foods but ignoring my fat intake. i wondered why im not loosing any weight but was too scared to fall into an eating disorder if i start restricting, over exercising or counting calories and stuff…i used to think it was because I wasnt overweight to begin with that the weight wouldnt go off because of that, im around 135lb but 5 foot 6,5, which i know is still very healthy for my height but I just wanted to become a bit leaner, i plan on majorly cutting down my fat intake like you but not completely cutting it out since I think a very small amount will still do me good! thank you for this video, it confirmed me that my plans are gonna work out! :)

That desert you made sounds delicious. I'm sooooo trying that.

I've been eating a lot of the vegan foods that you said are fattening. I guess that explains why I put on weight in the last few months! I will try to shift the way I eat going forward! I'm not vegan yet, but I am allergic to dairy, so I enjoy vegan foods whenever possible. I'm still thinking of going vegan in the future as this lifestyle really appeals to me.

This was the first vid I have watched of yours and i think that you are a gem! I cant wait to watch more! you just gained anew subbie :)

OMG! Finally found someone who is about my height about the same weight I am now and is doing the vegan diet (well startch based in your case) I have been debating to give veganism a go, but I get side tracked. But I will say after eating fruit and vegan food for a day, I kind of freaked out because I felt weird, I had so much energy and I felt like I could conquer the world. So I know that veganism definitely works. I am now inspired to pursue this journey to become healthier because I am actually 5 foot and I am 138 pounds, which is really heavy and I am not proud of it and I am more tired than anything. I will be documenting on youtube. Thanks for sharing your story and being an inspiration

I love this video! I also follow a starch based vegan diet and I have so much energy. I love it and have never felt better

Thank you for this!! ☺

Terrific video...thank you.

This was so helpful! New, transitioning plant based here :) I have a lot of weight to lose. Thank you!!

Aww this was So helpful. Thank you, beautiful. I've gained 15 kilos in the last few months. It's due to antidepressants but I still like to do anything I can to stop it from going further. I will definitely try to cut out some fats, and also eat more whole foods. Thank you for sharing! Have a lovely day:)

I have to say you looked lovely and shining at 130 but thanks for sharing your story xx

YES GURL!!!!!

omg your eyes are so big and gorgeous

Just like you, I am 5'2.75 in height and my weight plateaus at 127 lbs even with a high activity level. And because my nutrition attributes to my weight loss progress, this year, I am on a vegan journey to shed these last 20+ lbs of excess for energy and endurance potential. So far, I am only in week 1 but I have noticed considerable differences in how I feel. I am looking forward to these next few weeks.

Love your motivational videos. :)

Great video

Omg that dessert sounds amazing!!

walking 30,000 steps a day is a guarantee of weight loss, especially when you eat what you show in your what you eat in a day videos, so it makes perfect sense that you lost 20 lbs, I would be starving with all that walking 😱

Dr McDougall is a smart guy :) I love watching and reading his content

I've struggled with the exact same issue. I've been vegan for two years and I'm 5'0 and my highest weight is 133. I was eating high fat, peanut butter, avocados, olive/coconut oil, nut bars, etc... And only in the past couple of months have I been eating closer to 811, and I feel great! Thanks for the video!

Hi!! I'm trying to learn more about higher calorie vegan diets. I've been a vegan for 6 years, and while I lost a lot of weight early on, I mostly have been at a plateau for the past few years. Recently, I had success with weight loss by creating a small caloric deficit per day... So I want to learn more about the other side of vegan dieting where people eat more calories and still lose weight and how/why it works. My BMR is 1300, and I am pretty sedentary, except i always get in 30-45 min of moderate exercise 4-5 days a week. Other than that for the most part, i'm legit sitting all day - I work from home, am super busy with my business, and don't do a lot of walking - even in the house. Can you break down more of what your everyday life is like? Do you do a lot of walking - or do you spend a lot of hours sitting like me? Thank you!

Wow! I am currently 5'2" and a half and 130 lbs and I eat mainly vegan with a ton of avocados, olive oil, and nuts etc! Maybe I should try this! I don't feel over weight, I just feel not quite myself. Thank you for this video!!

Youre so pretty!!! And you look awesome at any weight girl! I just went vegan and it's social medias like yours that keep me motivated and going!

I am 5 foot 2 and since changing my diet to whole foods plant based no added oils 5 months ago my weight has dropped from 128 to 107 pounds. I have tried low carb diets before but this way is much easier, more sustainable and I feel much better and healthier. Just want to share as my experience is so similar to yours! Thank you for spreading the message :)

You look amazing! What eye shadow are using? Love it!

That was amazing Melissa I learned a lot I actually eat really good🙋🏻

We're the same height! I need to get to 110 too but it's been so freaking hard because I gained a lot of weight in college uuuugh. And now that I'm back home my grandma makes THE BEST food that's soooo hard to resist, but anyways, I loved this video, you should make more lol 🙏🏽

thank you i eat pretty much like you in a regular basis. the only mistake i made in the last couple years is to allowed myself to eat junk vegan food in the weekend. in the last couple month, i cut the junk and the fat from my diet. i already see very good improvement. i lost pounds, mympsioriasis is disparearing and my gluten intolerance is gone. i currently eat whole food plant base diet no oil very low fat . i'm 54. thank you very much.

Melissa, you should post a one week meal plan that you follow or do. My biggest problem is that I always run out of things to eat

I'd love to see a video on how you cook with low fat. What do you use instead of oils for frying and baking? What foods are particularly high in fat on a vegan diet? What should we keep an eye on?

all that's sugar and starches doesn't works for me after 2 years I decided to lower my carbs and now I losing weight

Do you ever eat (vegan) chocolate? Or drink alcohol?

I love this story, I do think you looked amazing at 130! But im glad you are happy at 110 :)

u are always so pleasant to watch.

Yessss, I'm in the same boat! I've been vegan for about 8 months, but I'm just now starting to really pay attention to my fat intake. Hoping to clear up my skin!

Thanks for sharing

Omg you have helped me thank you

Yeah I agree with you. I think a lot of people don't realize that when you are on the shorter side having any extra bit of weight on you can feel make you feel very uncomfortable. You look great!

I wish going low fat worked for me! I cannot get full if my fat is below 15/20%. I could eat 3000 cals and I was gaining weight FAST. Luckily I stopped before I gained too much and now I eat to the same level of fullness, but the calories are much less without even trying

This is exactly me! I am 5'2 and I weigh 130 lbs. For a short person, that is heavier than we should be. I have been trying to lose weigh and get back to my 110 lbs that I used to be. I have been vegetarian for almost two years. I say vegetarian because sometimes I slip and eat dairy and then feel bad. And I do love fat. Maybe that's the problem. Good video!!! Thank you!!

Great Video!!. I didn't read the responds to the original comment but she is just saying that she lost weight because she REDUCED fatty foods in her diet. She maintioned that Avocado and Olive oil isn't unhealthy, that she just cant put that into every meal. She said that it was just to much for HER. Bodys are different. I love Avocados and nuts too. But I actually have the feeling, that my body can use carbohydrates more. I don't need that much fat, even tho it's healthy. That's part of my diet too. But I simply feel better after eating high and good carbs. It's neither wrong to eat high fat nor to eat high carb. It just depends on your body and what else you add to your meals.

Thanks for sharing! We're about the same height & you're at my goal weight! You look great in both the befores & afters but, yes, you've definitely gotten slimmer. Starch solution never seems to work for me but I appreciate you sharing your experience.

I think what you meant to say is that fats are calorie-dense foods as opposed to vegetables. Fats have more calories per gram than do carbohydrates or protein. A certain amount of fat is healthy, and necessary, in a diet if you want to experience the feeling of satiety. One might consume a large number of vegetables, which go through the system quickly, and feel hungry again after digestion happens. Oils and fats take longer to be digested and therefore make you feel fuller longer. There have been a lot of studies linking low fat, high starch diets to obesity. Of course, those diets pertained to processed starches, of which you only mentioned one, but I think the same principle applies. As long as it's is balanced, which didn't happen when you ate a lot of fat (super high calorie) and fewer starches.

Hi Melissa, Great video. Just wondered what your thoughts on Alcohol consumption are? Do you drink ? Be great if you could maybe make a video on that and share your thoughts.

You know you're short when you add "and a half" to your height. Lol imagine someone saying " I'm 6 foot 2 and a half"

I've been vegetarian for three years now, but I'm not sure how well I could adapt to the vegan diet. I would like to start incorporating more vegan meals into my diet... maybe I'll do vegan Fridays? :) Great video!

l like you when were 130 ibs .... ur face was perfect and Bright .

I really enjoyed this video, but for your height are you not slightly underweight? Thanks for the tips though. I'm very overweight so need these types of videos.

This video is really inspiring!!! How do you feel about/ do you eat peanut butter powder?

amazing journey! can u make more vegan videos and recipe (simple ones)

Love that diagram at the end!

My professor who is a medical doctor (I'm a med student) was lecturing about Carbohydrate Metabolism. She told us that the best way to lose weight is to lessen carbohydrates (glucose intake, basically). However, for students who actually need their brains to study all the time, it is not advisable to limit carb intake because our brain needs glucose.

Thanks for sharing just followed you on instagram

Great video. Q: How much fruit do you have per day? Thx! :) Haven't read through the book yet, but just got Dr. McDougall's Maximum weight loss book today & moving from a plant based LCHF Vegan diet to a HCLF Vegan diet. (Tried the LCHF diet for 30 days). Any tips on the differences as far as what you're eating. I'm already hiding my nuts & nut butters, & I also love avocado's. I also juice a green juice in the morning at least 4-5 time a week for the past month too if you have any tips on that in relation to the HCLF diet. Thanks!

you do make a good point that nut butter, extra added oils and nuts add a ton of calories and fat to what people eat. you also state they are healthy, which I think we can agree nuts are still a relatively healthy food, but probably need to be consumed a lot less than some vegans consume them. Just changing that one aspect as you did can change things. Fat IS very important to maintaining hormonal balance and brain function so no vegan should strive to eliminate plant fats. Seems like sound advice from you, nice video.

I am going on a beach holiday at the end of this June (27th to the 30th). My main areas of concern are my outer thighs, "love handles," and bra bulge (armpit fat!). I know that I am unable to spot reduce, which really sucks, haha. I am a skinny-fat, low-budget vegan, currently looking into a low fat, high carbohydrate lifestyle in order to become leaner quicker. Unfortunately, I am unable to afford any extreme online diet guides, and I have school every weekday (so no 10 hours of cycling). However, I also know that many of you are losing weight rather quickly. Do you have any tips for me? What should I eat to trigger fat loss? Could you link me to any workouts? Thanks so much!

McDougall is my boy.

I think you look fabulous at any weight!! I do have a question - I went Vegetarian two weeks ago (may go Vegan at some point...one thing at a time) and I would love to hear from you what Vegan foods you find most filling. I have had nights where I went to bed hungry so I think I need to make some adjustments. Also, I do plan to watch the videos you linked above. Thanks!

I’m vegan as well. What do you suggest as a substitute for olive oil when eating salad? I’m going to cut back on my consumption of avocados

she look so much better at 130

You look better thinner, nice video

Wow you’re the starch solution OG xox

Wow, looks like an amazing quote, only I can't see it bc it's covered by a bunch of suggested videos -_-

Thanks for that diagram.

That was very helpful! Thank you! How much exercise do you do in a day by the way?

You look amazing girl!!! congrats for your success!approximately how much fat do you eat in a day? percentage ?

Yaaas Vegan who is with me!!💜💪🏻💪🏻