Making the choice to eat plant-based is a great way that many studies say will help you on your weight-loss journey. Especially when it comes to lowering your BMI’s. However, if you swapped to a vegan diet purely to enjoy the benefits of losing weight, and have yet to see results, you are possibly making one of these disastrous errors.

1. High-Calorie Swaps

While eliminating meat and dairy should help cut calories, many new vegans tend to try and get straight into the comfort foods, which often come with a fairly hefty calorie count. If readymade vegan fare is on your daily menu, check out the sodium content and fat content, and perhaps drop a few ready-made meals, and instead try your hand at making your own home-made replacements.

Another sneaky calorie laden addition could be nuts – as they’re very high in fats. Swap in some seeds or berries for a lower-calorie option on your breakfasts – or food bars – and choose to snack on low-calorie winners like popcorn and dry roasted edamame beans.

Another sneaky high fat (and thoroughly delicious) snack is avocado. However, like nuts, the avo tends to have a ton of calories in it which can make your innocent afternoon sandwich enjoyed while enjoy online games turn into a high-calorie nightmare. Cut down on the avocado and instead try adding in some other veggie’s – a crudité platter is a good choice, as is a zucchini noodle salad with a light drizzle of oil.

2. Not Enough Protein

If your scale isn’t budging, or is creeping up, then check your carb-to-protein ratio of meals. Stir-fry’s, vegan spaghetti bolognaise, and pizzas are all good comfort foods, but they lack the protein your body needs, which means you’re unlikely to be as satisfied and can lead to you over-eating. Add more protein into your diet by including more protein-rich vegan foods like soy-based foods that include tempeh, as well as lentils, beans, and quinoa.

3. Not Sleeping Enough

Strange as it may sound, getting too little sleep can wreak havoc on your metabolism and cause your body to store calories since it’s stressed out. While this natural body mechanism was great for our ancestors going through hard times, it’s not so great if you’re trying to lose weight. When you haven’t slept enough, you’re likely to make poor decisions as to the foods you eat, as well as cause you to crave carbohydrates. This lack of sleep will also affect the leptin and ghrelin levels in your body (which help regulate your metabolism). The easy fix is to get a minimum of six hours a night – and aim to reach eight, since that’s the ideal amount according to science.

4. You’re Not Eating Regularly

If you’ve been skipping meals often since going plant based, or are not eating enough at each meal, you’re going to de-rail your good intentions by loading up on high-calorie snacks later – or else stall your metabolism. Both of which can cause your body to hold onto its weight.

Instead of skipping food, rather eat until you’re satisfied, and keep wholesome snack options nearby to avoid any kind of junk food binges later on.

5. Juicing It Up

While eating enough will keep your body going, drinking your meals can backfire, big time. When you choose to drink your calories, instead of eating them, you’re often missing out on fibre if you’re juicing. Alternatively, if you’re a smoothie addict, then you’re likely adding too many calorie-rich items into your smoothie. While the odd smoothie is a great treat, having them daily can lead to you once again snacking down the line since you are unlikely to stay full for as long as if you had eaten a meal. Skip the habit and save your juice or smoothie as a weekend – or once a week treat rather.