Can a vegan diet help you lose weight?
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Samay Raina’s vegan diet joke raises a question: Can a plant-based diet help lose weight?
Samay Raina’s joked about losing friends after switching to a vegan diet. Can plant-based eating support weight loss?
By:Lifestyle Desk
New DelhiJul 27, 2026 10:00 PM IST
India’s Got Latent relies on shock value, dark humour, roasting contestants and pushing the limits of what audiences may find acceptable. Source: Instagram/Samay Raina
Plant-based eating has become increasingly popular among people looking to lose weight, improve their health or reduce their environmental impact. From fully vegan diets to flexitarian eating patterns, many are experimenting with cutting out animal products in the hope of achieving their health goals. At the same time, adopting a vegan diet can also bring social challenges, particularly in cultures where shared meals and traditional dishes often include animal-based ingredients
DISCLAIMER:This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine
In an earlier Instagram post, comedian Samay Raina joked about his experience with a vegan diet. In the caption, he wrote, “I had decided to lose weight last month, so I started eating only vegan food! It has been 30 days, and I can already see the change in me. I have lost all my friends (sic).” While the remark was made in jest, it touches on two common questions many people have when considering a vegan lifestyle: Can a vegan diet actually support healthy weight loss, and what practical or social challenges might people encounter when making the switch? We asked an expert to separate fact from fiction.
Vegan diets and weight loss
Kanikka Malhotra, Consultant Dietician & Diabetes Educator, tells indianexpress.com, “Yes, but the diet label matters less than what fills the plate. Weight loss on a vegan dietcomes down to the same principles as any eating pattern: calories in versus calories out, but plant foods often make this easier naturally. Vegetables, dals, whole grains and fruits are high in fibre and water, which keep you full on fewer calories.”
She continues, “However, a vegan diet can just as easily lead to weight gain if it leans on refined carbohydrates like maida-based snacks, fried foods or sugary packaged products carrying a vegan label. The real determinants are portion awareness, protein adequacy and whole food choices over processed ones. Someone who builds meals around rajma, chickpeas, tofu, nuts and seasonal vegetables will likely see healthy, gradual weight loss. Someone who simply removes animal products without restructuring their plate may see no change at all, or even weight gain.”
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Key nutrients to plan for
Quick Quiz
Before reading on, see if you can answer this:
Which nutrient usually requires supplementation on a vegan diet because it is not naturally available from plant foods?
A. Vitamin C
B. Vitamin B12
C. Calcium
D. Vitamin D
Reveal the answer
✅ Correct answer: B
“Vitamin B12 is the one nutrient that plants do not naturally provide, making supplementation important for people following a vegan diet. Other nutrients such as protein, iron, calcium and omega-3 fats can be obtained through thoughtful food choices, including legumes, tofu, fortified plant milks, sesame seeds, ragi, flaxseeds and walnuts. Pairing iron-rich plant foods with vitamin C can also improve iron absorption,” mentions Malhotra
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Making vegan eating sustainable
Food is deeply social in Indian culture, so the real challenge is rarely <a href="https://healthylife7.com/edbl-stock-rockets-as-edible-garden-accelerates-rtd-nutrition-pivot/” title=”EDBL Stock Rockets As Edible Garden Accelerates RTD Nutrition Pivot”>nutrition; it is navigation. Malhotra says that the easiest strategy is offering rather than avoiding, suggesting a shared vegetable sabzi or a dal that everyone can eat rather than requesting a separate plate
“At weddings and family functions, eating a meal beforehand takes the pressure off and prevents the hangry frustration that makes people abandon their goals. It also helps to identify vegan-forward Indian dishes that already exist everywhere, chana masala, aloo gobi, and dal makhani without the cream swap, so dining out feels like less of a compromise. Most importantly, flexibility protects the relationship with food better than rigidity does. A missed day or a small exception does not undo 30 days of effort. Treating good nutrition as a framework rather than a test avoids the isolation that makes people quit, and quietly makes it sustainable,” concludes Malhotra.
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