Veganism is NOT the only way to lose weight

Published 3.25.2026: So I have started watching (restarted, she olny started posting again in the past few months) a vegan YouTuber named Lilykoi Hawaii. She (like all the vegan doctors) really hates glucagon-like peptide-1, because she says they don’t solve the base problem. They simply make starvation endurable.

Which reminds me that I saw that semaglutide is losing its patent protection. A quick Google reveals that in the US, UK and much of Europe the protection remains in place. In India (purveyor of most generic drugs), China, and Brazil as of March 20, 2026 the patent protection is ending. Most people expect that the cost of semaglutide will fall precipitously as a result. I think more people will take the drugs if the price declines.

Anyway, this YouTuber lives in Hawaii (hence the handle) on what is a huge plot of land, where she grows a lot of her own fruit. She does not eat raw, so there’s that, but she says that to control your weight all you have to do is eat only whole food plant based food— as much as you want. In this way, she claims, you’ll be eating much more food, but the calorie density will be lower (she doesn’t use the phrase calorie density, but that is how it works).

But what if you don’t want to eat a vegan diet?? Veganism is not the only way to lose weight. And I’m sorry, this sounds to me like the McDougall plan, which allows you to binge on low fat starches. Which is a fine if that satisfies you, but what if it doesn’t? Now, Dr. Fuhrman would say that you’re only hungry becauwe you’re not fueling your body appropriately, however, doesn’t he preach being way smaller than most people are? His view is that most people (no matter how they eat) are overweight and unhealthy. Only by following his diet will you be saved. And for the record, though he has never said so directly, I don’t think he saw McDougall’s diet as sufficient.

There’s a fair amount of Freelee in the YouTuber (Freelee of Raw ’til 4 and 30 bananas a day fame). She’s very slender and shows herself eating a ton of food. I have not linked to her channel though I’ve givein her name so you can find her if you want. The only exercise she seesm to be (beyond working in her expansive garden or building a tiny house?) is to ride the stationery bike. Which I find interesting, because years ago she would wax poetic about going to the gym and lifting weights. Apparently that went by the way side.

She has a course that she’s selling and a monthly fee to be part of the community (of course she does). Her persistent line is that diets don’t work (except for eating a whole foods plant based diet) and that calorie restriction leads to metabolic adaptation. Which is of course true, but I think most people get into a restrict then binge cycle, rather than truly eating little enough that metabolic adaptation becomes a reality.

I will give her this, her meals usually contain a source of protein (beans, most often but I have seen her eat tofu), which is one of the ways that allows you to eat less, while not feeling deprived. But plant protein sources are not necessary. There are plenty of successful dieters who load up on protein, just not necessarily plant protein. Now I’m not invoking the Carnivore fools or even the low carb idiots. But plenty of people eat their protein first to gain satiety, then fill in the carbs and fats afterward.

I am unsympathetic to the idea that calorie counting is unsuccessful, because I know that it is. Sure, eating plant protein is fine and full of fiber (usually) because you can thrive on a mostly plant based diet that includes meat. (I do.) In her early videos, she did not invoked the “for the animals” ethical argument, nor has she invoked the environmental argument. But in her video giving her origin story, so to speak, she does mention (briefly) the ethical argument.

Her entire message seems to be that you can’t count calories, nor should you eat ultraprocessed foods. What you should do is eat as many whole food plant based foods as you want. Left unsaid is the notion that doing that GREATLY decreases the calorie density of the food, and thus the total calories that you eat. That is how you lose weight, whether you are follwoing a vegan diet or carnivore diet. The energy balance is undefeated (as is Father Time) and adherence and consistency matter more than diet type (sorry vegans).

One of her talking point is about diet culture and how awful it is. I’m not going to defend diet cultlure, but I am goign to note that most plant sources of protein are not purely protein. Vegans usually tout this, but by and large they are not body builders. Thirty grams of tofu is much larger and harder to eat versus a hamburger or a can of salmon. And if you’re building muscle, then excess protein is exactly what you want.

Bottom line here is that you don’t have to starve yourself. If you eat a high protein diet, it does not have to be vegan. Yes, fiber is important, as are the other benefits of plants. But you can get them in addition to eating meat if you want. Where is it written that if you eat meat you cannot also eat a copious amount of plants? Ironically, body buidlers (if they are natural, then they are professional dieters) preach eating protein (mostly animal) and fruit and vegetables for fiber.