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Damian Lillard ends strict vegan diet
Trail Blazers guard says he was losing too much weight
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Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard is no longer on a strict vegan diet after it became counterproductive.
Lillard, a guest on the ESPN Hoop Collective’s RUN A.M.C. podcast recorded Wednesday, said his five-month run as a vegan has ended because he was losing too much weight. Lillard announced on his Instagram account on Sept. 5 that he had become a vegan with hopes of “getting my life right.” The two-time NBA All-Star reached his goal of getting back to his rookie weight of 190 pounds, but Lillard ended his vegan diet about a month ago because he lost 17 pounds.
“I did it, but I started to lose a little bit too much weight with all the games and practices and all that,” Lillard said on the podcast. “I had to balance it out, so now I’ve been mixing it up a little bit more, having vegan meals, still mixing it up with other stuff.”
Lillard told OregonLive Sports on Sept. 25 that he had been vegan for a month and it allowed him to eat cleaner, create better habits, take more weight off his feet and feel much better. Portland-based newspaper/website Willamette Week also tweeted on Sept. 25 that Lillard loved vegan sloppy Joes and missed eating at Wendy’s fast food restaurants. After the 27-year-old struggled with his shooting the first six games this season, he dismissed a question from Comcast Sports Northwest in late October about whether his vegan diet was affecting his play.
The 2013 NBA Rookie of the Year said he has added beef and chicken back into his diet. Lillard said he has stayed away from Wendy’s and he still eats vegan meals regularly. Other NBA players who have professed being vegan include Kyrie Irving, Enes Kanter, JaVale McGee, Wilson Chandler and Jahlil Okafor.
“I did it to lose some weight and be easier on my feet, knees and ankles,” said Lillard, who is averaging 25 points, 6.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds this season. “I had a few injuries, so I was trying to get lighter and trying to get healthier and put better stuff in my body. It helped a lot as far as my energy and how I felt.”