So I recently became vegan, but not necessarily to lose weight.  I'm 24 and an athlete so I don't need to lose weight, but wouldn't mind losing 4-5lbs and just tone up more.  I recently started doing yoga when I became vegan.  Otherwise I biked and walked a lot when I was playing a sport. 

I wondered what people liked exercising to (yoga, pilates, running, walking, biking, & etc...) while being vegan?  What gave you more energy?  I've only been vegan so far for 16 days and I'm trying to wean myself off of coffee so I'm finding I don't have a lot of energy. 

What works best for you to lose a few pounds while being vegan?

Hmm, well I'm a big P90X fan (we call ourselves X-holes when we're such fans that we become annoying to our friends) and that really worked miracles for me pre-vegan.  I've only been vegan for about 6 weeks now, but so far it is still working well and I have plenty of energy for it.  I do find myself more drawn to the Yoga part of it, though.  (Once a week, you do 90 minutes of yoga, called Yoga X.)  The yoga seems to give me more energy, whereas the other workouts are so intense they tend to drain me, at least for a few hours.  All in all, though, I believe any physical activity done on a daily basis will likely give you more energy.  Maybe alternating brisk walking and yoga would be a good place to start?  Listen to your body and it will tell you what it needs. :)

I am a runner and I also lift weights.  I did this all before becoming vegan 3 years ago too and have been in the stage for a long time where I just don't feel right if I don't run!  I eat a well-balanced vegan diet including very few processed foods.  I also drink a green smoothie everyday which gives me a lot of energy.  The first time we made one, we had it at night and could barely sleep!

Becoming vegan and beginning yoga go hand in hand!  They really are so complementary.  In fact, one of yoga's eight limbs is ahimsa (roughly translated as non-violence).  Ahimsa requires one to take an oath of non-violence, and not to harm any living being.  So naturally, veganism is practicing ahimsa of animals, ahimsa of the planet earth, and ahimsa of ourselves.  

Practicing hatha yoga, the asanas, the physical practice is complementary to it because it continues to develop this awareness of being.  But it also develops our concentration.  Of course, it also develops our bodies.  I found, and many other people I've talked to, find that practicing hatha yoga naturally causes one to become very aware of their bodies, thus causing a chain reaction of awareness towards what foods they choose and their hunger.  

So that said, I love Ashtanga yoga as a primary physical practice.  Along with veganism and focusing my diet on whole foods versus processed foods, I became the weight I've always wanted to be without too much direct effort.  

But I also really enjoy trail running once a week and an african dance class that I take on the weekends.  

What worked for me:  ashtanga yoga, trail run once a week, african dance on saturday mornings for 90 minutes AND eating mostly whole foods rather than processed foods.

I like to stregthen and tone with Pilates. For cardio workouts I swim, jog, bike. Starting the day with exercise is enjoyable and gets my body energized so that I don't need three coffees to wake up my body. Any walking I can do to replace taking the car I will do. :)