Question: Vegan for 3 mths feeling less energy...something wrong?

Hello!!!
Very Excited to find this site! My husband and I saw the movie Forks over Knives and both decided at the same time to go vegan! It's been about 3 months and I (Sherry Ann) am not feeling better, I am actually feeling more fatigued and have had more things seeming to not be well! All we read is how well people feel and we are thinking we must be doing something wrong?????

I really feel good about the change and feel more 'right' about our lifestyle and the choices we are making!!

We are new at this, not sure what to look for, we are not sure if our diet is enough protein or not, we were taking a supplement for Vitamin B12 (Trader Joes) and trying to eat well. Though we have to admit we found some vegan baked goods and have added them to our diet. Not on a large scale though! We take supplements, exercise regularly.

What is a 'good vegan' diet you are talking about, what should a day/week look like?

My husband had lost weight, lots ;o), I have not, ;o(!! We eat oatmeal every am with fruit. I make a broccoli salad with Veganaize and other nuts etc. Home made granola bars.

Anyway, I am concerned as my muscles feel different when I stretch, they hurt and feel like an old rubber band. I am having back problems now. Digestive....that seems to have settled some, at first it was a lot of baloatedness. Just not a really good feeling, the zip is gone!!

Any wisdom you have would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Sherry Ann
(By: Sherry Ann)

[By: @ 2011-08-15, 01:05 | Reply | Print ]
Category: Becoming a vegan

ANS: Question: Vegan for 3 mths feeling less energy...something wrong?

That's great that you feel "good about the change" and congratulations on making the commitment and maintaining it for over 3 months.

Regarding the fatigue, one reason could be that when you start a healthier diet your body will often go through a detox period. As your body is getting rid of toxins you will feel drained.

With respect to the specific foods that you are eating, I'm sure you only listed a handful but make sure you have a wide variety of foods so that you get the best range of nutrients. Also, make sure to add more protein rich foods such as tempeh or tofu. In the morning, you could have a fruit smoothie with some Vega protein and the protein would sustain you through the morning. (start off with a smaller amount of Vega than suggested)

Another possibility is with regards to the quality of the produce you are using. If you are eating way more produce than before and it is not organic then you may be consuming a high amount of pesticides that will affect the way you feel. Ones that have thin skin (ex: strawberries) or ones with high surface area (ex: lettuce) are the items that should be eaten organic. Ones that have thicker skin are more safe. Also, you can buy a veggie wash to clean vegetables, but again it will not be very effective for produce like strawberries.

Regarding the weight loss, unfortunately it is easier for men to lose weight than it is for women. Depending on how old you are (even moderately young), hormones will be a factor as well.

Let me know if you have any follow up questions.

[By: 0 @ 2011-08-27, 06:16 | Reply | Print ]
Category: Becoming a vegan

ANS: Question: Vegan for 3 mths feeling less energy...something wrong?

I was thinking afterward whether your sugar intake has increased as this could also be responsible for a health decline.

[By: 0 @ 2011-08-28, 06:33 | Reply | Print ]
Category: Becoming a vegan



Raw Grains

Does anyone know where I can buy raw grains, literally the way they grow, raw grains? Do I have to go to a feed store. Or does anyone know of any chains or companies that would have them?
(By: Borges)

[By: @ 2011-09-02, 01:18 | Reply | Print ]
Category: Becoming a vegan


ANS: Question: Vegan for 3 mths feeling less energy...something wrong?

Hi!

Just wondering how things are now going with your vegan lifestyle. I, too, saw forks or knives as well as a couple other food documentaries and decided to give it a try. After about a month now I am beginning to feel the same weak feeling you described. I'm a runner and training for my first marathon and I do bootcamp 2-3X/ week. For the past couple days I have felt completely drained and very weak. Wondering if it will pass and I should stick it out or if this is just not the right diet for me. I would be interested to know how things turned out for you.

Thanks,
Angeline


> Hello!!!
> Very Excited to find this site! My husband and I saw the movie Forks over
> Knives and both decided at the same time to go vegan! It's been about 3
> months and I (Sherry Ann) am not feeling better, I am actually feeling more
> fatigued and have had more things seeming to not be well! All we read is
> how well people feel and we are thinking we must be doing something
> wrong?????
>
> I really feel good about the change and feel more 'right' about our
> lifestyle and the choices we are making!!
>
> We are new at this, not sure what to look for, we are not sure if our diet
> is enough protein or not, we were taking a supplement for Vitamin B12
> (Trader Joes) and trying to eat well. Though we have to admit we found some
> vegan baked goods and have added them to our diet. Not on a large scale
> though! We take supplements, exercise regularly.
>
> What is a 'good vegan' diet you are talking about, what should a
> day/week look like?
>
> My husband had lost weight, lots ;o), I have not, ;o(!! We eat oatmeal
> every am with fruit. I make a broccoli salad with Veganaize and other nuts
> etc. Home made granola bars.
>
> Anyway, I am concerned as my muscles feel different when I stretch, they
> hurt and feel like an old rubber band. I am having back problems now.
> Digestive....that seems to have settled some, at first it was a lot of
> baloatedness. Just not a really good feeling, the zip is gone!!
>
> Any wisdom you have would be appreciated.
>
> Thank you,
> Sherry Ann
> (By: Sherry Ann)

(By: Angeline)

[By: @ 2011-10-13, 03:10 | Reply | Print ]
Category: Becoming a vegan

ANS: Question: Vegan for 3 mths feeling less energy...something wrong?

Hi!

You probably know Scott Jurek is vegan, too, as are a lot of long distance runners, so it can be done! It's not automatic, though- I spent the first few months tracking my nutrient intake to make sure I was getting what I needed as an athlete. There are some great online nutrient trackers, and I really think they're worth the time. Once you have a routine and a sense of what's enough, you won't need to track everything so closely anymore.

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/dailyrecs has a quick list of nutrients vegans should think about. For me, I feel best when I'm eating a bit more protein and fat than most people need.

If your diet is sufficient and you still feel tired, try eating 7-8 small meals instead of 3 big ones. That made a big difference for me.

[By: rocketkoala @ 2011-10-18, 02:07 | Reply | Print ]
Category: Becoming a vegan

WJtQPjSuacZ

Natala,I was one of those people that tguhoht I would never be a Vegan, and then I had a heart attack when I was 40. My wife found your blog, and we started to read up on going plant based and being Vegan. My heart disease went away, and I will now be around for my children. My children will not have to get the disease that almost killed me. Now we eat things like tofu. Sure, I get shit for it, but I also know that all of those people will one day have to make a decision between getting over themselves and learning for themselves and changing what they eat. Again, thank you for all you wrote this year.Mike T.
(By: Soo)

[By: @ 2012-03-30, 14:01 | Reply | Print ]
Category: Becoming a vegan




ANS: Question: Vegan for 3 mths feeling less energy...something wrong?

VeganDiane has great suggestions. Also, make sure you're eating enough. Unless you're cooking with a lot of oil, you're probably taking in fewer calories than when you were eating meat and cheese. Try adding a few small meals (rather than eating 3 big ones) or snacks (nuts provide fat and calories), or count your calories for a week to make sure you're getting enough food!

[By: rocketkoala @ 2011-10-18, 01:50 | Reply | Print ]
Category: Becoming a vegan





http://veganquestions.etikweb.com/index.php?&message_id=383