Vegetarian For 8 Months, Healthy Or Not?

I have been a vegetarian for 8 months and now I can only eat once a day, or snack for long periods of time. I feel weak, exhausted and sidetracked like im depressed but I have a hunch its my diet.

I eat beans and free range egg and some seafood and an absolutely no meat tolerance.

Basically, I have been a vegetarian for long enough to be used to this pain and feeling of starving, but Im worried this may have negative effects on my body eventually without keeping a routine diet.


Any vegetarian lifers out there with some advice on health?

 

About your weakness: Go to the doctor an get your vitamine D measured. Vitamine D Deficiency can cause things lige sleepyness, joint aches, and depression-like symptomps according to my doctor (he is a vitamine D fanatic).

Could it be your diet? It most certainly can but it can also be caused by other factors. Do you stay indoor alot or...?

I myself have to take 70 mcg vitamine D everyday along with anti-depressants to get my day functioning. The anti-depressants are of course due to real depression and not due to vitamine D deficiency.

You write a bit about your diet but not what a typical meal looks like. A typical meal for me consists of rice/potatos, legumes (dal), and a vegetable casserole. And virtually no processed fook! I've been living like this for the last 12 years and apart from the abovementioned I'm absolutely fine.

 

I eat about once or twice a day. Either being some burritos or nachos, pizza, chili, fruit, potatoes, noodles, tuna, hummus. But for the most part my diet is pretty routine.

This hasn't been updated but I still feel the same for the most part.

 

There could be a number of issues. A likely one is that you're consuming too few calories. This can lead to adrenal fatigue and thyroid dysfunction.

Secondly, vegetarian (though mostly vegan) diets are often accompanied by deficiencies -- particularly in vitamin B12 and iron. Deficiencies in both of these can cause feelings of weakness and fatigue, as well as mental fog.

Also, you describe yourself as vegetarian, yet foods like burritos, nachos and pizza are hardly staples of a healthy diet. Being a vegetarian entails more than simply not eating meat if you want to have any semblance of health.

A lot of people describe themselves as vegetarians, yet when you ask them to describe their diets they sound closer to the Standard American Diet than any remotely vegetarian diet. A vegetarian diet means you're getting most of your nutrients from vegetables -- not refined grain-based, gluten-containing products like nachos and pizza.

 

Oh goodness, so would u suggest vitamin supplements or actually starting a consistent list of healthy foods?
I cant seem to find the money to go out and purchase strictly vegetarian foods, I do it primarily for the morality reasoning and I refuse to support most meat processing companies. I forgot to mention I do eat eggs, and seafood in general. Just no poultry or cold meat, that includes white and red. I do eat veggies ofc :chef:
I suppose I will just have to much more effort into the way that I eat?

Lol yeah I never thought of it that way, now that I think of it; most of the food I purchase has a fat brand label on it and practically mirrors fast food in terms of nutritional value.

I never really put much thought into the diet, I just made the decision and stuck with it; turned out to last a lot longer than I expected.

 

Well, I think all vegans should be supplementing with B12. Non-vegans who eat eggs (and dairy) but not meat might not need it as much, since eggs are a decent source of B12, granted you eat them often enough.

Really, I would concentrate on your diet at this point. Vegetables and fruits are fairly inexpensive, so I honestly cannot see cost as being an issue, as ready-made food costs more and often has less nutritional value. Hit up your local farmers market if you want to save some money.

Regarding meat, I am a bit confused since you initially said you cannot tolerate meat. Then you said it's because of moral reasons and the fact you don't want to support meat processing companies. Well, the solution to that would be to eat locally-raised meat from a local farm, where the cows are raised more humanely. If you think killing animals for food is inherently bad, or your body really cannot handle eating meat, you should look for other options that will address your nutritional needs, including but not limited to supplementation.

You really need to also pay attention to make sure you're getting enough fat and protein in your diet. Eggs are a good source of protein, and a decent source of fat, but if that's the only major source of fat and protein you're getting, you need to consider switching things up a bit. If you make a steady diet of nachos and vegetarian pizza, your body is not going to be getting the nutrients it needs to function properly. These things also contain wheat flour, and thus gluten, which is also known to wreak havoc on the body and make you feel like crap.

 

Well, first I have to question the reason for your vegetarianism. What was your logic in going veg?

I'm not sure that it has to do with alleviating the suffering of animals, since you're still eating meat (fish). It doesn't sound like b12 deficiency is your issue, since seafood and eggs have high levels of b12. Seafood and beans are fairly rich in Iron, too.

You should try out different amounts of food/calories and see what works for you. I've been a vegetarian for about 5 years, I've never been anemic, and my protein and vitamin profiles are routinely normal. I also don't eat fish or any other kind of meat. I limit eggs and other animal-based foods, but still do consume them.

I can agree with Pressed_rat, you might not be getting enough calories. Try eating more! I recommend getting as many whole foods as possible, cliche as it sounds. I don't actively try and eat enough of certain nutrients, and I find that the whole "getting enough protein" argument is moot. If you're worried about it, try supplementing.

Some foods to try (I recommend):

Avocados
Coconut oil (eat it by itself, use it to coat cooked carrots as a glaze, bake with it, whatever...)
Spinach!
Greek yogurt if you are concerned about protein.
Almonds

Handy chart (except the B vitamin part):



Pay attention to ingredients on the foods you buy: the smaller the ingredient list, the better (useful rule of thumb!).

 

First of all DeadRinger. If your doctor says you should take vitamine supplements you might want to listen to her/him, for starters a consultation is needed. One thing is to be a firm vegetarian. Another thing is hurting yourself.

Second being a vegetarian (in any fashion) equals "I like to cook". The abovementioned posters adresses processed food. There is alot to say about processed food, but in large quantities it cannot be good. Too much sugar, salt, etc. There are alot of recipes on the internet where you can see what other people like to eat. And beleive me many or these resepies are really tasty, and once you get a kind of "stable of recepies" you won't deviate from it. Yes, a vegetarian diet usually takes more time planning than a omnivore diet. Beans have to soak, lentils have to boil and I can continue.

From what you wrote in posting #3 it seems to me that you are eating almost pure cold food. Is it so? Have some warm food? Spicy vegetabe casserole, anyone? Have some warm and enjoyable food. Enjoying the food you eat is also important. Yes, I am a Hare Krishna dude and vegetarianism is kind of intrisic to our philosophy... besides I have never liked the taste of meat, people are different you know, some vegetarians "have to carry a big cross", for me it is liberation.. You should have joined us yesterday for our sunday-feast. Rice, 2 kinds of sabji (vegetable casserole), dal (lentil soup/sauce), 2 kinds of salad, and no less that 4 kinds of sweets. No wonder that krishna conciousness is sometimes call the kitchen religion. All in all, i ate too much What I want to say is you should eat a variety of food. Nachos and pizza won't do it alone. And did I mention that enjoying your food is important? Again, enjoying your food is important!

If there is something you do not like then do not eat it. Eat something else that is just as good instead.

Regars
Lars

 

When you need to take supplements to provide the benefits you aren't getting from your selected diet, it's time to start looking at your diet...
It'll never make sense to me that a diet is healthy if people need to take supplements and minerals and go knows what else they're buying in liquid or tablet form from a health store to put into their system. That itself is an unhealthy practice from a diet that's obviously not living up to its high fashion standard.

 

I think vitamins are good for optimizing an already healthy diet. I do not believe they should be used as a replacement for a healthy diet, but sometimes when people become deficient in something, they are the only fast way towards recovery. Of course I would recommend a person change their diet first and foremost, because it's ultimately all about the foods you eat.

 

I think we have discussed this before. =p
I guess I am a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" kind of person, so if I am getting all that I need from my diet which included meat, then to me there is no point changing that to become healthier, or slimmer.. because I don't need to be any healthier or slimmer. So I'm not going to change my diet for anybody for any reason.
But some people literally live off vegetables and a cabinet of supplements, lol. How can that be healthy?

 

I have decided to go Vegan 3 years ago. The best benefit I had from it was being able to stay fit. Aside from not having to worry about my calories and checking the label before eating any food, I now fit to my old clothes! I'm back to wearing my favorite crop pants.

 

I dont think VEGETARIAN is healthy no........ Our bodies need certain things everyday to properly maintain ourselves and if they dont get it,problems could occur....

I KNOW ITS HARD EATING ANOTHER ANIMAL.... I find myself crying alot when im about to eat a hot dog,etc........... But the way i look @ it is: I DIDNT KILL THEM!! (I hope its not on my head for eating one of Gods creatures -- I DO FEEL BAD FOR DOING SO!!)


Im sorry your not feeling well Deadringer!!

 

dude, this is funny coming from you because I know from your previous posts that your diet is horrible.

I dont think vegetarian diets are inherently unhealthy. The nutrients in meats can be found in other food sources but it sounds like the op needs to introduce vegetables and other whole foods into his/her diet instead of relying on processed foods that just happen to not contain meat.

 

I have been eating fruits and some veggies lately as given help by you all

But something I cant really grasp is the disgusting taste of fruits from corporate stores. I used to remember the crunchy bite and juice of an apple; delicious right? 2 days ago I bit into an apple from Fred Myer and it tasted like paste and the nearly the entire apple was soft. It was hard on the outside but so gross on the inside it was really bad. I bet it's from all the chemicals they put into them or something...


I recently got a job though so I can start a diet that's specific. Im planning on starting to work out as well. I jsut have to wait a few weeks until my first paycheck to actually start it.



But for the most part im starting to eat full meals with the help of all you. Mashed potatoes, green beans, casseroles, quiche, omelettes, etc.

Thank you all !


And no, I wont eat meat.... I don't mind the feeling.... Or at least, I would prefer this feeling to eating animals.

 

I feel fucking fantastic. I made 2 omelette's with mushrooms, onions - chives, an assortment of seasonings, tofu, a glass of milk and Toasted Jam. A real good meal.



I usually make meals on events or depending on my mood cause it takes up the entire kitchen and steals most of our food. But damn, im gonna start eating like this more often.

You all have done me a service and I thank each and everyone of you 10 times over.