Problems with being Veggie, please help!

I have been eating vegetarian since a couple of weeks before thanksgiving. Not only do I miss meat, I'm starting to feel drained of energy. If this continues, I'm going to have to see a nutritionist. I don't want to start eating meat again. Please help!

 

It's normal to go through a period of feeling drained. Are you eating a balanced diet with plenty of protein?

 

When you eat veggie, you should make some substitution choices to take the place of the lost protein and fat that you were getting from meat. (Yes, you need some fat in your diet. Eating fat won't make you fat, unless you eat too much. Dietary fat provides fatty acids that are essential for growth, healthy skin, vitamin absorbtion, and the regulation of some body functions. Plus, it makes the meal more satisfying.)

If you're simply eliminating animal flesh, then you can sub more eggs, milk, cheese, etc.

If you've gone completely vegan, you need to sub for dairy and eggs, as well as meat.

Soy milk and soy cheese, olive oil, nuts, and tofu are good replacements.

Any radical diet change is going to cause problems until your body gets used to the change. Just make sure it's getting what it needs to keep you healthy.
You might want to consider having some bloodwork done, after a few months, just to make sure you're keeping things in balance.

It can be difficult to get balanced nutrition, unless you're following a prescribed veggie diet.

 

Hemp hearts They are so good for protein

http://www.healing-source.com/about_HempHearts_b.htm

 

Have you tried: http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/forumdisplay.php?f=66


Maybe by posting in the vegetarian section you will get more responses.

PAX

 

yes of course

 

i understand how you feel. my boyfriend and i have gone vegetarian for over a year now. we mostly eat soup and vegetables, pasta, pizza, etc. basically normal diet without meat, although we're starting to replace more things with fresh fruits and vegetables. there are a few things i can suggest:

1- eat a GOOD breakfast, a big one that's balanced, which sounds like horseshit but it helps a lot. i usually have cereal, an english muffin and a yogurt, and orange juice. it kickstarts the day.

2- take multivitamin supplements. these are necessary for me because i have a heart problem and can't get enough magnesium from anything but supplements. but they will help you balance out your diet. take them with food, like in the morning... it takes a few days for them to start kicking in because your body has to metabolize them.

3- drink water, lots of it!!

i hope that helps... i hardly drink anything with caffeine anymore, so i have to rely on other stuff to stay awake. apples help a lot. and they are yums.

 

Vegi is just so wrong,,,,
eat meat and get over the animal thing your on. They are just animals (the ones we eat) for our consumption. I'm hungry thinking about blue steak hmm I would eat it raw if I knew it was a real fresh kill.

 

Ruh-roh...
INCOMING!

I like my steak medium rare, please.

 

When ppl bug me to eat meat, I inform them that maybe they are right, because I quit eating meat before tasting cat, dog, horse, rat (altho I have eaten squirrel and suppose it would be the same) or HUMAN.

I mean,meat is meat, right? Just kill an animal of any species and eat it.

 

peanut butter is a great source of both protein and fat...

from;
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~veggie/nonveg/peanut_butter.html