New Vegetarian...tired!

Treadmillmom1st

Hello,
This is day 14 of a non meat lifestyle, I still eat dairy and fish just not meat nor chicken.
I have worked out every weekday morning for 5 years, this morning I just couldn't get out of bed, I didn't even try.
I've slept 8 hours and could do with more.
My cardio workouts haven't suffered but I get muscle fatigue very quickly on weight training days.
I've read lots of blogs and tried my best to keep on top of essential vitamins and minerals.
According to MFP I average 77g protein, 69g Vitamin C and 22g Iron daily.
What more can I do?
Oh my don't get me started on the bloating.....

adub119

Fish is meat

Treadmillmom1st

Thanks for taking the time to point that out adub119.

Yi5hedr3

Been there, done that - ain't going back. On that diet you will lose strength, and gain fat. Also the high insoluble fiber will keep you bloated. Over time you will lose weight, but most of it will be muscle. You may want to rethink this.

janejellyroll

Has cutting out all meat except from that from fish reduced your calories? This may be a calorie issue, not a reduction in meat issue.

futuresize8

Hi! I've eaten in the manner you describe for more than 20 years. I can tell you that for me, the bloating subsided as your body adjusts. You can take Beano if you want - I've had friends who have upped their Veg and say that it helps. On the fatigue, I don't know where you are but it's winter here...are you sure you're not coming down with something? I only ask because it looks like your protein levels are pretty. That said, B-12 is pretty important for converting food to fuel. If you can eat more foods that contain that, it might help perk you up and help your body adjust. If you want a supportive friend, let me know - I have room for you!

franny0510

you need to increase your protein intake - as a guide, I train most days - heavy weights - I'm 65kg female, I target 140g protein a day.... this feeds your muscles and prevents muscle fatigue. Also suggest, BCAA/glutamine Supplements pre/post workout and Optimimum Nutrition Pre Workout - one of the best. If you want a caffeine Free one - try Reflex.
I am also Pescitarian - not Vegetarian. My diet consists of a lot of fish, eggs and the odd protein shake to top up my protein.
You could also try Casein at night, a slow releasing protein that means you are not depleted in the morning.
You also don't say if you are eating before your workouts. It's probably ok to do fasted cardio - but I wouldn't recommend a weights session.
You need to feed your workouts by eating carbs at the right time.... sweet potato half hour before, protein straight after.

Treadmillmom1st

Thank you futuresize 8, that's helpful, I may call on you from time to time. janejellyroll my calorie intake is high surprisingly but I've added lots of seeds to my diet (my protein) which are very calorific. I've just popped to the health food store and bought multivitamins which I had hoped to avoid, worried about the body's preference to synthetic vitamin absorption.

talialinn

I have been a vegetarian for 10 years and it gets better. I take digestive enzymes and probiotics, which help digestion and keep my gut flora in a positive balance; this seems to help reduce bloating. Your body is just adjusting to your increased fiber intake from all those veggies. Dr.s best enzymes or enzymedica enzymes are my favorite. Probiotics by Renew Life seem to work the best for me. As for the B12, yes, you need this. You can get it from eating mushrooms, nutritional yeast, or by taking a coenzymared B12. This will be the METHYLCOBALAMIN form of B12......NOT the cyanocobalamin. Good luck! I hope you feel better!I'm sure you're very aware, but just monitor your grain/carbohydrate intake. It can be easy to replace meat and animal products with lots of non-vegetable carbs sometimes.

Sabine_Stroehm

Beans

kshama2001

Treadmillmom1st wrote: »

Thank you futuresize 8, that's helpful, I may call on you from time to time. janejellyroll my calorie intake is high surprisingly but I've added lots of seeds to my diet (my protein) which are very calorific. I've just popped to the health food store and bought multivitamins which I had hoped to avoid, worried about the body's preference to synthetic vitamin absorption.

Since "high" is subjective - how many calories do you net after exercise, how tall are you, and how much do you weight?

kmsoucy457

Per my doctor B-12 is a vitamin you can only get from animal sources, beef being the best source (talialinn mentioned mushrooms/yeast, which I didn't know about...maybe because it's a fungus and it's not technically a plant or animal?). It will affect your energy levels greatly if it's too low. Shellfish such as oysters and dairy products are OK sources, but I'd recommend taking a B-12 supplement. Last year I was on a similar diet: very little meat, lost of fruits, veggies, seeds/nuts and legumes. I thought I had my vitamins and minerals well accounted for. Two months of weekly injections later I'm down to a daily vitamin. At the time I was instructed by my doctor that the body expels excess B-12 if you take in too much, so there is no risk of 'OD'.
Others have already mentioned protein and iron, and it sounds as if you have those covered, i.e. they are on your radar.

talialinn

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

Beans

Yesss!! So many beans

FunkyTobias

franny0510 wrote: »

you need to increase your protein intake - as a guide, I train most days - heavy weights - I'm 65kg female, I target 140g protein a day.... this feeds your muscles and prevents muscle fatigue. Also suggest, BCAA/glutamine Supplements pre/post workout and Optimimum Nutrition Pre Workout - one of the best. If you want a caffeine Free one - try Reflex.
I am also Pescitarian - not Vegetarian. My diet consists of a lot of fish, eggs and the odd protein shake to top up my protein.
You could also try Casein at night, a slow releasing protein that means you are not depleted in the morning.
You also don't say if you are eating before your workouts. It's probably ok to do fasted cardio - but I wouldn't recommend a weights session.
You need to feed your workouts by eating carbs at the right time.... sweet potato half hour before, protein straight after.

None of this is necessary, or even helpful.

OP: As others have said, you may be getting insufficient amounts of B12, and this can contribute to your fatigue.

DaddieCat

I wholeheartedly agree with the above calorie and b-12 advice. I'd suggest going to your doctor and getting tested for deficiencies and having them advise you. Vitamins can play a huge role in energy production, perception, and balance.

talialinn

FunkyTobias wrote: »

franny0510 wrote: »

you need to increase your protein intake - as a guide, I train most days - heavy weights - I'm 65kg female, I target 140g protein a day.... this feeds your muscles and prevents muscle fatigue. Also suggest, BCAA/glutamine Supplements pre/post workout and Optimimum Nutrition Pre Workout - one of the best. If you want a caffeine Free one - try Reflex.
I am also Pescitarian - not Vegetarian. My diet consists of a lot of fish, eggs and the odd protein shake to top up my protein.
You could also try Casein at night, a slow releasing protein that means you are not depleted in the morning.
You also don't say if you are eating before your workouts. It's probably ok to do fasted cardio - but I wouldn't recommend a weights session.
You need to feed your workouts by eating carbs at the right time.... sweet potato half hour before, protein straight after.

None of this is necessary, or even helpful.

OP: As others have said, you may be getting insufficient amounts of B12, and this can contribute to your fatigue.

Yeah, I agree with FunkyTobias. The "sweet potato half hour before" advice is not necessary. Your body isn't even going to break down and distribute the sugars from your sweet potato into your muscle in the half hour before your workout, which totally defeats the purpose. Also, if you workout that soon after eating anything, you have a higher likelihood of feeling sick during your workout. You don't need to eat anything before you workout, but probably after. A good mix of carbs and proteins after a workout will set you up right, but find which foods work best for you.

talialinn

Just a few foods you could incorporate if you don't like taking multivitamins and/or want to increase protein intake:

Quinoa
Hard boiled eggs
Full fat cottage cheese
Almond milk
Cruciferous veggies like cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts
Avocado
Dark leafy green veggies
Beets
Whole oats
Squash
Seitan
Organic sprouted tofu
Nuts
Beans and lentils
Prunes, plums, dates (you can puree prunes and dates in your smoothies to sweeten them, plus they keep you regular)
Chia
Fage plain greek yogurt (high protein, low carb, no crap) (Use in place of sour cream, or stir into oatmeal)

OMP33

EAT MORE CARBS TO GET YOUR ENERGY. IT"S LIKELY YOU ARE NOT EATING ENOUGH.

jflanaganasl

As a vegetarian who didn't care for my B12 levels - being low on B12 (which is found in animal sources) can make you extremely tired and can cause fatigue like what you're describing during your workouts. Consider a supplement.

Negative_X

Nutritional yeast is a great source of B12. (can get it at any health food store) I'm no longer doing the vegan thing myself, but still use it on my veggies, since it tastes delicious and has a decent amount of protein & B12 in it. (has a cheesy flavor)

pie_eyes

Treadmillmom1st wrote: »

Thanks for taking the time to point that out adub119.

Lol

withoutasaddle

B12 deficiencies take years to develop. Your body's stores of it will take years to deplete, that's not the issue, I guarantee. Especially if you still eat some animal product

DaddieCat

Negative_X wrote: »

Nutritional yeast is a great source of B12. (can get it at any health food store) I'm no longer doing the vegan thing myself, but still use it on my veggies, since it tastes delicious and has a decent amount of protein & B12 in it. (has a cheesy flavor)

Be aware that nutritional yeast does not contain B-12. B-12 is added to nutritional yeast and if the label does not say that it's fortified, then it is not and you will still need to supplement or find other sources.

janejellyroll

withoutasaddle wrote: »

B12 deficiencies take years to develop. Your body's stores of it will take years to deplete, that's not the issue, I guarantee. Especially if you still eat some animal product

Your body *can* hold years worth of B12, but people who are changing their diet to reduce or exclude animal products have no idea if they are one of the people who has years worth in the body. Remember, even non-vegans and vegetarians can develop deficiencies.

talialinn

janejellyroll wrote: »

withoutasaddle wrote: »

B12 deficiencies take years to develop. Your body's stores of it will take years to deplete, that's not the issue, I guarantee. Especially if you still eat some animal product

Your body *can* hold years worth of B12, but people who are changing their diet to reduce or exclude animal products have no idea if they are one of the people who has years worth in the body. Remember, even non-vegans and vegetarians can develop deficiencies.

I just would like to inform you guys for your benefit, that B12 is a water soluble vitamin and does not store in your body. Your body uses it as soon as it gets it and any that it cannot use immediately gets flushed out of the body through the urine.

janejellyroll

talialinn wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

withoutasaddle wrote: »

B12 deficiencies take years to develop. Your body's stores of it will take years to deplete, that's not the issue, I guarantee. Especially if you still eat some animal product

Your body *can* hold years worth of B12, but people who are changing their diet to reduce or exclude animal products have no idea if they are one of the people who has years worth in the body. Remember, even non-vegans and vegetarians can develop deficiencies.

I just would like to inform you guys for your benefit, that B12 is a water soluble vitamin and does not store in your body. Your body uses it as soon as it gets it and any that it cannot use immediately gets flushed out of the body through the urine.

This isn't quite true. While B12 is water soluble and your body does excrete excess B12, it is also stored in the liver. This is why deficiencies can sometimes take a while to emerge, although the store in your liver should never be counted on (because we have no real way of knowing how much we have stored).

http://veganhealth.org/articles/vitaminb12

talialinn

janejellyroll wrote: »

talialinn wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

withoutasaddle wrote: »

B12 deficiencies take years to develop. Your body's stores of it will take years to deplete, that's not the issue, I guarantee. Especially if you still eat some animal product

Your body *can* hold years worth of B12, but people who are changing their diet to reduce or exclude animal products have no idea if they are one of the people who has years worth in the body. Remember, even non-vegans and vegetarians can develop deficiencies.

I just would like to inform you guys for your benefit, that B12 is a water soluble vitamin and does not store in your body. Your body uses it as soon as it gets it and any that it cannot use immediately gets flushed out of the body through the urine.

This isn't quite true. While B12 is water soluble and your body does excrete excess B12, it is also stored in the liver. This is why deficiencies can sometimes take a while to emerge, although the store in your liver should never be counted on (because we have no real way of knowing how much we have stored).

http://veganhealth.org/articles/vitaminb12

Nice! Thanks