Brittle Nails, fatigued, dry hair, vegetarian. Plssss help

monthebiffpls

I became veggie over the new year but have noticed my attention span and energy has significantly decreased. In addition to this, my nails are extremely brittle and my hair is dry and wirey. I asked in Holland and Barrett where they told me to increase my protein intake but I've struggled. Does anyone have any way of bumping up their protein intake while also wanting to lose weight? I can't get any bigger but I can't stay as fatigued as I currently am. Oh and before anyone suggests, I'm not considering going back to eating meat! I'm leaning more towards veganism.

msanitaml

You can get s ton of protein with out meat but you need to bump it up fish chicken tofu I know you said vegan but before you do really talk to professional for guidance Also take biotin its s supplement for hair and nails you will love it

bioklutz

Are you really eating 500-800 calories a day? That is what it looks like in your food diary. How long have you been doing this?

The symptoms you list are common with people who under eat. You are not getting enough nutrients and calories - your body is not gong to waste fuel on hair and nails. This will not end well for you if you continue.

Ninkyou

bioklutz wrote: »

Are you really eating 500-800 calories a day? That is what it looks like in your food diary. How long have you been doing this?

The symptoms you list are common with people who under eat. You are not getting enough nutrients and calories - your body is not gong to waste fuel on hair and nails. This will not end well for you if you continue.

This.

Although you're probably eating a bit more since your entries are don't look weighed, you're still not eating enough. All of the symptom you describe are from under eating. You need to nip that in the bud asap or you're going to get hospitalized for malnutrition and exhaustion.

StealthHealth

as @bioklutz points out you are not eating anywhere near enough and IMHO your protein and fat levels are disastrously low. These points, and the fact that you are considering restricting you food choices further, make for a dangerous combination which you should think hard about and consider the impact on your long term health.

In the short time I would recommend:

• Talking to you GP or trusted person about your food intake and your relationship with food
• Not restricting further your food types
• Adding whole eggs and diary protein to your diet
  
  Best wishes

kiittenforever

Get Biotin to strengthen hair and nails.
Get a protein powder to fit your needs - vega one is a good option.
You can add more beans, lentils, tofu, edamame into your diet if you aren't doing so already.

Good luck

MelaniaTrump

Take a multi-vitamin.

Pinkylee77

Add some healthy fats too like avocado and coconut oil. Cooking eggs in is a healthy way to get protein and fat. Too little fat will make you hair and skin very dry and brittle

fishshark

Maybe go to your dr to get a check up on your vitamins to see if you are low in any of them. Hopefully you are eating more then 500-600 calories. Being a vegetarian or a vegan is awesome, but it can take a lot of planning and knowledge. Multivitamin wouldn't hurt.

jgnatca

This happened to me when I wasn't reaching 1,200 calories a day. You really cannot do without enough protein. Every. Single. Day. Vitamin B12 and iron if you are low will also help.

It will take a few months for the nails to recover, as you are seeing the effects of about a month of under-eating. Nails take some time to grow.

If I were you I'd get some Vega One as someone suggested above and those days you don't make your minimum protein target, finish off your day with a shake. Every. Single. Day.

jgnatca

While I waited for my nails to recover, I got Nail and Cuticle oil (Vitamin E) and rubbed that in to my nails and cuticles once a week. It's probably only cosmetic, but it made me feel better. I had to be vigilant and cut my nails shorter so they wouldn't snap off. You may also have to go to a shorter hair cut for your dry and brittle hair until it recovers.

CherylG1983

Sounds like B12 and/or iron deficiency, but I'm not a doctor, so it's probably wise to get some bloodwork done and talk to your doctor. To increase protein, grab a tub of vegetarian protein powder. I know Vega makes a vegan one.

JeromeBarry1

801 105 26 40 338 52 <-- That's the problem. Your protein is too low. Check your Reports for nutrition and see if you have glaring deficiencies on anything else. You do. Find them. You have veg resources for everything lacking.

RodaRose

More eggs, tofu, edamame, chic peas, lentils, peanut butter, milk.

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Clarewho

If you're deficient in b12 that will cause the attention span problem you mention. If it's bad a uk gp can arrange a quarterly booster shot. Other than that the hair and nail problem sounds like combination of protein shortage and generally not eating enough.

theslimmingstoner

When I first became a vegetarian (almost 7 years ago) I had very low iron. I was always tired, bruised like an apple, and lacked certain nutrients because I had not researched meat alternatives. Now I try to include beans/soy products, tofu (which to be honest I hate but I try to hide it in my food as much as possible), and I eat a lot of fake meats like veggie burgers or veggie dogs. The ones I buy are a product called St Yves and they are very high in protein and pretty low calories also.

pandabear_

I would actually be looking at your iron intake and asking for a blood test from the doctor, as symptoms of anaemia could be what you have.

An important thing to know when you go vegetarian is that you can still get protein from plant sources, but your body cannot get iron from non-meat sources without a high intake of vitamin C at that same moment. So I would make sure, for example, when you eat eggs or spinach or green leafy vegetables, you have a glass of orange juice or something citrus at the same time.

You could also drink a glass of orange juice at the same time as taking an iron supplement.

What I do is make smoothies with spinach, oranges, raspberries and spirulina in, that way I get protein and my body can absorb iron.

LKArgh

Your diary indicates an eating disorder, not vegetarian eating. Please talk to a professional before you do irreversible damage to your health.

leahkathleen13

Eat variety. Try eggs? Salmon? Tofu? Please take action , your teeth are suffering too even if the damage cannot be seen now. Years later they will cause pain and problems. Trust me it happened to me after years of dieting wrong and skipping food groups.

kwtilbury

bioklutz wrote: »

Are you really eating 500-800 calories a day? That is what it looks like in your food diary. How long have you been doing this?

The symptoms you list are common with people who under eat. You are not getting enough nutrients and calories - your body is not gong to waste fuel on hair and nails. This will not end well for you if you continue.

This! Assuming you're vegetarian and not vegan, add eggs, beans, greek yogurt/dairy, quinoa to your diet. You'll get the necessary amount of protein AND calories.

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Anabug81

Eat Garlic it is really good for your hair and nails. also there is a nails basecoat that has garlic in it. I went to school to be a licensed nail technician.

beemerphile1

monthebiffpls wrote: »

I became veggie over the new year but have noticed my attention span and energy has significantly decreased. In addition to this, my nails are extremely brittle and my hair is dry and wirey. I asked in Holland and Barrett where they told me to increase my protein intake but I've struggled. Does anyone have any way of bumping up their protein intake while also wanting to lose weight? I can't get any bigger but I can't stay as fatigued as I currently am. Oh and before anyone suggests, I'm not considering going back to eating meat! I'm leaning more towards veganism.

I am not surprised you are fatigued, have brittle nails and will soon experience hair loss. After glancing at your diary, I see you have volunteered to starve yourself to death. You aren't eating enough.

CupcakesMom2

If you are not eating meat, ask your dr to recommend a B12 vitamin for you to take. I take mine in a multi vitamin. As far as protein, beans and quinoa have alot of proten. All vegetables have some protein and peas have alot of protein. Nuts also have protein. And if you eat fish, as others have mentioned that a good source too, try to eat fish that is low in mercury.

insomnical

There's a repeating trend and I'll echo it - too few calories.

However I'd also recommend getting a blood panel from your doctor, something that will show you what's missing or low in your system. This was mentioned but I think it's worth stressing this part.

Losing weight shouldn't come at the cost of your health. Be healthy. Let the weight come off slowly with smart planning. Please take care of yourself.

Lounmoun

monthebiffpls wrote: »

I became veggie over the new year but have noticed my attention span and energy has significantly decreased. In addition to this, my nails are extremely brittle and my hair is dry and wirey. I asked in Holland and Barrett where they told me to increase my protein intake but I've struggled. Does anyone have any way of bumping up their protein intake while also wanting to lose weight? I can't get any bigger but I can't stay as fatigued as I currently am. Oh and before anyone suggests, I'm not considering going back to eating meat! I'm leaning more towards veganism.

1. Eat more calories. MFP gave you a calorie goal that you are not coming close to. Meet that goal. At minimum get at least 1200 calories net a day. If you earn calories from exercise then eat half of those. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
2. Eat more protein- eggs, beans, lentils, peas, quinoa, buckwheat, tofu, tempeh, edamame, quorn, Ezekiel bread, seitan, nuts, seeds, hummus/bean dip, peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, cheeses, yogurt, whole grain products, spinach, broccoli, corn, potato, apricots, peaches, oatmeal, regular milk, soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, protein powder, protein bars.... there are lists of protein content of foods suitable for vegetarians or vegans all over the internet.
3. Don't eat a super low fat diet.

TavistockToad

It's a shame OP hasn't come back

monthebiffpls

Hi there. I would like to say that I'm not starving myself, I eat enough to satisfy my needs and only feel hunger around meal times which is then satisfied. My issue is with protein as I do believe I'm not eating enough which is making my nails brittle as a consequence. I've suffered low iron for around two years now as identified when I've been to give blood but this has been fluctuating over time. I personally don't like dairy as I suffer bloating and sickness afterwards. I mean, the question was purely concerning nails, skin and hair not concerning the amount I'm eating. I wouldn't even know what to add to my diet to satisfy you all, apart from eating bread or snacking more?

Phrick

monthebiffpls wrote: »

Hi there. I would like to say that I'm not starving myself, I eat enough to satisfy my needs and only feel hunger around meal times which is then satisfied. My issue is with protein as I do believe I'm not eating enough which is making my nails brittle as a consequence. I've suffered low iron for around two years now as identified when I've been to give blood but this has been fluctuating over time. I personally don't like dairy as I suffer bloating and sickness afterwards. I mean, the question was purely concerning nails, skin and hair not concerning the amount I'm eating. I wouldn't even know what to add to my diet to satisfy you all, apart from eating bread or snacking more?

Hi there. I would like to say your body is SCREAMING at you that you ARE in fact starving yourself and you are NOT in fact eating enough to satisfy your needs... whether you "feel hunger" or not. It's not just protein it is ALL the nutrients. At 500-800 calories a day you are not going to be getting enough of any of them. The question may be purely concerning nails, skin and hair but the answer is in what you're {not} eating: enough. food. period.