B12
ernestbecker
Posts: 232 Member
Hi all. New here to this group. I gave Raw Vegan a trial month here in February. I did have some days (5) where I did eat meat products, but for the most part, I was pretty regimented to give it a fair shot. Now that the trial month is over I wrote out the following notes. But I have questions about the diet for those of you that have been long term. I'm an extreme athlete in that I race a bicycle and body build weekly. I have serious concerns about protein and B12. I also have serious concerns about the social and cultural aspects of eating. I don't want to be a pain in the *kitten* when I go out to eat with family and friends. Least of all, I don't want to make people feel bad or uncomfortable because I eat a certain way. Can anyone address these questions and concerns?
My notes about February Raw Vegan challenge. I was very pleased that others joined me and gave this a try too!
The diet itself was great overall.
Top likes:
1. Love, love fruits.
2. Meal preps were easier
3. Lots of energy after initial body transition to new diet
4. Used less toilet paper! yes. I'm sure those of you doing this can relate. It's just different. cleaner.
5. When I was done in the bathroom, I was done. It all comes out regularly and completely. Very nice side effect when you're getting ready to ride 100 miles.
6. Lost body fat overall. This was an unexpected finding, after all I'd been taught, and read about carbs!
7. Maintained my lifts in the gym. Even set new bench press and leg press PR's. Say "go Ernie"!
8. Maintained riding level on the bike. even when I went to spring training and rode 200+ miles! Say "go Ernie"!
9. Mentally satisfied that I was eating completely "natural". very subjective item I know.
10. Found a lot of new friends on MFP!
Top dislikes:
1. All the reasons our culture now defines as comfort foods! There were times I wanted "my ____" you name it.
2. Cooked foods. I wanted a hot bowl of chili during the super bowl. I was cold and I craved it.
3. The amount of food you have to eat to maintain calories
4. The amount of time it takes to eat food!
5. When you run out of fruit, you can't just go to the pantry and grab something
6. Not sure how I get the "supposed" needed nutrients on just fruits and veggies doing this long term
7. Lost weight from 165 to 157. I don't want to look too skinny. It's vain, yes. But, I'm a bit that. (I'll explain what I think the weight loss was below.
8. Very inconvenient at times when socially eating! Looks like the fruity guy will have to eat meat!
9. Finding fruits in season
Possible reasons for weight loss:
1. Standard American diet takes 72 hours once it enters the body and once the by-product (waste) exits the body. Meaning, we always carry 3 days worth of food in our bodies. Raw Vegans claim, that raw foods exit in 24 hours. Meaning: Once the body is cleansed of all the crap, there's only 1 day of food hanging around in there. That's less weight on the scales if this is really happening. My guess.
2. Loss of body fat from my bike riding (which has had an uptick) and gym time (which has dropped off a bit because of the riding).
3. Maybe not drinking enough water but I never do!
4. Muscle loss from lack of protein. I have to list this as a possible cause since I don't really know. What I do know, is that I didn't lose strength in the gym.
My notes about February Raw Vegan challenge. I was very pleased that others joined me and gave this a try too!
The diet itself was great overall.
Top likes:
1. Love, love fruits.
2. Meal preps were easier
3. Lots of energy after initial body transition to new diet
4. Used less toilet paper! yes. I'm sure those of you doing this can relate. It's just different. cleaner.
5. When I was done in the bathroom, I was done. It all comes out regularly and completely. Very nice side effect when you're getting ready to ride 100 miles.
6. Lost body fat overall. This was an unexpected finding, after all I'd been taught, and read about carbs!
7. Maintained my lifts in the gym. Even set new bench press and leg press PR's. Say "go Ernie"!
8. Maintained riding level on the bike. even when I went to spring training and rode 200+ miles! Say "go Ernie"!
9. Mentally satisfied that I was eating completely "natural". very subjective item I know.
10. Found a lot of new friends on MFP!
Top dislikes:
1. All the reasons our culture now defines as comfort foods! There were times I wanted "my ____" you name it.
2. Cooked foods. I wanted a hot bowl of chili during the super bowl. I was cold and I craved it.
3. The amount of food you have to eat to maintain calories
4. The amount of time it takes to eat food!
5. When you run out of fruit, you can't just go to the pantry and grab something
6. Not sure how I get the "supposed" needed nutrients on just fruits and veggies doing this long term
7. Lost weight from 165 to 157. I don't want to look too skinny. It's vain, yes. But, I'm a bit that. (I'll explain what I think the weight loss was below.
8. Very inconvenient at times when socially eating! Looks like the fruity guy will have to eat meat!
9. Finding fruits in season
Possible reasons for weight loss:
1. Standard American diet takes 72 hours once it enters the body and once the by-product (waste) exits the body. Meaning, we always carry 3 days worth of food in our bodies. Raw Vegans claim, that raw foods exit in 24 hours. Meaning: Once the body is cleansed of all the crap, there's only 1 day of food hanging around in there. That's less weight on the scales if this is really happening. My guess.
2. Loss of body fat from my bike riding (which has had an uptick) and gym time (which has dropped off a bit because of the riding).
3. Maybe not drinking enough water but I never do!
4. Muscle loss from lack of protein. I have to list this as a possible cause since I don't really know. What I do know, is that I didn't lose strength in the gym.
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Replies
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i am not raw, so cant answer for that diet, but i think the protein and b12 concerns are easily addressed and solved. See my recent topic and contact me directly if interested to chat... cheers... http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1233692-attention-active-lifestyle-vegan-veg-heads-project-6-pack0
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Here is another good link on the subject of B12:
http://www.vegfriend.com/forum/topics/the-vitamin-b12-issue0 -
If you are that worried about protein try growing sprouts, I havent done this yet but I heard its higher in protein.
Also get blood work done, and then again in a few months to see where your B12 is before potentially wasting money on B12 supplements.0 -
protein is nothing to worry about and everyone should take a b-12 supplement no matter what diet vegan or not0
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I can only go by anecdotal experience, but I there is too much emphasis on b12 and protein deficiencies on a vegan or plant based diet.
Case in point, I have had pernicious anemia (low b12) for several years. Last year my doctor was pushing me to eat more meat. Well, I was eating a massive amount of meat last year (for 12 months) and there was no change in my anemia. I did not take a supplement. He felt it woukd be enough to just eat more meat. I was eating meat three time a day. Smoking meat, bbqing meat, meat , meat and more meat. No change in my anemia. In January of this year I made the ethical decision to eat a mostly raw plant based diet (against the orders of my doctor). I had my blood work 3 weeks ago and I am no longer anemic and I still do not supplement.
I have no explanation for this, nor does my doctor who was completely confounded. Also, even though I do not supplement protein either, I have had no problem retaining muscle mass and I run at least 50+ miles a week training for a marathon. I do include resistance training several days a week.
I can only speculate as to why I was anemic on a heavy meat diet, and that is maybe all the meat and fat I was eating last year was somehow preventing b12 absortion. My diet last year consisted of whole foods, no processed foods except for meat. Now I am 100% plant based, and about 80-90% raw and my health markers based on my blood tests are the best they have been in nearly 20 years.
So my opinion is that peoples concern for protein and b12 deficiencies are needless. Of course unless people have experienced health issues from plant based diets that I am not aware of. But I personally have not met or heard of anyone with deficiency problems and certainly are not malnutritioned from plant based diets.
As a side note...my marathon training performance has never been better since going vegan.0
