Are you weak without meat??

IIIIISerenityNowIIIII

I've been vegetarian for 16 years, because of the way we raise and kill slaughter animals. My diary is open if you want to see all the junk I eat to get enough protein.

LoupGarouTFTs

Eating is a natural act, not a moral one. You should eat what makes you feel best. If you feel you need to eat meat, eat it. Those "video-documentaries" are pretty much animal rights propaganda and pseudo-science, anyway.

To answer your question, I used to participate in a Lenten fast every year for my faith. During Great Lent, before Pascha, we give up meat, dairy, fish (with scales), oils, and pretty much everything that's tasty. That is, we're stuck with a vegan diet whether we like it or not (my apologies to all vegans here, but . . .yuck). In recent years I've not made it through a fast without getting light-headed after every meal and feeling constantly hungry. Even using various vegan recipes that used soy, chickpeas, and other "good protein" things, my symptoms would just get worse as time went on, so I'd add scaled fish, cheese, and chicken just to get by. I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in April (having previously been hypoglycemic for decades) and have since discovered that soy makes my blood sugar skyrocket. (That means I would get light-headed from the high glucose and then feel hungry from the hypoglycemia following the crash. Go figure.) I'm not saying that you might have diabetes, but it's one of those things you might want to have checked before thinking of going meatless. If nothing else, you'd just have to come up with different dietary strategies to keep your blood sugar stable.

ETA: If we were herbivores, we'd be able to digest cellulose. We can't.

care4mom250

I had the same problem -- I have been able to almost eliminate meat intake by using some simple vegetarian protein rules:

1) Eat COMPLETE proteins. Most vegetarian proteins are not "complete proteins" -- a complete protein is one that has ALL the vital amino acids. Only soy, Quinoa, and hemp are complete. Other vegetarian proteins, like beans do not have all the amino acids -- so you have to mix them (during the same meal or during the same day) with a complementary vegetarian protein that has this missing amino acids. Example, beans and rice.

2) Make sure you get ENOUGH protein. An average adult needs about 57grams. Vegetarian protein sources have less protein per ounce, so you have to eat protein rich foods all day long. For example, Chicken has about 5g/ounce; Quinoa has 3g/ounce (uncooked). So to get the same amount of protein as a 4oz chicken portion, you have to eat about 6.5 ounces of quinoa (cooked, that would be about 3-1/3 CUPS of Quinoa.

3) There are almost no vegetarian sources of vitamin B12. You WILL get weak and sick from B12 deficiency (pernicious anemia) eventually unless you supplement, eat foods fortified with B12 (like soy milk and cereal) OR eat animal products like cheese and eggs. You can also get it some from Brewer's yeast. Calcium and Zinc can also be a problem. Fortunately there are a lot of vegetables that are high in calcium; and you get large amounts of zinc from pumpkin and squash seeds.

4) Eat healthy fats. Part of the reason meat tastes good and makes you feel satisfied is the fat. But the fat in meat is terrible for your health. Make sure to add modest amounts of coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil to your cooking and eat nuts, seeds, and fatty fruits like avocado with meals to add flavor and satiety.

One other food for thought: Chimpanzees are genetically very similar to us. They are primarily vegetarians, but about 2-3% of their diet comes from animal proteins. If you cannot eliminate meat entirely, this is a good rule of thumb: 1 out of every 35-50 meals from animal products, including eggs which are a great source of choline which is kind of in the b-vitamin family and helps fight cancer and heart disease. You can also get it from Collard Greens.

Meerataila

Eating is a natural act, not a moral one. You should eat what makes you feel best. If you feel you need to eat meat, eat it. Those "video-documentaries" are pretty much animal rights propaganda and pseudo-science, anyway.

To answer your question, I used to participate in a Lenten fast every year for my faith. During Great Lent, before Pascha, we give up meat, dairy, fish (with scales), oils, and pretty much everything that's tasty. That is, we're stuck with a vegan diet whether we like it or not (my apologies to all vegans here, but . . .yuck). In recent years I've not made it through a fast without getting light-headed after every meal and feeling constantly hungry. Even using various vegan recipes that used soy, chickpeas, and other "good protein" things, my symptoms would just get worse as time went on, so I'd add scaled fish, cheese, and chicken just to get by. I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in April (having previously been hypoglycemic for decades) and have since discovered that soy makes my blood sugar skyrocket. (That means I would get light-headed from the high glucose and then feel hungry from the hypoglycemia following the crash. Go figure.) I'm not saying that you might have diabetes, but it's one of those things you might want to have checked before thinking of going meatless. If nothing else, you'd just have to come up with different dietary strategies to keep your blood sugar stable.

It is up to every individual to decide what is and is not a moral act and to create his or her own moral code. I don't see why you should have to feel defensive because you don't consider it immoral to eat meat and I won't judge you for it. But I also don't see why you should judge others as basing their decisions on pseudoscience and propaganda.

williams969

There have been times when I was weak for some meat.

:laugh:

To the OP--I've been veg*n and I've been omni. Both require the same amount of thoughtfulness about reaching daily requirements for nutrients. It's just different foods are consumed to reach those goals.

I personally find omni easier for *me*, since I found it difficult to reach my iron or calcium needs on plants alone. Even though, I still was able to maintain a decent level fitness, strength and well-being. I just like meat for the "ease" of protein and iron intake (personal opinion, YMMV).

_HeartsOnFire_

I've been vegetarian for 24 years. I am not weak without it. I squat 155, I deadlift 190, Bench 75.

You've gotten some good suggestions on here. If you want to go vegetarian it is a lot more than just not eating meat, you'll need to do some research on making sure you get vitamins like b12, iron, vit d and calcium.

Good luck with whatever you decide. It's your decision and only you know what's right for you.

Eleonora91

I don't feel weak even though I haven't had a piece of meat in almost 7 years.
If you feel weak, you might need to look further into it, e.g. check your iron level

Eleonora91

Eating is a natural act, not a moral one. You should eat what makes you feel best.

That's why I am a vegetarian, actually.

JGonzo82

It really hurts my feelings when I see how animals are being slaughtered for us to eat. SO after seeing a video/documentary, etc I wouldn't eat meat for a few days.. But after that, I'm back to eating it again. I feel like my body needs meat b/c I feel really weak if I had not eaten meat after a couple of days. I tried the beans and tofu thing for protein but I couldn't do it in the long run. Any thoughts on this guys? To vegetarians/vegans out there, how do you guys do it??

You don't need meat and a lack of meat won't make you feel weak. I just ran 3.5 miles yesterday and haven't eaten meat in two years. I'm okay. A vegetarian diet is healthy and you can get the nutrients you need without meat including iron and protein. Beans and tofu are good sources, personally I like to pair beans with rice and guacamole. Mexican food is very easy to do vegetarian. I also like salads. Not small salads but huge salads with alot of veggies, sandwiches are great too. My sister make some tofu salad to put in them. There's also meatfree chili, hearty lentil soups, the options are endless. I get alot of easy receipes from www.peta2.org they are easy delicious recipes.

I agree. I am no longer vegetarian, but was one for 5+ years, and in that time frame competed in multiple sports, including powerlifting (which, by definition, requires strength).

zillah73

It really hurts my feelings when I see how animals are being slaughtered for us to eat. SO after seeing a video/documentary, etc I wouldn't eat meat for a few days.. But after that, I'm back to eating it again. I feel like my body needs meat b/c I feel really weak if I had not eaten meat after a couple of days. I tried the beans and tofu thing for protein but I couldn't do it in the long run. Any thoughts on this guys? To vegetarians/vegans out there, how do you guys do it??

I haven't eaten meat in years and, in that time, I have gotten leaner, stronger, faster and far, far healthier. Furthermore, I live 100% in accordance with my values which makes me strong in character. There are plenty of vegan athletes out there, from ultra marathoners to MMA fighters and weight lifting champions, proving meat is not necessary for physical strength. I simply eat a well-balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and sea vegetables. I have no troubles meeting my macro- and micronutrient requirements and I feel amazing. There will always be people who try to dissuade you – I still get them trying to convince me I am doing something wrong when, clearly, all evidence points to the contrary. I encourage you to follow your heart and do what feels best to you. I hope this helps.

Galatea_Stone

It's perfectly possible to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet, a little harder on a vegan diet, but if you're disciplined with your diet, you can do it. The human body is amazingly efficient.

I eat meat. I don't have the moral hang-ups about eating meat, but I can understand someone else taking that position.

George_Baileys_Ghost

There have been times when I was weak for some meat.

As a humanitarian, I find this heart breaking. I am making a standing offer to make meat available any time you need it. :flowerforyou:

cwolfman13

I have veg friends who are athletes and they're just fine. They have a good understanding of proper nutrition and how to make up for the nutrients they don't get from forgoing meat. Most of them also take B vitamin supplements.

My guess, OP would be that you weren't getting adequate protein, your B vitamin profile was lacking, and very possibly not enough calories either.

JoshuaL86

When I watch a video-documentary, I take into consideration into who's making it. The ones that "expose" animal processing plants usually have an agenda and tend to make things way worse for the animals than they probably truly are. I'm not saying it's not unethical, but when people have an agenda they tend to magnify problems.

You should eat what makes you feel good. There are a lot of people who are vegans/vegetarians for the health benefits and from what I can tell those are the ones who are the most successful at maintaining that lifestyle. In my opinion, eating should come down to health, not morality.

As for me and my house, we will eat meat.

jaz050465

Is the slaughter of animals for food pleasant? No. But, that alone is not a reason to eschew meat products. It is just a fact of life. We don't judge a lion for killing a zebra. We don't assign moral values for animals that kill another animal to survive. Why do we assume we're better than animals ourselves? Is it possible to "survive" without eating any animal products? Yeah, I guess so. But, if you don't do well on such a diet, you shouldn't feel guilty for your biology.

If you feel bad about the meat you eat, you should do what you can to reduce the waste as much as possible and to find meat that was raised in ways you believe are ethical.

I, personally, did the vegetarian thing for about two years. It wasn't something that worked for me long term.

Indeed it isn't pleasant, which is why I became a vegan in the first place. I occasionally eat eggs now, but that's because they're from my chickens that I'm raising and I know and control exactly what happens to them (no cruelty from humans, I let them free range during the day, put them in a big coop at night to protect from coyotes, feed and water them right, etc.).

Granted, we can't blame a lion for killing. But I don't think we can't relate that directly to human behavior, either. That's like saying, "Well, lions kill their babies, so it's okay that we do, sometimes, too." I know there are lots of arguments for meat eating that I don't yet have answers to. I'm not trying to force veganism upon anyone, either. I just think this argument is bogus;-)

As for making me weak, I have not suffered when it comes to strength in any way. Heck, I broke a plateau today, squatting 150 now for my working sets! I'd say if you're curious, try it out for yourself. Make sure you're getting enough protein and I think you'll do a-okay. Everybody's different, so there's only one way to find out!

You're not a vegan if you eat eggs though.

redraidergirl2009

I have veg friends who are athletes and they're just fine. They have a good understanding of proper nutrition and how to make up for the nutrients they don't get from forgoing meat. Most of them also take B vitamin supplements.

My guess, OP would be that you weren't getting adequate protein, your B vitamin profile was lacking, and very possibly not enough calories either.

B vitamin deficiency takes along time to occur. Certainly more than a few days and she was still probably eating dairy/eggs.

aedreana

It is totally easy for me to adhere to a vegan diet. The precious lives of nonhuman creatures are what matters to me, regardless of any health/nutrition concerns of a vegan diet. I refuse to sacrifice their lives for mine.

thepatmaddox

Hopefully you've seen by now that it is possible to eat vegan and be strong.

A few days isn't nearly enough time to get real feedback on dietary changes. Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I think that feeling weak or lightheaded after not eating meat for a few days could just be your body adjusting, or even your psychology adjusting. I do think it would be worthwhile to talk to a doctor to get a checkup and bloodwork done, you'll have a baseline to compare against as you start to cut out meats. Weakness / lightheadedness could be nothing to worry about, or it could be something to worry about. A doctor can help you there, I can't. I can say I'm not surprised *at all* that you'd be feeling differently - likely for the worse - after just a few days of meat-free living.

I would expect it to take around 6 weeks for your body to adapt. I also think that going cold tofurkey will cause a lot of physical and emotional stress. Formulate a plan for being meat-free in 6 months, and *gradually* reduce your meat consumption over that time. If you're able to accelerate it, great, but 6 months will go by faster than you think. If you go cold tofurkey you'll probably adapt in 6 weeks or so but it might be painful to do.

In any case, I hope you arrive at an eating style that satisfies your ethics, your tastebuds, and your health.

Signed,
Unabashed Carnivore

FIT_Goat

It is totally easy for me to adhere to a vegan diet. The precious lives of nonhuman creatures are what matters to me, regardless of any health/nutrition concerns of a vegan diet. I refuse to sacrifice their lives for mine.

For a moment, I thought this was supposed to be sarcasm. But, based on post history, I can't help but think you're serious.

PennyVonDread

Yes. I am very weak without red meat. I have heart problems and a blood disorder, and even taking iron tablets and eating red meat isn't enough sometimes. I do everything I can to avoid blood transfusions. I also need a lot of salt for my hypotension. I'm fine with people being vegan, but I'm not apologetic of my diet.