Losing faith

NGMama

Morning, sorry for the draggy post. I've never had as much trouble as I am since becoming vegan at losing weight. I absolutely own that there's not enough exercise but I'm gaining!!!

I am going to do a cleanse this weekend and hope that will start things. I know from past experience I can lose fast on a high protein diet. However, I feel sick all the time and hate the foods on that kind of diet so it's not sustainable. I can do this being vegan right? I'm so frustrated. I'm reading Eat To Live and will start it right after the cleanse.

Thanks for reading the whining.

AnnaMaus

Gaining? Gah. That *is* frustrating.

Some things to consider if you haven't already:

if you're logging assiduously, are you quite sure your calorie counts are correct?
In the period over which you've gained, are you more tired than usual?
If so, are you sleeping enough?
If so, are you taking a multivitamin (including B-complex)?
If so, do you have a family history of hypothyroidism?

What's your stress level like relative to the recent past?

MirelaH

I'm sorry you're frustrated! I know gaining can kill motivation but hang in there!! You can do this! Just continue to exercise and eat healthy! I am also reading Eat To Live right now!!

WhitneyAnnabelle

In conjunction with what the person above said about B12 and hypothyroidism, are you eating a lot of pasta and carbs to get your calories? That could definitely have something to do with it.

NGMama

Gaining? Gah. That *is* frustrating.

Some things to consider if you haven't already:

if you're logging assiduously, are you quite sure your calorie counts are correct?
In the period over which you've gained, are you more tired than usual?
If so, are you sleeping enough?
If so, are you taking a multivitamin (including B-complex)?
If so, do you have a family history of hypothyroidism?

What's your stress level like relative to the recent past?

Anna, you rock. :bigsmile: This week I've not logged well at all because I've been so discouraged. Prior to that yes. I was measuring things and watching the portions for sure. I'm exhausted. I do take a multi but probably not as much as I should. I never sleep enough because I have two little 'uns who don't sleep through the night. Huge family history of being hypo, I get checked every year. Although, now that you mention it, no idea when I did it last. AND in thinking about B12, my mom and her identical twin are both on injections now. I suspect neither has the intrinsic factor. Is that inherited? Maybe I'm too low on B12??

Thanks for the support my vegan friends, gave me something to think about. I'm open to a) a swift kick or b) info about what to do next. Did anyone else stall out??

NGMama

In conjunction with what the person above said about B12 and hypothyroidism, are you eating a lot of pasta and carbs to get your calories? That could definitely have something to do with it.

Whitney, my children are gluten intolerant and I hate g-free foods so it's pretty rare. I have had some rice this week but mostly the carbs are from whole fruits and vegetables.

speedy001

Hey I know that you are gaining but how do you feel? I mean apart from annoyed when stepping on the scales? Have you thought about staying off the scales for a month or so and just keep a focus on eating healthy nourishing foods getting plenty of water and keeping your body moving. Once you notice that you look better and your clothes feel better you will have all the motivation you need to keep on going.
cheers
T

alexsmith01

I know what you mean, I put on about weight when I first went Vegan, and that's why I'm a Pescatarian now.
I have Vegan values - I believe in Veganism and want to be Vegan, but I struggled to eat healthily when I first converted. I'm going to continue to be Pescatarian until I get to my goal weight, then I am going to continue to use MFP and cut out fish, then dairy, then eggs and other animal products (giving my body a few months to adjust in between each one). Hopefully this will work better for me in the long run as I will be able to be healthier.

Not saying you should cut back to Vegetarian, being Vegan is ideal! I'm just trying to say that it is easy to eat a lot more junk, so try eat lots of whole foods, and lots and lots of vegan protein.

Alex x

alexsmith01

Gaining? Gah. That *is* frustrating.

Some things to consider if you haven't already:

if you're logging assiduously, are you quite sure your calorie counts are correct?
In the period over which you've gained, are you more tired than usual? i t
If so, are you sleeping enough?
If so, are you taking a multivitamin (including B-complex)?
If so, do you have a family history of hypothyroidism?

What's your stress level like relative to the recent past?

Ooooh yes remember to take B12 supplements - and Iron if you have a tendancy for low iron (I've always had good iron, even as a vegetarian my doctor says my iron levels are better than most people who eat meat!) but B12 is where it's at! I was getting really depressed ad lethargic last year thru the winter - I thought it was winter blues, plus stress from travel (I travelled 27 weeks for work last year) but I started taking Berocca (supplement containing B12) and within a week I was back to normal haha.

WhitneyAnnabelle

All I was implying was that a lot of vegan people eat pasta and grain-based foods like it's nobody's business. My mistake. If your children eat a lot of gluten-free substitutes, though, they are often filled with fat and sugar to make them palatable in the absence of gluten. But you already said you haven't eaten carbs other than vegetables and fruits. I would start with the whole "fruit is high in fructose" rant, but I won't.

NGMama

Hi Whitney, I only quoted your post because I hadn't addressed it. I was grateful for the feedback and my apologies if it didn't come across that way.

I think I just need to be moving a whole lot more. I hope the cleanse this week will kickstart me. I suspect a lot of this is just de-motivational thinking on my part.

Anyway, thanks everyone for the feedback!

sanjoparolas

I am also a fan of Eat to Live. I was excited to see Dr. Joel Furhman featured in the film Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (streaming on Netflix instant). I was inspired by the movie and have just started a juice partial fast. I don't know if that is what you meant by a cleanse but so far I feel really amazed that juicing can provide so much nutrition and I am still able to function as well as ever. Best of luck to you, and may your efforts bring you the results you seek soon!