Vegetarians - Vitamins & Protein Supplements?

EmilyStephens813

Hi There,

I'm a vegetarian, full-time engineering student that works 24 hours/week (overnights) and for the past month I've been working out 5 days a week (Mon-Fri). This is new of course, and I feel like my little multivitamins aren't doing what they should be.

Currently I take 2 Pomology Womens Multivitamin per morning (which doesn't contain any iron).

I track my protein intake pretty well and it seems as though I come within 15 grams a day, but I'm always short.

Usually I'm pronounced "border-line anemic" at the doctors office, where they tell me I might want to think about iron supplements. I've never pursued that due to the talk I've heard about constipation, the irony taste and gastro upset (burping and stuff) and also I'm uncomfortable taking something that there is a possible "overdoes" risk....

However, suddenly my workouts have gone down-hill, in a very noticeable fashion. I'm tired, sore, and light headed all the while I workout. I'm not overdoing it either, I've been trying to jog a mile in under 12 minutes every day, sometimes I do it in 10:30 but that's an exceptional day, then I walk until I hit the 15 minute mark. Then I swap over to the bike for another 15 - 20 minutes. Then after that I do a few leg lifts on a mat, some crunches and push-ups and stretching.

I think because of my (1) being female (2) being vegetarian and (3) the fact that I'm unbeleivably signficiantly weaker than 90% of women out there, that maybe I just need to really kick it into gear with getting the right supplements, and because I want to start gaining muscles, even think about protein supplements?

The problem with a protein supplement is that they all seem to be shakes, and I'm gone from home way too much to tote a protein shake around with me all day...much less keep it cold.

Is there anyone out there in the same situation as me that has a protein supplement and or multi-vitamin that you love and would like to recommend?

After some research I'm leaning towards "Nature Made Multi For Her" but am completely lost when it comes to the protein.

Please, feel free to make suggestions and let me know why you love it - easy to swollow? Doesn't make you icky feeling? Does it contain animal products? (Fish included?)

Thanks!!

P.S. These are the vitamins on my list right now of possibilities - if you take any of them please let me know about your experience!

http://www.devanutrition.com/multivitamin.html

http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4033463 (non-veggie - includes fish)

http://www.naturemade.com/products/multivitamins/multi-for-her (seems to be the best from what others reccomend)

http://www.rainbowlight.com/womens-multivitamins-womens-one-multivitamin.aspx

chocolatecroissant

I use protein powder in my morning porridge which works well. You can also stir egg whites into all sorts of things - shakes, stews, porridge - to add protein. You can buy protein cookies and bars but they tend to be high in added sugar and calories.

tigger3498

Woman and vegetarian. I ingest 1 gram per pound of body weight in protein. You can make very simple protein bars, there are tons of recipes on the internet. Hard boiled eggs as well. i use protein in my coffee, eat lots of cottage cheese, greens and greek yogurt. I take a basic multi, fish oil, glucosamine, apple cider vinegar and bcaa's for my weight training. Nuts contain good sources of proteins as well as healthy fats. I have a cooler tote that I always take with me. My thought is that you are getting way too little protein

rosieg1979

Female vegan.

When I get up I try and remember to take a Spatone supplement. This is a liquid iron supplement where the iron is very bio available and it has no unpleasant side effects (eg constipstion)

With breakfast I mix some vegan protein powder with almond milk, take some Echiomega capsules (omegas) and a calcium tablet.

Lunch I will try and have an Ultralife Mac sachet (v good v multivitamin and mineral)

If I work out J treat myself to another protein shake.

My iron levels are fine, they are tested whenever I give lblood.

rosieg1979

Also, from what I have read on here MFP sets protein too low.
Also, are you definitely taking in enough calories?

Firefox7275

I work in/ qualified in lifestyle healthcare. Take a break and let your body recover, moving from overreaching to overtraining syndrome would not be fun. You clearly are overdoing it for your current fitness/ nutrition/ energy levels, and you appear to be doing the same workout day in day out without letting your muscle recover which is a no no. It's also not recommended to train on sore muscles or when feeling lightheaded. Many people can't tolerate five workouts a week from day one, even professional athletes cycle hard and easy weeks.

Are you warming up properly - ten minutes easy (say walking at a pace whereby you can still hold a conversation) before you start your run? Not 100% sure what you mean by leg lifts but if you are lying on your back lifting your legs off the floor please switch to something safer, those put great pressure on the spine so are high risk without giving the best effect on your abs (actually work the hip flexors!).

Aim to eat within twenty minutes of finishing your workout, not when you have stretched, showered and driven home. If you wish to use a protein powder buy a shaker bottle, add a scoop of skimmed milk powder, a scoop of protein powder and then make up with water and drink whilst still at the gym.

Iron should not be the only concern, sweating reduces levels of many minerals, training increases your need for all nutrients including healthy fats. Have you researched the wholefoods that contain the nutrients your body needs? You will find information on vegetarian and vegan charity/ society websites and on your government's health sites. Also consider the amount of omega-3s you are taking in preferably long chain - are you eating omega-enriched eggs and taking a marine algae supplement such as Opti-3?
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.php
http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/factsheets/iron.html
http://www.vegsoc.org/page.aspx?pid=782
http://www.veganpeace.com/nutrient_information/good_sources/good_sources_iron.htm

EmilyStephens813

These are all great ideas, and fantastic advice - thank you! It's pretty clear to me that I need to spend more time on LEARNING about what is the best thing to do before just doing it, which is perfect because I'll have a month off of school to do so.

You were all so helpful - thank you!!

EmilyStephens813

Woman and vegetarian. I ingest 1 gram per pound of body weight in protein. You can make very simple protein bars, there are tons of recipes on the internet. Hard boiled eggs as well. i use protein in my coffee, eat lots of cottage cheese, greens and greek yogurt. I take a basic multi, fish oil, glucosamine, apple cider vinegar and bcaa's for my weight training. Nuts contain good sources of proteins as well as healthy fats. I have a cooler tote that I always take with me. My thought is that you are getting way too little protein

Great ideas - I Love hard boiled eggs and cottage cheese, so I'll try to amp those up in my diet. Should I worry about cholesterol with the eggs? Also - fish oil - I'm very partial about that because I don't eat fish, I honestly don't really even know how I feel about it, because I know it's a great supplement, but I can't get myself to do it, is that weird? Do you eat fish as well? 1 gram per pound, that's great advice - thank you!

MichelleLaree13

I have considered becoming vegetarian but it would only be for health. I am opposed to taking supplements because I feel they are only needed when I am not eating what I should be. I dont eat meat most days and sometimes weeks but I get plenty of protein.
Greek yogurt has a ton of protein and is a breakfast favorite for me.
Nuts, seeds, beans and lentils have a good amount of protein too.

MichelleLaree13

Woman and vegetarian. I ingest 1 gram per pound of body weight in protein. You can make very simple protein bars, there are tons of recipes on the internet. Hard boiled eggs as well. i use protein in my coffee, eat lots of cottage cheese, greens and greek yogurt. I take a basic multi, fish oil, glucosamine, apple cider vinegar and bcaa's for my weight training. Nuts contain good sources of proteins as well as healthy fats. I have a cooler tote that I always take with me. My thought is that you are getting way too little protein

Great ideas - I Love hard boiled eggs and cottage cheese, so I'll try to amp those up in my diet. Should I worry about cholesterol with the eggs? Also - fish oil - I'm very partial about that because I don't eat fish, I honestly don't really even know how I feel about it, because I know it's a great supplement, but I can't get myself to do it, is that weird? Do you eat fish as well? 1 gram per pound, that's great advice - thank you!

Chia seeds have omega fats too.

EmilyStephens813

Female vegan.

When I get up I try and remember to take a Spatone supplement. This is a liquid iron supplement where the iron is very bio available and it has no unpleasant side effects (eg constipstion)

With breakfast I mix some vegan protein powder with almond milk, take some Echiomega capsules (omegas) and a calcium tablet.

Lunch I will try and have an Ultralife Mac sachet (v good v multivitamin and mineral)

If I work out J treat myself to another protein shake.

My iron levels are fine, they are tested whenever I give lblood.

Almond milk is a great idea! I've always assumed it was very expensive - but I'm thinking now that might be worth it. Do you notice any major differences in the days you do or don't remember to take the iron supplement? I'm always curious how noticeable or apparent the difference is in daily activity.

So you basically take supplements separately for (1) calcium (2) iron (3) omegas and (4) protein as well as a multivitamin, right? Do you ever talk to a physician about this? I ask because for some reason I worry about getting too much of certain things, or certain supplements affecting other mediciations (i.e., birth control, antibiotics, etc. etc.)

Sarauk2sf

What is you calorie intake?

Re iron, try getting more iron rich foods such as:

- fortified cereals
- leafy greens
- sweet potatoes
- brocolli
- enriched white of wheat bread
- strawberries
- prunes
- eggs
- lentils
- watermelon

I use protein powder if I need to top mine up - Optimum Nutrition and Trutein are my usual go-

ETA: vegetarian female and I rarely take vitamins (mainly because I forget)

EmilyStephens813

I have considered becoming vegetarian but it would only be for health. I am opposed to taking supplements because I feel they are only needed when I am not eating what I should be. I dont eat meat most days and sometimes weeks but I get plenty of protein.
Greek yogurt has a ton of protein and is a breakfast favorite for me.
Nuts, seeds, beans and lentils have a good amount of protein too.

I keep seeing greek yogurt come up, I've never tried it so I'll have to give it a shot. I eat lots of almonds and beans. I know what you mean about the supplements - it's hard taking them because I know I would be much better off just getting what I need from the foods that have them. The problem for me is just time and money while I'm in college, I can't wait until I can actually eat the way I want and not be sacrificing something else just to have the time and money to do it!

Sarauk2sf

Woman and vegetarian. I ingest 1 gram per pound of body weight in protein. You can make very simple protein bars, there are tons of recipes on the internet. Hard boiled eggs as well. i use protein in my coffee, eat lots of cottage cheese, greens and greek yogurt. I take a basic multi, fish oil, glucosamine, apple cider vinegar and bcaa's for my weight training. Nuts contain good sources of proteins as well as healthy fats. I have a cooler tote that I always take with me. My thought is that you are getting way too little protein

Great ideas - I Love hard boiled eggs and cottage cheese, so I'll try to amp those up in my diet. Should I worry about cholesterol with the eggs? Also - fish oil - I'm very partial about that because I don't eat fish, I honestly don't really even know how I feel about it, because I know it's a great supplement, but I can't get myself to do it, is that weird? Do you eat fish as well? 1 gram per pound, that's great advice - thank you!

Do not worry about cholesterol in eggs.

Recommended protein is 1g per lb of LBM if you are active and on a deficit

EmilyStephens813

What is you calorie intake?

Re iron, try getting more iron rich foods such as:

- fortified cereals
- leafy greens
- sweet potatoes
- brocolli
- enriched white of wheat bread
- strawberries
- prunes
- eggs
- lentils
- watermelon

I use protein powder if I need to top mine up - Optimum Nutrition and Trutein are my usual go-

ETA: vegetarian female and I rarely take vitamins (mainly because I forget)

I'm currently at 1200 I beleive. I have it set on weight loss, hoping to get from 130 to 120, but really I guess I'm just trying to firm up and have only been focusing mainly on cardio and weights. I haven't paid too much attention to the calories...I usually stay right around my goal, give or take 100 calories.

Love the list of iron rich foods - thanks!

Do you normally feel pretty energized throughout the day without vitamins? you must get a lot of your vitamins and nutrients from foods then?

KarenJanine

Female veggie here. I have a tendency towards anaemia (did when I still ate meat too) so I take iron replacement (ferrous sulphate or ferrous fumarate) most days and also take a B12 supplement.

I use whey powder to top up my protein as I aim for a minimum of 110 g per day. The rest comes from milk, cheese, yoghurt, soy products, nuts, pulses, eggs, seitan, etc.

Sarauk2sf

What is you calorie intake?

Re iron, try getting more iron rich foods such as:

- fortified cereals
- leafy greens
- sweet potatoes
- brocolli
- enriched white of wheat bread
- strawberries
- prunes
- eggs
- lentils
- watermelon

I use protein powder if I need to top mine up - Optimum Nutrition and Trutein are my usual go-

ETA: vegetarian female and I rarely take vitamins (mainly because I forget)

I'm currently at 1200 I beleive. I have it set on weight loss, hoping to get from 130 to 120, but really I guess I'm just trying to firm up and have only been focusing mainly on cardio and weights. I haven't paid too much attention to the calories...I usually stay right around my goal, give or take 100 calories.

Love the list of iron rich foods - thanks!

Do you normally feel pretty energized throughout the day without vitamins? you must get a lot of your vitamins and nutrients from foods then?

If you only have about 10lb to lose I would only have a small deficit (200 - 300 cals a day) and strength train.

I find vitamins make no difference to me - what does is more food.

MichelleLaree13

I have considered becoming vegetarian but it would only be for health. I am opposed to taking supplements because I feel they are only needed when I am not eating what I should be. I dont eat meat most days and sometimes weeks but I get plenty of protein.
Greek yogurt has a ton of protein and is a breakfast favorite for me.
Nuts, seeds, beans and lentils have a good amount of protein too.

I keep seeing greek yogurt come up, I've never tried it so I'll have to give it a shot. I eat lots of almonds and beans. I know what you mean about the supplements - it's hard taking them because I know I would be much better off just getting what I need from the foods that have them. The problem for me is just time and money while I'm in college, I can't wait until I can actually eat the way I want and not be sacrificing something else just to have the time and money to do it!

Greek yogurt can be expensive. When it is close to expiration, the price drops to less than $2 a large tub. The brand I normally buy is about $4 for a large tub. It is just as easy and cheap to eat yogurt with banana at home than it is for me to eat a meal at McD's that cost $4 and a half hour at the gym burning off the calories.

takumaku

I suggest, in addition to the advice given my the members of this board, you should have your vitamin D level tested. When I started to increase my miles, I had similar symptoms to you.

As a vegetarian, I became concerned that I was lacking something. I just didn't know what. From my research, iron, B12, lack of food, and vitamin D all cause symptoms of fatigue, cravings, "run downness".

Even though I ate dairy, eggs, and ran outside, my doctor revealed I wasn't getting enough vitamin D. I can currently taking 50k vitamin D pills for a few months to "refill" my tank. After that, a daily 5k dose.

Firefox7275

You don't need to worry about cholesterol in eggs because it is not absorbed intact, but you do need to consider the saturated fats which can be converted to 'bad' cholesterol. The ratio of different types of fats - saturated, omega-6, omega-3 - is highly relevant because they interact and compete.

Seeds contain short chain omega-3s, the conversion to the useable long chain format can be as low as 10% (tho is higher in those eating a balanced nutrient dense diet than those eating an average diet). You need to eat a huge amount of seed oils to guarantee an optimum intake of DHA and EPA, you pretty much would have to arrange all your meals around raw ground seeds and raw seed oils. Instead go for omega-enriched eggs, marine algae extracts or triple strength fish oils if you are happy to take that within a vegetarian diet.

Not sure why you are citing time and money as a reason for not eating right, get a slow cooker/ crock pot and throw together a meal in under five minutes which you can serve to friends or eat over a few days. If you also have a cheap stick blender you can make smooth soups. The most expensive foods tend to be meat and processed stuff, there are plenty of cheap canned/ dried/ frozen fruits and vegetables.

Rocbola

If you eat a proper diet rich in various fruits and vegetables supplements aren't needed, except for B12. If you are a vegetarian, not vegan, you can risk anemia because dairy messes with proper iron absorption. If the doctor recommends iron supplements, you might want to take them, or consider going vegan so you wont need them.

Sarauk2sf

If you eat a proper diet rich in various fruits and vegetables supplements aren't needed, except for B12. If you are a vegetarian, not vegan, you can risk anemia because dairy messes with proper iron absorption. If the doctor recommends iron supplements, you might want to take them, or consider going vegan so you wont need them.

Go vegan so you don't run the risk of needing iron supplements but you will need B12 instead? - sounds logical.