Trying to lose weight, vegan, and feeling weak

Check out the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine at www.pcrm.org. They gather together all the research and information regarding a plant-based diet and why it is the most healthy option. You can subscribe to breaking research bulletins, weekly recipes, regular newsletters, etc.

If you are eating plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and legumes (as, ideally, you would on a vegan diet) you certainly would have no need for laxatives.

The PCRM recommends B12 fortified cereals or supplements. If you are eating a healthy, well-balanced diet - including a rainbow of vegetables and fruits each day - you should have everything else covered.

The PCRM may be able to answer your questions about feeling weak and tired and how you can adjust your food balance and intake so that the number of portions are adequate. Try their "contact us".

Good luck!

http://activistcash.com/organizations/23-physicians-committee-for-responsible-medicine/

“The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. PCRM is a fanatical animal rights group that seeks to remove eggs, milk, meat, and seafood from the American diet, and to eliminate the use of animals in scientific research. Despite its operational and financial ties to other animal activist groups and its close relationship with violent zealots, PCRM has successfully duped the media and much of the general public into believing that its pronouncements about the superiority of vegetarian-only diets represent the opinion of the medical community.

“Less than 5 percent of PCRM’s members are physicians,”

Yes, it is quite true that the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is not only motivated by health concerns but is also concerned about the treatment of animals. This does not mean that what they have to say about the health benefits of a plant-based diet are false. It may be that less than 5 percent of PCRM's members are physicians but that is because membership is open to everyone who supports them.

Check out the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine at www.pcrm.org. They gather together all the research and information regarding a plant-based diet and why it is the most healthy option. You can subscribe to breaking research bulletins, weekly recipes, regular newsletters, etc.

If you are eating plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and legumes (as, ideally, you would on a vegan diet) you certainly would have no need for laxatives.

The PCRM recommends B12 fortified cereals or supplements. If you are eating a healthy, well-balanced diet - including a rainbow of vegetables and fruits each day - you should have everything else covered.

The PCRM may be able to answer your questions about feeling weak and tired and how you can adjust your food balance and intake so that the number of portions are adequate. Try their "contact us".

Good luck!

http://activistcash.com/organizations/23-physicians-committee-for-responsible-medicine/

“The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. PCRM is a fanatical animal rights group that seeks to remove eggs, milk, meat, and seafood from the American diet, and to eliminate the use of animals in scientific research. Despite its operational and financial ties to other animal activist groups and its close relationship with violent zealots, PCRM has successfully duped the media and much of the general public into believing that its pronouncements about the superiority of vegetarian-only diets represent the opinion of the medical community.

“Less than 5 percent of PCRM’s members are physicians,”

Yes, it is quite true that the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is not only motivated by health concerns but is also concerned about the treatment of animals. This does not mean that what they have to say about the health benefits of a plant-based diet are false. It may be that less than 5 percent of PCRM's members are physicians but that is because membership is open to everyone who supports them.

Contrary to what its name implies, less than ten percent of PCRM’s members are actual physicians. Among the group’s relatively few active physicians is PCRM president (and former PETA Foundation president) Neal Barnard, a vegan psychiatrist who claims that cheese is “dairy crack” and “morphine on a cracker.”

PCRM has been repeatedly criticized by the mainstream medical community. The American Medical Association has called PCRM a “fringe organization” that uses “unethical tactics” and is “interested in perverting medical science.” When he was the AMA’s Vice President for Scientific Affairs, Dr. Jerod M. Loeb wrote that PCRM was “officially censured” by the AMA. That statement also condemned PCRM for supporting “a campaign of misinformation against important animal research of AIDS.” And the American Academy of Neurology has denounced PCRM for “engag[ing] in a multi-year crusade against the March of Dimes including protests directed at March walkers, volunteers, and donors.”

http://www.physicianscam.com/articles/7things.php

Do you seriously still accept whatever the FDA and USDA has been spouting for decades? Notice how many times the "Food Pyramid" has changed? :happy:

If you knew me at all, or looked at any of my posts you'd know how I feel about the FDA and USDA ... The food pyramid, btw, has changed VERY little since it's inception. Even the 'myplate' changes still suggest almost the same thing as the food pyramid.

The big problem with the food pyramid is it comes from the USDA - which is basically no more than a grain-marketing board.

<<<" instead of choosing a specialty and following the usual path into residency training he dropped out,..">>>>>

This is what bothers most people with a "herd" mentality.... OOOO...He went against "the established order" ! OOOO he did DRUGS....:yawn:

Not just that he did drugs, but he ignores science. I suppose you think theories based on psychedelic hallucinations are superior to established science?

BTW, the USDA and FDA do not go with established science, they go with old theories... So don't bring them back into it.

Like most herd-thinkers , you seem afraid (hidden under self-justified disdain, of course) of anything that goes against what someone in authority told you.

Again, you show you no nothing about me. I'm far from a herd-thinker. In fact, my own diet goes against everything I was taught over 8 years of education and post-graduate study, as well as going against my dieticians recommendations. However my own diet is at-least supported by scientific evidence, not hocus-pocus.

Read Weil's, Colin Cambell's, John Mac Dougall's stuff, and be your own judge.

I have read all their animal-activist propaganda, thank you. None of it has a solid foundation in science. None.

I see that it's been mentioned, but I'll reiterate that you could have low iron. I was feeling terrible - tired, weak, getting lots of headaches - and low iron turned out to be the culprit. Read up on the symptoms and see if it fits you, best thing would be to see your doctor and get it checked.

115 pounds for a 5'4 individual is a bit underweight. I am 5'5 and my goal is 130. Being underweight can do just as much damage as being overweight.

PCRM has been repeatedly criticized by the mainstream medical community. The American Medical Association has called PCRM a “fringe organization” that uses “unethical tactics” and is “interested in perverting medical science.” When he was the AMA’s Vice President for Scientific Affairs, Dr. Jerod M. Loeb wrote that PCRM was “officially censured” by the AMA. That statement also condemned PCRM for supporting “a campaign of misinformation against important animal research of AIDS.” And the American Academy of Neurology has denounced PCRM for “engag[ing] in a multi-year crusade against the March of Dimes including protests directed at March walkers, volunteers, and donors.”

http://www.physicianscam.com/articles/7things.php

My favorite quote on the PCRM is "They are neither physicians, nor are they responsible." - a quote from the Sr. Vice President of the American Medical Association.

PCRM is basically PETA in disguise. They're funded by PETA, the president is the life-partner of PETA's president, PCRM employees write for PETA, but they wanted to try to come up with a way to look like there was medical reasoning for their animal-activist beliefs - thus the birth of the PCRM.

Heck, the PCRM is closely linked to animal-activist organizations officially classified as "terrorists" by the US government. The president of the PCRM was written letters on these terrorist-organizations letterheads ... They're THAT closely linked...

hey there. you and Neanderthin need to quit. you guys don't believe in veganism, you don't believe in holistic medicine. great. wonderful.

now let's have this anti-vegan and anti-holistic discussion in a different thread and actually discuss the OP? sound good?

and yeah OP, I echo others' sentiments, you're just not eating enough. Being a vegan does take an awful lot of research and you really need to know how your body works and what nutrients you require. A B12 supplement is necessary. and you will need to boost those calories a bit. if you feel tired and hungry, that's your body telling you it needs more energy! and calories = energy. simple as that.

Good luck!

(oh, and Dr Andrew Weil is actually very well respected)

I would suggest if you are struggling with ethics of things, you spend a holiday in a farming community where soy, quinoa, and other high on the food chain vegan foods are produced. I have lived in deep deep farming country and worked for them for my whole life, and for ethical reasons I could never be a vegan. Unsustainable, the insane inputs to grow them, what it is doing for the environment (ever tried to raise a bee or a garden when you are surrounded by farmland that is sprayed 1-2x a week for bugs because dem bugs just LOVE the soybeans?), and what it does for my health on several counts. I hope for wisdom for you and health for me who lives in the middle of this farmland and inhales all this wonderful vegan spray. . .

Sorry my ethics for being a vegan/vegetarian/pescatarian still win out. That's why I buy organic and avoid soy. Farm to Fridge gives me nightmares.

no vegan should require laxatives. i say that with all seriousness, with much experience. if you do, somethings wrong. i mean, it's well known that if you're vegan, you poop a lot. it's a good thing. requiring laxatives is worth going to a doctor over.

ain't that the truth

A vegan diet can be perfectly healthy if you are educated and diligent about meeting your macro and micronutrients.

http://www.vegansociety.com/lifestyle/nutrition/
http://www.happycow.net/vegan_nutrition101.html

Please do a little research on what your body needs - I've provided two resources above - and also, do not hesitate to look through my diary for ideas.