Calling all vegetarians!
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Not sure why you're going through all the symptoms. I have been a vegetarian for 11 years and and my blood values are all in line to be completely 100% normal. But I do have a low thyroid and take synthroid. I had low thyroid years before I became a vegetarian. I eat organics I do a lot of vegetables fruits and plant-based organic protein shake in the morning created by a physician who had cancer and now in complete remission. It is called Orgain. I do a lot of organic salads snd imported olive oils, and imported balsamic vinegars. I love the organic olive oils from Italy. Reasonably priced at TJ Max. I do cheese. I do healthy organic peanut butter and love beans. I also often have vegetarian lasagna, and ravioli. And I always include in my calorie count sweets that I love. I love eggs and spend the extra for certified humane cage free eggs. I love mushroom and cheese tacos with onion, tomato, lettuce and lots of salsa. Yummy! One of my favorite meals is a sautéed egg in coconut oil or butter with sautéed onions with a tablespoon of blue cheese dressing and some early peas. I eat a lot if fruit, steamed or roasted vegetables. I was concerned that I could be low in iron and potassium because I am a vegetarian and had a blood test recently to check and labs came back normal. Your symptoms sound similar to low thyroid with hair falling out and brittle nails. A simple blood test. Good luck.
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I'm a vegan with an open diary! Some may think my protein intake is atrocious on most days but I use the cronometer site to check if I'm getting enough nutrients, and I am scoring 100%.
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Thanks everyone, y'all were very helpful. I think I sent everyone a friend request, if I missed anyone feel free to add me. I'm going to be calling my doctor to get an appointment to do some blood work and I will be on the lookout for a good vitamin supplement. Thanks for all the great suggestions!0
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There are a lot of good suggestions here. I would also ask are you eating enough? What is your daily calorie goal? You could be overdoing your deficit.
I second this. You seem concerned about the higher calories content of some of the foods suggested. Maybe your deficit is too large?
If you're getting 60-70 g protein on average, depending on your size that's probably within the recommended range for health purposes. Eating higher protein can be beneficial for many people for different reasons, but if you're in the recommended range that may not be the source of your issue.
I do think it's concerning that you have a history of anemia but aren't paying attention to iron. Low iron and a large deficit could easily lead to some of your symptoms. Getting enough fat is also important, as someone mentioned. If your deficit is too large you may be avoiding things higher in fat.
It may just come down to just being a little more deliberate about what you're eating and possibly eating more. With your history of anemia, it's probably good to have some blood tests run, though. I would suggest not just taking supplements willy-nilly without consulting your doctor first. You may want to look into spatone for iron - talk to your doctor about it.0 -
I haven't been logging religiously like I used to, and I need to get back to that because I'm not sure exactly what my deficit is. I've been maintaining my weight/gaining a few here and there and then dropping again so I don't think my deficit is enough lately really. I'm pretty heavy, I've lost 55 lbs (prior to going vegetarian) give or take, and could stand to easily lose another 100 lbs.0
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I won't start taking a supplement before consulting with my doctor first. Another thing I thought I'd mention is that my husband went vegetarian with me and swear he feels better, has more energy, and has even dropped 10 lbs. we eat the same exact things, except he will still snack on sugary cereal, crappy potato chips, and loads of cheese.0
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Everyone else has covered all the good suggestions, I'm just curious about the perceived notion that chasing a particular type of label equates to being "healthier".0
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You shouldn't be deficient in B12 if you're eating dairy and eggs. My guess is you aren't eating enough calories.0
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I'm pescatarian although my diet is functionally ovo-lacto vegetarian about 90% of the time. I do find fish a huge help in getting to enough protein. If your switch to vegetarian hasn't been for ethical reasons, I'd seriously consider adding back in fish while you work on finding more of a balance with your macros. It's so easy to slide in to being an all-white-carb vegetarian, especially if you don't live in a place that's vegetarian-friendly or cook for yourself a lot.
Eggs, cheese, or milk at nearly every meal are key for me, as are beans. I love tofu and soy products but try to keep them to once a day or less, because I'm not convinced eating tons of soy is a great idea. Protein powders in an occasional shake are helpful, too- I don't have one every day, but as a sweet treat and a boost to protein intake, they're convenient.0 -
I'm a vegetarian, and my diary is open. I've been a vegetarian for 25 years.0
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emmycantbemeeko wrote: »It's so easy to slide in to being an all-white-carb vegetarian, especially if you don't live in a place that's vegetarian-friendly or cook for yourself a lot.
White carbs are perfectly OK to eat, by the way. Like potatoes and rice. That's some of the healthiest stuff out there. The only reason to limit these is if you happen to have a medical issue that is affected by simple carbs...0 -
melonaulait wrote: »emmycantbemeeko wrote: »It's so easy to slide in to being an all-white-carb vegetarian, especially if you don't live in a place that's vegetarian-friendly or cook for yourself a lot.
White carbs are perfectly OK to eat, by the way. Like potatoes and rice. That's some of the healthiest stuff out there. The only reason to limit these is if you happen to have a medical issue that is affected by simple carbs...
Yeah, they're fine in moderation, but not as the entirety of your diet, which (speaking from experience) it's very easy for them to become if you're cutting out meat in a not-vegetarian-friendly cultural context. Really easy to wind up eating potato, rice, chips, crackers, pasta, for every meal. Which isn't great in a macro or micronutrient sense.
How I wish it weren't so, because they're all delicious.
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melonaulait wrote: »emmycantbemeeko wrote: »It's so easy to slide in to being an all-white-carb vegetarian, especially if you don't live in a place that's vegetarian-friendly or cook for yourself a lot.
White carbs are perfectly OK to eat, by the way. Like potatoes and rice. That's some of the healthiest stuff out there. The only reason to limit these is if you happen to have a medical issue that is affected by simple carbs...
Absolutely true. But if one is trying to increase protein while reducing calories like OP, they're probably not giving one the best bang for one's caloric buck, compared to other food choices. And as @emmycantbemeeko said, it can be easy to slide into over-eating them, as they're easy, usually inexpensive, and technically vegetarian.
Personally, I find the whole grain alternatives (let alone different categories of nutrient-dense food) much more satiating, but everyone's different in that respect.0 -
melonaulait wrote: »emmycantbemeeko wrote: »It's so easy to slide in to being an all-white-carb vegetarian, especially if you don't live in a place that's vegetarian-friendly or cook for yourself a lot.
White carbs are perfectly OK to eat, by the way. Like potatoes and rice. That's some of the healthiest stuff out there. The only reason to limit these is if you happen to have a medical issue that is affected by simple carbs...
Absolutely true. But if one is trying to increase protein while reducing calories like OP, they're probably not giving one the best bang for one's caloric buck, compared to other food choices. And as @emmycantbemeeko said, it can be easy to slide into over-eating them, as they're easy, usually inexpensive, and technically vegetarian.
Personally, I find the whole grain alternatives (let alone different categories of nutrient-dense food) much more satiating, but everyone's different in that respect.
I rarely eat white carbs. I completely cut out white rice and white bread. I don't eat a lot of bread, but only keep whole wheat in the house. We do brown rice instead of white rice, but eat more quinoa than rice. I rarely do potatoes, but when I do I'll usually choose sweet potatoes over white potatoes. As far as pasta goes, I try to limit it because of the calories and only buy whole wheat, veggie, or the protein plus varieties.0 -
Tottie has some great suggestions up there!
I had the same battle when I first became vegetarian about 10 years ago. I was eating a lot of junk. Give yourself some time to figure it out - it's definitely a learning process.
A sample of basic stuff I always have on hand:
- avocados
- hummus
- eggs
- beans (black and pinto, mostly)
- spinach, cabbage and kale
- yogurt
- seitan
- Morningstar grillers and black bean patties
- Brussels sprouts (I love roasted them in the oven and topping with a balsamic glaze and shaved parmesan cheese)
- firm tofu
- sprouted grain bread (like these: https://www.angelicbakehouse.com/products/)
- hair/skin/nails vitamins
- organic soy milk
- apples
- unsalted, plain nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans)
- oranges
- broccoli and baby carrots (for dipping in hummus)
- non American cheese (such as gouda)
- rainbow cherry tomatoes
- mini sweet peppers
- cilantro
I know it's hard, but try to focus less on calories and more on content. Like avocados - high in fat and calories, but nutritionally sound. It's good fat that will help your nails, skin and hair. I eat one a day and am still losing weight.0 -
Tottie has some great suggestions up there!
I had the same battle when I first became vegetarian about 10 years ago. I was eating a lot of junk. Give yourself some time to figure it out - it's definitely a learning process.
A sample of basic stuff I always have on hand:
- avocados
- hummus
- eggs
- beans (black and pinto, mostly)
- spinach, cabbage and kale
- yogurt
- seitan
- Morningstar grillers and black bean patties
- Brussels sprouts (I love roasted them in the oven and topping with a balsamic glaze and shaved parmesan cheese)
- firm tofu
- sprouted grain bread (like these: https://www.angelicbakehouse.com/products/)
- hair/skin/nails vitamins
- organic soy milk
- apples
- unsalted, plain nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans)
- oranges
- broccoli and baby carrots (for dipping in hummus)
- non American cheese (such as gouda)
- rainbow cherry tomatoes
- mini sweet peppers
- cilantro
I know it's hard, but try to focus less on calories and more on content. Like avocados - high in fat and calories, but nutritionally sound. It's good fat that will help your nails, skin and hair. I eat one a day and am still losing weight.
Awesome, thanks!0 -
I've been a vegetarian for 4 years, but now I am a pescatarin since I eat fish a few times a week. I also have a hard time reaching iron and protein goals even with fish a few times a week. I can usually reach my protein goal by eating eggs, beans, protein shakes/smoothies, and "veggie" pasta. Edamame makes a great snack, there's 11g protein per 100grams.0
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could it possibly be a vitamin or mineral deficiency? I am newly vegetarian myself and I was having similar issues. I stopped the carbs bc I was craving them BAD, started taking some amino acid supplements and I seem to be doing a lot better.0
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I've been a vegetarian for more then half of my life, and have struggled with feeling tired and worn out at times. You really have to make an effort to get in the protein you need. Also, iron is incredibly important. I struggled with anemia, so I now take iron supplements that my physician recommend, along with a daily multivitamin. This has helped with not feeling so worn out all of the time. As far as snacking, I know what you mean. If you don't get enough protein, you'll feel hungry more often throughout the day, which leads to snacking. One way to help with this is to always pair a protein with a whole grain. For example, I'll do beans with rice or quinoa. This will help you feel fuller for longer by getting a complete protein. Some other things I like to eat to get my protein in are hard boiled eggs, cheese, nuts and seeds, tofu, tempeh, soy proteins (I try to limit these, as they can cause me some GI discomfort), smoothies with protein powder, and for snacks I LOVE Quest protein bars! They are super high protein and low sugar/carb.
I would recommend talking to your physician about your daily protein intake needs, and then working toward a plan to meet those needs. This will help keep you feeling full and as healthy as you can possibly be! Also, make sure you are drinking plenty of water throughout the day...this will also help cut down on the snacking!0 -
I take Floravital tonic for my iron and berocca every day really totally sorts out lethargy issues.
My protein comes from a range usually eggs, cheese, soya protein from things like quorn. I could probably do with more protein to be fair as I can't eat as much cheese now as too many cals but actually feel really good since eating at a calorie deficit. Been veggie (no meat no fish) for 27 years0
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