Brittle Nails, fatigued, dry hair, vegetarian. Plssss help
Options
Replies
-
Are you really eating 500-800 calories a day? That is what it looks like in your food diary. How long have you been doing this?
The symptoms you list are common with people who under eat. You are not getting enough nutrients and calories - your body is not gong to waste fuel on hair and nails. This will not end well for you if you continue.
This! Assuming you're vegetarian and not vegan, add eggs, beans, greek yogurt/dairy, quinoa to your diet. You'll get the necessary amount of protein AND calories.2 -
Eat Garlic it is really good for your hair and nails. also there is a nails basecoat that has garlic in it. I went to school to be a licensed nail technician.0
-
monthebiffpls wrote: »I became veggie over the new year but have noticed my attention span and energy has significantly decreased. In addition to this, my nails are extremely brittle and my hair is dry and wirey. I asked in Holland and Barrett where they told me to increase my protein intake but I've struggled. Does anyone have any way of bumping up their protein intake while also wanting to lose weight? I can't get any bigger but I can't stay as fatigued as I currently am. Oh and before anyone suggests, I'm not considering going back to eating meat! I'm leaning more towards veganism.
I am not surprised you are fatigued, have brittle nails and will soon experience hair loss. After glancing at your diary, I see you have volunteered to starve yourself to death. You aren't eating enough.1 -
If you are not eating meat, ask your dr to recommend a B12 vitamin for you to take. I take mine in a multi vitamin. As far as protein, beans and quinoa have alot of proten. All vegetables have some protein and peas have alot of protein. Nuts also have protein. And if you eat fish, as others have mentioned that a good source too, try to eat fish that is low in mercury.0
-
There's a repeating trend and I'll echo it - too few calories.
However I'd also recommend getting a blood panel from your doctor, something that will show you what's missing or low in your system. This was mentioned but I think it's worth stressing this part.
Losing weight shouldn't come at the cost of your health. Be healthy. Let the weight come off slowly with smart planning. Please take care of yourself.1 -
monthebiffpls wrote: »I became veggie over the new year but have noticed my attention span and energy has significantly decreased. In addition to this, my nails are extremely brittle and my hair is dry and wirey. I asked in Holland and Barrett where they told me to increase my protein intake but I've struggled. Does anyone have any way of bumping up their protein intake while also wanting to lose weight? I can't get any bigger but I can't stay as fatigued as I currently am. Oh and before anyone suggests, I'm not considering going back to eating meat! I'm leaning more towards veganism.
1. Eat more calories. MFP gave you a calorie goal that you are not coming close to. Meet that goal. At minimum get at least 1200 calories net a day. If you earn calories from exercise then eat half of those. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
2. Eat more protein- eggs, beans, lentils, peas, quinoa, buckwheat, tofu, tempeh, edamame, quorn, Ezekiel bread, seitan, nuts, seeds, hummus/bean dip, peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, cheeses, yogurt, whole grain products, spinach, broccoli, corn, potato, apricots, peaches, oatmeal, regular milk, soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, protein powder, protein bars.... there are lists of protein content of foods suitable for vegetarians or vegans all over the internet.
3. Don't eat a super low fat diet.1 -
It's a shame OP hasn't come back2
-
Hi there. I would like to say that I'm not starving myself, I eat enough to satisfy my needs and only feel hunger around meal times which is then satisfied. My issue is with protein as I do believe I'm not eating enough which is making my nails brittle as a consequence. I've suffered low iron for around two years now as identified when I've been to give blood but this has been fluctuating over time. I personally don't like dairy as I suffer bloating and sickness afterwards. I mean, the question was purely concerning nails, skin and hair not concerning the amount I'm eating. I wouldn't even know what to add to my diet to satisfy you all, apart from eating bread or snacking more?0
-
monthebiffpls wrote: »Hi there. I would like to say that I'm not starving myself, I eat enough to satisfy my needs and only feel hunger around meal times which is then satisfied. My issue is with protein as I do believe I'm not eating enough which is making my nails brittle as a consequence. I've suffered low iron for around two years now as identified when I've been to give blood but this has been fluctuating over time. I personally don't like dairy as I suffer bloating and sickness afterwards. I mean, the question was purely concerning nails, skin and hair not concerning the amount I'm eating. I wouldn't even know what to add to my diet to satisfy you all, apart from eating bread or snacking more?
Hi there. I would like to say your body is SCREAMING at you that you ARE in fact starving yourself and you are NOT in fact eating enough to satisfy your needs... whether you "feel hunger" or not. It's not just protein it is ALL the nutrients. At 500-800 calories a day you are not going to be getting enough of any of them. The question may be purely concerning nails, skin and hair but the answer is in what you're {not} eating: enough. food. period.5 -
From years of dealing with people with disordered eating (not saying you are as only your medical team can diagnose that) the one thing I've learned and hear most often is that "I only eat when I'm hungry". But what happens during periods of heavy restriction like this is that your hunger cues get messed up. Tie that to the fact that hunger is not a good or accurate indicator for nutritional needs and we've got a perfect storm of unintentional but still negative eating habits.
The lowest recommended intake for women is generally around 1200 kcal/day. That obviously can be different based on age, height, etc but given your age and stats, it's not unlikely that you are inadvertently consuming far less nutrition than your body actually needs.
Consider adding more nutrient/calorie dense foods to your diet in order to bring your overall calorie count. It will take several months to recover from the nutrient deficiencies that you are most likely experiencing which are causing your symptoms. These symptoms are related to nutrient deficiencies and not consuming enough in general.
In the mean time, consider seeing your doctor and potentially getting a referral to a registered dietitian to help you develop an appropriate eating/nutrition plan to meet your weightloss goals without inadvertently starving yourself.14 -
monthebiffpls wrote: »Hi there. I would like to say that I'm not starving myself, I eat enough to satisfy my needs and only feel hunger around meal times which is then satisfied. My issue is with protein as I do believe I'm not eating enough which is making my nails brittle as a consequence. I've suffered low iron for around two years now as identified when I've been to give blood but this has been fluctuating over time. I personally don't like dairy as I suffer bloating and sickness afterwards. I mean, the question was purely concerning nails, skin and hair not concerning the amount I'm eating. I wouldn't even know what to add to my diet to satisfy you all, apart from eating bread or snacking more?
your nails, skin and hair are crap because you are starving yourself....0 -
Like most others have said, you aren't eating enough. You need to try to hit at least 1,200 calories per day, and I'd increase it by eating additional fats and proteins - peanut butter, eggs, beans, lentils, coconut oil, etc. You skin/hair/nails/etc are crap because you aren't getting enough nutrients. You should also at a minimum add a daily multi vitamin.1
-
Your skin, hair, and nails need nutrients. While you may be eating enough to keep your brain alive and your heart pumping, you are showing classic signs of not getting enough to satisfy the noticeable extremities. Other parts of your body are likely also suffering too. Nutrition is a science.0
-
monthebiffpls wrote: »Hi there. I would like to say that I'm not starving myself, I eat enough to satisfy my needs and only feel hunger around meal times which is then satisfied. My issue is with protein as I do believe I'm not eating enough which is making my nails brittle as a consequence. I've suffered low iron for around two years now as identified when I've been to give blood but this has been fluctuating over time. I personally don't like dairy as I suffer bloating and sickness afterwards. I mean, the question was purely concerning nails, skin and hair not concerning the amount I'm eating. I wouldn't even know what to add to my diet to satisfy you all, apart from eating bread or snacking more?
We did answer your question in regards to your nails, skin and hair. You're experiencing those things because your body isn't getting enough nutrition. It directly related to the amount you are eating. Just because you don't feel hungry doesn't mean your body is getting enough calories. Upping your calories isn't to satisfy us, it's to satisfy the one and only body you'll ever have - so be kind to it and listen to what it's telling you.5 -
monthebiffpls wrote: »Hi there. I would like to say that I'm not starving myself, I eat enough to satisfy my needs and only feel hunger around meal times which is then satisfied. My issue is with protein as I do believe I'm not eating enough which is making my nails brittle as a consequence. I've suffered low iron for around two years now as identified when I've been to give blood but this has been fluctuating over time. I personally don't like dairy as I suffer bloating and sickness afterwards. I mean, the question was purely concerning nails, skin and hair not concerning the amount I'm eating. I wouldn't even know what to add to my diet to satisfy you all, apart from eating bread or snacking more?
I actually do think that several people gave you ideas of foods to add to your diet, myself included. Coming from someone (me) who suffered from eating disorders in the past ranging from anorexia to bulimia, you really might want to seek help from a medical professional at this point.
3 -
You are not eating enough calories, protein, or fat.
1 -
monthebiffpls wrote: »I became veggie over the new year but have noticed my attention span and energy has significantly decreased. In addition to this, my nails are extremely brittle and my hair is dry and wirey. I asked in Holland and Barrett where they told me to increase my protein intake but I've struggled. Does anyone have any way of bumping up their protein intake while also wanting to lose weight? I can't get any bigger but I can't stay as fatigued as I currently am. Oh and before anyone suggests, I'm not considering going back to eating meat! I'm leaning more towards veganism.monthebiffpls wrote: »Hi there. I would like to say that I'm not starving myself, I eat enough to satisfy my needs and only feel hunger around meal times which is then satisfied. My issue is with protein as I do believe I'm not eating enough which is making my nails brittle as a consequence. I've suffered low iron for around two years now as identified when I've been to give blood but this has been fluctuating over time. I personally don't like dairy as I suffer bloating and sickness afterwards. I mean, the question was purely concerning nails, skin and hair not concerning the amount I'm eating. I wouldn't even know what to add to my diet to satisfy you all, apart from eating bread or snacking more?
Your original question sepecifically talked about faitigue, lack of energy, poor attention span as well as problems with nails, skin and hair. Malnourishment due to not eating enough calories as well as not enough nutrients include all of these symptoms. Whether you are hungry or not you are damaging your body by not feeding it enough of what it needs. These are the signs. It will get worse if you continue the way you are.
If you can't bring yourself to eat the minimum 1200 calories then I suggest visiting your doctor and a registered dietician for help... possibly a therapist.
3 -
Talk to your doctor about an outpatient referral for treatment for eating disorders.4
-
I had the same problem when I became vegetarian in high school. Protein is definitely key. Eat more bean/corn mix, nuts, legumes in general. There are lots of tasty vegan alternatives out there (just not hot dogs) that you can check out. Protein grounds, etc. reading a book called Skinny B*tch helped me a lot in understanding my needs and how to meet them as a vegetarian, and I excelled at it in full health for almost six years. Best of luck to you.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.4K Getting Started
- 259.6K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 387 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 913 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions