Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

My friend just became vegetarian (not vegan) this summer. She has noticed an EXTREME decline in her energy since. She works a lot (waitressing, carrying heavy objects, etc) and gets enough rest (according to her, even though she is up late a lot) and for the past couple weeks has just been so run down. She thinks its diet related, but i dont know what to tell her because my energy levels are so high, and when i stopped eating meat al year and a half ago i didnt go through anything she is going through, just some protein craving headaches in the first month or so that eventually went away as my body detoxified. she has lost weight and her skin has improved, but she is constantly concerned about her energy. what advice can i offer?

hey dandy,

I am a bartender working long late hours and ALWAYS on my feet carrying big heavy beer cases and liquir bottles, and I have never felt a decline in my energy after turning even just veg. That is not to say I am never tired - obviously we all get tired sometimes. But in terms of low energy - never.

Many vegetarians just go vegetarian without doing any research on it at all. Then the end of up eating vegetarian or vegan junk food, feel like shit, and then go back to meat eating thinking that it is veganism that is taking their energy away. Even if your a vegan - if you eat vegan crap and junk food all the time- then you are obviously not eating healthy and will feel it.

before I can really comment on your friends situation, maybe you can provide a little more detail. How long has been vegetarian? What exactly has she cut out and what does she still eat? And, most importantly, what is a typical breakfast, lunch and dinner to her?

many peole claim they eat healthy, but really, if they keep a food journal, they will realize that they dont eat as healthy as they thought.

Lastly, how long has she been waitressing. I can tell you from experience that if she just started, she will feel very fatigued for the first few weeks until her body gets used to the screwed up hours, always being on your feet, etc. This would happen even if she ate meat. I know when I first started bartending, I was so exhausted all the time and never really felt well rested. I would sleep pretty much all day until I had to start work at night.

So those are some things to consider in trying to figure out why she is so exhausted from her job.

Let us know if you can get a little more info.

And by the way, please encourage her to join this forum. There are vegetarians in this community too. I am sure that it wont be long before your friend realizes that veganism is a natural next step from veggie. We are here to support that transition in a warm and helpful way.

make sure she is getting vitamin B-12, and is eating well balanced meals.

tip:
tell her to eat FIGS or bananas for quick energy

thanks everyone! I'll pass it on.

she has been waitressing for 3 years, but only as a summer job. some days she is at work from 11 am until 10 at night, of course with breaks, but that is still a crazy shift to pull!!!!!! she eats a balanced diet from what i understand, i mean we do talk about it a lot! usually a bananna and green tea for beakfast? I usually see her eating cottage cheese at dinnertime with a salad and a desert. also the place we work is good on providing vegetarian items (not so good on vegan ones though), although all the vegetarian items are LOADED in cheese or butter.

could an INCREASE in dairy products from meateater to vegetarian be a reason for exhaustion??

Absolutely. From what I understand, dairy products are one of the biggest energy sucking foods. They make digestion more difficult, cause lethargy, and obviously cause a plethera of health problems.

I've even heard, from a nutritional standpoint, that dairy products are worse for humans that meat is. In fact, maybe that is well-known?

But yeah, dairy can be a big big problem and cutting it out is really the best thing to do.

Fruits and veggies provide so much energy, it's crazy. I'm on the go from early morning until late at night and don't sleep as much as I'd like, and I have more energy than pretty much anyone I know. I'm very enthusiastic and all over the place, one of the reasons I do so well working with kids, I was always the most "fun" counselor no matter which cruise ship I worked on, or in any other setting working with children (my favorite job of all time).

I fuel myself on the best and healthiest foods provided by Mother Nature and I think most of us here on this board do, and I think it is a good example to lead by.

For example.......many people will noticed my incredible energy and positive attitude and ask me about it.....Imagine that, they'd like to feel the same way

So I just share my lifestyle and nutritional habits with them, and who knows, that could lead to a lot of lives saved.

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Check out my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness Book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bodybuildin ... 497&sr=1-1

wow that is great! I'll tell her to check out the boards!