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One month vegan, and not feeling so good. Need input


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I suppose I should give a quick intro before going into my dilemma. I've been following this site for a few months and liked the community so much that I decided to join. I'm a 22 year old male, and like the title says, I've been vegan for the last month. When I first started out I felt fantastic and was seeing noticeable differences in my body. Now I feel less energetic, bloated, and just generally in a bad mood. I was hoping some of you could give me advice on your own experiences. My main influences for going vegan has been Colin Cambell and John McDougal, and they advocate a diet comprised mostly of carbs(80/10/10). I eat almost entirely whole foods that include lots of fruits, veggies, starches, grains, with a bit of nuts, seeds, and avocados. I really want to feel good again and seeing more progress in my physical appearance. Any input would be greatly appreciated

 

Thanks,

Cody

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You need to start eating fat and protein!!!!! at least 20% fat.... Tofu, nuts, oils...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA-2bJEQDvk

 

That was the first thing I questioned. I'm going to up my protein/fat and see how things go.

 

Have you been consuming foods fortified with B12? I've heard it is linked to mood and energy levels.

 

From what I've read, many people don't believe you actually need B12 because the body produces it naturally. But just to make sure and to rule it out as a factor, I'm going to pick up a supplement at whole foods tomorrow.

 

Thanks for the responses,

Cody

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From what I've read, many people don't believe you actually need B12 because the body produces it naturally.

 

Those people are sadly mistaken - unfortunately, there's a lot of junk science in the vegan movement that needs to be stamped out, and things like "We don't need to worry about B-12" are definitely at the top of the list. Takes years to get a deficiency, and once you have it, you might not be able to reverse all the damage, so taking a B-12 tablet once or twice a week for safety at a cost of about $0.50/month to insure against problems is much wiser than gambling with your long-term health. That is, unless you're drinking things like fortified soymilk regularly, but still, a little extra prevention isn't a bad thing.

 

Also, I agree with jungleinthefrunk very much - up the fat and protein, because while some of the vegan diet "gurus" out there like to claim their way works well for everyone, that's never the case, and there are always exceptions to the rule. 80% carbs makes me feel sluggish and like death warmed over, I ate that way for years and kept wondering why I never had any energy, but a change to decrease carbs greatly and replace with more protein and healthy fat was the fix (not to mention, the fix as well to my added flab I put on while eating far too many carbohydrates for many years).

 

Hope this helps!

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80/10/10 really only makes sense for endurance athletes like marathon runners imo. It really doesn't make sense for a bodybuilder or a sedentary individual. Endurance athletes need so many carbs in relation to the amount of protein and fat that they are consuming because of the amount of energy that they use up. What I'm trying to say is that there's a big difference between 3200 calories from carbs, 400 calories from protein, and 400 calories from fat than there is 320 calories from carbs, 40 calories from protein, and 40 calories from fat.

Edited by jr17
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There's a lot of movement in the high carbs and no oils diets advocated by McDougal. I've not done much research there myself, but you are the first person I've read about that say they feel sluggish on that diet. Most say that they feel full of energy and lighter on the no oil diets.

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Thanks for all the responses everyone. I really appreciate them. It's been a few days since I've stopped eating so many carbs, and I also picked up a b-12 supplement. I'm starting to feel the difference. My bloating has gone way down, and my energy levels are getting better.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I would not go crazy on oils--they are harmful in the long run. However, keeping a food journal for a while and having someone who knows what they are doing review it, would be the simplest way to go.

 

It is possible that in one month you simply experienced some detox from your previous diet. I deal with that a lot with people in my program. Some experience it immediately, some after a few weeks having gone vegan. Not to worry about. Going from low fiber to high fiber diet will leave you bloated sometimes, but your body will adjust. One month is not long enough to be alerted.

 

Do make sure to supplement with B12--some foods that have it, like yeast, are not a good source, since B12 is in its analog form and is useless. B12 costs very little and can save lives. Deficiencies are now prevalent in vegan and nonvegan populations alike. I personally developed it (although tested "normal" according to doctors) before becoming vegan. I had a lot of symptoms and could not even conceive and was diagnose with a tumor. When I got in injections, all problems went away and I got pregnant in only 4 weeks (after years of being unable to do so). So, make sure not to fall prey to the false thinking. There is more on the topic on my web-site.

 

So, again, I do not think that 80/10/10 diet is what is causing you not to feel energetic. I have been vegan for 7 years. I do not supplement with protein powders, I use no oils whatsoever (I do eat avocados and seeds ), I am also a fitness trainer, and NEVER had a problem with that. It might be simply detox, or something that you are missing.

 

I hope you are doing better by now.

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