Second thoughts about being a vegetarian????!
Second thoughts about being a vegetarian????
Ok I have been for 5 months and Im starting to feel unhealthy. I am never full, and my intake on carbohydrates is high (they make me feel full). I am 5'11, i lost 13 pounds i was 153 before I became veg.. I dont want to lose anymore weight. I dont think i am getting enough protien, (i tried the protien bars too). i work 2 jobs 15 hours a day and i dont have the time to fix these wonderful veggie meals. so i eat the same thing everyday. Help....Im on the verge of going back to eating poultry (but not red meat). I need truthful answers on your experience. please no hateful comments this a serious situation to me......
Answers: This is a difficult situation to address, since - by your own admission - you don't have time to prepare a whole meal. However, I am sure of one thing ......protein bars are not the answer, because you need to have substance in your diet to keep your intestinal walls from getting lax. So this is not just about grabbing some extra protein.
Honestly? It is my considered opinion that - until you have the time to fix a proper meal, it would be in your best interest to continue to use some animal products (the ones lower in fat content) in order to ensure that you are getting adequate nutrition.
I repeat.....protein bars and supplements are not healthy nutritional alternatives. mainly focus on the "good carbs" ( oats,wheat,barley,rye)
they will make you full and they are healthy because they are easy to digest unlike "bad carbs" (icecream cookies, white rice, white bread , reg pasta ect,) bad carbs are hard to digest and are just blankly unhealthy .. also fiber helps try all bran cereal . it makes you full and its made from Bran.. which is a good carb Wal mart has a protein powder drink that is a chocolate shake. 1 scoop has 110 calories and 23 grams of protein.
With the soy milk with 80 calories and 7 grams of protein.
It makes a great breakfast and for me I have to watch my weight. Low calorie. then get a veggie pizza and salad at the pizza place, I pile on the boiled egg on the salad.
As much as I am against the abuse at the chicken place at home I eat eggs from free range chickens. Mrs. wilsom has a palace for chickens and sells the eggs.
She only eats roosters, they deserve it because they fight with each other.
The point is you can do it. It just takes planning. I boil eggs to make sandwitches and peanut butter and jelly if weight is not a problem. Mayonaise also has eggs in it so you can't get away from that. You can even make your own mayo with a blender and olive oil. then it makes good salad dressing also. To be sure your not getting milk. Most salad dressings has milk in it. There are plenty of things to keep you full if you're a vegetarian, like bread, pasta, rice, beans, oils, avocado, nuts, seeds.
When I'm starving, I eat a lot of walnuts to calm the ragging hunger inside me, it really helps!
Don't go back to polluting the inside of your body, you are so healthy right now and if you start eating that crap, you'll be receptacle to cancer, poisons, heartburn, and before you know it you'll need over the counter medicines, and worse medication!
You can do it, because you energy level will be excellent, your skin will be beautiful and your sexual desires will be more potent! I am not personally a vegetarian but my best friend used to be. She was having the same problem you are. She went to her doctor to ask what she should do, and he told her that she had to start eating more protein. She was becoming ill. She was tired all the time and had horrible headaches. She tried for a few weeks to increase the amounts of beans she ate. She made smoothies with protein powder for breakfast. She tried everything. She just kept getting sicker. So she started eating chicken and fish twice a week and she was fine. I'm sure it is different for everyone but eating poultry/fish really improved her health. You can always eat organic/free range poultry.
If you really want to stay vegetarian, I would recommend going to the store and buying some premade frozen meals. I know that in my store here there is a big selection of vegetarian dinners. Check the lables and make sure that there is a decent amount of protein. You may also want to start eating more whole grains and less sugar. That can help with the overload of carbs. If you are gonna eat carbs make them as unprocessed as possible so you get all the vitamins and antioxidants and good stuff out of them. There is a great burrito recipe on Allrecipes.com that you could pack and freeze for lunches. It is full of beans and brown rice and you can add veggies. You could make them in whole wheat tortillas and it would be a really healthy meal. You could also throw some tofu in there for extra protein. You cook once a week and you have food for the whole week. Hope these suggestions help. Here is the link for the recipe. Even if you were a meat eater, you would probably be running into the same problem - you wouldn't be healthy because you still wouldn't have time to prepare meals for yourself and would probably end up eating out a lot (fast food, etc).
It's completely possible to eat healthy while being so busy, it just takes a bit more planning. What helps for me is to do a lot of grocery shopping one day a week and then spend a few hours over the weekend preparing lunches and dinners for the rest of the work week. I try to have a menu in mind before I go out shopping so I will remember everything. Ok well if you havent the time to prepare nutritious meals then I think going back to some meat -doesnt have to be every day. Also take a multi vitamin every day. I recently decreased my carb intake, but that's caused me to loose weight! I'm thinking that your problem is more that you aren't eating a balanced diet. Too much protein is bad for your heart and can lead to osteoperosis, so that may or may not be your problem. Ask your doctor if he or she can refer you to a nutritionist who can analize your diet and make sure that it contains all that it needs to. Personally, I've prospered on a vegan diet. I've been vegan for 19 years. I eat a lot of asian food and love tofu. I am right now toying with a raw diet. That's my challenge right now. That's a bummer that you're feeling unhealthy on a vegetarian diet. I too became a vegetarian to lose some weight and be healthier. I don't think that going back to eating meat is going to make you feel better though. Without knowing exactly what you eat, it's hard to say where the problem is. Like a previous answer, try a protein powder shake with a banana, and some eggos for breakfast. That's what I eat, and it keeps me full until lunch time. If you're eating the same thing everyday, then it sounds like you're not getting all of your nutrients, and that's why you don't feel healthy. If you're not a vegetarian for ethical reasons, then going back to lean white meats, might help you in getting the missing nutrients. But if you don't want to eat meat for ethical reasons, then you'll probably want to check into some more nutrient rich vegetables. Sorry I can't be more help, but there are alot of factors that play into a well balanced diet. Check out this website, and hopefully you can find some easy and quick things to make.
http://vegweb.com/
Good luck!!!!! It sound more like you’re not getting enough vitamins and minerals or aren’t get you essential amino acids It’s a common problem with people to don’t have enough variation in their diet in both vegetarians and omnivores (although omnivores generally don’t have to worry about the essential amino acids). It’s probably the reason you feel hungry and feel bad, you need to take a day and fix your meals for the week. Yes I know it a pain but once you get into the habit you’ll find you have more time not less. Fix you meals ahead of time and warm them up later. It only takes a few minutes to warm up your meal, so you’ll spend less time during the weekdays when you don’t have time to fix a good meal.
Now your weight loss can be from the lack of vitamins and minerals, or you’re simply not eating enough to maintain weight. Or you might not be getting the essential amino acids (protein), make SURE you are getting them, it could be that’s where all your problems are coming from, especially if you’re eating the same type of food over and over again.
If you live in a larger city you can buy pre-packages vegetarian meals and that will help.
Are you eating a lot of soy? You might, I said MIGHT be having a problem with it. Some people have problems with soy (tofu, etc) you may be one of those people. That not to say you couldn’t be a vegetarian with out soy, it can be done, but some people with thyroid problems can experience the same problems that you describe and in SOME people soy has been linked to thyroid problems.
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/so...
Hoped it helped you may not be getting enough protein, but it is much more likely that you are not getting enough vitamins. vegetarianism is very healthy but you have to be BALANCED.
i suggest upping your fruit and vegetable intake. a nice quick way to do that is to make smoothies for breakfast and carry around raw veggies for snacking.
protein bars and starchy foods like bread aren't going to help you get healthier. Your problem isn't protein its Calories. You need to eat more simple as that.. Try eating alot of nuts... Peanuts are great High protein High calorie.. It's hard to get a balanced diet while working two jobs. I recommend meat substitute ready-meals (not for every night, but once or twice a week will give some variety). Some people make a few different things over the weekend and freeze them. I cook more than I need, and freeze the leftovers in individual portions.
Part of the trouble might be not eating enough during the day - by the time you come home you're too hungry and tired to think of cooking. If you have a good breakfast, you can feel full for much longer, and it gives you energy all day. I've found the easiest big breakfasts to be oatmeal made in the microwave, or I poach an egg and have it with toast. Pack low-GI foods for lunch (even if it's as simple as low-GI bread with cheese), and try packing more than you normally do. Make sure your energy level doesn't get a chance to dip too low during the day. Try keeping some fruit, nuts and toasted crispbread next to your desk, and snack on these to keep yourself feeling full. A balanced diet is better than vitamin supplements, but if your diet is unhealthy then take the supplements (especially B-vitamins for stress).
Try this easy supper that you can make in bulk and freeze:
500g pasta
2 tablespoons oil
garlic
500g (or to taste) cooked butternut (or whatever cooked vegetables you have in the fridge)
spices: cumin, coriander, cinnamon, basil and chilli
1-2 tins tomato and onion
1-2 tins brown lentils
Cook pasta in boiling salted water. Drain when cooked.
While it is cooking, heat oil and add garlic, butternut and a half teaspoon of each of the spices (vary the chilli to taste). Fry for a minute.
Add the tomato and cook for ten minutes.
Add lentils.
Stir this sauce into the pasta, season, and serve with grated parmesan.
(makes 4-6 portions)