Forums: September 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Need Support/Help
Created on: 09/15/10 01:43 PM Views: 3035 Replies: 15
skylar Joined: 09/08/10 Posts: 16	Need Support/Help Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 1:43 PM I've written to this forum previously and appreciate all the advice. I converted to a vegan way of eating about mid-June, following Dr. McDougall's book. After about 1 month, I lost 8 pounds, felt pretty good overall, and excited about the loss. I have not lost another pound since. I've cut out pasta, bread, crackers, pretzels and limit low fat tortillas. Gosh, I have to have some flour type item. I exercise 4-6 times per week. I drink lots of water....and for the last few weeks, I feel awful. I am soooo tired. I end my work day just exhausted. Drive home and just want to sleep...sometimes do. I read about others having such great results. I normally am upbeat, not negative. But, I have been not having success and now wonder why I should continue on this path.
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Susan Levin Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1191	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 1:49 PM I would ask that you write down everything you eat in a typical day. That may be more telling. Could you do that? If you would like to do that privately, that's fine of course. Susan Levin, MS, RD PCRM Director of Nutrition Education
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cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 1000	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 1:57 PM just curious.. do you take a multi? and a b-complex? Susan would that even matter?
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Susan Levin Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1191	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 2:54 PM Yes, it certainly could matter. Iron and B12 always jump to mind when it comes to energy levels. Susan Levin, MS, RD PCRM Director of Nutrition Education
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skylar Joined: 09/08/10 Posts: 16	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 7:11 PM I do not take iron or B vitamins. I am post menopausal and understood that I should not be taking extra iron at this stage of my life. Here's today's menu so far: Breakfast oatmeal (steel oats) with cinnamon one organic small corn tortilla with vegetarian refried beans Lunch: rice with broiled zucchini 1 tomato Snack: carrots and 1/2 apple Dinner will be a salad (romaine, tomatoes, carrots, cuke, red pepper with seasoned rice vinegar dressing) That's all I'll have at about 5:45 to 6 pm as I will hit the gym about 7:30 tonight for 45 min to 1 hr of cardio. Thank you for any help.
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Susan Levin Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1191	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 7:26 PM You definitely do not want to take iron if you are no longer menstruating, unless told to do so by a health professional monitoring your blood. But B12 may be a real issue here. Any adult over the age of 50 should be taking a B12 supplement anyway (not just vegan eaters). Please do that right away. As for your menu, I don't know amounts, but you would have to eat a lot of those foods in order to get appropriate calories. While this is the beauty of a vegan diet for weight loss, you don't want to feel run down. My suggestion is to not worry about the weight loss right this moment. If you need to lose weight it will happen in time with this type of menu. But do make sure you are eating enough to feel strong, and take the B12 supplement asap. Susan Levin, MS, RD PCRM Director of Nutrition Education
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Wild4Stars Joined: 12/27/09 Location: Florida Posts: 832	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 7:56 PM I am 58 years old, have been vegetarian since 2002, vegan since January 2010. I just had my annual check-up which is always GREAT. My Dr tells me if all her patients were like me she would be out of business. This year I asked her to also check my Vitamin D, B-12 and iron. I got a call this morning that my B-12 is VERY low. She wants me to come in for weekly injections until it gets back into acceptable range and then discuss maintenance. I should add that she has been very supportive of a vegetarian diet, this is my first visit as a vegan, so she was very willing to add the extra tests. Right now I don't know the answer to keeping it in normal range. I'm just posting this so that others will know to have it checked. Make sure you are within acceptable ranges. I understand that as we get older, vegan or not, B-12 can be an issue. I will be keeping an eye on this until I know the answers. My vitamin D and iron were well within acceptable ranges. ~ Guess I'm doing something right ! I'm having a bone density test at the end of the month. I'll let you know how that comes out. Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com
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mollyhorn Joined: 03/03/10 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 582	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 8:21 PM Hi Skylar, I'd like to echo what Susan said. It looks to me like you are not eating enough. Your body may have gone into starvation mode and shut off the weight loss to conserve energy. I speak from personal experience. I went through a VERY similar situation last year, and ended up in extremely poor health because of it. I don't want you to have to go through what I went through. I hope that you can learn from my mistakes. The things that jump out at me about your daily log are: -- lack of protein (legumes, tofu, etc.) -- not enough fresh vegetables & salads earlier in the day (maybe with lunch?) -- lack of fruit -- No one, especially not someone who exercises regularly, should go below 1,200 calories per day. Aim for 1,400-1,600 (I don't know your height and current weight, so I'm estimating). If you are exercising, you definitely should be taking in more calories. Add in some protein-based food after your workout. It doesn't have to be a lot – even a 1/3-1/2 cup of beans on top of some fresh lettuce would be sufficient. Or you could have a small smoothie made with 1/2 c lite silken tofu and 1/2 banana, plus a couple of strawberries, with 1 cup of ice. But the goal is to put fuel back into the body to replace what you burned. Don't worry – it won't turn into fat. If I may make a few more suggestions, without sounding like a total know-it-all... I really just want to help you and for you to be healthy and feel well... -- Add some protein to your meals, in any form: beans, tofu, tempeh, seitan, etc. Protein gives you energy, helps build and repair muscle, and keeps you from feeling worn down. Yes, you're getting some from your current diet, but I fear you're not getting enough. This alone will help with calorie-increase. -- Add some more fruit to your day. Eat a whole apple instead of a half! Slice some strawberries on top of your oatmeal. Fruit contains beneficial nutrients and provides healthy energy. -- If you're having carrot sticks for a snack, pair it with low-fat hummus (made w/o olive oil), or another bean-based dip. Protein + carbs = happy you! -- Add a good quality multivitamin AND a B-complex to your daily routine. Yes, it is safe to take both. You do not, however, need supplemental calcium, as long as you're getting enough beans and greens. Which brings me to... -- Greens! Eat more of 'em! Corn tortilla wrap with beans? Add some chopped cooked greens and diced tomato. Big salad for dinner? Add in a few handfuls of Kale (you can massage the kale with your hands first if you find it too difficult to chew). -- What you don't need: added sugar, added fat, and processed starch – but you knew that! I don't know how much oatmeal and rice you're eating; I assume it's a measured portion size. But it would be okay for you to have a little more grain later in the day. Are you familiar with the brand Wasa? They make a "Fiber" Crispbread that would be a great choice – low calorie, but still good-tasting and very healthy. To summarize... You are making GREAT food choices so far. You're choosing things that are healthy, pure and are good for your body. You just need more of them! I promise you that if you fuel your body well, you will have more energy, feel healthy, and you'll even be able to exercise more efficiently. All this will lead to the real weight loss that you are seeking. I really admire your dedication to this way of life. Many people would have given up, but you are still trying. That is awesome!!! I hope that you feel better, and please feel free to write to me if you want more info. I would be happy to share anything with you. Take care. Molly Horn
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skylar Joined: 09/08/10 Posts: 16	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 11:58 PM Well...okay...thank you ever so much. I need to print out these replies for reference. I will start B12 and add more quality food to my daily intake. I basically eat if I'm hungry and you're right....it doesn't appear that I am taking in enough calories. However, I don't feel as if I am depriving myself of calories either. I just returned from my gym workout - sprints on the treadmill for 45 minutes. I don't like to eat anything after a late workout. It's presently 8:54 p.m. here. BTW - I am 5'2", 134. I am muscular. I need to lose 10 lbs. and then reevaluate at that point. That is my present goal that I believe is very realistic. Thanks again for all of your help.
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Beaners Joined: 03/04/10 Posts: 6	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 12:42 AM Wild4Stars wrote: I am 58 years old, have been vegetarian since 2002, vegan since January 2010. I just had my annual check-up which is always GREAT. My Dr tells me if all her patients were like me she would be out of business. This year I asked her to also check my Vitamin D, B-12 and iron. I got a call this morning that my B-12 is VERY low. She wants me to come in for weekly injections until it gets back into acceptable range and then discuss maintenance. I should add that she has been very supportive of a vegetarian diet, this is my first visit as a vegan, so she was very willing to add the extra tests. Right now I don't know the answer to keeping it in normal range. I'm just posting this so that others will know to have it checked. Make sure you are within acceptable ranges. I understand that as we get older, vegan or not, B-12 can be an issue. I will be keeping an eye on this until I know the answers. My vitamin D and iron were well within acceptable ranges. ~ Guess I'm doing something right ! I'm having a bone density test at the end of the month. I'll let you know how that comes out. Hi, there - Can you clarify, were you already supplementing with B12 when you got tested and you were found to be very low?
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Wild4Stars Joined: 12/27/09 Location: Florida Posts: 832	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 3:19 AM I was supplementing with sublingual B12, but stopped it a week prior to my appointment. I wanted to see what my B12 would be without supplement. The way our body stores B12, one week should not have let it be that low. I obviously need to find a better supplement or be more consistent with taking it. Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com
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skylar Joined: 09/08/10 Posts: 16	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 11:29 AM How much B12 should one take? Should this be taken with folate? Or just take BComplex? I need a good suggestion for a multi for sensitive stomachs. That's why I usually don't take them as they don't agree with me.
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Wild4Stars Joined: 12/27/09 Location: Florida Posts: 832	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 12:01 PM I've been told it is better to take B12 sublingually. Not sure why. I got my first shot today, 5 more in the coming 5 weeks and then they'll re-test. All my other numbers, cholestrol, etc were AWESOME. Vit D was a little low, but probably because I didn't take any vitamins for a week prior to the blood test. I do not supplement iron and iron count was good. Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com
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dollgirl Joined: 12/28/09 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 131	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 6:52 PM What a great thread. It's amazing the information you find on these boards! www
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jmyers1050 Joined: 12/31/09 Location: Arizona Posts: 43	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Friday, September 17, 2010 at 12:55 AM My favorite Multi is Dr. Fuhrman's Gentle Care: http://www.drfuhrman.com/shop/GCF.aspx Also here is a good page on B-12: http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/everyvegan
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cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 1000	RE: Need Support/Help Posted Friday, September 17, 2010 at 7:07 AM vitamins were just in consumer reports... I don't have it in front of me.. so you should check it out yourself. But I seem to remember that i was stunned which ones came out as good... WALMART!! -- their brand. AS for a multi.. i take centrum .. honey takes a centrum without iron. One thing i always test on any vitamin is the water test. I drop a pill into one cup of water and watch it. I want to make sure it breaks down. Cause if you take a pill and it doesn't break down, it's useless. Please correct me if i am wrong.. I want to get as much bang for my buck as anyone. B vitamins i do not have a favoite.. been buying whatever is available and on sale.
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