Guest guest Posted September 15, 2007 Report Share Posted September 15, 2007 Hi All, I have a question for you all that maybe doesn't have a definitive answer, but I'm curious anyway. For those of you who have said you are unable to be completely vegetarian or vegan, what physical and psychological clues do you get that it is not working? It is blood sugar problems? Are you unable to keep to three meals? Do you get mood swings? I'm wondering what to watch out for as I eat less meat. I'm not at all saying it's not possible to be a vegetarian, I'm just trying to get as much info as possible. JoEllen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 16, 2007 Report Share Posted September 16, 2007 Hi, JoEllen! I am one of those folks who has tried many times to be vegan without success. I can never make it past a month without feeling unstable. And being vegetarian is something I can't seem to pull off during my pregnancies. For some reason (and maybe Kathleen has some thoughts on this), being pregnant for me feels best when I am eating meat. Otherwise, vegetarian is a viable option for me IF I am very careful to count only dense proteins (not the protein in breads, etc) AND eat enough food. Sometimes, I find myself eating less and less food as a vegetarian because the " lightness " of the food appeals to me in a way that is not good for my body So I really have to watch that. The way I know that I am in trouble when I have tried vegan is indeed my low blood sugar signs-- crabby, unfocused, dizzy, and quite often, nauseous as well. I want more fruit than anything else. And when I start to crave watermelon as a vegan, that is a sure sign for me that I have pushed myself too far and need to re-incorporate some animal based proteins like cottage cheese or whey protein powder to get restabilized. And the biggest sign for me...I start loathing my nightly potato again. It took me awhile to love the potato, and when I am not looking forward to eating it and what it can do for me, I know I have strayed too far! But your journal will tell you everything that your body is trying to say to you about how being a vegan is working/not working for you. Those signs above are my own, and may not be the same for everyone Good luck! Nadine , " jocameron350 " <joellencameron wrote: > > Hi All, > > I have a question for you all that maybe doesn't have a definitive > answer, but I'm curious anyway. > > For those of you who have said you are unable to be completely > vegetarian or vegan, what physical and psychological clues do > you get that it is not working? It is blood sugar problems? Are you > unable to keep to three meals? Do you get mood swings? > > I'm wondering what to watch out for as I eat less meat. I'm not at > all saying it's not possible to be a vegetarian, I'm just trying to > get as much info as possible. > > JoEllen > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 16, 2007 Report Share Posted September 16, 2007 I tried JoEllen, I've been both vegetarian and vegan in the past. I find my mood dips when I do not get enough protein and my body believes that beans and pulses are browns and nut roasts and the like don't seem to work either. So my mood dipping and I also start to think about sugar/wine too which I don't normally - and finally I start to think about having snacks a lot. So mood and blood sugar. Karen - jocameron350 Saturday, September 15, 2007 10:38 PM A Question Hi All, I have a question for you all that maybe doesn't have a definitive answer, but I'm curious anyway. For those of you who have said you are unable to be completely vegetarian or vegan, what physical and psychological clues do you get that it is not working? It is blood sugar problems? Are you unable to keep to three meals? Do you get mood swings? I'm wondering what to watch out for as I eat less meat. I'm not at all saying it's not possible to be a vegetarian, I'm just trying to get as much info as possible. JoEllen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 16, 2007 Report Share Posted September 16, 2007 Jo Ellen, All I can answer for is myself but I became a vegetarian a year ago and felt so much better getting all the meat out of my system (I was eating it 3 times every single day), not to mention the mess in my kitchen (yuck, you know?). Anyway, then I discovered RR and quickly realized I was NOT getting enough protein and was binging on sugar like a mad dog out of control. About 3 months ago I added eggs and fish. That really helped a lot with stablizing my body. I was eating lots and lots of soy but then found Kathleen's article on soy...I'm only 35 and would like to get pregnant so due to that I had to go to only 1 serving a day. About 3 weeks ago, my husband was making sirloin burgers and out the blue, I just wanted one. My body felt great all night. I am still pretty new to RR and am only on step 2 so I'm learning my body's language. I appreciate the vegetarian way and have discovered many, many wonderful recipes. I think for me, I will not be a vegetarian in the sense that I won't eat meat...if my body needs it, I will eat it. But that has not been every day. I like a lot of vegetarian dishes and don't plan on giving them up. That's just me, Carmen , I , " jocameron350 " <joellencameron wrote: > > Hi All, > > I have a question for you all that maybe doesn't have a definitive > answer, but I'm curious anyway. > > For those of you who have said you are unable to be completely > vegetarian or vegan, what physical and psychological clues do > you get that it is not working? It is blood sugar problems? Are you > unable to keep to three meals? Do you get mood swings? > > I'm wondering what to watch out for as I eat less meat. I'm not at > all saying it's not possible to be a vegetarian, I'm just trying to > get as much info as possible. > > JoEllen > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 16, 2007 Report Share Posted September 16, 2007 Hi JoEllen, It's great that you are exploring vegetarianism. I'm not sure though, that you will get the answers you need here, since most of us on this list are long-time vegans or vegetarians. Perhaps it might be better to pose this question to a group of omnivores, or folks who flirted with vegetarianism and found it did not work for them. Speaking strictly for myself, being or becoming vegan or vegetarian isn't a matter of it " working " or not; for me it is a health, moral, and ecological choice. My best advice to you is journal, journal, journal. YOU will be able to figure out what works for you and what does not, the same way I gradually stopped eating meat many years ago ago. I would go for a long period without eating meat, then - Sunday dinner at the in-laws once a month. Next day would feel awful (constipated, sluggish, heavy, tense, sad, angry, even combative). No meat = lighter, healthier, happier, more peaceful. Repeated cycle. After about six months, I finally stopped eating meat altogether. Never missed it, never looked back. Your body knows best - listen to her! Gail Gail jocameron350 <joellencameron wrote: Hi All, I have a question for you all that maybe doesn't have a definitive answer, but I'm curious anyway. For those of you who have said you are unable to be completely vegetarian or vegan, what physical and psychological clues do you get that it is not working? It is blood sugar problems? Are you unable to keep to three meals? Do you get mood swings? I'm wondering what to watch out for as I eat less meat. I'm not at all saying it's not possible to be a vegetarian, I'm just trying to get as much info as possible. JoEllen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 hello JoEllen the time I was completely vegetarian ( and no surprises here with my history ) I was " on a diet " and I was doing ER4YT blood group A. Looking back, it was the most fantastic experience, as I learnt such a lot about my body, how she reacted, and how loudly she would say ! I think it has always been my blood sugar leg that needs propping up. I learnt that I thrive on beans. That experience stood me in such good stead for when I got the hang of properly journalling with step 2. Immensely reassuring that step 2 will tell me what suits me best always. Now I have a very extensive bean shelf! mosaic , " jocameron350 " <joellencameron wrote: > > Hi All, > > I have a question for you all that maybe doesn't have a definitive > answer, but I'm curious anyway. > > For those of you who have said you are unable to be completely > vegetarian or vegan, what physical and psychological clues do > you get that it is not working? It is blood sugar problems? Are you > unable to keep to three meals? Do you get mood swings? > > I'm wondering what to watch out for as I eat less meat. I'm not at > all saying it's not possible to be a vegetarian, I'm just trying to > get as much info as possible. > > JoEllen > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 Wow, what helpful responses. Thank you all so much for writing those. That was exactly what I was looking for. Now it's between me and my journal, hee hee. Thanks again, JoEllen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2007 Report Share Posted September 18, 2007 Bravo, Gail! Excellent response and thanks to you. Welcome, Mosaic. I am enchanted to find a person who adores step 2, it is refreshing to have that perspective. Thank you. I am almost ashamed of how may bean/vegan/vegetarian cookbooks I own. But I love the new ideas for recipes here, too. Tina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2007 Report Share Posted September 18, 2007 Tina, I just got the Tassajara cookbook but when I got it home, I realized it is for lunches and doesn’t have a lot for dinner. What is your favorite dinner thing? Kathleen On Sep 18, 2007, at 7:30 AM, shadowedorchid wrote: > Bravo, Gail! Excellent response and thanks to you. > > Welcome, Mosaic. I am enchanted to find a person who adores step 2, > it is refreshing to have that perspective. Thank you. I am almost > ashamed of how may bean/vegan/vegetarian cookbooks I own. But I love > the new ideas for recipes here, too. > > Tina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2007 Report Share Posted September 19, 2007 , Kathleen DesMaisons <radiantkd wrote: > > Tina, > > I just got the Tassajara cookbook but when I got it home, I realized > it is for lunches and > doesn't have a lot for dinner. What is your favorite dinner thing? > > Kathleen Oh! Definately the Lemon Tempeh (it's why I've posted the recipe in the files). With a nice big salad with dark leafy greens in vinaigrette. A brown, often either brown jasmine rice or mashed potato with skins (yukon/red, my favs). Veggies, whatever I have. I make it in big batches and freeze it in portions. I adore it, and never tire of it as my standby, esp. when i can't think to cook, and need protein NOW. I just nuke, add the rest (often its rice already cooked and portioned and frozen), and presto. A fed vegan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2007 Report Share Posted September 19, 2007 OK, I am going to try it and report back. Kathleen On Sep 19, 2007, at 8:40 AM, shadowedorchid wrote: > , Kathleen DesMaisons > <radiantkd wrote: >> >> Tina, >> >> I just got the Tassajara cookbook but when I got it home, I realized >> it is for lunches and >> doesn't have a lot for dinner. What is your favorite dinner thing? >> >> Kathleen > > Oh! Definately the Lemon Tempeh (it's why I've posted the recipe in > the files). With a nice big salad with dark leafy greens in > vinaigrette. A brown, often either brown jasmine rice or mashed > potato with skins (yukon/red, my favs). Veggies, whatever I have. > > I make it in big batches and freeze it in portions. I adore it, and > never tire of it as my standby, esp. when i can't think to cook, and > need protein NOW. I just nuke, add the rest (often its rice already > cooked and portioned and frozen), and presto. A fed vegan. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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