I have a friend that I just made not too long ago that isnt vegan but somewhat vegitarian. She hates the idea of eating animal products and by-products. She has made some attempts before to go vegan but with no avail. She told me that she started getting weak and sick and lost way more weight than she could afford. She is pretty skinny as it is. I didnt have any health problems when I went vegan a while back, it was more like I had a health boost. I told her I would try to get some suggestions for her so that she could overcome this hurdle. From what I heard from her it sounded like she didnt have much variety in her diet. Have any of you had similar problems when you went vegan? What helped you out?
Respect
=)

Research, research, research! I read books and information online that helped me a lot. I had been vegetarian for several years and was already on the path to becoming vegan when I learned of allergies that necessitated an immediate change. Since I had already been learning a lot about veganism, it was not a big deal for me.

There are several books available for those thinking about being vegan or individuals who are newly vegan. One that might be extra-helpful for your friend is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Living by Beverly Lynn Bennett and Ray Sammartano. I just bought it today, as a matter-of-fact. I'm not a new vegan, but I learn something new with every book I read. I also happen to like Beverly Lynn Bennett a lot and her recipes are pretty good. There appears to be lots of good information and advice.
Here's the link to it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592574173/qid=1135906306/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-3334484-3887246?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

I wish your friend the best of luck on her vegan journey! :up:

I have a friend that I just made not too long ago that isnt vegan but somewhat vegitarian. She hates the idea of eating animal products and by-products. She has made some attempts before to go vegan but with no avail. She told me that she started getting weak and sick and lost way more weight than she could afford. She is pretty skinny as it is. I didnt have any health problems when I went vegan a while back, it was more like I had a health boost. I told her I would try to get some suggestions for her so that she could overcome this hurdle. From what I heard from her it sounded like she didnt have much variety in her diet.

That's probably it -- variety. I went vegetarian first and then vegan and didn't have any problems either time. Reading is the key. We could probably give some advice but if we don't know what she's eating (and what she isn't eating) we can't really know why she's having problems. If she's really interested in veganism she'll read and I'm sure she'll come across the problems she's having through reading.