Ok so my doctor put me on a 500 calorie diet that resticts my carbs to less than 40g but I must have 40-60g of protein a day with very little fat. If any of you really read the nutritional info on the back of a food package that can be hard...if you're a vegan.



So I need some suggestions of what are good veg. sources of protein that will not really increase my carbs/cals/fat. I already do tvp and the lazy persons frozen options but what else is there? I got some vanilla rice protein but since I can only eat twice a day on this thing I really don't want to waste a 'meal' on a horrible tasting shake. I looked in to spirulina but you have to consume 2 tbs. a day to get just 13g of protein...thats 40 500mg pills.



Any ideas?

I would seriously reconsider taking the advice of a doctor that recommends a dangerous 500 calorie a day diet. You can cause serious damage to yourself in a lot of different ways with an extreme diet like this.



You really need to go see another doctor for a second opinion, preferably from a doctor that has extensive education in nutrition.

Yeah... There's no way 500 calories can be right...

I can't image what the reason could be for recommending such a diet.

IMO it would be irresponsible to help you on this diet.



I've added a trigger warning for eating disorder sufferers.

May we ask why your doctor has recommended such an extreme diet?



Quite honestly I don't have any suggestions. I wouldn't know how to cut calories that low and still get that much protein.

Your body is going to go into starvation mode. This will make it hang on to everyone of those calaries for dear life and when you do go back to eating normally, you will gain more weight. This is a bad idea. Recommendation: Find a new doctor.

To add, you are also messing with your metabolism - it will get severely messed up and that's part of the reason you will gain weight back when you start eating normal.



I am curious to know more about why your Dr. told you to do this, and for how long did he/she say to do so? I agree that you should get another Dr.'s opinion, as this is just way too extreme IMO.

I agree!

are you sure there isn't supposed to be a one in front of that? as in 1500 calories?? 500 is way too low. you'll die.

Yeah, I'd make sure you understood what your doctor was saying. If they really said 500 calories, get a second opinion.

^ This. I know anorexics who eat more than 500 calories a day.

If there's a medical reason why the OP needs to eat such a restricted diet, then surely we should try to help? Maybe it'd help if the OP disclosed more information about why they need to follow such a diet.



I don't have any good advice unfortunatly, could your doctor not reccomend a nutritionist to devise a eating plan for you to make sure you're getting optimum nutrition? Or could you not find one, with information from your doctor about why you need such a diet, so the nutritionist understood?



I guess I would also say, avoid ready-made things because there's nearly always more sugar/fat than nessersairy in such foods, try to prepare things for yourself, and eat lots of beans and maybe soya products since nuts are high in calories and fat.

I wouldn't really know what to tell you on this one except that 500 calories is very restrictive not to mention unhealthy...you definitely need more than that to function properly, and if you are sick you would need to take better care of yourself, not make it worse by eating less than you need. Your body needs strength, and I doubt that 500 calories will get you there.

That sounds more like it.

As a recovering anorexic, I recognize your post. I recognize it because it seems like many of the posts I've read and written myself in ED forums. I feel that if this really did happen, and your doctor really did put you on a 500 calorie diet, then you need to see a new doctor and abandon this diet. Even for the morbidly obese, 500 calories is insane. If this didn't really happen (sorry if my words offend) then I'm here if you ever want to talk, and I suggest you notify someone in your family of your condition. The only reason I assume you may have an eating disorder is because you included the phrase "triggering" at the end of your title, and the only other place I've seen that used is in threads that may trigger a person recovering from an ED back into their habits. PM me if you want to talk at all. If I've misjudged the situation then I'm very sorry.



EDIT-I understand that the phrase triggering was added by a mod, but I stand by my offer if you do have an ED and would like to talk, again, if this was not the case I'm sorry.

^ This was added by a mod (triggering) to protect people here with EDs from being exposed to the thread, lest they find themselves tempted to relapse.

Andrealeanne, I think the mod edited the title to include "triggering"....



But I agree, the OP should get a second opinion from another doctor!

Edited my post accordingly, thanks so much!

Go see another doctor. As others has said it's dangerous to your body to eat that little and you also put yourself risk to get eating disorder if you don't already have one. When I was in the group what was to people who had BED (binge eatingdisorer) and our doctor asked from us how many of us had gotten BED because they had tried very low calorie diets what they sell in pharmacies over half from that group raised their hand. So it really is not healthy in any way to eat that little.

Crap I just typed out a reply but I closed the flippin window...

Ok guys I DEF. do not have an eating disorder-just want to make that clear. Since becoming vegetarian in 07 I have gained over 80lbs. Just this last month I went vegan. I actually had this recommended to me by 2 doctors-being native american I get my health care for free, but it does mean I don't always get to see the same dr. I am also taking Releana http://www.releana.com/index.html appearently this is supposed to help. So far I do not feel run down except for about an hour in the evenings and then its back to normal. I am going to try this for a month and if it proves disasterous I will just start some hard core healthy vegan eating (though I do miss my Starbucks, potatoes and pasta).

Please don't attack me about trying this, I am asking for your ideas on alternative low cal/carb protein choices. I know how crazy 500cals a day sounds-believe me.

Did your doctor recommend that hCG treatment??? It's not even FDA approved...



Edited to add: I apologize if this is too personal, but are you seeing alternative medicine practitioners or conventional MD/DOs? Feel free to not answer if I'm overstepping my boundaries, but when I googled the Releana, it seems as though it's only recommended by alternative medical practitioners... I'm not knocking alternative medicine if that's the kind of treatment you're receiving, but I'm just curious.

With all due respect, a 500 calorie diet will shut down your immune system. Even raw foodists eat more than 500 calories. I do not know your situation or health, but I can tell you that you will not be healthy on such a low calorie count. You cannot get enough vital nutrients on such a low calorie count. I would do some serious researching into what your nutritional needs are for you and go from their. There is much more to weight loss than just trying to eliminate calories. Sorry, just my humble 2 cents worth.





Edit: One other thing I noticed..You say you gained 80lbs since '07 and being vegetarian. You also make mention of the potatoes and pasta at Starbucks. Please do not take offense to what I am about to say....Vegetarian fast food and comfort foods will put on the pounds. As a vegetarian, you are still smacked with all the "vegetarian" convenience foods just like everybody else. Simply back off on the high fat calorie fast foods and comfort foods. It will be far less painful than trying to do 500 calories a day.

Nope not too personal at all! Both of the docs that recommended this are just regular MDs. I had to sign a form saying I was aware that it was not yet FDA approved but...really look at all the meds that have been approved by the FDA and they weren't the best for the populace. I don't put much faith in government run agencies.

I don't think anyone's trying to attack you or anything, but you weren't very specific in your original post, and 500 calories a day is typically considered a dangerously low amount, so people were concerned.






I agree with you here. I think the FDA is completely bought by private corporate interests.

I read an article recently about a group of people who were placed on extreme diets like this because of morbid obesity etc... in many cases, they just dropped dead, abruptly, because their bodies shut down and the did have enough nutrients to perform the most basic of functions for survival.

So basically, their hearts quit... I don't want to see this happen to you. Even the most overweight person should be able to gradually lose weight on a 1200-1300 calorie diet. I second the advise of others, and recommend you find a safer approach



Here is the article:



http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/12/15...ets/index.html

That's fair. But do me a favor and do some independent research into these hCG treatments if you haven't already. My really brief Wikipedia scan showed that they're often recommended in conjunction with these extremely low calorie diets, and that there are some definite risks involved - some which look kind of scary.



The only reason I asked in the first place is because I haven't heard of a lot of conventional doctors recommending non-FDA approved treatments/drugs.

This is dangerous to try for even a month. The weight you may lose won't make up for the damage you will be doing to your internal organs....which may not be reversible.



And we aren't meaning to attack you....we are just worried about your health.

As others have pointed out, you're unlikely to lose much weight on this diet. Your body will cling on to those 500 calories with all its might.

I guess what I don't understand is why you have these options in THAT order. Why on Earth not just start with super-healthy eating option and see how that goes?