[9/11/06]

Ok so i've been a vegetarian for 3 weeks now and this is how i'm feeling

... I'm not really feeling any of the benefits i've read and heard about. I'm still feeling tired, stressed out, not sleeping well, etc. I thought being a vegetarian would help with these things? Is 3 weeks 2 soon? Have i not been eating right????

 

[GhostUser]

the only benefit I found is that i could sit down at the dinner table with a clear conscience.

that being said, what are you eating? vegetarian diets can be unhealthy just like omni diets. post what you eat in a day and maybe we can give you some advice.

 

[9/11/06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by purrpelle

the only benefit I found is that i could sit down at the dinner table with a clear conscience.

that being said, what are you eating? vegetarian diets can be unhealthy just like omni diets. post what you eat in a day and maybe we can give you some advice.

Hmmm this is gonna be hard because i haven't been eating the same things everyday... but i'll post what i ate last week...

Thursday: I didn't eat breakfast, went to work had mexican food for lunch... vegetarian Fajita. Dinner had leftover vegetarian fajita.

Friday: Chinese food for lunch... Lettuce soup for dinner and a salad.

Saturday: Macaroni & Cheese with tomato sauce on top.

Sunday: Breakfast... omelet, bread, and watermelon. Lunch/Dinner Mushroom Pizza from Pizza Hut.

Today: A granola bar for breakfast with green tea. Lunch Chips and honey roasted peanuts... Dinner went out for chinese got Chow Mein. And i just ate a nectarine.

I've been drinking a lot of water but i've always done that... i'm trying to go grocery shopping... i really don't like grocery shopping cause and i don't really know what to get.

 

[akmoulton7]

One benefit I found when I stopped eating meat was that I stopped feeling all heavy and sleepy after I ate. Also, to put it delicately, I found that I was digesting much more comfortably. I didn't really see any energy benefits, though.

Really, I went veg because I didn't want to hurt animals, and I notice THAT benefit every day!

 

[GhostUser]

maybe you aren't feeling the magical vegetarian benefits because you are eating a lot of restaurant and processed foods.

a nice bowl of oameal with raisans, dates and chopped walnuts is a good breakfast.

apple and PB or almonds and orange slices can be a good snack, as well as hummus and carrots.

a big salad for lunch or dinner with spinach, sunflower and pumkin seeds, red pepper, tomato, avocado, cucumber and carrot will supply you with a lot of your daily nutrients. (add chopped egg if you wish)

 

[9/11/06]

That salad recipe sounds really good. I'm gonna have to go grocery shopping again... I'm really cheap and I'm not used to buying fruits and vegs so i dunno what's a good deal or not. I went to Whole Foods today and it seems like it was really expensive.

 

[GhostUser]

meat is more expensive than veggies. eating vegetarian is only expensive if you buy frozen meals and crap food. I don't shop at Whole Foods, either.

check out the recipe section and make up some meal plans- eat simply.

 

[kpickell]

Quote:

Originally Posted by purrpelle

the only benefit I found is that i could sit down at the dinner table with a clear conscience.

that being said, what are you eating? vegetarian diets can be unhealthy just like omni diets. post what you eat in a day and maybe we can give you some advice.

Exactly.

If someone told you vegetarianism would clear up your insomnia, depression and stress, they were full of shiitake.

 

[yellowduckie21]

You need to start eating breakfast. I bet if you start eating breakfast you will feel much more alert. And eating resturant/processed foods aren't going to do very much for you... so its why you are still feeling tired.

Oh and I forgot, eat 3 small meals a day if you can... with GOOD snacks in between. Aka.. not a bag of chips.

 

[jackie890]

Quote:

Originally Posted by purrpelle

maybe you aren't feeling the magical vegetarian benefits because you are eating a lot of restaurant and processed foods.

I agree, and it looks like there are some high fat and high saturated fat/cholesterol foods popping up a lot too. I'd suggest substantially cutting back on the greasiest of the foods (like the omelettes and all the cheese).

I didn't feel better when I went vegetarian (vegetarian with tons of cheese), either. But I felt MUCH better when I went vegan. If you're not ready for that yet, you can probably get some of the same positive results by cutting back on the least healthy vegetarian foods, like cheese. Heck, cheese actually has MORE saturated fat in it than many meats!

And is it possible that the switch to vegetarian eating has stressed you out, like you're worrying about having to read ingredient labels and what new things you're going to eat? Maybe set aside some personal time to unwind and have fun; stress can contribute to some of the bad things you're feeling.

Good luck!