Is it alright for me to put my veganism to the side for a short time?

I’ve been vegan for two years and I can in no way say that I took the proper measures of handling my veganism in the right way. I’ve always just picked out foods that didn’t have animal product in it and not really took into concern the massive amount of calories that I would be subtracting from my diet by choosing this lifestyle. My health has been slowly spiraling. I’ve continuously kept loosing weight and muscle. Over the two years I’ve began to develop severe amnesia and can never remember anything. It frightens me a little because recently my body has started to get overloaded with problems now. I’ve dropped to 120 pounds at 5”10 (male.) I’ve started to think that I’ve been developing a dissociative disorder over the past two years because my vision is always shaking a little even though I have 20/20. I’m always blankly staring and can never concentrate and feel like my mind is getting cut off from reality. I’m starting to feel so weak all the time and can’t stand to do anything. I’m just so exhausted ALL the time, and now my body has started to feel extreme hunger. I’m hungry ALL the time and when I do eat, I can’t eat that much because my stomach is so small and not used to proper amounts of food.

It’s been extremely difficult for me to think about putting my vegan lifestyle off until I regain my health and learn to approach the diet better. It’s a deep seated value of mine never to use animals for trivial human needs. I can’t imagine using animals as food or products. I’m really opposed to it but I feel like my body is dying and I can’t get the calories I need on how much money I have most of the time. I’m always offered food by other people but I can never eat it because they only have animal product foods. This is the last thing that I want but I’m just in so much pain and I feel like I am getting delusional. When I talk to people I never understand what I’m saying. I’m always repeating my words, and completely going blank. I’m basically suffering all the symptoms of progressing starvation.

I really would like get some advice from fellow vegans because I know exactly what people that eat animals will say. I prefer advice from people who value the vegan diet. I need some serious advice here. It just E --- ffin hurts being this hungry all the time. I think I'm going to go out of my mind or curl into a little ball.Is it alright for me to put my veganism to the side for a short time?
I guess I am wondering if you actually are vegan. Really it seems like you are doing a diet and aren't really getting the whole veganism thing. Maybe you are not really sure but a question like this makes me question things.



"The word 'veganism' denotes a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practical — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, including humans and the environment.

In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals."



I think you just need to talk to a nutritionist and see what you are missing and simply eat more calories. You cannot just not do something right and then just give up and blame others or use others as an excuse. With all the wealth of information out there about pure vegetarian dieting it isn't super hard to eat well. I am not sure what you are eating if you are eating.



Here is some help:

http://www.drgreger.org/

http://www.greenpeople.org/listing/Preve…

http://www.veganhealth.org/

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/
Are you asking permission? Its your body and your right to eat what you want.Is it alright for me to put my veganism to the side for a short time?
I think you have an eating disorder that is not really related to veganism. See a nutritionist that can help you learn to choose the right foods for your needs. It sounds like you're lacking enough calories overall.
I completely understand what you're going through-- the same thing happened to me. You, at least, are recognizing it. It didn't until it had spiraled out of control. I tried to "freestyle" veganism, and it resulted in severe digestive problems and health complication. My suggestion? See a nutritionist, explain your dilemma, and look for alternative routes. It sounds like you don't have the money to do this, but a good nutritionist who respects a) your financial situation and b) a vegan lifestyle might be a really, really important step for you to take.

In the meantime...

Quick fix, and this sounds stupid, but go for peanut butter and carbohydrates. Peanut butter is cheap, dense in nutrients, and you can get it in large amounts. You need nutrient dense foods right now that are also cheap-- sweet potatoes, dried fruit, nuts, rice, oils, starchy veggies and fruits (bananas come to mind). When I was, quite literally, a starving artist and trying to get my health back in check I LIVED on oatmeal, peanut butter, bananas, and sweet potatoes with olive oil. CERTAINLY not ideal, but it was at least enough to give me the caloric energy to function. Hopefully, while you try to get the health-ball rolling, you can pursue these cheap options. Best of luck.



STAY HYDRATED.Is it alright for me to put my veganism to the side for a short time?
Veganism isn't your problem, but your specific diet is. As a vegan, I enjoy a very energized life and also lift weights. In fact, it was as a vegan that I started setting higher and higher Personal Bests (a Personal Best is the highest weight you as an individual have been able to lift on a specific exercise) for my deadlifts. I hold onto my muscle BETTER as a vegan than I did as an omnivore, and I also build muscle mass in the same amount of time as I did when I was an omnivore.



So I have more energy and am still making gains in the gym.



What gives, right? Why can I enjoy a healthy, fit lifestyle while you're having trouble concentrating or dropping weight?



While you focus on ensuring you're getting animal-free products, I don't see you actually stating you're focusing on a well-rounded diet with an appropriate amount of calories. Omnivores also lose weight and have mental issues when they don't get enough food. In fact, your symptoms are also the same that anorexics experience because you both have something in common: inadequate food intake.



As I explained, it has nothing to do with you being vegan, but everything to do with your specific food choices. Feel free to email me your current diet plan and I'll be happy to revamp it for you. Or you can read a blog post I made about something I call "Nutrient Sneaks," which basically shows you how to cram more nutrition into your meals without much effort and using natural, cheap food. http://dailyveganeats.tumblr.com/post/25…
you should see a doctor, if your health is declining like that there might be a different underlying cause that you've missed. even if it is malnutrition from a poorly planned vegan diet you can get test done to see what you're low on and that way you can know what you need to eat.
You sound like you have vitamin B1, vitamin B 12, and iron deficiency.

A symptom of B1 deficiency is feeling tired all the time.

A symptom of B 12 deficiency is lack of memory or focus.

A symptom of iron deficiency is also fatigue.

Make sure you eat lots of cereal with either soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk.

Eat vegetarian mock meats like veggie burgers, veggie nuggets, veggie deli slices, ground crumbles, tofu, etc.

Boca, Morningstar Farms, Worthington, Tofurkey, Lightlife, Amy's Kitchen, and Yves are companies that have good vegan products. You can find these products at a whole food store or big chain supermarket like Pathmark, Shop Rite, or Stop %26amp; Shop.

Since your body is currently lacking the nutrients it needs, I highly reccommend you buy a pack of
Deva Vegan multi-vitamins online.

You will be able to get Vitamin B1, B12, and Iron from these tablets, plus several other nutrients.

On Amazon.com, a 6 month supply of Deva Vegan Multi-vitamins is only $14.45, and shipping is free on orders over $25 dollars.
Absolutely. By choosing to prevent animal suffering you are letting YOURSELF suffer. You need to see a doctor and nutritionist so they can plan a vegan diet that will give you the nutrients you need. In the meantime, help animals in other ways by not buying products tested on animals and animal product free health/beauty aids. Once your health comes back, you can resume a BALANCED vegan diet.
I feel like this whole story isn't true, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.



You could try eating properly, which would be an alternative to just including meat and or dairy and still not eating properly.



If you are deficient in any nutrients this is easily shown through a blood test. Go and have some blood tests and if they do not show any deficiencies this means your diet is not responsible for your condition/s. This is important as you may have a serious illness such as a brain tumour so a doctor wold logically be your fist port of call. I get that if you live somewhere like america you might be reluctant to go to a doctor since the US has no health care system and you have to pay a fortune just to see a health professional, but seriously if your brain isn't working properly (lack of memory, poor vision) you need to get your **** together and see a doctor even if it means spending all your savings or borrowing money off friends and family to do so.
Here's the story of a young woman who had problems with the vegan diet. Read it and see if any of it sounds familiar. Look. You get one body in life. If you damage it permanently, and you can, you'll be damaged for the rest of your life. You know what you need to do to get better: eat meat. Whether you do it or not is up to you.

http://voraciouseats.com/2010/11/19/a-ve…
"It’s a deep seated value of mine never to use animals for trivial human needs."

Trivial human needs? So the need to survive and prosper in life is a trivial need? Look dude, humans have used animals as a food source for millions of years, and animals have eaten other animals to survive for hundreds of millions of years. One way or another, if an animal is being used for food, that animal is going to suffer in some capacity as it dies, but when it does, there is consolation to the fact that another living creature is going to continue to live, grow, and prosper thanks to the sacrifice of that animal. I wish it wasn't that way but that's the way the circle of life is. It's not like most of the animals we eat can contribute much anyway, chicken, turkeys, sheep and most fish and cows are barely even aware of their existence. Pigs are different, and I refrain from eating pork as often as I can for that reason. But ultimately we survive much better when we can eat meat and absorb the protein that is the building blocks of our body. You can choose to live the life you've been living, but to me it sounds like you are destroying yourself for a cause that goes against millions of years of evolution. I think you should adjust your thinking because your health and your life is more important than the lives of farm animals who do nothing but eat, poop, and mate. If you think it isn't then I feel sorry for you.

BTW I think it's hilarious how all the vegans gave my answer a thumbs down when they know I make valid points. They have no understanding of the value of life, they think that being a human is equal to being an animal when it's not even close. I love animals, especially dogs, and I consider them better than humans in many ways because they show us the best of some of our own attributes. But ultimately, if you don't value the human intellect, then you don't value your own existence. What would many farm animals contribute to the world if they didn't give us milk, eggs, and meat? They are a part of the circle of life, except mankind has learned how to distribute them at a much larger and faster rate. Sure the conditions can be far from ideal, and unfortunately you can't avoid the fact that many animals lives will be taken in vain and no one will consume their meat, but for the most part that isn't true. Being a vegan is like a religion to me, it is based on values that make sense to some degree but often times it's taken to an unnecessary extreme to the detriment of individuals. Not only that but some of the core foods in a vegan diet are not meant to be the core of any person's diet, such as soy which is talked about here http://www.optimumchoices.com/Soy.htm Ask any nutritionist and they will tell you moderation is the key to a healthy diet, and vegans can only have so much moderation because all they eat are essentially beans, legumes, seeds and grains for protein. I'm allergic to many beans and legumes, so if I were to choose to become a vegan, what will a vegan tell me I'm able to eat? Mostly things I will get sick on of course. There is nothing that will ever convince me that a vegan diet is healthy for an individual, and I definitely don't believe that you should be eating animal protein all the time, but like all things there should be balance and moderation for the best results. Vegans will never make sense to me, keep giving me thumbs down all you want but you'll be the ones suffering the consequences of your ridiculous diet when it's all said and done.