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Original poster

Has anyone gone veggie?

40 replies

Gretais · 25/10/2019 11:18

I've noticed many people have started to go veggie or vegan. Has anyone done this and did it help you feel better?

OP posts:
AntCrawley · 25/10/2019 11:28

Spiritually better but my god for 2 years i was so uncomfortable with gas vloatibg constabt hunger bad skin and bill increased as i bought vegan products as i missed my regular items like mayonnaise cheese chicken and milk chocolate.
I never felt so bad. I want to clarify that i didnt exist on junk vegan food only Grin im a good cook and ate 75% of the time home made natural food, beans rice pasta potatoes lentils vegs tofu were my staples.
My breasts also became very sore and my period heavier. I initially lost 7lb then gained 1.5 stones.
I would not go vegan again though i do feel bad because my body feels amazing on keto with animal protein.

Greybeardy · 25/10/2019 11:33

Yes. Veggie for environmental reasons. Feel massively healthier.

BlackInk · 25/10/2019 11:39

Been veggie since I was 12, and now in my 40s. I did it because I didn't want to eat animals and also for environmental reasons.

My DC are veggie since birth and seem to be thriving...

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General food
Ziraphale · 25/10/2019 11:45

I went veggie and then vegan. I found it a very easy transition but I did it fairly gradually.

I feel really great. My skin is clearer than it's ever been. I do weightlifting and distance running (I'm training for an ultramarathon) so I was worried about how my diet would impact on that but actually I feel really good, I have more energy and can still lift just as heavy and run just as far.

It's very possible to eat processed shit and spend a lot of money on a vegan diet but only if you can't cook meals from scratch and don't make sensible choices. In reality, things like fruit, vegetables, lentils and pulses, grains etc are all fairly cheap and if you know your way around a kitchen and have a bit of imagination then you can have a fantastically rich and varied diet.

I do take a multivitamin, b12 and omega 3 but I'd be taking a multivitamin anyway because I'm breastfeeding.

I'd say do it. There are some good documentaries out there too, like Forks over Knifes and Gamechangers, which just dropped on Netflix.

NeedAnExpert · 25/10/2019 12:11

Been veggie for over 30 years (I was 11).

It’s not a new thing.

Now a low carb veggie. The vegan trend has had a massively negative impact on my ability to eat out! It’s all based on carbs rather than protein. Sad

Ziraphale · 25/10/2019 12:24

Needanexpert - I'm a low carb vegan. Agree that vegan/veggie options in restaurants can be carb heavy, but I'm definitely seeing a shift towards more plant based protein.

Having said that, I don't think it was any better before though. Veggie options in the past were usually some kind of mac and cheese or cheese pizza something else bread or pasta based. I've never felt like a low carb veggie option was ever something that was widely available.

NeedAnExpert · 25/10/2019 12:29

I tend towards massive salads with feta/halloumi/mozzarella, veggie curries with veg instead of rice, eggs royale with mushrooms instead of muffins, bean burger without the bun with coleslaw and salad, omelettes, cheeseboards minus crackers........

forkfun · 25/10/2019 12:36

Went vegan almost 7 years ago. Def right thing for my health and the animals. I eat mainly whole food plant based, but will eat vegan junk food when out (often the only option) and am a bit obsessed with Linda McCartney sausages. But my staples are veg, fruit, legumes, oats, rice and oat milk with limited amounts of coconut milk, oils, nuts and seeds. It's a healthy and cheap way to live. Recently had my 40 year check up and GP commented on how good all my levels were. I do take b12 supplement and vit D in winter.

Paythosebitchesnomind269 · 25/10/2019 12:38

Went vegan 6 years ago and lost 5 stone. Honestly the best thng I have ever done.

TheWorldAsh · 25/10/2019 12:39

My DW has been vegetarian for about three months now. I've gone 90% vegetarian (I'm a celiac so sometimes I have to find meals that fit my requirements)

My DW is fitter and healthier and has lost some weight.

Both doing it for animal welfare and the environment.

JoJoSM2 · 25/10/2019 12:43

I've been veggie for a couple of years but got fatter if anything. It's harder work putting balanced meals together and things like chocolate or wine are veggie anyway.

NeedAnExpert · 25/10/2019 12:49

Lots of wine isn’t vegetarian...........

AnnaNimmity · 25/10/2019 12:52

Low carb veggie? Presumably lots of eggs and cheese?

I have been dabbling with being vegan but can't eat pulses or many veg as they don't agree with my gut. Carbs don't agree with my weight. I don't really want to eat meat, so maybe I'll look at low carb veggie and embrace cheese.

I would want higher welfare dairy - how do you ensure you get that? I do have issues with the dairy industry too.

NeedAnExpert · 25/10/2019 12:57

I stick to organic eggs and cheese wherever possible.

PurpleDaisies · 25/10/2019 13:02

Yes, and initially I felt worse because I replaced all the lean meat and fish I used to eat with cheese and fake meat. I put nearly a stone on!

I’m vegan now, and I do feel better but that’s mainly because I think I had a mild dairy intolerance. It’s just as easy to be an unhealthy vegetarian/vegan as a meat eater. You have to focus on actual food and not just easy substitutes.

JoJoSM2 · 25/10/2019 13:13

@NeedAnExpert who would wine not be veggie?

NeedAnExpert · 25/10/2019 13:16

It’s usually filtered through fish bones.

PurpleDaisies · 25/10/2019 13:17

JoJoSM2 it is sometimes refined using isinglass which comes from fish.

NeedAnExpert · 25/10/2019 13:18

www.winemag.com/2018/05/09/vegetarian-vegan-wine/

BossAssBitch · 25/10/2019 13:39

I've been veggie for 30 years. I am v healthy and have good skin and hair (im mid forties). I eat v healthily, my diet is pretty much plant based but I do have cheese now and then and butter on toast at the weekend. I would like to not eat any dairy for animal welfare reasons but I don't feel great when I cut them out totally, so I try and limit my intake. I eat a lot of tofu and make lots of thai curries from scratch, soups, salads. I don't eggs as the egg industry is inherently cruel (as is the dairy industry, but I find omitting eggs v easy)

JoJoSM2 · 25/10/2019 14:03

The wine and especially the isinglass thing is disgusting... Just had a look on the Waitrose website and, luckily, you can filter wines by veggie/vegan.

AnnaNimmity · 25/10/2019 14:23

I have a dairy intolerance too. I feel much better on oat milk.

Perhaps I'm just not cut out to be veggie. Or vegan. But I don't actually want to eat meat or animal products.

AnnaNimmity · 25/10/2019 14:24

BossAssBitch, does plant based include pulses? I can't eat pulses, but am struggling to think that I can just survive on veg and fruit. and tofu. (and wine )

Ziraphale · 25/10/2019 14:34

Annanimity, does that mean you can't eat any beans, peas or lentils? Is it an allergy or just a dislike?

Tofu is made from pulses, btw.

AnnaNimmity · 25/10/2019 14:57

it's an intolerance - causes me alot of pain and bloating - really attractive.

Actually when I was vegan recently I didn't isolate the culprits, so tofu could well be one too. I'm really sensitive! I just assumed I could build up some immunity but didn't.

I can basically comfortably eat salad and meat. And that's it