Veggie for 30 years, just eaten chicken

[RosiePeel]

Vegetarian since I was 9, never really craved or liked meat. Been sick with a cold all week and last night I asked my DH to put roast chicken on my plate which I ate. I then got home and stuffed more cold chicken into my mouth. Aside from one tuna sandwich when pregnant which I didn’t enjoy I’ve never eaten meat before since turning veggie. I don’t recognise myself?!

For context. Turned 40 recently. Had low iron issues before so know the signs and my iron feels ok right now (for me). I am going to the gym a lot more in general and doing things like body pump. I’m also suddenly wanting to eat fish but definitely not red meat.

Is this a midlife crisis, illness - possibly something awful? Or is the fact that my own mortality is on my mind causing me to want to eat more nutrients?

Interesting hadn’t thought of that

I am similar- veggie since childhood, recently started weights. You need to eat loads of protein, I think 1.5g per kg body weight, if building muscle. Protein important if training and also for women in midlife to not lose muscle mass. You can definitely crave it.

However there are veggie sources- I eat loads of omelettes, scrambled tofu with spring onions and tomatoes in, and quorn type things. And Kvarg.

I was veggie 15 years. I stopped because I was in a part of the world where it was hard to find veggie food. I tried to eat veggie there for a month and was getting so tired and felt ill because I wasn’t getting what I needed.

Started eating meat and I immediately felt better than I had in about 7-8 years 🙈 I never went back! And I have to say I’m now a slimmer happier meat eater.

Cue the hate.

I was veggie for decades and started craving meat - turned out I had an underlying chronic issue and my body was trying to fix it with meat!

Might be worth a general blood test just for reassurance.

I did start eating meat very slowly again but never more than once or twice a week. If you do start eating meat regularly just give your body time to adapt.

I’m going full circle again and stopped eating meat a few years ago, cutting down on fish now & considering going vegan! Co incidentally my previous issue is now completely resolved and my body clearly doesn’t need it.

Could it be a B12 deficiency?
white meat & fish is one of the main sources and I think it’s difficult to obtain required intake on a vegetarian diet without using supplements.

Did you not think to increase protein when you upped the exercise?

I don’t eat animal products but still make sure I have enough protein as I run a lot, do weights with a PT and play a team sport.

You need to look after yourself and take an interest in what your body needs. Get well soon.

Some of my long time Vegetarian friends now have Vit B deficiency and have to have injections to keep it up - partly age, partly menopause related, partly years of vegetarian diet.

Chicken does contain B vits. It might be worth getting your vit B levels checked out. Also lots evidence to suggest women need more protein in their diets at 40+ though may need less calories.

Happened to a friend of mine at a similar age. Once she started she couldn't stop. It was quite odd as she was so committed before. However she started to look younger. It was weird but it was like her body needed it.

Do you have iron pills or how do you know your iron levels are good?
What happens if you go to donate blood?

Naturya multi vit and protein shakes might help - I have these now I'm going to the gym. They're vegan and actually taste nice.

Some of my long time Vegetarian friends now have Vit B deficiency and have to have injections to keep it up - partly age, partly menopause related, partly years of vegetarian diet.

They must have eaten a very poor vegetarian diet with very little eggs or dairy. When I was vegetarian, it was easy. Now I’m vegan I just have some fortified products and take a vegan multivitamin and my levels are still fine.

I think the food threads on here are very revealing though. Full of women worried about their weight but their diets are terrible and lacking in so much. One or two small meals a day. A cracker for lunch. Nothing til dinner. Coffee for breakfast. A couple of crackers and a slice of pizza all day. It’s dreadful.

As a vegan I eat between 1800 and 3000 calories a day, depending on how active I am that day. Lots of protein because I do lots of sport and exercise. It’s no wonder people feel like shit if they’re not eating enough good food.

I went veggie over 40 years ago, after watching horrible hidden camera documentary of cruelty to animals. Oddly enough I was also nursing and severely injured human flesh looks and smells like animal. Married a sarf London bloke meat with 2 meat hates veg. I occasionally eat chicken or fish. Sometimes I see it raw turns my stomach. Chicken must be free range,so it's had a short but decent life. Don't self medicate with vitamins or iron,so can be very dangerous in incorrect levels. After my many years of not eating meat,my HB ferritin etc have always been in the top score (inspite of very heavy periods) and a lot of different excercise per week.

Had a huge problem couple years ago with iron deficiency and heavy periods. Which wasn’t helped by me being veggie. I ended up with iron infusion. When iron is low I generally start to feel absolutely shattered after exercise and get pica (weird thing involving wanting to crunch gravel), I don’t have that now.

Loads of helpful info here. I do try and eat well but I’m aware I could eat more. I stopped eating breakfast a while back and miraculously
lost some excess weight - I wasn’t overweight but I’m now back to my pre dc weight. I feel
toned and I’m shape from going to the gym.

I’m going to get a health check and also maybe Consider that for a little while eating fish and chicken is ok. I really want to keep doing well at the gym. I must admit dietary stuff I find hard.

Another one saying your hormones might be moving along.

Yep, protein.

You are building muscle, approaching menopause, you need protein!

Plant proteins do not contain the full range of amino acids like meat and animal protein. If you want to continue as vegetarian make sure you have a good mix of pulses and wholemeal bread: beans on wholemeal toast gives the full range needed, for example.

Pulses contain vast amounts of Vit B, as do wholegrains. Do your friends just live off white bread cheese sandwiches?

did you mean to say B12? If they do eat cheese and other dairy or eggs that’s unlikely to be an issue either.

do they live off crisps? So many people have bad diets, usually omnivores who opt for beige freezer food and nothing green. Most veggies are more switched on about nutrition, but there are fussy eaters everywhere without a clue.

Mellasa, very true. Over the years people used to tell me that vegetarians were always pale, anaemic and unhealthy. I tell my DH,you are able to live without meat but not without vegetables. I watched a very interesting documentary a few months ago, where it was found, one continent lived in just meat, the other a much more varied diet, guess which one died out!

You could get some edamame for snacking or eating as a side vegetable, they are a complete vegetable protein source.