I feel so ill

[Timmygnome]

I think it's lack of protein
I'm doing a VLCD ,and I just want to sleep all the time
I'm so tired, and cold so I'm not moving around as much .
I've been vegan a long time , nearly 10 years ,I was vegetarian for most of my life before that ,but only ate cheese different from what I eat now ..
no milk or eggs
Starting to think I'm making myself very ill
So I need some ideas please for low calorie high protein foods .
I wish there was a protein tablet like a vitamin tablet

That is pretty much how I'm feeling
But I assumed menopause

Sorry, just saw you haven’t been given a number of grams of protein to aim for. I think you should ask for that at your next appointment.

Thankyou
That's really helpful and very kind of you ,and yes please

Nuts & seeds are good for protein, quinoa, brown rice, oats.

I need to start the tea
Will come back later
Very greatful for the advice x

This NHS source seems to recommend 60-80g of protein post bariatric surgery. It helpfully gives average grams of protein per serving of some different foods including soy milk and a range of vegetarian sources.
www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/protein-and-bariatric-surgery/#:~:text=After%20having%20bariatric%20surgery%20you,you%20are%20able%20to%20take.

If you are considering dairy for a while I’d suggest classic Skyr. The Arla brand has 122 kcal and 20g of protein in 200g of Skyr. That’s the 0% fat version. I usually have it for breakfast with 5g of flaked almonds on top for crunch and a bit more protein.
It also comes in flavours, 5% fat, and whipped, which I haven’t tried.

Other brands are similar.

I sympathise with not being able to have pea protein. I also eat Quorn once a twice a week as mince, chunks, fillets or, ‘bacon’ but appreciate some people don’t like it. The other Quorn products usually contain wheat.

I'm a fat vegan. Currently 4.5 stone down, about 5.5 to go.

I have a protein target of 150g daily. Mostly this comes from normal foods (I'm eating 3000 calories per day).

Can definitely recommend...
Misfits protein bars (under 200 calories and around 15g protein each)
MyVegan clear protein drinks (about 50 calories and 10g ish protein per drink)
Alpro soya protein yoghurts (about 170 calories and 150g protein each)

Getting enough protein is important because otherwise your body will just take it from other places e.g muscles. Your heart is also a muscle and can be affected.

Have you had any bloods done recently? If you're eating a restricted diet there's every possibility that you have some potential deficiencies despite taking a multivitamin

There’s also a recipe for high protein milk which seems to be skimmed milk with several spoons of skimmed milk powder dissolved in it. You might be able to get a similar effect by dissolving a vegan protein powder you can tolerate into your soy milk for your coffee. Might be worth experimenting with.

I‘m not vegan but recently started using pea protein powder - it’s a great protein to calorie ratio and I add it to shakes / porridge / muesli / soups etc so that could
be a good start?

Huel for protein?

Argh missed the post about pea protein sorry!

I eat a lot of tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, nuts and seeds to get enough protein. I also have a high protein soya yogurt every day, the Alpro ones have 15g of protein in.

I think your symptoms may be down to being on a very low calorie diet though as opposed to just lack of protein.

It's the VLCD I've had the same symptoms every time. I'm currently on mounjaro and have lost loads of weight and zive spent a few afternoons this week snoring. I'm on annual leave thank goodness.

Nutritional yeast? It's 8g of protein for 1.5 tbsp. I add it to loads of dishes. Helps with B vitamins too.

You're menopause age? You need to speak to a doctor about that, get a full blood panel. You're going to make yourself seriously ill if you're living off soup and salads

We cannot get enough vitamin D from being outside in this country, and would struggle to get enough through foods. Please take a vitamin D supplement.

Thankyou everyone
I absolutely appreciate all the suggestions
Maybe I do need to up the calories,the protein and vitamin d.
Lots on here for me to think about .
It really doesn't help not having anyone in real life to discuss things with
I've got fat friends ,but they are not vegan and not on a diet
And my family is vegan ,but again not fat and not on a diet
And I feel under huge pressure to get this weight off so I don't need the surgery.
I can't turn the surgery down ,if I've not lost the weight by then ,I may never get the chance again ,if I turn it down
If I could turn the clock back ,I'd of taken more care of myself and not got so fat ,to busy putting everyone else first
I just want to get to a normal weight, eating a normal amount of food , without feeling like I could sleep for a week

OP this sounds really tough.

can I ask, you say a couple of times about piling weight on. What is your downfall? Like for many it would be chocolate or cheese or whatever.

you also say about the clinic saying they were unsure how to advise as it was rare.

I suppose I’m just thinking is there a definite cause of the weight gain, which we can then help you menu plan around. Or is there something underlying been missed ?

You are malnourished and undernourished . Those are two different things.
Beans, tofu, quinoa, lentils, chickpeas, tempeh, ...
I am not sure one is meant to stay at 800 cal for a long time. IF doing VLCD, every morsel needs to have a purpose beyond the calories. Nutrient dense food.

Are you supplementing with B12? Omega 3s? A multivitamin is not enough, you need specific supplements on a vegan diet. What about iron? You mention tests but did they look at all these things?

So .
Basically I've lived of crisps my whole life ,I'm autistic and I really struggle with meals ..I don't like sauces ,slime ,smells of food ...I cook for the family and don't eat it myself.
So the weight went on with crisps
And 8 months a go I completely cut crisps out , haven't touched them since .
But I'm finding there is very little I like to eat except salad and soup or jacket potato sometimes,or a bit of hummus and bread sticks.
Not meaning to drip feed ,I didn't think it was relevant
I'm trying really hard to change ..but it's harder than I thought it would be

As far as I know they checked everything,as you can't have surgery if your low in any thing .
Not taking any omegas ,is that important?
Can you be fat and malnourished

Yes you can be fat and malnourished OP. In fact, being malnourished may well be the reason you got so overweight. Your body may have been desperately craving different nutrients (macro and micro) and pushing you to eat more until you got enough of those nutrients. The problem is, that because you were mostly eating a very calorie dense food, the amount of calories you were consuming to get enough protein etc for your body to feel satisfied was very large.
Now you are actively trying to lose weight you need to eat protein and micronutrient dense food to meet your body’s needs while still remaining in a significant calorie deficit.

What about rice cakes. They are low in calories but good to snack on or have with a topping.

I've been shopping this morning,I've bought tempa ,tofu , protein bagels and protein flat bread ,vegan high protein bacon, and nooch ,soya yogurt.
Ive been using the NHS weight loss app
But I'm going to find one that tracks calories and protein
Much appreciated all the advice