New vegan becoming really ill/really struggling with..

[Imcoreylewis]

Hi,

I have been vegan for approximately 3-5 weeks and since becoming vegan my body is breaking me down and beating me up, I have become really ill since the start I have been having bad diahrrea constantly going the toilet/can't get off the toilet, I can't stop farting etc, which is leading now to chest infection/pneumonia and I am becoming really ill.

Does anybody have any advice for me? As it's really dragging me down.

Thankyou.

 

[callador]

Sorry to hear you are having such difficulties.

I am not sure if the diarrhea or gas has anything to do with a chest infection/pneumonia. You may be fighting multiple things at once here, including the drastic diet change.

What are you eating specifically, and what do your macros look like on a daily basis? The first week I tried it, I was really relying on beans for a major source of protein. I also had different macros where I was only trying to get 160g of protein a day (on my normal diet I was closer to 250-270). I felt really bad, like I couldn't recover. I was also dropping weight, so my total caloric intake was too low. I went back to the drawing board, and I upped my calories and my protein is now 250ish for the days I eat in. Eating out is tricky, since most vegan type meals at restaurants have really low protein. Doing that, in conjunction with gas pills (like beano) and anti-diarrhea pills at the start really helped. I am now off the anti-diarrhea pills, and I am scaling back on the beano. I also ditched beans for other vegan protein sources, mainly soy.

Those were some of things I had to do to get things sort of firing correctly. I still feel a little weak (I am not in week 3 of the diet), so I need to tweak a few things and add B vitamins and DHA I think. But if you are feeling really bad, I would see a doctor and do what they say, even if it getting you off the diet for a week or two to deal with the other chest issues you have going on. You can always start again after that, and do your research to make sure the diet doesn't have any holes in it.

 

[txnutrition]

It sounds like you may have an allergy/intolerance to something. You are definitely fighting different infections simultaneously. Are you changing up the foods you are eating or are you eating mostly the same things through out the week? This will help to determine how to help you.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Here are some ideas. If you eating beans, reduce them a lot. Reduce your total legumes also to help with digestion. If you are eating a lot of junk, try more veg, fruit and salads with nuts to fill you up a bit.

If these ideas don't work after a few days or a week, try something more drastic.

Go back to your original diet before becoming vegan and then steadily eliminate foods one at a time. You can first eliminate chicken and eggs (most cruel foods) and then all meat, and then fish, and then cheese etc etc. Instead of a rapid transition try slowing changing over a longer period of time for example 6 months. Introduce new vegan foods (like soy burgers or beans) to your diet one at a time so try and help you identify what is causing the changes.

Keep in mind that it could be partly psychological or caused by something other than diet. I doubt it and I would focus on your food but keep an open mind. Did you change anything else in your life at the same time you became vegan?

Good luck.

Please I hope you can come back after a few days or weeks with an update. We would love to hear how you are getting on.

 

[Nekodaiden]

Another 1 post wonder. No details, no history, no specifics, and no follow up.

"I'm ill"
"I'm weak"
"I felt great, then there was a day I couldn't even lift my broccoli..."

Help...how do I do this vegan stuff???

Then.

Gone!

 

[Veganite]

Another 1 post wonder. No details, no history, no specifics, and no follow up.

"I'm ill"
"I'm weak"
"I felt great, then there was a day I couldn't even lift my broccoli..."

Help...how do I do this vegan stuff???

Then.

Gone!

Come on, it's only been a year! Where's your optimism?

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