Second try - struggling

[donsabi]

I posted a few months ago about the difficulties I experienced on my first attempt to go vegan. One thing I have learned that there is little to no help from the medical profession on the subject. Even a nutritionist was unable to help. My medical insurance will not cover treatment and I am left to my own devices.

This second time I decided to gradually ease into a vegan menu. The transition has been going well. In the past few days I have eliminated all meat products including eggs. Last night I had a lot of trouble trying to sleep. Today I woke in afib and did not convert until noon. For supper I had a steamed potato and broccoli with a salad. Afterwards I was shaky I assume was caused by hypoglycemia. I have tried to re-introduce beans. I had no problem with black bean soup. Today I tried homemade veggie chili which turned out to be tasty to my surprise. I soaked the beans overnight in an effort to reduce the gas, but as usual I blew up like a balloon. I was surprised that my bloat did not trigger an afib episode.

I am maintaining my usual daily caloric intake of 1500 - 1700 calories and even with the reduced fat intake due to no meat I am still gaining a pound a day. How is this possible? Comments appreciated, thanks.

 

[ParisVegan]

Hi! I don't know anything about your previous attempt to go vegan but just by reading this post it seems like you're trying to transition too fast for your current eating habits and without enough research/information. A potato and broccoli is not enough to sustain anyone! You need healthy fats, proteins and carbs. Try adding some legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans) and if they give you too much gas (this is normal in the beginning!) try taking some digestive enzymes. You can get them at any health food store or online. Also try adding in healthy fats like nuts, avocado, coconut milk and coconut oil. Also non-gmo tofu, tempeh and seitan (if you're not gluten free) are super tasty, adaptable and a great source of protein.

Some people can wake up one morning and decide to go vegan and follow through - but personally I was not one of them. If like me you feel the need to transition slowly in order to create a lasting change, try removing one thing at a time. First red meat. Then white meat. Then eggs and fish. Then dairy. Or whatever order works for you.... but when you cut out one thing, adjust your diet accordingly and continue until it's not even an effort anymore to avoid that one thing, and then move on to the next. I phased out red meat and pork, waited 2-3 months, cut out dairy, waited another few months, ate mostly vegan at home and then after another 6 months cut out fish and eggs. Total transition was one year and honestly not much effort.

On the same note, there are some amazing vegan blogs out there with great recipes to get inspired. Here are some recipes that are super tasty that I've found to be easy, packed with protein, convenient and also a big hit with my non vegan friends:

Vegan Chickpea Meatballs: https://www.theglowingfridge.com/veggie-chickpea-meatballs/
Cripsy Nutritarian Tofu Fingers: https://hellonutritarian.com/crispy-no-oil-baked-tofu-fingers/
Smoky Cauliflower Soup with Chickpea Dumplings: https://www.anediblemosaic.com/smok...ckpea-dumplings-vegan-grain-free-gluten-free/
Tofu Teriyaki Skewers: http://thenutfreevegan.net/easy-tofu-teriyaki-skewers/
Cauliflower Chickpea Tots: https://www.catchingseeds.com/mediterranean-chickpea-cauliflower-tots/

All can be modified to fit your own personal taste. Hope this helps your transition!! https://www.catchingseeds.com/mediterranean-chickpea-cauliflower-tots/

 

[donsabi]

Thanks for you post.
I stopped all pork products last year. I was eating eggs, salmon, and bison when I decided to try vegan once more. A few days ago I tried to re-introduce beans. I soak them overnight and used a pressure cooker but still became bloated and triggering my afib. I bought some alpha-galactosidase caps today.
As you suggested, I am going to back off until I can eat beans without triggering my afib. One doctor suggested re-introducing beans by the spoonful until they are well tolerated. I decided to stay with some fish and bison for now, but will eliminate eggs. Hopefully I will be able to develop a tolerance for beans over time.