I became a vegetarian in 2007, as a New Years Resolution, but was very unhealthy. Finally, in 2008, I started modifying my diet, and then in September of this year, I became vegan. First of all, I am extremely burned out on the vegan diet to begin with, I will acknowledge that. It's impossible to eat out. I have great difficulty eating 'snacks' because when I'm hungry, like yogurt or granola, I don't want sweet stuff-I want a substantial meal with lots of protein--salty, savory. That is what I crave. Since I am breastfeeding, I'm hungry CONSTANTLY. I find myself putting off eating because I don't feel like cooking, but at one point, I was cooking three full meals a day, and snacking in between on whatever--that is the only point at which I felt satisfied as a vegan. But I'm sick of all that cooking--all that chopping, all the dishes I have to wash. I'd probably still have that if I went back to meat, though...
But when I started to think about it this week, I realized I actually have felt pretty horrible in general since going vegan. I expected to be exhausted as a new mom, but thought after my daughter (7 months) settled into more of a routine and slept more at night, I'd feel better. We cosleep and she wakes once, maybe twice at night to nurse, and I feel like I'm getting plenty of sleep. I get enough protein, and eat a ton of vegetables...usually start out my day with a green smoothie with flax oil...the only boxed food item I even eat is pasta and brown rice, or cous cous, quinoa, etc--still not a ton...the mainstay of every meal is protein and vegetables....I supplement with B12 (I had a serious deficiency at one point), and also take Vitamin D and a prenatal vitamin. I don't exercise a lot, not purposefully, but I'm active...I do a good deal of walking as well as babywearing, and baby lifting every day.
I have had issues with depression my entire life, which are no worse since being postpartum, until recently...which could hinge a lot on weight I can't lose, self esteem I can't bring up...but it doesn't help that I have NO energy, always feel exhausted, and my mind feels EXTREMELY foggy. I have so much trouble remembering things, concentrating on things..I forget what I am going to say or what I am doing 100 times a day and feel like an idiot. Diet has such a huge impact on my mental health, and I remember the time in my life when I felt the absolute best was in 2006, when a doctor told me I was borderline diabetic, and I needed to go on a high protein, low carb diet. I ate a ton of meat, and tons of vegetables, and almost no carbs (granted, no fruit either. Still plenty of dairy, fats, etc.) I remember feeling euphoric the entire time I ate that way, and my mind was so clear! I could actually THINK, versus now, where I feel like I have to go through a maze in my head to form even one complete thought. I also lost 25 lbs in 3 months.
The Paleo/primal diet I read about sounds so right to me, but I hate the idea of eating animals again. I hate the idea of the suffering and cruelty, and know I could never kill an animal myself, so I feel like a hypocrite. I also am unsure what impact grassfed, organic meat animals have on the environment, but that was the main reason I went vegan.
Has anyone else been through this?
But when I started to think about it this week, I realized I actually have felt pretty horrible in general since going vegan. I expected to be exhausted as a new mom, but thought after my daughter (7 months) settled into more of a routine and slept more at night, I'd feel better. We cosleep and she wakes once, maybe twice at night to nurse, and I feel like I'm getting plenty of sleep. I get enough protein, and eat a ton of vegetables...usually start out my day with a green smoothie with flax oil...the only boxed food item I even eat is pasta and brown rice, or cous cous, quinoa, etc--still not a ton...the mainstay of every meal is protein and vegetables....I supplement with B12 (I had a serious deficiency at one point), and also take Vitamin D and a prenatal vitamin. I don't exercise a lot, not purposefully, but I'm active...I do a good deal of walking as well as babywearing, and baby lifting every day.
I have had issues with depression my entire life, which are no worse since being postpartum, until recently...which could hinge a lot on weight I can't lose, self esteem I can't bring up...but it doesn't help that I have NO energy, always feel exhausted, and my mind feels EXTREMELY foggy. I have so much trouble remembering things, concentrating on things..I forget what I am going to say or what I am doing 100 times a day and feel like an idiot. Diet has such a huge impact on my mental health, and I remember the time in my life when I felt the absolute best was in 2006, when a doctor told me I was borderline diabetic, and I needed to go on a high protein, low carb diet. I ate a ton of meat, and tons of vegetables, and almost no carbs (granted, no fruit either. Still plenty of dairy, fats, etc.) I remember feeling euphoric the entire time I ate that way, and my mind was so clear! I could actually THINK, versus now, where I feel like I have to go through a maze in my head to form even one complete thought. I also lost 25 lbs in 3 months.
The Paleo/primal diet I read about sounds so right to me, but I hate the idea of eating animals again. I hate the idea of the suffering and cruelty, and know I could never kill an animal myself, so I feel like a hypocrite. I also am unsure what impact grassfed, organic meat animals have on the environment, but that was the main reason I went vegan.
Has anyone else been through this?
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