Going semi-vegetarian

[embrassezla]

Hi guys, I've been lurking for a week or so but work is slow this week so here I am posting. :heehee:

I have recently decided to cut all poultry/fowl and meat from my diet. I eat dairy, fish & some seafood. I have always been health conscious, trying to eat the right ratios of C/P/F, etc. So cutting out meat&chicken wasn't too difficult for me. I already like all the meat-substitute stuff including tofu, boca burgers, etc. I've been doing this for about a month, I think. Maybe longer. Lately I have been feeling kind of wierd...lightheaded, nauseous, with an almost constant headache. I am careful not to eat too many carbs, and to make sure I have protein with all my meals, so I'm just not sure what could be causing me to feel this way. Anyone out there have similar symptoms if you went the route of the Veggie?

-Sarah

[ugarachel82]

Good question...I actually have no idea, but I would recommend checking your total calorie intake. Sometimes non-meat products have fewer calories than their meat derivitive and eating too few calories will cause your body to rebel aganist you, which might be causing the lightheadness/dizzy spells. I would also recommend keeping a food journal for a couple of weeks and maybe talking to a nutritionist if you can about your diet changes. Hope you feel better soon!

[ina]

i'm semi-veggie too, since i eat fish/seafood. i initially started out as pure veggie (but not vegan), but i didn't have any of the symptoms you mentioned. try eating more of the same healthy stuff you are now, and if things don't get better, consult a doctor or nutritionist.

[Stormshadow]

Don't let your teeth fall out like my neighbor's did b/c she went this route.

[pisces2473]

Honey, that happened because she stopped eating meat to LOSE WEIGHT. And still ate crap! Obviously she wasn't taking care of herself.

[shimmer728]

I don't eat meat (no bloody cow ass for me, thank you! ;) ), and my teeth are just fine. :) I do eat seafood, which I LOVE, and a lot of soy products. No weird side effects, really, and I've been a pesco-veggie for about six or seven years now. However, as noted on a similar thread, eating lots of soy products causes mucho gas. Oops.

[cornflakegirl]

my teeth are still here & look pretty good too. veggie people actually absorb more calcium than meat eaters so this woman must have been doing something pretty crazy with her diet.

soy sauce gives me gas, but i don't get gas from any other soy products.

[pisces2473]

Hey Chris, what about your nurse? She has all of her teeth and looks very healthy. (Chris' home care wound nurse has been a veg. all her life.) Jan seriously did some crazy shit to make her teeth fall out.

[phuong]

Keeping a dietary journal for a few weeks is generally a good idea.