Liz_71's Journal, 08 February 2015

Huh! Assuming you're recording everything on here, and it looks like you're being very diligent with your diet tracking, your calories seem like they should be low enough that you should definitely be losing weight, so maybe it's worth a conversation with your doctor. As a vegetarian, I know it can be tempting to stock up on the carbs which have more calories than lots of lean meat options, but it looks like you have a healthy diet with lots of fruits and veggies. Good luck! 

Maybe those vegan snacks? They can be so yummy!!  

That is what I don't understand Woperchild. I do log in everything I eat and It shows I eat less calories than what I should be consuming. I have been trying to get in more calories without raising my carbs to high cause of my diabetes. I went to the doctor the other day cause I was experiencing a lot of lightheadedness, thinking I was deficient in something. Talking to my doctor is like talking to a brick wall. I tried to show her my chronometer the other day and she said she didn't care what I was eating as long as my A1C was good. That is all she cares about. Yes lynnerobb there are a lot of yummy vegan snacks out there but I try not to eat to many of them cause of my diabetes. I try to make my own snacks. Maybe I need a new scale. Not sure what is going on but I am going to get back to being more active. I did go from walking 4 miles 5 days a week to hardly doing any kind of activity. Also before I decided to go on vegan diet I was eat less carbs. Thanks for your comments and support! 

Liz, your foods today look awesome, so I can't imagine that you would be gaining. Do you salt your food? Sodium seems to hold water in the body, so maybe that could be it. Keep walking. You will get losing again. :) 

Maybe too few calories and not enough complementary proteins, ie: whole grains, seeds, nuts.... beans are god proteins but they need the complement amino acids to complete them.  

Add some exercise 

Deb sometimes I do use a little salt when cooking. I try to limit processed food cause most of the processed food does have sodium. I try to stay under 1500mg of sodium a day but sometimes I go a little over like today. I am going to get back to doing some form of exercise everyday and see if that helps. Thanks for your support! 

You need some salt, I've gone too low and my doc is saying add salt. Season as you cook or you will have bland flavorless food. Make sure your bloodwork done periodically.  

Yes, you have to do D in supplements, you really don't get it from food well. I have to be super conscious of that and of the B (especially B12) vitamins when you're vegan. Good luck. Definitely get your fluids done periodically. 

I don't eat a lot of meat, I make sure I take my multivitamin with iron, and my super B complex all year and 5000 units of D in the winter.  

I have experienced hair loss while on my diet, what can I do to rectify the situation? 

Are you drinking enough water? 8-10 glasses a day will make you feel like you are drowning but you will not be drowning in hunger.... my .02 ;) 

Thanks but yes I have been drinking enough water. Perhaps there's a supplement I need to take. 

I use Biotin 10,000 mcg 2x day for hair loss. It has helped replace some of my hair and stop the hair loss. 

Many thanks, I will definitely try this. 

Have your thyroid checked. Especially with the lack of exercise. Mine seems to slow more in winter than in summer. 

Your calories are very low. Maybe too low. Your body can go into starvation mode. Gotta' eat.  

I agree with ClassicRocker and WFN. You aren't eating enough of something. Proteins will give you more calories. Listen to some of the other vegans. They know what you need more than I would.  

I agree with all of the comments I have received. I am going to try to improve in all of these. I do try to watch how much sodium I consume during the day but I do salt a little during cooking but not after. I agree some foods just need some salt and our bodies need so much sodium. Also I agree I do need to put some whole grains back into my diet. I definitely need to get back to some form of exercise daily. I take a Vegan vitamin now with the D in it. Will have bloodwork done again in 3 months to see if that is enough if not will do a D supplement. B12 I take a supplement and eat fortified foods everyday with Vitamin B12. Protein I get from my Vegetables, Tofu, Legumes, Nutritional Yeast, and Nuts. Chronometer shows I only need 46 grams a day and I usually get more than that but I am not really sure how much protein I should have a day. Calories I have been having trouble getting enough of those in. I was trying to add more calories to my diet without so much Carb only because of my Diabetes. Not trying to starve to lose weight. I am going to try adding more good carb whole grains to my diet and see how that goes. I had experience hair loss also Isabel123624 but before I started the Vegan Diet. I took Biotin 10000mcg for over a year. New hair started growing in a few months after I started taking it but my shedding didn't stop. I still have this problem. I have had my Thyroid checked and it was fine. Still today don't know why hair sheds so much. Hopefully it will work for you Isabel and good luck! Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.  

Many thanks ladies, will definitely try to improve my diet and vitamin intake. I will try Biotin