I'm a new vegan...what am I doing wrong?

Question

I never really liked meat, chicken or anything related to them but i would still eat it. two months ago I decided to leave meat behind..I hate it, it's gross, bloody and ewww anyway with my new decision I also stopped eating eggs (i never really liked them) and fish or shrimp are over for me, milk..ewww(don't want to breastfeed from a cow) and any animal byproducts... the thing is that I FEEL LIKE IF I HAVEN'T HAD A DECENT MEAL IN 2 MONTHS!!! why? I eat healthy salads, drink soymilk, buy boca burgers, any food that is not related to animals I eat. But I am hungry all the time..I feel like if I need "somthing" but I can't explain why...I feel hungry like a starving kind of feeling and I haven't lost any weight! can anyone tell me why is this? thankssss

Answer 1

Meat (and all of its grease and added components) is an addictive substance. Plain and simple. :)

There are many wonderful sites to find recipes and even the vegetarian/vegan food triangles etc. in case your diet actually is lacking in certain things. However, overall your body is simply missing its addiction. I quit smoking almost two months ago, and even though I know this, I can't quite explain why I feel the need to keep snacking or why I also feel something is missing.

EDIT after a full night's sleep *yaaawn*

One trick is to cook something heavy in fat. Fat is an addictive substance in meat. You shouldn't cook this way often, but your body will be satisfied.

*I like Ives fake ground, mushrooms and pasta cooked in oil/vegan butter with chopped garlic and some garlic salt.
*Or you can use the fake ground, make patties using flour our corn startch and fry that baby up. Top with some vegan cheese (if you chose) and some veganaise, lettuce, tomato, pepper and garlic salt.
My vegan boyfriend taught me these things a few years ago when my vegetarianism was getting shaky. All your food shouldn't be so fatty, but it helps now and again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are the new 4 food groups for a vegan diet:

Whole grains - 5+ servings a day
Veggies- 3+ servings
Fruit- 3+ servings
Legumes (beans, peas lentils, soymilk) 2+ servings a day

http://www.vegsource.com/food_groups.htm will explain how to do this properly and what of these groups you should eat

http://www.nutrispeak.com/veganfoodguide.htm uses the pyramid to explain what is in a serving and how to eat a balanced diet. If your diet is balanced, you should not feel so hungry anymore.

http://veganessentials.com
http://veganstore.com
Just because you are vegan, does not mean that you want a super healthy lifestyle. Most vegans take on this lifestyle because they do not want to be a part of animal cruelty. These sites have great vegan truffles,bakery, chocolate covered marshmallows etc. I would feel like something was missing if all my chocolate was replaced by fruit. So if you ever need to eat something sweet, these sites have the goods. :)

Your lifestyle will be naturally more healthy IF you eat properly and use these guidelines to help you. The fatty and sugary stuff (whether vegan or a meat eater) should be an occasional thing.

Answer 2

you've answered your own question.

you say you eat "salads, drink soymilk, buy boca burgers, any food that is not related to animals I eat"

You instinctively didn't mention all the root vegetables you should be eating, you didn't say i eat a plate full of roasted, steamed, boiled and fried vegetables but i'm still hungry. Thats because those foods fill you up.

Vegans still need to balance thier diet with roughage and fuel - pulses and sugars as well.

The more successful vegan diets cook thier foods from basic raw ingredients. Its by far the best way to get the most nutritiant and taste....very rewarding

Stick with it, 2 months is not very long and it ight take time for your body to adjust.

If you are having motivational problems, just think that at every meal there are millions of animals that appreciate your choice. that'll be enough to keep you on track.

Nice one, and you are making a difference.

Answer 3

There is an adjustment period. Your body probably 'misses' all that stuff you used to eat.

All I used to eat was pasta because nothing else could give me the engergy I needed. This, I believe, was due to poor digestion and that my body was used to processed foods etc.. If I ate brown rice, I would be super hungery. But, eventually, my digestion improved and I can now be full and still ride my bicycle 100km on rice and veggies. Wouldn't have been able to do that before.

Also, at first, when I started eating healthier, I could not taste anything. Everything that didn't have sugar, salt, seasoning, etc. was very bland and pretty gross. Eventually, very slowly for me, over a period of about a year, my taste buds started to work and bland vegetables were bursting with subtle flavours. Herbal teas no longer tasted like water and had so many subtle flavours. It was really interesting.

Answer 4

Have you gone to the library or bookstore and gotten yourself a good book on healthy vegan living? You really should. Getting the right combinations of foods and nutrients is just as important as eliminating the animal products!

Also, most doctors will tell you that everyone--whether they consume animal products or not--should be taking a good mulitivitamin every day. It's like insurance. There are vegan multivitamins out there, go find one.

Try eating more whole grains and beans and legumes--they're "heavier" foods that might help give you that full feeling.

Do you consume a lot of caffeine and/or nicotine? Stimulants can speed up your eating cycle (like they speed up the rest of your body), making you hungry more often. Cut back!

Answer 5

I make a good confetti bean salad. I also happen to like organic foods and do indulge in Stoneyfield vanilla yogurt with fresh fruit (like pineapple) mixed in. I'm not "vegan" but I try to eat healthy. Are you getting enough vitamins, citrus, nuts, etc? Think about the entire range of foods and make sure you're getting supplements. Sometimes I go through times where I crave citrus or olives or whole wheat bread. I think our body tells us what we need sometimes. On days where I have no meat (which are common and more frequent), I don't miss it. I have Boca Burgers, veggies and bean salads. Sometimes I feel I need texture differences and I graze (hehe) for textures crunchy etc. So you should vary your diet more to satisfy the cravings. Also try more spices for flavor which should be more satisfying to you. I find that organic veggies and cereals have much more flavor. Try Peace Cereals, try Organicville vinagrettes, etc. and see if you can find more peace with your lifestyle. Health food stores often have cooking classes and you can try some ethnic cooking classes as well to increase your diet. Also, the Fantastic Food mixes (in the boxes) are great - they have a taco filling one I love to make tacos with.

Answer 6

FRUIT is most important food 4 a Vegetarian.. without it you'd be missing someimportant enzymes similar to enzymes that's in meat. Have U eaten an Apple or Orange and not feel full? I haven't. An Apple or Orange does make me feel full but I like the taste of them so I often do have another. The most filling fruit for me is the banana. Here's a fake meat recipe: 14 oz. canned pumpkin, mix in oatmeal, wheatgerm & soya sauce. Form in balls or patties. Or make fake meat loaf. I often form the mixture in balls and cook with spagetti! For fake fried bologna: thinly slice some raw beats par boil & soak in soya sauce for a few minutes then fry slices in oil!

Don't forget also you can drink herb teas too!

Answer 7

My college kid is a vegan. I try to eat that way when she is around. I rarly eat meat anyway. The first answer is right on. Your proablly missing the fat. I use lots of organic olive oil.

Nuts and hemp seeds fill you up and I eat a hand full at most meals. Otherwise I am left with a meal that is unsatisfying.

Vegans eat alot. That was the hardest thing for the kid after years of dieting it was hard for her to make the adjustment to eating more.

Answer 8

Get some books. Read up.

The first person who posted had the best answer. Meat is an addiction. You are "fiending" for lack of a better term. It will go away.

I read a wonderful article by a psychiatrist who said when we go veg and have a meat craving, it isn't the meat we crave. It's the "savory-ness" of the meat. See, we aren't meant to eat meat. So we cover it in veggies!!! Herbs, tomato sauces and the like.

So take yourself a nice slab of extra firm calcium set tofu. Marinate it. Then grill it. I got a dinky little Foreman Grill. I love my grill!! I grill tofu and portobello mushrooms. It's just to die for.

I highly recommend Sarah Kramer's books. She is the sweetest, funkiest, most wonderful person. Her books are full of life and light.

Plus, Vegan Living for Dummies is excellent. Go to the Vegan Chef link and click "books."

Answer 9

Soymilk and salads would not fill up anyone. I find that whole grain pasta and rices are very filling. The more fiber, the more filling! You can make virtually all recipes that call for meat a vegetarian meal. I make cottage pies using ground boca, tacos, stews etc.

Answer 10

You need to probably bulk up what you are eating. Make more filling dishes using ingredients like: beans, tofu, seitan, tempeh, and definately fat. Fat is probably the biggest reason that meat is so satisfying, fat is great for feeling full. Im not suggesting to go out and eat a lb of margarine or a pint of olive or canola oil everyday, but it is needed in your diet. Also by using tofu, seitan, and tempeh, you can actually fix many of the meals you used to eat that had meat in them or that are classic meat-dishes. You can have seitan or tempeh sloppy joes or barbecue sandwiches, make stroganoff with seitan, etc. Also make sure you have a healthy dose of whole grains in your diet. Fiber is also a great filler. Brown Rice, Barley, Quinoa, and Winterberry offer great ways to get lots of fiber into your diet.