Should I stop being a lacto-vegetarian? I've been one for two years?

Question

and i'm tired of having a horrible memory, it can get severe at times when I haven't eaten or slept. I'm tired of always being tired no matter how much I sleep, i'm tired of feel like c**p, i'm tired of being so d**n stressed.

I realize it's not the fault of vegetarianism but my own, but it's impossible to get enough vitamins and such without eating an impossible amount of food or taking multi-vitamins.

I can't do either. I don't have the money or the patience to spend $50+ a month on pills.

I lack so much, and i've been thinking about not being a veg anymore for that reason only, I don't think I could do it or would since meat is honestly disgusting to me.

I've tried so many pills for so many weaks and they had little to no affect.

Answer 1

Only you can make that choice.  Sorry, but if your feeling that bad - and eating a balanced diet as you claim - you need to see a doctor.  Diet is not the only reason for someone to feel badly.  But considering what you write later on - I really wonder just how healthy your diet is.

It really sounds like you need some one on one with someone that is knowledgeable in diet and nutritition to help you make choices to fit the situation that you are in.

I personally take a vitamin - B12 at the suggestion of my doctor - once a week.  The $17 bottle is going to last me 3 months.

Personally - it sounds like your totally bored with what your eating.

I eat during the week fast, easy, and quick.  I do the 'real' cooking on weekends - unless someone is coming over.  That means that I eat alot of fresh fruit, nuts - things that are fast and easy that fill the needs that I have.

A quick bowl of cereal is a great start to the day with my unsweetned soy milk - grab a banana to eat as I drive to work.

Some nuts to snack on during the day off and on.

A simple sandwich, fruit, and some hot tea for lunch.

That can be a baked potato with some tofu 'sour cream' and pico de gallo on top of it - a quick can of Amy's soup - fruit that is in season and on sale for supper when I get home.

Maybe a snack of some tofu 'ice cream' in the evening as I veg out reading, watching tv, or reading.

A pot of chili (no meat) is a great way to have a ready meal for several days - fix some corn bread and cut it up and wrap it up to use as needed.

But really - I would strongly suggest that you talk to a doctor - someone that knows about a vegetarian diet - someone that you can let know what you have been eating and help you to make the choices and changes that you need to make not only in your diet - but the view that you are having in life - address the stress that you feel.

Hope you feel better soon - no matter what choice you come to in the way that you eat.

Answer 2

Maybe it's all the dairy and eggs you are consuming that are making you sick.  

You should not be ill like this.  Most meat eaters eat very poorly and no one ever gets on THEM about nutrition and supplements.  Meat is not a perfect food.  It has no fiber and lacks plenty of essential nutrients.

But if you are not a vegetarian, no one cares how well or how poorly you eat.  I have an acquaintance who is over 300 pounds and never eats anything green.  He hates fruit.  Never touches it. He's barely 30 and on cholesterol and blood pressure medication.  But I'M the one who gets the third degree about my dietary choices, even though my cholesterol is 163, and my b.p. is 117/70.  No, it's the vegetarian who's killing herself, not the obese flesh eater.

It's absurd.  If these are really your symptoms, see a doctor.  Something is wrong with you, but it isn't because you don't eat meat.

Answer 3

Your problems don't sound like they stem from being vegetarian.    If your memory is bad when you haven't eaten or slept, you need to eat and/or get some sleep.

Its not impossible to get all the nutrients without taking vitamins.  I have been vege for 8 years and have never taken vitamin supplements and have no problems with iron levels etc.  This certainly isn't bad for your memory - I've finished high school and college in that time and am now doing a doctorate.

You need to make sure you are eating a wide variety of food, particularly veges of all different colors, the colors give you an indication of the vitamins/minerals.  If you eat a wide variety of foods, you are likely to have at least some foods that contain all your vitamins, so you'll get them all over a period of time.

Answer 4

Have you seen a doctor?  You might have some deficiency that's actually a medical problem ......If you can't stand the thought of eating meat, you might want to start with fish

Answer 5

when i was a vegetarian, i was the same way, didnt have the time, the memmory the money to take the vitamins i needed. but then i turned vegan, and things are alot better now for some reason that i cant explain. but is it worth it to stop being a vegetarian? i say be vegan, or somehow get more vitamins in your diet. the animals love you for not eating them!! :]]

Answer 6

No one is forcing you to be a vegetarian, and no one can stop you from not being one but yourself. If you are truly repulsed by meat, I recommend eating more iron and protien rich foods such as peanut butter and spinach. But honestly, man wasn't meant to be a vegetarian, the proof is in the anatomy of our mouths and the position of our eyes in our skulls. We are predators, omnivores by design, when we try to rebuke nature, we have consequences to face. You don't have to worry about being repulsed by meat for much longer though, with the price of meat these days, it will make the vitamins seem relatively cheap.

Answer 7

i'd say go vegan. generally, most vegans feel a lot better and a lot healthier. also, you need to make sure you have a balanced diet. eating more fruits and vegetables and whatnot (if you're not already).

a good multi-vitamin/mineral is "Super Nutrition - Simply One". you take one a day, one pack has 90 tablets, they contain organic ingredients (its not completely organic), and it costs about $20.

Answer 8

I'm an omnivore who has experienced stress, sleep deprivation and missed meals occasionally. We all get tired/stressed, regardless of our diets. Diet may have an impact on memory issues, but not automatically.

It is not impossible to be a vegetarian and have a healthy, balanced diet. Since you say you are tired always, how much protein are you currently consuming? Protein from pulses (peas, beans and lentils) is 27% of their nutritional makeup. Nuts and seeds are 13%; grains are 12%. Vegetables ALL contain the 8 essential amino acids (as well as the 12 non-essential, though the amount will vary between veggies) and the way our bodies work allows us to reabsorb these acids through the recycling of digestive secretions and maintain a healthy level. Also, vegetable based diets are lower in unhealthy fats and help your body feel less lethargic as you avoid a heightened risk of some diseases.

As far as pills/vitamins go, have you taken too little or too much of a particular supplement? Too much will have negative effects on your body which may include feeling tired. When you have taken them, have you avoided caffeine for the hour before and the hour after? Most synthesized vitamins will bond with caffeine and pass through your system with a less than 40% actual absorption rate. Have you taken them when you eat to allow them to be properly digested with foodstuffs? If not, you've sent them on a journey with a lowered chance to fully release their benefits.



Consider having a blood panel done to assess if there is something else going on with your body. If you are uninsured or under insured, call your local health department to locate the clinic. They will work with you on a sliding fee scale and let you make payments. Discuss your diet with someone there, your doctor, your hospital or U.S.D.A. extension office (find them in your county government listings via telephone directory). Some hospitals provide the service of speaking to a licensed dietician at no charge and the U.S.D.A. office never charges for their information.

I believe the choice to consume or not to consume any food products is a very personal one. If you had chosen to be lacto-vegetarian for reasons you still believe in, continue. If you find there is some medical issue, be sure to discuss your diet preferences with your attending care provider.

I wish you good health whatever choices you make for you!

Answer 9

if you honestly think it is hurting your well-being, i would go back to omnivore. i highly doubt you are eating well balanced meals though, just cause you eat something thats healthy all the time doesnt make your diet healthy. you need to have a well-round diet consisting of many different varieties of foods, which does not to have any meat or dairy for you to be fine.