This meat-lover has been vegan since Jan. 1, and I feel amazing

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Bit of background: I love beef. I love cheese. I love beef and cheese together. My favorite foods are pizza and cheeseburgers. Meatloaf is my happy plate. And as a result, my bad cholesterol has been bad, and my triglycerides have been worse. Despite my love of beef and cheese, I’m only slightly overweight, but carry it in the unhealthiest of places: My gut.

A few years ago, I tried watching my sat fat to see if that would improve my cholesterol and triglyceride situation (but always allowed for cheat meals.) Those efforts failed to help my cholesterol and triglycerides. We’ve been moving away from meat consumption over the past few years, eating more beans as protein, but still bought into a beef CSA every year, so we’ve always had a steady stream of grass-fed ground beef, roasts and steaks in our freezer.

Then my daughter stopped eating meat last summer because it grossed her out. So we had to adjust our meal planning to accommodate her wishes, and that started to be a real PITA.

The last few months of 2018, I was feeling terrible-- run down, always bloated, achy, anxious, fatigued beyond explanation, occasionally “backed up.” Plus, in the last part of December, I felt like I had a hunk of meat lodged in my chest. Just generally not feeling well. (I knew from past experience, December is a month that gives me anxiety attacks, so I knew my chest symptoms and whatnot weren’t anything too serious, just seasonal.)

Then, January 1, the family decided to go plant-based (well, my son had it decided for him, but he’s been a trooper). All plants, all the time. No meat, no dairy, no eggs. Just fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, olive oil, whole grains.

So after 15 days, these are some things I’ve noticed:

  1. I am no longer falling asleep after dinner. Over the last half of 2018, I’d simply crash around 6pm every night.

  2. I have the energy and desire to actually exercise. In the past, if I’d do any sort of exercise, I’d be winded five minutes into it. Now: I can do the treadmill, sit-ups, push-ups, heavy-bag boxing with hand weights…and no fatigue (beyond what you’d expect from physical exertion).

  3. I am no longer feeling bloated. In November and December, my stomach felt so heavy, I thought I was carrying a child (and I’m not necessarily fat-- just carrying a gut). The only comfortable position I could get in was laying on my side. Standing, sitting, laying on my back all caused discomfort in my stomach.

  4. The bowels are running like a fast-moving commuter train. Holy cow.

I haven’t yet had my blood checked for cholesterol etc. yet, but will be doing that in February. I’m really curious to see if my blood work is as healthy as I feel.

TL;DR: I never in a billion years thought I could ever see myself giving up meat and cheese, but at 44, I’m realizing I’d rather feel good throughout the day, rather than finding momentary pleasure in certain foods. Can’t say I won’t slip up now and again in certain unavoidable situations, but I think I’ve gone over to the vegan side. (Still don’t like the word “vegan,” and I promise I won’t be one of those annoying overly-sanctimonious plant-eaters.)

Anyone else radically change their diet for the better recently? Thinking about it?

2

We’ve reduced our meat consumption. We aren’t going to completely eliminate it, but we eat less meat now.

3

Nope! But good for you. All the more for me!

4

Sounds like something I should try. I eat lots of meat, and fat, and I do think it’s making effects manifested inside the body even if no visible change on the exterior. I also have high blood sugar and wonder if going vegan would help.

5

I went the other direction.

In November, I was just shy of 250 pounds, mostly all in my gut area. I decided I wanted to go into ketosis as a way of shedding the pounds, and also (hopefully) deal with my non-alcoholic fatty liver. I decided to start with a fast, and three days in, I began to feel REALLY good… so I kept that up for a full 14 days.

After the fast, I went to a full keto-style diet, and by New Year’s Day, I was just shy of 200 pounds, and feeling great. I started adding limited carbs back in, but enough to break me out of ketosis… and went back to feeling awful… bogged down, much less energy, just overall not as good as I felt during keto. So I’m going back in!

The weight loss has been phenomenal, other than NONE of my clothes fit now. Everything is just super baggy. But, that is definitely a problem I am willing to put up with, because now I no longer suffer from obstructive sleep apnea or constant GERD issues.

6

Out of curiosity, did you follow any particular meal plans? I’m really interested in trying a keto diet (for similar reasons) and I’ve tried a few “keto-friendly” dishes, but I’ve had a hard time finding a diet/meal plan that has some variety and isn’t either exceedingly labor-intensive or exceedingly expensive.

7

No, no particular meal plan was followed. My main concern was I generally tried to keep carb consumption below about 35 grams per day, and tested with keto strips nightly to make sure things were still ticking along.

While in keto, I was never hungry… I ate on a schedule just to insure that I had appropriate nutrition, but I never got hanger pangs the way I did on my “regular” diet.

8

I have been changing my diet, eating almost no gluten. The doctor said that, looking at my test results, there’s a 98% chance I’ve developed celiac disease recently.

It’s been a challenge, because I already couldn’t eat too many different kinds of food, and those mostly contained gluten and dairy. But I’ve been surviving. I’ve tried gluten-free bread and found it delicious. And a whole lot of the health problems I had last year have gotten a bit better.

9

I’m a T2 diabetic and my blood sugars have been creeping up… my Dr. wants me to adopt a more plant-based diet. I, as I suppose is true for most people, have a hard time eliminating the “bad” food when it’s in the house. I’m going to follow this thread closely.

So I guess this brings up a couple of questions, if you don’t mind. First, was the transition hard? Knowing that string cheese and hot dogs and tacos and all manner of carnivorous goodies was just a quick trip to 7-eleven or Safeway away, was (is?) it hard to avoid temptation? Do you have a contingency plan for things like work potlucks or family get-togethers like BBQ’s or Thanksgiving?

My second question is related, I guess. Did you plan out your meals ahead of time? By that I mean did you research vegan dishes and plan out a menu so you knew what you had to get at the grocery store? We’ve fallen into the ol’ Midwestern habit of having always having ground beef and various Cream of Whatever soup (Lutheran Glue) on hand… we can usually whip something up with those “staples.” I’d like to get away from that but I have this mental image of all vegan meals being variations of roast veggies, salads, and nuts. I know it’s a lot more than that, which is why I personally would have to spend some serious time planning out meals, menus, and shopping lists. I’m curious if you faced similar issues.

I’m glad you were successful. Hopefully I can be equally successful when I make the transition soon.

10

Boy, I’d like to know what brand that is.

11

I posted in another thread that a friend of mine about 10 years older than me had a heart attack last spring. I scheduled a Dr appt and confirmed that my cholesterol levels, while not horrible, were all heading in the wrong direction. On the statin.

I decided to change the diet and have moved largely to the Mediterranean diet, and reduced meat to almost nothing. I am active and get protein from beans and legumes, primarily, with the occasional chicken and fish. No red meat and almost no pork. Mostly vegetables, whole grains, a small amount of dairy, olive oil, and reduced carbs. It was not much of a stretch since I have been eating a lot like this for a while, so a few tweaks (mainly reducing meat, sweets, and junk) and it works fine. I have not noticed any reduction in my stamina while riding, running, hiking, skiing, etc., and if I paid enough attention I would probably be able to notice improvements. I have not lost much weight, tho. I do not miss meat, however, and my palate cannot take sweets the way I used to.

I am hoping I can eventually get off the statin. Not that it is problematic for me, since it is nearly free and no side effects. I am just hoping I can diet my way to healthier arteries and not have to take a pill the rest of my life.

My wife has non-alcoholic fatty liver, as someone mentioned above. She just learned this in the last month. So far I have not detected any alarm on her part and no change in her diet and exercise regime. I asked her to join me on the Med diet, as it would make shopping and cooking easier for both of us. Maybe she’ll get there eventually before it catches up to her altogether.

12

I was thinking about making this an “Ask the meat-and-cheese-loving vegan” thread, but didn’t, but absolutely I’ll tackle some questions!

First, I’m plant-based, but I know a truly healthy plant-based person would say I’m still doing things wrong (I probably eat more olive oil than I should, I still splurge on chips once in a while, I probably eat more nuts than is recommended, I still add salt to some stuff, still enjoy red wine more often than I need to…but I’m transitioning in a way that will hopefully be sustainable. Not giving up *all *the things I love at once; just meat, dairy and eggs.)

As far as events like holidays, get-togethers: Right now I’m taking it one month at a time, and for the first two months, being strict plant-based. After that, we’ll probably continue to only have plant-based stuff in the house, but if we’re out or at someone’s house, to just be smart about it. I imagine if I gorged on five cheeseburgers at a backyard bbq after six months of plant-based eating, I’d be in some serious gastrointestinal distress. Just do things in moderation, but at home, stay vegan.

The second question: Yep, we did some research on recipes. I’ve found that we’ve been eating a lot of Mexican and Middle Eastern. Buy some whole wheat tortillas and wraps. But whole wheat bread. And beans. Stock up on beans like you would normally stock up on meat. Cook a big pot of black or pinto beans and put them in smaller containers to freeze. Then you can grab a tub/jar of beans at the beginning of the week, thaw and eat off of that for a few days. Once it’s gone, grab another frozen tub/jar. Think of beans as your new meat. Add salsa or green chilis or whatever for some flavor.

Also stock up on nuts. I’ve found that after some meals, I’ve left the table not quite “satisfied.” I’m pretty sure it’s my body telling me that I’m not full because it’s used to walking away stuffed with carbs, meat and cheese. But a cup of nuts (peanuts, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, etc) will help take the edge off in a somewhat-healthy manner.

Hummus is good to have around, as is peanut butter. Pretzels, tortilla chips, salsa. If I find myself needing a quick snack, I go for a small bag of kettle chips or nuts instead of the string cheese, Combos or cookies/candy bar.

And go for the whole wheat. Bread, tortillas, pasta, wraps. It’s healthier and more filling.

I’ll check back for more questions later tonight.

13

Another thing we’re doing to be successful in this endeavor: Stock up on whole food plant-based items that have a shelf life, not just fresh greens, veggies, fruits, etc. That way you won’t feel the need to burn through shit too quick, and you won’t feel guilty when stuff rots and you have to throw it away.

Get some frozen broccoli, corn, peas, carrots, strawberries. Get some raisins, craisins, dried cherries. Get some pickles and olives, get some of the aforementioned nuts.

14

Do you take any supplements, like iron or B12? B12 is almost exclusively from animal products, so that is the one I would think about if I were going vegan.

Regards,
Shodan

PS - cite.

15

Chewable multi-vitamins. Plus my wife and kids eat fortified nutritional yeast on a lot of stuff, which is a source of B12. Me? Not crazy about the stuff.

16

Here’s my biggest question that I hope you or someone in this thread can answer: How do you afford all this?

Most of my bad eating habits come from the fact that all these fresh options are just so damn expensive than the cheap and easy ones. Do you have any tips on eating healthier, but affordably?

17

Fresh is good, but it’s only one part of eating plant-based. Fresh stuff you need to eat within a week, so that’s only a part of our grocery budget. We go every two weeks to get more fresh apples, celery, avocado, bananas, tomatoes, salad fixins, etc. But frozen veggies and canned veggies are a good alternative to have as a backup (canned diced tomatoes for when we’re out of the fresh, frozen spinach for when we’re out of the fresh).

  1. Costco. Buy big cans of peanuts or other nuts. Buy big jars of pickles and olives. Buy big bags of frozen veggies, fruit, etc. Buy raisins. Costso also has big things of salsa, Hatch green chilis, hummus, big boxes of fig bars for snacking. Pretzels, tortilla chips, crackers. Those things keep well, even if you’re shopping for only one or two people, and while those things aren’t necessarily “healthy,” they scratch the hunger itch without resorting to meat or cheese or ice cream or whatever.

  2. Black beans and pinto beans are cheap if you buy them dry and in bulk. Cheaper than meat. Full of protein, great for a variety of dishes. Cook a huge pot, cool, put them in jars, freeze. Then thaw them as you need them.

  3. Have a quick and easy go-to meal so you don’t cave and go buy a Big Mac or Hot n Ready. My go-to is tacos. We buy lots of corn tortillas from a local supermercado, freeze them and pull out packs as we need them. As I mentioned upthread, we always have a jar of black or pinto beans ready to go in the fridge. I take a spoonful of beans, put it on the tortilla, add salsa/green chilis/pickled jalepenos, chopped onions, spinach, etc. Put it in a hot fry pan, heat for a minute flat, fold it, heat for a minute, flip, heat for a minute. Good to go. I do 2-3 in under 10 min.
    The key to doing this successfully on a budget is to buy as much as you can in bulk, and plan ahead for easy meal/snack prep. We are by no means rich. It’s doable!

18

Also: I think people hear “vegan” or “plant-based” and think it’s nothing but twigs and berries and grass. It’s not.

Now, I’m not advocating becoming a junk-food vegan (lots of processed sweets and other highly processed foods), but, for me anyway, I’m allowing myself some plant-based junk once in a while to keep me in this (small bags of kettle chips, Oreo cookies, bean burritos from Taco Bell fresco style, vegetarian burrito bowls from Chipotle without sour cream and cheese, etc). I still eat toast and bagels, but with either peanut butter, hummus or olive oil as a topping instead of butter or cream cheese.

19

Sorry for the triple post, but wanted to recommend a book: How Not to Die, by Dr. Michael Greger. Highly, highly, highly recommend this book if you’re thinking about diet, living healthier and not dying too young.

This is the book that converted this life-long beef and cheese lover to a plant-based diet. Very well researched and well cited and eye-opening. It helped me connect the physical (and even emotional) problems I was experiencing with what I was consuming. This book has a 134-page appendix documenting every study and information source Greger references throughout the book, so while I can’t claim the author is 100% unbiased, he’s at least backed up his claims more thoroughly than most people do.

The book explains why the medical industry is primarily focused on treating symptoms with drugs rather than preventing disease through nutrition, even though most of the shit we’re dying from can absolutely be prevented through what we eat (or rather, don’t eat).

20

I dunno, no pasta, dairy, or meat still sounds unappetizing and difficult to me. I’m a picky eater, so for me, it sounds like a recipe (heh) for eating just a few of the same things for weeks at a time, which I already do.

Here’s a question: some vegetarians/vegans insist that humans are not omnivores and were never biologically fit for eating animals or animal products. If this diet resulted in this kind of result for you, are you open to the possibility that this is true?