Ex-vegan goes on meat-eating binge

[Grizzabella]

Hi folks! I just found this board, and I wanted to thank you all for sharing your inspiring stories and photos.

I am new to the low-carb lifestyle. It was a very difficult transition as my family and I had been mostly vegan for about 8 years. I've been thin my entire life, until the last few years I gained weight rather suddenly. I didn't eat any more or anything different from the usual. My activity level was the same. I still don't know exactly why I suddenly started to gain weight (I went from about 135 to 155 in a year and then stabilized there). I started thinking that some metabolic process inside my body was going haywire, and maybe the vegan diet could have been the cause. I read Michael Pollan's books and started adding some eggs and occassionally fish back into my diet. It wasn't easy, but ultimately I decided that my health was worth the sacrifice of a few animals. Then I started to consider really restricting carbs and looking into Atkins.

It's been about 2 weeks and I can already see a difference. I have a waist again and all my clothes are loose. I'm never hungry, I have plenty of energy (I ride about 150 miles a week by bicycle), and I feel very mentally sharp.

At the start, I had to go through a phase that seemed almost like I was recovering from an addiction to an opiate drug. I had intense cravings for starchy foods, headaches and diarrhea, and it was a difficult time adjusting to low-carb. I even had stomache ache pains after eating, and I've since learned that it may have been caused by a low acid secretion and difficulty digesting meat after not eating it for so long. But after about 4 days, all my unpleasant symptoms subsided, I started to feel much happier and more energetic, and my desire for carbs diminished and it got much easier. I've suffered from gastroesophageal reflux for years, and I no longer have it. I've experienced many positive health changes as a result of low-carb in addition to the weight loss. I'm so glad I gave this diet a try. I think my previous diet was making me sick, slightly depressed and fatter.

Anyway, I've lost about 13 pounds so far, and I know I don't have much more to go before I reach my goal, but I'm feeling so good, physically and mentally. I think it would be a fantastic diet even if I hadn't lost a pound.

I had a lot of mental blocks to eating meat, dairy and eggs, and if I could overcome those to start eating a low-carb diet, I hope my experience might inspire someone else who may be having a difficult time giving up the carbs.

[ziggy]

that is GREAT that you are finally eating meat!

vegetarian diets are famous for causeing horrible gut illnesses

meat has must have animo acids that you need in order to survive and thrive by just eating fish it can make a world of difference

for over 99% of humans entire existence we have ate low carb in other words are bodys were never ment to handle high carbohydrates every single day infact high carbohydrates cause toxic blood sugar spikes where your body has to make insulin to fix it

and insulin is also a fat storing hormone

so enjoy as your body gos to its natural healthy weight

and welcome too the

[blueberrylady]

Welcome to the board!

And congrats on your loss so far!

I'm glad you are enjoying Atkins because it is the best diet around! And it does make us healthier. It cured my acid reflux too!

Keep up the good work!

[SunnySmile501]

Very inspiring! Welcome to the world of food that you were meant to eat.

[Grizzabella]

thank you all for the welcome. I still can't believe I survived for so many years without eating "real food". I think about 80% of my diet was from carbs. I ate a lot of whole grains, vegetables and fruits... all the things that are "supposed to be good for us". And now I realize all that healthy eating was making me ill. I still can't get over how energetic and great I feel with low-carb eating. I used to sleep about 9-10 hours a night, and now I spontaneously wake up after 7 hours of sleep (with no alarm clock). It's just amazing.

[not2late]

I became a vegetarian to lose weight....and ended up gaining 40 pounds! Then I switched to a vegan diet. I didn't gain any more weight, but I didn't lose it either. Then I began adding animal proteins to my diet, but stayed low fat. Again, I didn't lose and I didn't gain. Then I went on Atkins, and I lost the 40 vegetarian pounds PLUS the weight I wanted to lose when I started my vegetarian diet. If I had only known about Atkins I would have been a normal sized person 12 years ago!

[imagood1]

I have always been a proud meat eater and am happy to hear you are doing well on this WOE. Keep up the great work~

[Iza]

I can feel your pain somewhat on this. I wasn't vegan but I was a vegetarian for years. It is a difficult transition from fruits and vegs to meat, cheese and eggs.

I can only tell you that I too feel much better on this diet then I do off of it. I'm literally HAPPIER, not even including the weightloss.

Good luck to you and welcome from another previous nut and berry eater.

[blondegypsy]

Hi there and welcome Grizzabella! My daughter is 25 and informed me a couple of years ago she was going vegetarian, I have worried over her health and some of the other crazy choices she is currantly making...works for Hot Topic and has simular life style, need I say more?! HA! Anyways, she declined coming to Thanksgiving last year, and in formed me she will not eat anything with parents....hmmmm! I have had to do the low carb for my Hypo for years, its running in our family, so I think she may have a surprise waiting for her in a few years!

You will love how this way of eating makes you feel and look!

Keep Happily Turning Purple!!!!!!


180/179/130

[C P]

OK, well I'll come out of the vegetarian closet too! I was a vegetarian for 13 years, (tried vegan for some months to 'help' with a health issue) but gradually found myself craving meat. It was actually after a stint on a veggie version of Atkins about 7 years ago that I finally listened to my body again, gave in and ate some bacon! I can only second what has been said already - heartburn/acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome, aches and pains, gas, tiredness, general 'ill-health' - they've all disappeared, together with the added bonus of some pounds disappearing as well. I used to get every cold or bug going - since the beginning of February when I started Atkins for the third and last time I haven't had a single sniffle - despite being exposed to them at work etc.

So a big welcome to you Grizzabella and I'm sure you will continue to enjoy eating the Atkins way too.

CP

Edited to say that looking at your stats you should move onto OWL to progress up through the rungs stc., and then you will be able to add a wider variety of foods to your meals as well.