First week: major energy issue - b12?

[jacobonline]

Do you think this could have been a B12 deficiency issue? Could a deficiency start so fast in an active person?

Hello,
My first week of being Vegan and I think I already messed up and freaked myself out. I was doing fine and feeling great until the 8th day. That day I felt really tired, dizzy like vertigo at times, and generally weak. Like having a hard time walking up stairs weak. I was planning on taking B-12 supplement but maybe I was naive and didn't start taking it right away. I'm a very active 40 year old and this has never happen to me on that level. I thought I was sick but this felt much different than being sick. I was eating plenty of calories and 95% super healthy whole foods non oil vegan diet.

I have been on heart burn medication Nexium in the past and maybe this contributed to a lower b12 in my body because of lower stomach acid absorption. I'm not sure since I was regular meat eater for all of the time I took this medication. And I'm not a doctor of any kind. I've been off the heartburn medication for a couple weeks now and did not take it during this meat free week. I feel much better today but my event freaked me out. I'm currently eating some meat and a B-12 supplement. I plan to go back to my original Vegan diet when I'm confident I have proper knowledge and don't do anymore potential moronic things.

Thanks for Any Help or Suggestions, Jacob

 

[nobody]

No, it's definitely not a B12 deficiency. It usually takes 5 years or more to develop a deficiency; it could develop within 1 year but not 8 days. Why no oil, heart disease prevention? The meat will give you heart disease and also cancer. It sounds like you don't have any energy because there is no fat in your diet. I would just load up on oils and forget about Forks Over Knives or whatever influenced you to adopt the whole foods, oil free diet.

 

[jacobonline]

No, it's definitely not a B12 deficiency. It usually takes 5 years or more to develop a deficiency; it could develop within 1 year but not 8 days. Why no oil, heart disease prevention? The meat will give you heart disease and also cancer. It sounds like you don't have any energy because there is no fat in your diet. I would just load up on oils and forget about Forks Over Knives or whatever influenced you to adopt the whole foods, oil free diet.

Thanks for the advice. I went no oil because I've a had a pretty standard American diet most of my life. I still have about 25 lbs of fat to lose as well. I was eating plenty of varied nuts and didn't go completely oil free. Just much lower than I usually consume or generally over consume. And the amount of info out there is more than confusing.

 

[Forest Nymph]

Nah. I used to take so much B12 mine was overly high lol. B12 stays in your system for years, not days or even months. Most long term vegans can get away with taking B12 once or twice a week. The horror stories you hear are old school hippie vegans who refused to supplement with B12 for a decade or longer.

You just didn't eat enough calories. I went through a potato chip phase in my first few weeks as vegan because I was ravenous. I also remember dreaming about spinach and using nutritional yeast a lot in the first couple of months.

You will learn to eat. Some seriously active people or tall men get overly thin really quick. I usually recommend Vegan Gains, Rich Roll and No Meat Athlete to them. I don't relate. I am a short curvy female who was a little chubby who lost 25 lbs from going vegan who is no where near starving even now.

 

[jacobonline]

Nah. I used to take so much B12 mine was overly high lol. B12 stays in your system for years, not days or even months. Most long term vegans can get away with taking B12 once or twice a week. The horror stories you hear are old school hippie vegans who refused to supplement with B12 for a decade or longer.

You just didn't eat enough calories. I went through a potato chip phase in my first few weeks as vegan because I was ravenous. I also remember dreaming about spinach and using nutritional yeast a lot in the first couple of months.

You will learn to eat. Some seriously active people or tall men get overly thin really quick. I usually recommend Vegan Gains, Rich Roll and No Meat Athlete to them. I don't relate. I am a short curvy female who was a little chubby who lost 25 lbs from going vegan who is no where near starving even now.

Thanks. I thought I was eating enough calories but my activities of skateboarding and working out probably was too much for the first week. My calorie intake from much less fat to more carbs could have had my head spinning too. I'm going to take it easy and make sure I rest and eat proper calories for before and after sports activities.

 

[Nunk]

The same thing happened to me when I went 100% vegan. It was due to not enough calories and also withdraw from all the garbage I was eating.

 

[amberfunk]

I was exhaused the first few months of being vegan. Figured out I was absorbing enough iron and sometimes was not eating enough. I added having fruit, orange juice or a vitamin c tablet in the mornings to help absorb more iron and I sometimes track what I'm eating on work days since I'm more active then to make sure that I'm getting enough calories.

 

[Veganite]

amberfunk is correct in that an iron deficiency can definitely cause fatigue, and lack of energy in general. Ideally you want to try and eat a balanced diet that includes all the essential nutrients you need, including B12. B12 supplements are very inexpensive and will eliminate that as your cause. I'd highly recommend you supplement B12. If you lack sunshine where you live, maybe vitamin D also. I prefer to get my vitamins from the foods I eat, with the exception of those two.

You may also want to have your blood work done to rule out diabetes, and also have your thyroid checked. It too can cause lethargy and fatigue. It could also be a caffeine crash. Do you drink lots of coffee or tea? The truth is a lot of things can cause tiredness and lack of energy. An underlying health issue could cause it, like an infection. Many people can feel less energy during the winter months, due to winter blues (depression). Even dehydration can cause fatigue.

Seeing as this is just your first week being vegan, I would conclude that it is most likely NOT B12. They do recommend seeing your family physician when starting a new lifestyle change such as going vegan. It wouldn't hurt to get some basic tests done to rule those things out. Best of luck! I hope you iron out the issue soon and stick to the best lifestyle for us humans and the planet.

 

[mikek]

IF is is B12 def, it's not from being vegan for a week!

Maybe try a slower transition from meat > vegan. Miss out the veggie stage, but maybe do just a few meals each week vegan & gradually increase the vegan ratio as & when you feel you want to.

 

[shonutrition]

Hi Jacob,
There's a lot of great feedback here, and I hope you're feeling better. (It takes time and trying to find the right health approach for you, so kudos on pursuing being vegan!) Your comment about needing B 12 made me want to share with you about shoEnergy - a natural, vegan, and gluten-free supplement with B vitamins and matcha. Taken daily, it provides energy without jitters or crashing. Perhaps it might help with your energy needs

All the best,

Erin

 

[Joay]

Hey hey!

I think it is awkward not being able to reply to the B12 warning at the top of the transitioning page.

How do they get B12 in a supplement form? Do they extract it from animals? It seems odd to me.

People tell me I need to eat meat. I am skeptical of both of these ideas. Not everybody is the samem

 

[Jamie in Chile]

B12 comes from bacteria. Animals have it because they have bacteria in them possibly because they eat dirtier food. Supplement B12 comes from bacteria, without using animals. Animals also get supplemental B12 in their food at times.

 

[Joay]

Very interesting. Thanks.