Low energy on vegan diet

[Stipe]

Hi, I'm new here. I have a problem with my diet so I need some advice. I'm an athlete. I train a lot but ever since I went vegan ( 3 years now ) I get tired fast and I'm tired all the time. When I was eating animal products I had enough energy to train 5-6 hours a day no problem tho symptoms of over training appeared but they didn't bother me. Now I have problem running 5k and on regular training ( boxing/kickboxing ) I gas out during sparring fast and I get even faster when throwing about 20 kicks. My pull-ups dropped from 35 per set to 10 or below. I'm thinking it's low calories but I added more and I feel no different. I'm resting from training for quite some time now but it's the same. And same goes for my brother. He has the same problem. We simply are tired all the time. I don't want to change my died back to meat but I don't want to ruin my sport career. I need to add that I live in a poor country where eating meat is cheaper. Because 2 pounds of bananas are 3$ and avg. paycheck here is 200-250$. Anyway I eat Lentils , oats, almond milk, bananas, kiwis, apples, flax seeds , chia, peanut butter, lettuce, spinach and mushrooms ( but in small amounts cause they give me nausea ), brown bread, berries, cherries, oranges, sunflower seeds, tofu, tomatoes, green tea, D3 and B12 supplement and also some other nasty stuff like mixing curcumin, pepper ginger and ashwagandha to lower inflammation and cortisol. This is my daily diet. I eat other stuff next to all the if I get the chance. Anyway, any advice is welcome. Thanks.

 

[amberfunk]

Why not drink protein shakes and smoothies? You need higher protein, fat and calories when working out hard like that. There are plenty of vegan protein powders out there that you can try. If they are too expensive for you then make smoothies with peanut/nut butter, veggies and berries. Do you cook with oil? Adding oil to your cooking will boost fat and calories.

 

[Stipe]

Well I either drink smoothies or eat the content of if as it is. Protein is expensive but I can add that tho I find that all of them have like 120 calories per scoop. I don't eat foods cooked on oil much cause it's bad for you or at least that is what I've learned from Dr. Gregers yt channel. But better adding some oil to the diet then returning to meat and eggs, which are in most cases cooked on oil...

 

[amberfunk]

Your body does need some fat it gives you energy. Not all fat is bad. I've noticed that a lot of diets just have fear of certain foods. Meat and dairy have cholesterol in them while plant fats do not. Overall it's way better for your health and the environment. I hope it works out for you.

 

[Stipe]

This helps a lot. Thanks.

 

[windrose]

Try eating more nuts, almonds,walnuts, avocados they will give you all the oils you require.

 

[Consistency]

I would suggest a vegan ketogenic diet since the heart runs exclusively on fatty acids.

 

[Emma JC]

welcome Stipe!

Might I suggest increasing your calories in general and the easiest way is with more starch. Potatoes, pastas, rice, whole grains.... the lentils are great, can you include more beans? and peas?

If you watch some of the vegan YouTube body builders, and what they eat, it may help also. Jon Venus and Simnett Nutrition are two that come to mind.

Emma JC

 

[poivron]

Maybe you're low on vitamin B12, vitamin D, or iodine? I made a post about this based on my own experiences a few days ago. It's here:
https://veganforum.org/threads/iodine-deficiency.2398/

I don't know what country you live in, but you could order vitamin B12 from here:
https://store.veganessentials.com/vegan-sublingual-b-12-by-deva-p2007.aspx
All you need is 2500 mcg once a week. One bottle would last you almost two years.

For vitamin D, I take this:
https://store.veganessentials.com/vegan-vitamin-d3-capsules-by-the-food-movement-p3730.aspx
I take 5000 I.U. every other day. This is a little expensive, but if you live in a sunny climate, you can get vitamin D just by spending 15-30 minutes in the sun every day, which you might be doing already as an athlete.

For iodine, I take 1/8 teaspoonful of bladderwrack powder every day. It's also inexpensive and lasts a very long time. Here are some sources of bladderwrack powder:
https://www.starwest-botanicals.com/organic-bladderwrack-powder-4-oz.html
http://www.seaveg.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=29
https://www.znaturalfoods.com/bladderwrack-powder-organic
Be careful not to overdo the bladderwrack powder. 1/8 teaspoonful gives you the U.S. daily recommended value of iodine. If it's too expensive to order this online, you may be able to find other kinds of seaweed in your country. Not all seaweeds have iodine, and some have too much, so make sure to look into how much iodine is in the seaweed you choose to eat.

See also:
https://nutritionfacts.org/2011/09/12/dr-gregers-2011-optimum-nutrition-recommendations/

 

[brownmetalhead]

Yo eat oatmeal with banana's in the morning. It energizes me and fills me up till like 2pm. You can add dark chocolate chips and some cinnamon butt I find oatmeal is that one food that helps my diet and energy levels get to a healthy place

 

[Emma JC]

Oatmeal is a great suggestion - I add berries as well as bananas and also flax meal and some chia seeds in the last few minutes of cooking. A bit of maple syrup and walnuts on top plus a sprinkle of cinnamon and cocoa powder and sometime some tahini. Oh, and some oil free toast with some peanut butter.

Emma JC

 

[giulia]

hi, regarding my experience I solved this huge problem with an italian product called OLIFE . It's a dietary supplement with many benefits: antioxidant, antiradical, regulate arterial pressure, improve blood circulation, hypoglycemic, lower cholesterol and ENERGIZING.
if you're interested and need more info contact me on Instagram "infusolivo"
thanks

 

[Deleted member 2819]

hi, regarding my experience I solved this huge problem with an italian product called OLIFE . It's a dietary supplement with many benefits: antioxidant, antiradical, regulate arterial pressure, improve blood circulation, hypoglycemic, lower cholesterol and ENERGIZING.
if you're interested and need more info contact me on Instagram "infusolivo"
thanks

A properly balanced vegan diet requires very little supplementation. The only supplements a properly balanced vegan diet MIGHT need are the same that MOST omnivores are low on as well.
1.B12
2.Iodine
3.Vitamin D
You need to find out which macro ratio is best for your body. I suggest using Chronometer to get a baseline then alter it as you need.