One of the most over-used expressions at where I work is "re-inventing the wheel".
And for beginning vegans, there are way more ways to do it "wrong" than to get it right. It certainly isn't as hard as most people think. It certainly isn't rocket science. but there is no reason to figure it all out on your own.
At my library, there is a whole shelf of vegan and vegetarian books. The first book I ever got was either the Idiots Guide or they Dummy's Guide to The Vegan Lifestyle. ( I can't remember now). But that was a long time ago and there are even more choices and maybe a lot better ones.
This forum IS a good resource. But it's more of a secondary resource. You can get really good personal advice - but you have to be able to ask the right questions.
Anyway, I'm a reader and always look to books for learning. But I know that is not for everyone. Instead of a book you might like the Vegan Kickstart Program.
http://www.pcrm.org/kickstartHome
It's pretty cool. its free. it's an online course. If you have ever taken an online course you should already know if this is a better choice for you than a book. And if you haven't ever taken an online course - well this might be a good one to start with. Although there is HW there are not tests. But something that might appeal to you is that there is a social media aspect. Start the program on the first day of the month and they have their own forum for people who are taking it as the same time as you.
I've never taken it but I did take the 30-Day Vegan Challenge which is a book, plus audio recordings, video lessons, essays and recipes. Basically one lesson a day for 30 days. It used to be free but the course now costs $40. The book is optional but can be bought used for $10.
The author of the 30-day Vegan challenge, Colleen Patrick Goudreau, also has a Podcast channel. I used to listen to one of her podcasts on my way to and from work or at the gym. Not organized like a course but you can get a great vegan education that way, too. Plus just listening to her is a pleasure. And I think her attitude and philosophy is the BEST.
Hannah, maybe the most common problem with beginning vegans - and especially young women is the calorie issue. And it does sound like your problem could very well be that you are not getting enough calories. Kellyr brought up CronOmeter and I totally endorse that suggestion. If you are concerned with personal health and correct nutrition, a CronOmeter account is almost mandatory. There is a bit of a learning curve. But with practice, it becomes easier and you become faster pretty quickly. After a week it should take you less than 5 minutes to do the daily input. The best thing about it is how easy it is to understand the results. You can see the problems almost immediately. Color-coded bar graphs and pie charts are easy to understand. There is an app but it's only available if you upgrade. Try it for a week and then see if you want to upgrade.
Most of my breakfasts are hot oatmeal with soymilk and fruit. It takes about the same amount of time for me to make oatmeal as to brew my coffee. but sitting down to eat a bowl of oatmeal is sometimes problematic. on days that i just can't make the time I will make a smoothie with soymilk, oatmeal, peanut butter and a banana. And chug it as i go out the door. I usually make a bunch of these all at once and store them in the freezer. So when I'm pressed for time I don't even have to make them in the morning.
For years, lunches were the biggest problem as I transitioned to veganism. Veggie wraps were pretty good. I would make a lot of PB&Js and keep them in the freezer for emergencies. And i would make a batch of burrito mix make a whole bunch of burritos and freeze them. I don't know why i thought salads weren't an option. but now I have a salad most days for lunch. I have a 2-quart Tupperware bowl. My local market sells loose leaf spring greens and spinach. I fill about half the bowl with that and then add a half dozen cherry tomatoes. then a couple of tablespoons of things like beans, corn, peas, olives, almond slivers, and sunflower seeds. The only thing I slice is a cucumber. I keep some salad dressing at work. but you can also pack it in a little jar.
These salads don't have that many calories - but they are filling and have lots of nutrients.
One of my most common dinners is a half cup of whole rice and a quart of steamed or roasted veggies.
then a few pieces of fruit each day between meals
Anyway, be a happy healthy vegan isn't That hard. It doesn't even have to take a lot of time. you don't have to re-invent the wheel.
