They won't let me go vegan

[TofuRobot]

It all just seems crazy to me. If their point is to make sure you're consuming calories, at least they can swap out the unhealthy calories for healthy ones. How much longer will it be that you're there?

More (((HUGS))) to you today xoxo

 

[Forest Nymph]

What about vegetarian at least? It seems to me that if you were in the US (especially in CA) you could sue them for malpractice. I think force-feeding is controversial as it is, but they apparently have reason to believe you eat so little that it could kill you. Still, what if you were from India, would they make you eat meat though you'd never had it in your life? Or if you were Jewish or Muslim would they feed you pork? I'm serious, this seems very "off" to me.

 

[Llama]

Goodness knows. I'm sick of the place. I don't follow my meal plan exactly but I used to. I used to eat one large flapjack sometimes with chocolate or caramel on, and two Muller corner yoghurts a day. They want me to have a main pudding at lunch like ice cream or cake or cookies or tart, pudding, cheesecake etc. But that's so unhealthy but they say that it isn't and it's just my anorexia talking. Umm I'm pretty sure a large flapjack, a big sugary pudding, and a sugar filled yoghurt every day isn't healthy. I don't know what crosses their minds sometimes. I don't eat that anymore. When I'm at home I eat vegan and I do eat sugar (mainly in the form of dark chocolate , raw vegan bars made with dates, energy balls, maple syrup, and the occasional homemade baked goodie . And I'm addicted to tictacs and can't stop eating them ☹). But a flapjack, a big dessert, and a sugary yoghurt a day? That's just ridiculous. What kind of dietician is she? (By the way my dietician is skinny as hell which is really unfair and unhelpful ).

Sorry for the rant, I just get so frustrated. I'm meant to be at home overnight tonight as I have 4 nights at home over the weekend but I'm stuck at the unit because of my stupid sodding blood results and the useless Drs. I've never known such a useless bunch of Drs in my life. They had to get an on call Dr in today because it's the weekend, and he didn't have a clue what he was doing, I was practically telling him how to do it. They shouldn't be sending people who don't know how to take bloods. Oh and then they lost them. So my bloods are floating around somewhere. God knows where. And it will be his fault because my bloods never get lost.

I'm tired of it all. I'm going to bed. It's quarter to midnight here in Blighty.

 

[Forest Nymph]

Yeah it definitely seems like some avocado toast with whole grain bread and nutritional yeast would be a lot healthier than a flapjack breakfast, and would give you plenty of calories and good fats. They could also add calories to your lunch times with nuts or seeds. I'm sorry that you have to go through this but I'm glad your parents at least are supportive.

 

[Llama]

Forest Nymph they don't take me seriously because I have an eating disorder and apparently that makes me a sneaky, lying, manipulative person. They don't let anyone who is recovering from an ED be vegan whilst they are there, whatever their beliefs. They didn't think I was serious about it anyway. They just thought I was doing it as a way to lose weight and eat less but I wasn't obviously.

But no, they don't let anyone be vegan when they are until it is 'absolutely definitely safe to do it'. It's just their rules. And although I've bent the rules a few times, I can't bend that one. It's stupid, I know. I still eat cows milk on my cereal and a yoghurt when I'm at the unit, but apart from that I eat vegan. They will just never understand.

 

[Llama]

By the way it wasn't a flapjack for breakfast, it was a snack. Breakfast was cereal with milk and two slices of toast with butter! I'm still on that plan now, even fully weight restored .

I doubt they would even know what nutritional yeast is (and I don't like cheesy things anyway). Especially the cooks in the kitchen. They won't even know what a sodding avocado is, and the closest they have to wholegrain bread is anemic looking brown stuff. And they don't have seeds either, the closest they have to that is if they picked the seeds out of all the apples and oranges. And nuts - they have cashew nuts. That's it. The rest is just high calorie junk food.

 

[Forest Nymph]

Yeah it sounds very outdated like the 1950s idea of what was healthy. At least they let you be vegetarian.

Show them pictures of vegan body builders. There are definitely cases of underweight people who gained a little weight after going vegan as long as they weren't too restrictive. It's even possible to be slightly chubby as a vegan depending on how much the person likes snacks and desserts and alcoholic beverages.

 

[TofuRobot]

Can't you ask for peanut butter instead of butter?? Surely they have peanut butter :/

t seems to me that if you were in the US (especially in CA) you could sue them for malpractice.

Definitely. I would be suing the *** out of them.
...
Maybe show them this list. These are all high calorie vegan foods that could help you gain weight and still maintain your dignity. Perhaps if they simply treated you like a human being...
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/high-calorie-vegan-foods

Short version:
nut butters
avocados
quinoa
tahini
dried fruit (raisins & dates, etc)
legumes
sweet potatoes
smoothies (you could add protein powder)
rice
coconut & olive oil

I would add baked tofu and clif bars to that list as well.

xo

 

[Forest Nymph]

Can't you ask for peanut butter instead of butter?? Surely they have peanut butter



Definitely. I would be suing the *** out of them.
...
Maybe show them this list. These are all high calorie vegan foods that could help you gain weight and still maintain your dignity. Perhaps if they simply treated you like a human being...
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/high-calorie-vegan-foods

Short version:
nut butters
avocados
quinoa
tahini
dried fruit (raisins & dates, etc)
legumes
sweet potatoes
smoothies (you could add protein powder)
rice
coconut & olive oil

I would add baked tofu and clif bars to that list as well.

xo

Yeah peanut butter makes lots of sense. Also a smoothie could have nut butter, vegan protein powder, soy milk, chocolate, and a spoonful of coconut oil besides the banana or whatever fruit. Smoothies could be a high calorie breakfast or snack if planned that way.

Tahini is a great idea too. It adds lots of flavor to grilled vegetables and pita, and could be eaten with fried falafel..or just with beans and rice.

I wonder how they'd deal with a long term vegan or someone raised by vegan parents. Sounds like they're not even educated enough to deal with it. I have heard of less traumatic versions of this in the US though like young people with fast metabolism and thin frames being told by the doctor to eat a cheeseburger or full fat dairy.

 

[Llama]

TofuRobot, I eat all of those things at home, except smoothies (I've made a post about not liking smoothies), but at the unit, out of those things in your list, they only have:

- Peanut butter (though it's crappy stuff full of sugar and palm oil and salt and chemicals)
- Legumes (occasionally)
- Sweet potatoes (occasionally, and in the form of curry and fries)
- White rice
- Oil of unknown variety

And the kitchen staff won't even have heard of tofu. Their cooking is rubbish.

I love tahini. I had a tahini dressing last night for dinner with some carrot lentil patty things, a wholewheat pitta, some cucumber, and some spinach. Was yum. I eat lots of peanut butter at home, and occasionally almond butter. I buy Meridian because it's literally just peanuts and nothing else. I have it on toast, in sauces, in desserts, in energy balls, on its OWN (because that's what you need to do when your life's a mess). But I'm not going to sue them because my parents wouldn't let me and everyone would think I am stupid. And I would get feedback telling me that I had no reason to complain : unamused:.

And as I'm sat here right now they are trying to put some meal replacement down my tube because of my toast I missed at breakfast and the only flavour they have in the building is strawberry, and that's the only one that's not vegetarian. It's got cochineal bugs in it. I keep saying no because it's against my beliefs and they've searched around the building in the other parts of the unit and no one has any. They are going to give me strawberry flavour with crushed bugs in it and it's against my beliefs! It's not even vegetarian!!! They keep saying I don't have a choice because I need it .

 

[Llama]

Update: They found some chocolate flavour and that's vegetarian so they are giving me that instead

 

[TofuRobot]

Update: They found some chocolate flavour and that's vegetarian so they are giving me that instead

I just pray you are well soon
I'm sure I can speak for others by saying we'd like you to stick around xoxo

 

[hopeful]

I agree with @TofuRobot . I hope you are well soon!

 

[Forest Nymph]

I talked with my roommate whose sister had been in a unit for ED in the US (not in California). She had the option to leave even though she nearly died. It's not as mandatory here I guess if you're an adult.

Her sister is vegan (and so is this one roommate). Her sister would have had to have their parents being a lot of her food. They allowed her to be vegan but she chose to leave and lives with their parents now. My roommate said it was ridiculous and unfair. A vegetarian would be allowed to have a quesadilla but her sister as a vegan was monitored for almost every nutrient on her plate. Almost like she had to eat more food.

I'm sorry you are forced to go through this. However the sooner you have weight on the sooner you can leave. Have you considered being vegetarian just so you can get the hell out of there and be vegan?

It just seems like fighting with them makes them keep you longer. Just eat whatever food that is vegan that you can. A little bit of peanut butter with palm oil won't kill you. Then eat the dairy at breakfast so you can leave.

The sooner you can leave the sooner you can be fully vegan.

I wish you all the best.

 

[Llama]

I am vegetarian when I'm at the unit and I eat yoghurt and cows milk and stuff. I try and eat as much as I can so I don't need any meal replacement top up, but I don't eat quite 'enough'. But my consultant won't agree to take my tube out until I'm eating enough to not need any top ups. And I was going to start to eat more but then things happened with my stupid bloods and I can't really do exercise so I'm going to gain tons of weight so they doesn't really make me motivated to eat more.

Also, my legs are so fat, I'm wearing skinny jeans to try and get used to it and feel more confident but it's had the complete opposite effect and I'm sat here nearly in tears because my legs are so fatty

 

[Forest Nymph]

I am vegetarian when I'm at the unit and I eat yoghurt and cows milk and stuff. I try and eat as much as I can so I don't need any meal replacement top up, but I don't eat quite 'enough'. But my consultant won't agree to take my tube out until I'm eating enough to not need any top ups. And I was going to start to eat more but then things happened with my stupid bloods and I can't really do exercise so I'm going to gain tons of weight so they doesn't really make me motivated to eat more.

Also, my legs are so fat, I'm wearing skinny jeans to try and get used to it and feel more confident but it's had the complete opposite effect and I'm sat here nearly in tears because my legs are so fatty

You're not fat. If you were they'd let you out long ago. I know you might see it that way, but it's simply impossible.

 

[TofuRobot]

Also, my legs are so fat, I'm wearing skinny jeans to try and get used to it and feel more confident but it's had the complete opposite effect and I'm sat here nearly in tears because my legs are so fatty

Sweetheart, we are not our bodies. We are all that we are on the inside - compassionate, courageous, loving human beings. You are all that and more. Just be love. That is all you need to be

 

[Queen of Strawberries]

Hi, I used to have anorexia too. I told my parents I wanted to go vegan but they said (and I do quote) "Nope. Not happening in this house." They were (100% understandably) afraid my wish to go vegan was an offshoot of anorexia.
However, I persisted. I gave them facts about how vegans can meet (often better then carnivores) daily vitamin, protein, and calorie needs. I promised them I would eat WHATEVER THEY GAVE ME AS ALL AS IT WAS VEGAN. (This is important because they may think being Vegan means you want to restrict certain foods - not saying this the case - like sweets, processed foods, or they may think you're afraid of meat, or afraid of going out to eat. tell them you'll eat vegan ice-cream, vegan candy, eat potato chips, get vegan Starbucks drinks, eat vegan burgers, go out to eat as long as there's a vegan option at the restaurant.)
With anorexia it's important to eat EVERYTHING (and I don't claim to be 100% perfect at this myself) as long as it's vegan.
I took a stand on Thanksgiving and refused to eat the turkey.
BUT
I remained calm (this is also SUPER important and I can't stress it enough) I was calm, and logical, AND THE NEXT WEEK THEY DECIDED I COULD GO VEGETARIAN.
It's not what I want in the long run but it's a start.
so I think if you remain calm, promise to eat everything given you as long as it's vegan, and have legitimate studies proving that Vegans are not deficient in any vitamin or mineral to show your family - I think you have a good chance of convincing them.
It may not work.
But if you never ask it certainly won't work
Now let's go whip anorexia in the butt!
(PS. 1 cup of macadamia nut milk has over the recommended daily intake for B12 - TAKE THAT MEAT EATTERS!!)

 

[Queen of Strawberries]

PPS. I'm praying for your recovery - you sound like such a beautiful person!
remember you are worth so so so much more than a jean size, or waist measurement, or number on a scale.
Again, I won't pretend I'm perfect with this but i'm praying one day we will both be able to say
I BEAT ANOREXIA
and be proud of it!
Sending hugs and prayers your way

 

[Llama]

Queen of Strawberries, thank you SO much, that means a lot to me . Honestly that's warmed me up inside . My parents are OK with me being vegan at home now, they have been for a while. They know I'm doing it for ethical reasons. So when I'm at home I eat vegan (right now I'm eating some homemade vegan energy balls. Yum) . This is the recipe if you're interested, they're just a bit different: https://fitfoodiefinds.com/diy-holiday-in-a-jar-cherry-pistachio-energy-balls/

I'm trying to eat a variety of things but I still get worried about eating some things like lots of oil, double carbs in a meal, sugar, etc. But I do eat lots of chocolate! And I bake desserts and stuff. I'm trying but I just hate my body so much at the moment .