Veganism and eating disorders

[Soffiare]

Hi everyone! An aspiring vegan here.
Like most of you I have tons of reasons to go vegan, I have done my research, read books, made meal plans and analized my options as a vegan. I have planned meals that give me all the nutrients and I have wrote a letter to my parents.
There is one issue.
I have an Eating Disorder.
Right now I'm kind of recovered but as an omnivore I eat a very limited number of meals and I have a highly restrictive diet. I want to note that I don't have Anorexia for I never wanted to get thin I just didn't want to eat. For the past two years I have only ate:
-Cereal and Milk
-Brown rice and chicken, beer and tuna
-Pasta with scrambled eggs
-Some veggies and fruits.
-No potatoes, legumes, Quinoa, etc
As you can see with my current diet the idea of me eating some vegan staples such as legumes may seem impossible. Part of me think it is. But I want to go vegan with all my heart for I can st and for this suffering any longer and I truly believe that with a lot of effort I can add variety to my diet and make the transition to veganism.
The thing is: how do I make my parents believe the same? If I tell them that I am going to start eating legumes they will be thrilled but if I add "because I will be vegan" they will probably freak out.
How do I convince them? How do I ask for their permission?
I don't want to make a slow transition I want to be vegan as soon as possible. Do you think I can?

 

[mikek]

my honest opinion is that going vegan based on the above diet might be extremely risky to your health. i am glad you are considering it carefully.
BUT going vegan could give you the motivation (wrong word probably, but i hope you understand) to expanding your diet a little.

Hopefully someone with some nutritional expertise can advise.

 

[Soffiare]

my honest opinion is that going vegan based on the above diet might be extremely risky to your health. i am glad you are considering it carefully.
BUT going vegan could give you the motivation (wrong word probably, but i hope you understand) to expanding your diet a little.

Hopefully someone with some nutritional expertise can advise.

Yes I know The idea of adding other foods is distressing but veganism inspires me to make the change and add more variety this letting go of my eating disorder

 

[mikek]

Yes I know The idea of adding other foods is distressing but veganism inspires me to make the change and add more variety this letting go of my eating disorder

i can understand that & i think it might be true.

 

[Brainstorm]

You don't need to tell them you are trying to have a vegan lifestyle now. Just let them know what types of foods you want to eat now. When you eat your plant-based foods, don't make it seem like you are picking at the food/analyzing it/restricting it. Show them how comfortable you are eating your beans, legumes, quinoa, rice, soy milk, sunflowers seeds, banana smoothies, chickpeas, etc. Only if they ask why you no longer eat meat/dairy/eggs, just say you find the animal agriculture cruel and don't want to support it with your money. Don't relate it to food taste preference or health. If you relate your reasons for being vegan to health/nutrition, then may panic a little and think your disorder is coming back. So only mention the cruelty.

Side note: Being at a healthy weight can help convince them. If they still freak out, talk about how pigs are electrocuted, male baby pigs have their testicles ripped out without anesthetic, animals are forcible impregnated and their offspring are taken away... and it goes on. In the end, if you are at a healthy weight, they can't force you into some sort of recovery hospital where they make you eat everything they put in front of you.

 

[Consistency]

I have some questions.
Do you have Mercury fillings? How often do you eat tuna?

Anorexia Nervosa and Mercury Toxicity
https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.2008.08020233

I wouldn't recommend eating beans if you can't tolerate them. I can't and eat other foods. Well cooked peas, cruciferous vegetables, carrots, yellow potatoes, etc.. and always organic.

 

[The Vegan Virgin]

It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into adopting a vegan lifestyle - that's wonderful! I think consulting with a doctor and registered dietitian is never a bad idea when changing your diet and can be even more important if you have an eating disorder. Perhaps if you were to bring your parents along for the consultations and involve them in the process it might help alleviate any concerns they might have.

 

[Bruce]

I think you should go to a nutritionist to find a well-balanced diet plan. But from what you've posted, it doesn't sound like such a bad diet lol. There's the veggies, fruits, and cereal has a lot of enrichment (vitamins and minerals) that the government puts in.

The scrambled eggs is also great (though not vegan) because eggs also carry a lot of nutrients.

You have pretty much the whole food pyramid except for omega-3 fatty acids, so I would suggest adding some walnuts there. I only found about this after reading this article about how walnuts actually have omega-3 fatty acids like fish, except without the mercury poisoning.