Three years vegan. I feel about the same as I did when I wasn't a vegan

[flyingforjesus]

Just because I like the full range of responses to be represented online, here's a somewhat different n=1 datapoint.

Prior to Dec 2016, I ate any type of food other than mammal meat. Since then, I have been a vegan. As far as I can recall, I feel roughly the same as I did back then.

The two possible exceptions, but they're a stretch:

1. I used to occasionally get very quite tired after big dinners back then and I think that has abated somewhat now, but back then I was also at a much heavier (unhealthy) weight. I've lost weight since, but it's due to being much more calorie conscious (and I've found it's just as easy to become overweight as a vegan). I still get tired after big vegan dinners, but I seem to recall it as even somewhat worse back then. Not sure.
2. If I go back long ago (~25 years?), I seem to recall greasy egg and home fries breakfasts at restaurants often causing some digestive issues. I don't know if that was the eggs or the grease.

So, on balance, I just don't really notice a clear difference. I certainly do not have obviously increased energy or new mental clarity. In fact, as either a vegan or semi-omnivore, I have always been somewhat dissatisfied with my energy levels. I'm in reasonably good shape (resting heart rate under 60, sometimes under 50) and eat what I think is a healthful diet, but it's not as strict as it could be.

I'm not complaining. It's fine.

 

[carloser]

@flyingforjesus The implication here is important though. I imagine that there is a subsection of people who are scared of going vegan because they could feel worse. If you feel the same, and on the whole your impact on the environment and the lives of animals is better, than why not choose the less harmful option.

Like you said, N=1, but still. I think it’s important for non-vegans to hear about those who went vegan and nothing changed - life kept plotting on.

 

[fujimaki_toru]

@carloser Literally never ever heard anyone say that they worry veganism will make them feel worse. Quite the opposite.

 

[kernalan]

@fujimaki_toru Lots of men are concerned their sexual stamina would get worse if they stopped eating meat.

Also, at least in Finland we have a systematic problem with work lunches. Most restaurants offering lunch will give a few options to chose from with just one being vegan or vegetarian. Sadly, the vegetarian option is most often also the low calorie option. This rules out everyone who needs more calories as part of their lunch.

 

[crackasmile]

@kernalan That's strange, I had the opposite experience. more veggies in my diet meant I lost weight and had better blood pressure which made sex a lot better for me.

 

[pinksunflower]

@kernalan

sexual stamina would get worse if they stopped eating meat.

Man... I feel like my boners never stop now

 

[flyingforjesus]

@fujimaki_toru Oh, sure, a significant number of people think one needs animal protein or the nutrients in eggs and so forth, or that soy isoflavones will feminize a man or increase risk of breast cancer in a woman. I'm surprised you haven't encountered this on Reddit before--it's widespread. If you search for carnivore diet or paleo or so forth, you'll find this.

I actually was a vegan for 18 months about 10 years ago and stopped due to what I thought might be vegan diet-related physical symptoms. I now no longer think they were due to diet. But at the time I worried. My wife has also worried recently about some issues.

It's a big world. People worry about anything.

 

[lisaomo]

@fujimaki_toru Of course they do. That was always my hold up. When I first did it, I thought I was making a sacrifice for animals. And I’m a pretty educated person who knew stuff about nutrition (albeit what doctors say, etc.). I was worried about getting my protein and vitamins. Turns out, I feel way better and my fitness and stamina has increased. In general, the belief is that veganism is not natural. People still tell me that, including doctors. But I know the truth now.

 

[bettylloyd]

@flyingforjesus Same. Nothing really changed, but that wasn’t my goal anyways. I’m doing this for the animals and because I know it’s the right thing to do.

 

[flyingforjesus]

@bettylloyd I feel similarly. I also do it for ethical reasons regarding the environment (both for its own sake and for impact on communities, such as water contamination) and animal industry workers. It's just not a good model at all.

 

[endofdayz]

@flyingforjesus Have you ever done a blood panel to compare? I was vegetarian for 25 years and 6 months after going vegan, my cholesterol dropped 40 points. My husband experienced same drop in cholesterol. Sometimes, the change is not visible.

 

[flyingforjesus]

@endofdayz I don't think I have any data on my blood panels before the dietary change. My last total cholesterol, from 2017, was 110, and my HDL (53) was higher than my LDL (47). Those are fairly weird numbers, as far as I understand. I don't know if I have some genetic predisposition to very low cholesterol, or it's my diet, or both, or what. I'm not even sure if it's healthy to be this low. My father died of a heart attack at age 46, though, so perhaps unusually low cholesterol is a good thing for me. I truly don't know.