Philosophical Vegan Forum

Hi everyone,

My name is Tammy I'm a mom of 3 and a wife to a great guy. I'm 49 yrs old and about 100lbs overweight. I have fatty liver and very concerned for my health. Everytime I try to go vegan I constantly break out in cold sores (I'm assuming from low lysine) and im lethargic constantly and my arthritis flairs up. Ive always stayed the course thinking its the detox phase but it doesnt get better.I then feel miserable and go back to a diet that includes animal products. Any and all advice or guidance is welcomed.

Thank You Tammy

Hey Harley, welcome the the forum.

I don't have much to say on nutrition, but I suggest getting a diet full of beans, veggies. and nuts, and start with some casual exercise. Join a gym, and start by going maybe twice a week, and start out with light exercise (5 lb weights, slow cardio) and gradually increase the intensity as you go on.

Hi Harley, the key to success is usually to go slowly. Don't be afraid to take months to reduce animal product consumption. Make sure to replace it with plenty of plant proteins and healthy fats.

If you think lysine may be an issue, you may consider supplementing it to be cautious, but that sounds like it could be an allergic reaction too. Try to keep a food diary, and only introduce one new food at a time.

Like I said before, a low carb vegan (eco atkins) approach may be more useful to you for weight loss, but everybody is different. Some people find exercise helpful, but for others it just takes a lot of time and hurts and makes them hungrier. Moderate activity is important, though, so you may want to try something like daily walking or swimming a couple times a week if you are able.

I don't know if I'd recommend a gym, most people aren't going to be able to make the time to get to one, particularly with kids. But kids often love swimming so check into a local community center or something if you can.