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I tried going vegan once. I found my craving for a burger increased the longer I went without. That told me I was suffering a nutritional deficiency. I don't

I tried going vegan once. I found my craving for a burger increased the longer I went without. That told me I was suffering a nutritional deficiency. I don't observe the same increase in cravings over time for generic tasty food like chocolate cake. (I suspect it was the heme iron in the burger btw)

IWeldMelons 2y ago
You should not switch straight to vegan, you should've started with vegetarian.
- 0xDEAFBEAD 2y ago
  Why would that make a difference?
  - WalterSear 2y ago
    I think they are primarily suggesting that you take it slow. I'd wager a lot that your craving was due to the psychology of the process you performed, not some actual physiological withdrawal. If you took your time and found other things that were good to eat, rather than 'quitting' your habitual foods, I don't imagine you would have any trouble at all.
    - 0xDEAFBEAD 2y ago
      I was eating vegan burgers every so often. That should've covered the psychology aspect, but it didn't. My energy level was steadily declining, as you might expect for an iron deficiency. When I gave in and started eating burgers, they were profoundly tasty, and my energy levels recovered. I've had dietary shifts in the past (from one omnivore diet to another) and nothing like this happened. I'm on board with the ethical aspect of veganism. I'm annoyed by what I perceive as the ideological aspect, which pretends a vegan diet can easily be perfectly nutritious. [I'm complaining about this because I'm hoping vegans will take a hard look in the mirror, and start taking nutrition seriously, so I won't suffer from an iron deficiency (or whatever it was!) if I try again in the future.]
  - IWeldMelons 2y ago
    More familiar taste, of animal fat and protein.
collingreen 2y ago
I understand this position but I don't love the logic - cravings for things like addictive drugs also increase for a while as you withdraw. Eat whatever you like but it's probably good to pause and really consider what you're wanting and why. Meat is deeply satisfying and has lots of things we need in it. If you're fine with the process of how the meat makes it to your plate then just own that and enjoy it.
- jnordwick 2y ago
  > cravings for things like addictive drugs also increase for a while as you withdraw. This is in party because once you become a heavy user, your body stops producing various chemicals or becomes accustomed to larger amounts to meet its baseline (such as dopamine and other neurotransmitters). When you stop your body slowly start producing those again and has to become accustomed to the new baseline. That craving is exactly your body telling you that you are missing something. Is there anything that shows vegetarian and vegan dieters increase the production of chemicals associated with what they are refraining from? Most drug addictions deals with chemicals the body can make itself, but it the substances lacking in a vegan diet would seem to be things we cannot produce. There are large populations that have eaten that way their entire life. I wonder how their body chemistry is different than those that started veganism later in life. They don't have to adjust. If they started eating meat, what changed in iron or protein synthesis do they go through?

IWeldMelons 2y ago

You should not switch straight to vegan, you should've started with vegetarian.

0xDEAFBEAD 2y ago
Why would that make a difference?
- WalterSear 2y ago
  I think they are primarily suggesting that you take it slow. I'd wager a lot that your craving was due to the psychology of the process you performed, not some actual physiological withdrawal. If you took your time and found other things that were good to eat, rather than 'quitting' your habitual foods, I don't imagine you would have any trouble at all.
  - 0xDEAFBEAD 2y ago
    I was eating vegan burgers every so often. That should've covered the psychology aspect, but it didn't. My energy level was steadily declining, as you might expect for an iron deficiency. When I gave in and started eating burgers, they were profoundly tasty, and my energy levels recovered. I've had dietary shifts in the past (from one omnivore diet to another) and nothing like this happened. I'm on board with the ethical aspect of veganism. I'm annoyed by what I perceive as the ideological aspect, which pretends a vegan diet can easily be perfectly nutritious. [I'm complaining about this because I'm hoping vegans will take a hard look in the mirror, and start taking nutrition seriously, so I won't suffer from an iron deficiency (or whatever it was!) if I try again in the future.]
- IWeldMelons 2y ago
  More familiar taste, of animal fat and protein.

collingreen 2y ago

I understand this position but I don't love the logic - cravings for things like addictive drugs also increase for a while as you withdraw. Eat whatever you like but it's probably good to pause and really consider what you're wanting and why. Meat is deeply satisfying and has lots of things we need in it. If you're fine with the process of how the meat makes it to your plate then just own that and enjoy it.

jnordwick 2y ago
> cravings for things like addictive drugs also increase for a while as you withdraw. This is in party because once you become a heavy user, your body stops producing various chemicals or becomes accustomed to larger amounts to meet its baseline (such as dopamine and other neurotransmitters). When you stop your body slowly start producing those again and has to become accustomed to the new baseline. That craving is exactly your body telling you that you are missing something. Is there anything that shows vegetarian and vegan dieters increase the production of chemicals associated with what they are refraining from? Most drug addictions deals with chemicals the body can make itself, but it the substances lacking in a vegan diet would seem to be things we cannot produce. There are large populations that have eaten that way their entire life. I wonder how their body chemistry is different than those that started veganism later in life. They don't have to adjust. If they started eating meat, what changed in iron or protein synthesis do they go through?