Hi there,

I'm pretty new to this site but have been vegetarian for a while and have been flirting with vegan-ism for about 4-5 months now.

Every Time I go strict vegan I get so fatigued and can't concentrate on my study. Then I'll cave and have a bit of cheese or maybe a dash of cows milk in my tea, and I'll almost instantly feel better.

This puzzles me as these things are unhealthy (I actually can't tolerate more than 1/2 a cup of cows milk a day).

I thought the answer to my woes was the super hero eating plan, but I'm still fatigued. I also suddenly have all symptoms of anemia, which I hate to admit because its the stock standard criticism all non meat eaters get from the carnivores.

I really cant stand contributing to any cruelty but also struggle with leading a less than perfectly healthy life. I thought vegan =perfectly healthy, but at the moment Im doubting it. I need encouragement and ideas on beating the fatigue.

i suffered the same problem at first... i think your body needs time to adjust to the foods you are eating. eating a completely healthy diet is a shock for your body, and it takes a while for it to get used to it, or at least it did for me.. the feeling crappy is likely to just be detox. ? dairy actually is known to inhibit iron absorption, so if you think its anaemia, cutting this out should actually help. turning vegan after i had been vegetarian for a couple years improved my energy levels immensely after the initial transistion.
that said, what kind of diet are you eating? remember to include wholegrains and dark green leafy veges every day. also remember  all other veggies, legumes and small amount of fruit and nuts/seeds! if you do not vary the superheo diet enough, you will not get al the required nutrients your body needs.
going for walks everyday is also good! doesnt have to be like a marathon... but it helps  even if its for 20 minutes a day (doesnt even have to be all at once)

PJ, are you eating frequently?  At least every two hours?  Also, are you drinking enough water?  You may jump ahead to the Superhero plan and find yourself feeling better.  

I think it's addiction to the casein in milk, it's like crack, or cocaine. Once you quit it you will be better off.

PJ - it took both my boyfriend (veg) and me (vegan) a while to adjust to the hunger and the fatigue. For a couple of weeks we were ravenous all the time and very tired, but then it leveled off. We were no longer tired and we ate less. I think it just took time for our bodies to adjust to the intake of nutrients in a different way. Give it a few weeks, and, it seems like a small thing, but I would suggest chewing your food very well, as Alicia mentions in TKD. This helps release digestive enzymes that will help you get more from your food.

As a side note on how given time, your body adjusts - I was just noticing the other day that my appetite has drastically changed. I am full after much smaller portions and I no longer need to eat a small snack between meals, sometimes I just have my one daily serving of fruit between breakfast and lunch, but I don't even need that every day. I've been totally vegan for three and a half months, and my body is still adjusting, in a very good way. So I would say you should give it some time.

I went through the same symptoms of Hazel and her boyfriend.  I went from flirting to superhero and I was cranky and felt like I was having withdrawal symptoms like a drug addict.  It was really bad.  Luckily, I have a friend/coworker who works next door to me and she was very supportive.  She would make me laugh when I went into her room and was freaking out.  I was so fatigued that I would come home from work and sleep.  I knew it was my body detoxing so I was very good to myself.  Hang in there and don't be too hard on yourself. 

Now, when I eat something like dairy, I will get really sick like I'm coming down with the flu.  I tried it a few times just to make sure it was the dairy.  hahaha  I finally got it and stopped trying it.

Thank you for posting this!!  I have been getting this also though I did have an iron test and it was VERY low.  I find the iron thing very frustrating and am really getting sick of my family telling me to just eat meat

have you tried a shot of B12 or a supplement? That might help.

Make sure you are eating enough calories everyday.  Sprinkle some nooch (nutritional yeast) on your dinners for B-12.  Drink plenty of water everyday.