I switched to a vegan diet a few years ago, and have found it beneficial in many different ways. I can certainly recommend it. Cancer prevention. I had skin cancer which now seems to have disappeared. Meat is known to be carcinogenic. Weight loss. I'm 62 kg and 187 cm, so for my age I'm in good shape. Its a lot easier to lose weight on a vegan diet because you can eat as much as you want without ever putting on weight. Greater energy. Animal fat increases insulin resistance so eliminated it increases your overall energy levels. Giving up alcohol. When I ate meat I had a craving to drink alcohol, which has now disappeared. If you have problems with your health give it a go....
6'1" and only 136 lbs for a male is not healthy. Your BMI is 17.7 "Healthy" BMI is 20-25. I'm happy you feel good on that diet, but there are many risks to being that much underweight.
I am vegetarian, not cause I wanted, but body stopped being able to process hormones in foods and developed Fibromyalgeria, along with chronic Sarcoidosis disease, I was screwed. So started eating just fresh raw veggies and fruits for 18 months, got rid of Fibromyalgeria and lost 110 lbs. Steroids for the Sarcoidosis I had gained 255lbs. And got into stage of Pre-Diabetic as well. At some point, you have to take over your medical life or doctors can kill you. That was 3.5 years ago, in last 2 years, losing has gotten slower cause of other health problems, but lost another 85lbs. I am up to walking 7 miles a day. My biggest problem is fatigue, I wake up after sometimes ten hours of sleep and feeling exhausted and remain this way all day, I have tried so many different approaches to stay awake, have run out, was up to 4 pots of coffee at one time. If sitting, I will fall asleep with mouse in my hand, gotten too dangerous to manually trade any more. What I do find amazing is I never feel this way when driving the car, wondering if moving object stimulates the brain differently. I use CPAP each night, and doctors have no answers. Really start to wonder WTF, not enjoying life right now at all....
Handle.... Regarding the driving. You impress me as the kind of guy that has probably driven 40 years and never had a fender bender. You used to drive 18 wheelers too. You know all about the dangers of driving and the idiots that are on the road. I suspect the reason you don't get fatigued when you drive is because part of your brain that you are not aware of but has been conditioned for years and years is kicking in because it knows it must. Its a sub-conscious survival instinct that you as an individual have groomed out of necessity through decades of driving. Beware of the lackadaisical "really starting to wonder....not enjoying life right now". If you get too down in the dumps... that instinct could lapse at the wrong moment. Remember that when you drive. Here's to your good health sir.
The important thing with a vegan diet is to eat enough. Forget all the rubbish you hear about the dangers of carbohydrates. Humans have low rates of lipogenesis, so however many carbs you eat you will not put on weight. The reason you have fatigue is because you are not eating enough carbs. 130 grams of carbohydrates a day is needed for the brain to function properly. Eat only whole foods - fruit and veg. Don't eat processed foods. You should eat around 3000 calories a day.
I been on Veggie/fruit diet for 3 plus years, have dropped 195lbs, when I go up to 2000 calories I gain weight bad, I take diuretics for high blood pressure so doubt it water retention. I don't eat breads, pasta, pastries, potatoes, nada or what is in middle of grocery stores. Buy Sprouts or Whole foods veggies organic, going back to unable to digest hormonal and pesticide foods. Am pre-diabetic and need to get other 60 lbs off. Plus an anemic big time. So what carbs would you suggest? Thank you I have only driven big rigs 9 years and that was 9 years ago, you know what, when trucking, 99% of the time you know what ill moves people will do before they do it, so you prepare. I read somewhere that brain when getting any outside movements will react differently than when looking at like bar charts and even then you are a robot. Three years of treatments for cancers, radiation, nights/days in the bathroom, I don't know anyone who is with these problems who don't constantly think if this shit is worth it- we all going to die eventually. But I wake up each day to thank good Lord for new fucking day. Then go take a nap.
Eat any whole foods: potatoes, brown rice, broccoli,cabbage, bananas, oranges, nuts, whatever. Don't eat any animal products and don't eat any processed foods e.g. oil. Make sure you get enough sleep, around 8 hours a night. This can effect your hormones. Cut back on the coffee. Even if you can't sleep don't worry. Just lie in the dark with your eyes closed. Get some exercise. Buy a bike and do short journeys by bike rather than by car.
Did that for over thirty years and can't eat it without severe body pain. You can't buy a new body no matter how much money you have.
Some foods can't eat as I am on blood thinners. All I do now is sleep, 18-20 hours a day, I take hormones additives, coffee won't keep me awake, never up long enough to do more than 3 miles of walking at a time. Biggest problem is fatigue.