Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Hi Everyone,

I am going through a complete shift in my life and have been a vegetarian since 2008 now, which came with a little resistant at first.

I am really into fitness and health, but more importantly love and adore animals...hence the wanting to change to the Vegan lifestyle.

I would love to get my % Body Fat down to 15% as my first goal (currently a 31 year old female at 26-27%) and then down to 12% and my next goal but I am having difficulty working out what to eat when changing to a vegan lifestyle.

I know about eating smaller meals and have read Roberts body building book which was brilliant. Being female, I don't want to bodybuild but develop a slim fitness model body. I find that I start getting chunky legs when training (not sure if this is because of my past sport of competitive tennis and being only 5ft 1" tall. I also did a 21 day vegan and found that my body was getting smaller but was having for lose fat on the body, along with insane cravings for sugar foods and bread, is this part of the body change process and is a case of being patient?

At present I am training 4-5 times a week, a mix between bodyweight and weights, along with TRX.
Cardio I mix in some HITT 2 times per week.

I know I need to really focus on my diet which is getting better slowly apart from mt weakness of chocolate and bread. I started to eat more egg whites and some whey protein (even considered chicken for awhile as people loads of people telling me and stuff I was reading that its easier to drop body fat and maintain muscle), but as I said I am keen to go vegan and train...but be a healthy vegan. Roberts book was a great inspiration for this

Also, there is so much conflicting information from needing more protein and less carbs to drop fat, which can be hard when beans and lentils have high carb content. The you read things that say fruit makes you fat, along with potatoes (but to be potatoes are better than bread and fruit is better than sweets)...So, the whole thing is getting well confusing and causing me to be stuck!!!

Really what I would like is some advice from anyone who knows much about this, even Robert if he's about;
- training for a female fitness body (not bodybuilding)? Cardio/resistances (weights/bodyweight training)
- Nutrition and dealing with cravings
- Putting everything together, as all the info I research is there but putting together is the problem for me. info overload and conflicting info
- how to adapt training as after a few weeks (4 wks) my body seems to find it easy? I add weight, but start gong to heavier weights where its just hard to lift but no real muscle burning affect
- dealing with people's resistance and eating out with out feeling awkward to ask about vegan food? Then there is no option and non-vegans start to feel bad but what to eat there. So then I feel like I should just eat a vegetarian meal! Advice would be great?

Final question; do you think it is possible to achieve a female fitness model body on a ethical vegan diet?
Well for me is it, at 5ft 1", female, weighing around 118lbs, with me being more pear shape and storing a some fat around the ab area (down to too much sugar foods - I read about hormones) as well as thighs???

Any advice, ideas, info, plans I would really appreciate it as I have been wanting to go to a vegan lifestyle for way too long now, and its bugging me!!

Thanks for reading and can't wait to hear from you all soon!!

Becks x

Anyone there to help?

I hope I haven't scared anyone off!!!!!!!!!!! he he he

B x

I Becks.

I'm fairly new to the forum and have been vegetarian almost a whole year. I have been vegan since the beginning of this year and thoroughly enjoy it! Like you, I love animals and that's the main motivation behind becoming vegan, being healthier is an added bonus for me.

Firstly, there are many vegan protein powders available. At the moment I am drinking a pea protein which is rather yummy. I'm in Australia and so I've only come across soy and pea protein powders. Though I know there are more out there.

There are other ways of getting protein as well, such as tofu, tempeh, seitan and nuts. I don't think you could do a low carb diet on a vegan lifestyle, but that doesn't mean you will have a low protein diet! At the moment I'm in the process of losing a bit of weight and strength training to tone and build muscle. I too am not wanting a fully ripped body builder's body, but from what I gather, you have to work VERY hard to achieve that look.

Have you checked out the profiles on the main website? Or had a look at some of the before and after shots on the forum. These are testaments to female vegans being able to look insanely hot and super fit!

In regards to eating out, it sucks. I have definitely become very put off by wanting to eat out at restaurants since becoming vegan. I will always check out the menu online or phone up prior to going to see what is available for me. However, most people do not understand 'vegan'. So unless i'm going to a purely vegan restaurant, I make sure I've eaten before I go out. Otherwise I will succumb to devouring a bowl of chips and a bread stick!

What sort of cravings are you getting??

Hi Emma

Thanks for the feedback...I feel like I am not being odd now the way I am feeling, so thanks for that. Well done to you for the vegan lifestyle, its brilliant!!

I will have to have a look at the forum for those photo's..great for motivation!!!

My cravings are mainly sweet things, mainly chocolate (haven't found a good vegan chocolate yet, but trying to stop eating it) or bread. We will kick the habit somehow though!!

Protein I have got some Sunwarrior, so trying to get use to that and did have some hemp but need a lot of fruit to mask that taste.

What kind of training do you do?

B

Do you know how many calories you eat per day? What does a typical days worth of meals look like for u?

Hi and Welcome!
Don't get too confused it's just that there are few ways for a Vegan Nutrition. Not all people are the same you just have to pick what works best for you. Also a different level of fitness and fat levels requires different training and Nutrition approach.
I can give you some directions from my experience.
Considering your fat levels right now I wouldn't advice you cutting on carb levels too much. This you can do only when your fat levels are pretty low and your body doesn't wanna loose anymore.
I have a simple basic rule for nutrition: "The more Natural the better"
Do you eat any processed food/junk food ?
I don't believe in moderation when it comes to junk. When you want results you gotta do it 100 % no playing around.
You should cut any junk food or stuff that contain processed sugar this alone can help you loose lots and lots of fat. Try it for a month at least and you might even experience your taste for sugar changing.
This stuff can give you Cravings cause they are basically low on nutrition and their glymic value is high.
That means it's spiking your blood levels and make them go down fast. You wanna eat more natural stuff that will keep sugar levels in your blood nice and steady. Same goes for drinking coffe too many energy spiking.
Small meals every couple hours can also help you keeping sugar levels steady. Fruits are good once you cut all the junk you can eat them in moderation it's natural sugar.
Do you eat enough raw Veggies and leafy greens ? They give you lots of Vitamins and minerals and can help you with Cravings aswell.
Getting your fat intake mostly from nuts, seeds, avocado, some tahini this could also help dropping fat. Personally I don't touch any other fats. Not even olive oil as it's all refined stuff, packed with Calories, pretty low on Nutrition.

Hiya

Thanks so much for your feedback all of you, much appreciated!!!

Alex, here goes with your questions;

Still eat processed food, not as much as I used to and not take away food. I do eat a lot of chocolate which as I have a thing for tea and cake/biscuits/chocolate etc... my weakness which I know I have to get rid of to gain the results I want but I do have bad cravings for it and when I do try to stop I feel like I am missing something, and I know the damage it is doing to my body which doesn't make sense while it is so hard to stop. Its just getting it in my head, linking my body and mind somehow I guess! Also, dealing with the feeling when I go cold turkey...

I don't drink coffee, only earl grey tea with rice/soy milk, green tea. Drink water and sparkling water, and fizzy drinks once in a while. I use to drink a lot of coke, but this year I have only had about 6 cans and I don't even crave it anymore.
Not really into savory foods much except bread which again is another one i need to cut. Eat mainly multi-grain wholemeal bread.
I eat salads, some raw kale in a salad with hummus

The sugar thing I do find hard as I don't have anything to replace with at present apart from fruit, but then your told not to eat fruit to drop body fat!! But to me a banana (my favorite fruit) is better than a chocolate bar. easiyo home made greek yogurt with coconut is good to have as an evening replacement, but its yogurt and I want to get into the vegan eating.

I take a vitamin C and B (with B12) supplement along with Flaxseed capsules for about 3 weeks now. I do also have some Sunwarrior which I will start taking when training hard again, currently having a weeks rest and was using whey protein before.

I don't count calories but am looking at it again now with planning my meals. Whats the best and simple healthy vegan meals & snacks?

My concern is eating too many carbs with the beans, lentils, rice and then too much fruit with the sugar. But then again you have just made me realize I am not going to really know what happens until I try and see how my body reacts as we are all unique. Its all about moderation.

I need to make a start and I want to because for so long now I feel like my body and non vegan eating is not me on the in side..does that make sense!!! But getting out of the whole is proving more difficult that planned...however I won't give up!!!

Any more advice welcome and so far it has opened my eyes up further..thank you x

One last thing, you can gather as much as theoretical knowledge as you like. But it's pretty much useless without testing it yourself. "Knowing is doing", you learn when experiencing. So start and see what works best for you. I think you already have couple pointers.

Thanks for the question...really helping, more than you realize.

Do you mind me asking, what do you do Alex? Loads of knowledge you have

Back to your questions..real eye openers for me

1. Do you want to get rid of that habit ? It's sounds as any addiction pattern. Creating a sense of lack is not a good thing.
Find out what do you gain from keeping that habit ? Is that just a good feeling? Is there something else you can eat or do to satisfy that need? Will it make you feel good once you accomplished your goal?

Its definitely a addiction and if I don't do anything about it it will get worse. I have a slightly addictive personality especially when I latch onto something that makes me feel good. But now its more of a need.
If I keep the habit I know I will become happy especially physically with my body, sluggish, not looking after it, weight gain, risk of diabetes and so on...
Could eat a nakd raw bar or a banana instead I guess, or some other healthy vegan snack.
Achieving my goal would be amazing and then I could go on to inspire others

2. How did you cut on coke? What helped you cutting on coke ?
Cutting coke I am not sure. I just decided and took myself out of that environment and it then got easy, the cravings went. Thats what frustrates me I think with the sugar foods side of things.

3. You said you eat lots of chocolate and you worry about fruits ? If you cut the chocolate and the processed sugar you can eat fruits. Just to show you fruits are way better than any processed sugar. I eat fruits all day long and I have 13% fat. You can worry about cutting fruits amounts only when your Nutrition is already optimal and you wanna prepare for some kinda contest.
You are so right, and its time to change that mindset!!! I have to say 13% body fat thats brilliant, well done and I know your a guy but whats your secret? Is it genetics as well that has helped, like a fast metabolism?

4. You could use a software like Cron-O-meter to count your Calories. That will at least give you a clue on how much Calories and macro Nutrients you eat. You could start with Veggies, Fruits, Whole grains(buckwheat, quinoa, etc...), legumes, some nuts and seeds. If you wanna go a bit more processed you can try some soy, tofu products.

I will look at that software and did try one before but was more hassle to use, not simple.
I really want to start eating wholesome food so that's where I will begin. What do you use to flavour foods..things like onions, garlic, balsamic vinegar?
What about spelt?

5. That's called Cognitive dissonance between the way you are and the way you wanna be. You solve it by closing that gap.
That's the most important part in all of this. You have to make your desirable outcome specific, important, appealing enough. That it will give you the drive to start moving towards it.

So by becoming specific with my outcome, and the importance to me will help close this gap that needs to be closed? how do you deal with Cognitive dissonance?

I found it made sense what you said and something I need to do. I do have a vision but maybe not as strong as I thought. I am guessing I should be visualizing everyday which i know I am not doing?

6. How bad you wanna reach your goal? Why you want it? Can you picture yourself reaching it? What will it give you once you achieved your outcome? How will it make you feel? Just questions to ask yourself answer these for yourself.
I will do these asap and take time of them away from distraction. Really helpful!!

Plan of action for next few days, then is to plan a few healthy vegan meals and snacks I can have over the week. Looking at that software you mentioned.
Questioning myself
my big WHY
Visualizing me achieving my goal
Find ways to break the habit
awareness of my actions

One question for you Alex, how do you deal with people making comments about your healthy eating and begin vegan?

Cheers Alex