Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Ya. I'm actually the healthiest of everyone I know and have more muscle than any of my female friends. But I want a lot more and hate tofu, tempeh and fake meats so the protein powder boost will be nice. I'm also finding them quite filling which is an extra bonus!

Why is it so important what other people are thinking? Does an omnivore bodybuilder have thoughts about "cheating" when taking protein powders? And even if people are thinking vegans do have to take protein shakes to get enough protein... I couldn't care any less. I explain it to them (the whole weight lifting thing) and if they get it, it's fine. If not, they're obviously not able to get a very simple thing into their brains.

You are right Mufflon, but it is not so much what they think, but how annoying it is and how pissed i can get. I didn't feel like i was at a point yet where i HAD to take protein powder for more muscle so i was wondering if it was worth the trouble..but i decided to start taking it and see how it goes.

I'd prefer taking in my protein without powders, however, I noticed two things:

1) My calorie count is too high when taking in 2 g of protein per kg of lean body mass without protein powders

2) Omnivores often seem to face the same dilemma or they eat a diet so full of lean meat they're barely able to look at it anymore

Protein powders enable both vegans and omnivores to relax a bit about protein intake and planning. I'm convinced it would be healthier to eat all natural foods but I admit that I'm not able to be consistent with that.

I take protein powders to keep increasing my muscle size faster. I was eating a decent vegan diet (about 3000 calories, 65 grams of protein), and hitting the weights really heavy. But I noticed that I would be sore the next day from the bodypart that I worked out, and the next, and the next. In fact, it would take a good week for the worked bodypart to feel normal again. When I added the protein powder to my diet (in between the meals), I would work the bodypart heavy once again, and be sore the next day, but the day after that it would get less sore, and it was already on the third day that it would be feeling normal again. So in my case, it speed up the time of recovery for me. So I can go without it, but why would I when I can repair my muscles faster? And it really is faster for the bigger bodyparts: legs, back, and chest - perhaps the shoulders too in my case.

sorry to bump an old thread, but wondering what your results were after taking the protein powder, Jessica? Did you see a difference?

Thanks.

Hey . i do think it has helped me. I have gained a lot of muscle since this thread started haha. I usually take about 2 scoops a day when i go to the gym. before and after my work out and i also somtimes drink a protein banana spinach smoothie for breakfast instead of my usual oatmeal. I do think they are a great and stressfree way to keep protein intake up when working out, i definetely recommend it for those trying to build lots of muscle, i'm really glad i decided to take it =).

Welcome to the community here Jessica. I'll jump in with my 2 cents and agree with what most everyone is saying. Protein powders are a crazy fad right now and everyone seems to think they need to be taking them. Even the meat eaters out there seem to be wolfing them down. If you are trying to build seriously they can be helpful but don't fall into the marketing scheme that you need them just because you are working out and want to get fit.

-Dylan

Ya, if i wasn't really trying to build muscle i wouldn't bother with them. I never had any problems getting protein before as a vegan or vegetarian but they are a nice low calorie and convenient way for me to get a nice protein boost and i work out almost purely for vanity so it does help to be able to get a high amount of protein to support muscle growth while not consuming too many calories. X)

Ya, if i wasn't really trying to build muscle i wouldn't bother with them. I never had any problems getting protein before as a vegan or vegetarian but they are a nice low calorie and convenient way for me to get a nice protein boost and i work out almost purely for vanity so it does help to be able to get a high amount of protein to support muscle growth while not consuming too many calories. X)

The ultimate scarcity is not protein, but time:

* Time to cook,
* Time to eat, and,
* Time to digest.

Protein powder saves time under all three headings.

I have just joined the forum , having just looked for information regarding Vegans taking Protein powder. The first thread i read was the question from Jessica.veggiegirl . So this is a reply to those posts really . Hi Jessica . I have just started into a Vegan diet , and am obviously trying to keep clear of anything Dairy or Meat sourced . Being a beginner at this , and also going to the Gym etc , I need as much info as I can get . I would like to boost my intake of Protein obviously and do not know of which protein powders I should be looking to buy . I am worried that a lot of those advertised would be sourced from Animals? etc . What Protein powders or supplements do you use ? or should I use . I regularly use the Gym , but have felt very tired etc since giving up Meat and Dairy products . I need all the help I can get lol

Welcome to the Forum, Flash =)

About your question on ProteinPowders:
There are good threads about it:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=35126
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15795&start=105
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=35036
A good place to shop for vegan proteins is www.veganproteins.com . This shop is owned by two members of this forum.

About being tired:
You have to adjust your diet to see what works best for you.
- Try eating some fats, like avocados, nuts and so on
- Try eating tons of fruits
- Try eating lots of carbs, like rice, pasta...

Different bodies answer differently to every diet. There are lots of journals here where you can take a look at different diets to come up with good ideas =)

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Thanks , maybenot , that was a great help ; )

That's thanks to maybenot , not maybenot thanks - - - I think - - -

anyway

Thanks

; )

ur welcome

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