Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Well I finally got around to registering around here. I've been meaning to do this for some time.

I became interested in fitness back in 2008 when I decided to get serious about self-improvement. I was dealing with a lot of depression and self-esteem issues back then and I had read in many places that working out was a great way to overcome those problems. I asked around on the internet for some exercise advise and I was directed to Scooby1961's YouTube channel. It was great. The only thing holding me back from working out was my lack of knowledge and with Scooby's help I was able to learn the basics of nutrition and lifting. His channel and website are great for beginners. I still watch him all the time.

After watching Scooby's videos I made it my 2009 New Year's resolution to get fit. I went out and bought myself a weight set and some whey powder and hit the weights regularly. I scheduled out everything: my meals, my work out times, my sleep. I was more disciplined than I ever had been in my life. By that summer I had more energy and strength than I had ever known. The comments I got from others really made me proud of myself.

Then life changed. In the fall of 2009 I decided to move across the country. It was a move that I thought would be great for me and my decision to better myself. It was a good idea and I certainly don't regret it, but it took a huge toll on my fitness life. My move was rather spontaneous and I didn't have a job upon arriving here. With the market as tight as it was and with little job skill built up, I really struggled to find work. I was fortunate to find a full-time job working overnight at a local grocery store. I never thought I'd work overnight in my life, but I had to do what I had to do to make the bills. I thought I would be able to keep up the fitness routine with my crazy schedule but it just didn't work out. Hell, I was hardly able to keep an eating and sleeping schedule down. Before I knew it, my fitness days were over.

Things only became more difficult when I was introduced to veganism the following year. I certainly don't regret my lifestyle change but veganism has made it difficult for me to keep on any weight. When I first got into fitness I was 6' and about 150-155 lbs. Pretty skinny. But when I went to the doctor this past summer I measured in at 138 lbs! I've noticed some pretty big changes in the way I look as well. My face looks a bit gaunt and my legs have gotten very scrawny. My shoulders, traps, arms, chest, and wrists are all as tiny as they can get. People have told me that I don't look healthy. As a single guy, I'm know that all of this is really hurting me in the dating market, which is the worst part of all.

It's now January 2013 and my overall body image has gone from bad to worse. I look back at January 2009 and all the dedication I had back then and wonder what my body would look like now had I stayed on course. It's frustrating and at times depressing. Fortunately, I left my night job a few months ago (I'm still unemployed) and I'm hoping to get back in the game. I'm approaching 30 and I want to be able to have some pictures of myself that I can be proud of. Right now, I look like a scarecrow in pictures and I hate looking at my profile in the mirror.

I've made a couple of attempts to get back on track but I'm finding it a lot more difficult than before because of my diet and lifestyle changes. Back in 2009 I had my own studio apartment, so preparing and storing food was easy. Now I'm living on the 3rd floor of a shared house with limited storage and refrigerator space. I'm not able to leave things out like I used to either. Food preparation has become a real hassle in my new place and I'd love to leave, but I won't be able to move until I have a job again and have some money to burn, which won't be for a while it seems. I'd hate to have to wait until then to start getting fit. I want to be able to take off my shirt this summer!

So that is my story. I don't want to get huge or even become a bodybuilder, but I do want to look and feel healthy and strong. I want to look good in the mirror and I want to get compliments again. I want to look back on my youth and be proud of the young, confident, and strong man I was.

I came to this forum after running into Robert at a veggie conference and I'm hoping to get some nutritional help from the community here. I feel pretty confident in my ability to lift and otherwise do the hard work, but the diet and food preparation part has become a roadblock. I'd like to avoid supplements when possible and stick to a whole-food natural diet where I can. I'm not sure if that's possible since I need to gain so much weight, but that's what I'm working for. Also, I want to be "functionally strong" and not just "look good". I would like to get tips on full-body and body-weight exercises for all-around strength and endurance. I want those "skinny muscles" that I've heard so much about!

It's great to meet you guys. I hope I can learn a lot here and contribute as much as I learn. Thanks for everything in advance.

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"B" is for "Broccoli"...that's good enough for me.

Nice! A serious, in depth intro. I like the broccoli monster too ha. Welcome to our community officially, glad to see you got around to registering!

-Dylan

Hello and welcome. Thanks for the intro.

I can imagine how living with other people would put a damper on food storage, prep etc... that would be tuff.

What types of foods do you normally eat? How do you think you lost so much weight? I haven't lost any, so I'm always curious about that. (not that I want to lose).

You mentioned you prefer whole-food natural diet and I agree that nutritionally that is best.. but for convenience and to get some extra protein calories in, you may want to consider adding Vega or Sun Warrior powders. Vega says it is whole-foods based and Sunwarrior is whole food and raw. Otherwise perhaps more nuts and avocados in your diet could be helpful. They are healthy, but high in fat. It's important to include some healthy fats everyday so that your body can absorb fat soluble vitamins and minerals. Personally I eat a lot of rice, pasta and potatoes... I realize they are not the best foods, but they are not bad either .. and I suspect they are what keeps me from losing any weight.

Getting healthy and strong are awesome goals.. same goals as mine.

btw 'C' is for Cookie is my dog's favorite song. She sings it with me (barks). Of course she gets a dog cookie at the end every time.

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If it's important to you, you'll find a way. If it isn't, you'll find an excuse.

Well, "normal" eating isn't something I do, honestly. I'm one of those people who could easily do one meal and a couple snacks through the day, with an occasional binge. I have a bad habit of accidentally starving myself by being lazy, indecisive about what I want, or just being distracted. Some would envy my ability to do this, but it's been a curse to me. It's really killed my ability to look healthy. Back when I was working out I was really enjoying having a set schedule. I even had a Monday-Friday, 9-5 job which made things even easier. I think I might have been denying myself the necessary calories to grow back then though.

One of my other problems, one that you happened to mention, is that I really haven't focused on getting good fats in my system. One of the things I noticed when I first went vegan was how low fat everything I ate was. It was like I was eating diet food all the time. I tried to focus on getting an avocado in me every day but that clearly isn't sufficient for my caloric needs.

I think one of my biggest goals for getting fit is to find a system of routinely getting my daily fat intake. If I continue to eat what I want, when I want, I'll never get the amount that I need and exercising will be a waste of time. I'll just continue to lose weight.

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"B" is for "Broccoli"...that's good enough for me.