Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Because taking down stats every day and posting them has a deleterious effect on my verve, I only weigh myself and unroll the cold measuring tape twice a year. (Why is that damned tape always so cold?) Seeing the large numbers of improvement this way inspires me. I never set any particular goals, just do the best I can and then reward the hell out of myself by strutting around like I'm all that. Strutting is great for the quads.

I take one reading on December 18th, which is my birthday and therefor New Year's Eve for this particular body, and I take the other one midway through on June 18th. I waited for some serious injuries (a separated shoulder and several traumatic brain injuries) to smooth out this year, then jumped back in this past summer.

From June 18th, 2011, to December 18th, 2011

dropped 32 pounds,
15 total inches,
increased my strength by an average of 300%,
increased my cardio strength by an average of 400%,
went from walking a slow, flat half mile to running 2 miles of fartlek training on hills
went from hiking 1.5 miles to 11.5 miles
went from biking 3 miles to 15+ miles
completed my goal of hiking the entire Forest Park trail system, 180+ miles in two months (see website below)



See you in June.

Baby Herc

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Well done on your results too, awesome work!

Thanks, Simi! It was fun.

Baby Herc

It's June 18th, time for my custom biannual progress report. This segment, I spent most of my time tweaking my diet and smoothing out mental stuff, effectively removing the brakes from my desires.

In the dietary realm, I learned that the phrase "one size fits all" definitely does NOT apply to me. Just being raw vegan, just being vegan, or just being vegetarian doesn't cut it. The perfect system for me is to be predominantly raw vegan but eating cooked stuff here and there when a craving calls for it. Occasional monthly dips into vegetarian fare actually increases my health and well-being rather than sabotaging it. The key has been to dip lightly, never lingering too long on any one food. Listening to inner signals and adamantly ignoring all outside chatter from the peanut gallery works 100% of the time.

The mental stuff is sort of a mental/physical combo. I learned that cutting out things that I love in order to save money backfires in such a way that I become depressed and make even less money. Hiking is the big one, I cannot do without that. It's easier not to breathe for six months than go without a full day of solitude deep in the wild. Another was a lesson relearned while on a hike: people who suck sap my energy. I actually feel weaker and perform worse when I am trapped in any conversation that doesn't make me smile and laugh. I also recover quicker and suffer less DOMS when I exercise with people who lift my spirits. From now on, I'm on a Cool People Diet.

Now that I have all that insight tucked away, it's full steam ahead to December 18th.

Baby Herc

Hope you had an awesome birthday!

Thanks for all your great contributions to our community!

All the best!

Thanks, Robert, my half-birthday was pretty good. Celebrated by upping my weights in the gym. My full birthday on December 18th will be amazing.

Baby Herc

Haven't seen you post for a while, used to see you post in the beer thread all the time. How have you been?