Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

I've put on about 5-7lbs since I had to stop working out (about mid-April) due to 5-6 dislocated ribs, which are also causing problems with my cervical and lumbar spines. I've never been able to manage my weight with diet, as I always relied on exercise. When I exercise, I can lose up to 1lb per day (and that's after the initial "water weight" stage...not to mention I drink a ton of water).

Anyway, I don't like this gain. I feel bloated, one pair of pants is starting to fit tighter, etc.. I never liked the idea of managing weight with diet alone because it leaves a person with a flabbier body as an exercise-free body has no reason to keep the muscle mass on there. Dumb question time: are there any foods, caloric intakes, or anything else that you might have heard of that I can do to spare the muscle loss and lose more fat?

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"Society places too great a gap between its warriors and philosophers." -Unknown

When I was less after a month ago I was taking in 1500 calories (1000 below my maintence) and it helped me keep any extra weight off. I would suggest getting your diet SUPER strict, at least in terms of when you have food. I was eating three square 400 calorie meals and 3 80 calorie snacks. That's something in your stomach every two hours (for fourteen hours total being awake). ANYWAY, haha, I'd suggest that.

Realisitically if you aren't working out your muscles won't maintain their current size for any length of time. But as soon as you're able to get back to it they'll spring back to shape in no time. Just keep things regimented until you can hit the weights again and you'll be fine. My meals went like this:

Full meal = ½ cup rice, 2 cups of defrosted frozen mixed winter vegetables, and three slices of lightly sauted tofu with a miso/curry paste coating.

Snack = Apple -or- Banana -or- 26cc roughly (one small scoop) of your perferred protein powder

And of course tea is a freebee, so go crazy with that (I had to drink maté from time to time to quell cravings).


Hope some of that helps.

The body is a wonderful thing and has memory. So you will be able to get back to your size in short order once you begin to lift again. In the mean time do as Nathan suggested. Strict Diet intake, don't consume calories that your body can't use.

I hope you are well soon!

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I tell people I'm too stupid to know what's impossible. I have ridiculously large dreams, and half the time they come true.

Can you still walk well? You could always just walk more places and be able to take in extra calories that way too if you feel the need. I suggest it just because I notice if I'm strict with my diet, it can take some time before I can start really packing away the calories again to bulk (ie I lose my appetite).

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www.facebook.com/OhDid

"Look at what a green thumb this guy has, he just throws plants in water and they root!"
- A good friend talking about my basil cuttings

raw vegan diet tends to have a very high nutrient to calorie ratio. At one point in my life i was taking in around 700-800 calories with no detrimental effects other than losing some fat. I would think you need more than that if you are healing. the amino to calorie ratio is pretty sweet too.

I use a cane to walk, and have trouble standing. Good suggestion, though.



As for the rest of the posts, thanks. I'm having a hard time accepting all this but keep telling myself that it's temporary...once the doc gets the ribs back in place, I'll be able to exercise again. I've come to terms with the muscle memory thing and will just pay more attention to my diet. Out of anger, part of me just wants to stop eating altogether (and having pain so bad that I throw up several times a day from it doesn't help), but I know just how stupid that is.

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"Society places too great a gap between its warriors and philosophers." -Unknown

SR, i'm sorry, I forgot... is swimming an option for you?

Maybe at this point, if you wanna lose a few pounds, just calculate how many calories you're using every day, and eat a couple hundred or whatever under that...

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Radical simply means "grasping things at the root." - Angela Davis

You can do a lot simply by measuring out your food to avoid taking in too much energy:

http://beforewisdom.com/blog/?p=255

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• Vegan Mock Meats At Subway? Make It Happen!
• Finding Reliable Vegan Nutrition Information

"The plural of anecdote is not data." (Roger Brinner)

Where have you been ? Welcome back BW

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Robert wrote:
My knee muscles look totally sweet where I'm holding my weiner.