Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Summer 2006 (145)/Spring 2007 (122)

I've been maintaining 122 since the Spring of 2007 even though I changed to a vegan diet the beginning of 2008. I eat between 1100-1300 cal everyday (mostly from fruit and whole grains). I run 3-5 miles everyday and do weight training 3 times a week. I can't lose weight anymore and it is so frustrating. I was on Zoloft for 5 years and once I read that it causes weight gain and messes up metabolisms I stopped using it. I don't know if this post is appropriate for the forum but I really do need help. I feel like I should weigh a lot less given the amount that I exercise and eat.

People keep telling me I have to eat meat to lose weight, but I know that that is not the answer. Does anyone have any advice?[/img]

Those people are full of it. Why are meat eaters so bent on getting us to eat flesh with them? Sheesh.

By the way, Lizzie, you are too cute. I love your pics!

When our bodies start reaching a more normal weight, they start to plateau. What you gotta do is kick it's ass! I've weighed 120 for a long time and always felt I should weigh less as well. I want to be leaner, but we all do right? I haven't weighed myself in a long time because it frustrates me.
I'm losing weight now, but not in a healthy way. I've been very depressed due to the weather (rainy and cold in June.. What a downer) and I lost my job. When I get depressed, I don't eat. Seeing as you just recently gave up Zoloft, I hope the same thing doesn't happen to you. I just recently gave up Prozac. I was also on it for about 5 years and I'm having a hard time without it right now ><

Usually what I suggest to people that plateau is to change your routine. The body gets used to the same thing everyday and adapts to it. Try interval training, plyometrics, circuit training, or increasing the intensity of your weight training. Sign up for a difficult fitness class where you know you'll be pushed the extra mile. Just do something different. I have a subscription to Oxygen, a women's fitness magazine. It's full of great ideas.

I'd just like to say that I think 120lbs is a very healthy weight for a normal sized woman (5'3" - 5'7"). I know our culture tends to make it seem like the ideal is a lot skinnier, but sheesh, I think those bean-poles are far less attractive. It is simply not healthy, and healthy/vibrant is what is attractive, not attaining some ridiculously low weight goal and sacrificing good health and a strong body to get there.

Your after picture looks great. You look healthy. The amount of weight you're carrying looks perfect for your frame, any less would start to look unhealthy. Don't lose anymore weight. Your body is signaling to you that this is a good weight for it. Listen to your body.

I'm 5 feet tall. No inches. I'm overweight.

Sorry, nope, you're well within the normal weight range for an active person your height. Considering how much you run/weight train, you're going to have more muscle than most women your height. Muscle weighs more than fat.

I'm not trying to be insensitive, I'm just trying to tell you how I see it.

Your caloric intake is not nearly enough to support the exercise regimen you're putting your body through. This forces your body into starvation mode and it will try and retain fat/produce stress hormones in response (it's called ketosis, look it up, it's been the basis for many fad diets such as Atkins over the years, and ketosis is why people who do this to their bodies don't hold on to the weight loss they achieve, and why such fad diets are generally bad for your health). You need to eat enough calories to more properly sustain your activity levels to prevent this response and keep your body healthy.

Health, strength and vibrancy should be your goals for dieting and exercise, not attaining some arbitrary weight goal that doesn't make sense for what your body is telling you it needs.

Again, I apologize if I sound insensitive, and I hope you'll at least consider what I'm saying before dismissing it entirely. You look great at 120, and you'll feel better, healthier and happier if you focus more on health and strength and stop judging yourself by the pound.

Awesome photos! Great transformation!

I say like Robert, great transformation, really.
Saying you're now "overweight" is a bit too much. Maybe you can lose another 5lbs, but it doesn't really matter, you look like not skinny and not fat, just perfect. Even though I know what you mean, I too have a normal weight, but I want to be leaner, at least for this summer, eventhough it's just to see how I would look if I was very skinny... For women I suppose weight is even more of an obsession. For me, I don't care having a few extra pounds, it's just like a challenge, and for cleaning my organism.

If your weight is maintaining at 120lbs with only 1000-1500 cals per day, I guess it's because it is indeed your ideal weight. But
if you have a hard time losing the few pounds you feel you still need to lose, perhaps the only way is to do a fasting for a week or two. Only fruits for some days, then only fruit juice for like 2 days, then only veggies, then green smoothies, you can put some proteins in those, then only water for a day. If you see you lose more then 1 or 2 lbs per week, add some protein shakes, to avoid losing lean mass.
If you eat only cucumbers and cucumber salads for a day, then only celery, things like that, it's impossible not to lose weight. Otherwise it's because of a hormonal reason. Good thing you stopped taking that medication. You can prevent or heal everything with foods. If you eat some omega-3 (like from flax seeds for instance) every week, it's gonna give better results then Prozac and things like that, and without any side effetcs.

Some people say also that eating only raw, living foods, the body always gain or lose weight until reaching the ideal weight.

But remember that after a very low calorie diet or fasting, it is almost certain you will gain some weight back if :
if it's not your ideal weight
or if you get back to your previous calorie intake too fast without any transition

If I eat more than 1200 cal I gain weight.

I don't understand how some people can get on an elliptical for 20 minutes, three times a week and be thin. I was at the beach today and I was so embarrassed because all the the girls were so thin. I'll stop with the insecurity.

If I did eat 1400-1600 cal a day, would my body adjust to that and would I start losing again?

And thank you for the exercise advice. I will try to do two interval workouts a week. I've been thinking about it, but I've been putting it off.

Great transformation. I think you look great and don't need to lose any more weight.

I too was on SSRIs for quite a while and gained 20kg during that time as I was getting no exercise and eating too much. I have lost all that extra fat now, do daily strength, cardio and stretches, have gained some muscle and generally feel really good.

I will never go back onto medication now that I know how much exercise and diet really do help. I have recently also discovered MBCT - Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy, which is basically using meditation to be more aware (compassionate, welcoming and curious) of thoughts and feelings in the present moment (instead of avoiding or fighting against unwanted feelings). If you're interested, I highly recommend this book and CD of guided meditations.

You look great as you are. Don't change a thing.

Thanks for the support.

The juice/fruit/water fast is a good idea. I don't know if I can stick to it for 2 weeks as I am prone to eating too much when I'm really really hungry. Plus, could I keep running while on a fast. I feel like I would not have enough energy. I'll look into it for sure.

Seriously, thanks though I feel a lot better and motivated to keep going.

You look incredible! I don't think you need to lose any more weight either. But if you really want to I'm Your Man gave some good advice on fasting.

Girl you look absolutely fantastic! Word cannot express how wonderful your transformation is. Muscle weights more than fact and by what you do i'm pretty sure you have a decent amount of lbm. You can't go by weight, you have to go by body mass and how you look. As far as your calories, theat is a very restricted intake. Odd, sure you aren't taking in more than you think? Dressings on salad, other things, calories find their way into your diet without you even realizing it.



A fast would be a very good idea but what you do afterwards is twice as impt as the fast yourself. Don't gorge when you're done even though you'll want to or you'll be worse off than when you started it. Stay disciplined. You can even do a 'feast' not a 'fast'

you can check out the blog on my signature for ideas and if you have any questions concerning on the undertakings or doing one, feel free to pm me with as many questions as your heart desires and I will be more than happy to help you.

Still want to end this post with a total GREAT JOB !

I'm sure I only take in 1000-1200. I measure all of my serving sizes and I write it all down. I'm very anal about it.

I'm also pretty sure that being on Zoloft for so long messed up my body and specifically my metabolism, there really is no other way to explain it.

I had a trainer for a while who told me that I wasn't losing weight because I didn't eat meat. And then he suggested that I drink 5-6 cups of green tea. While I think green tea is fantastic and good for you, I don't think it's going to make me lose weight. So I got rid of the guy.

The meds will def do it as well. I wasn't barking at you on the cal count just being certain.

I also 4got to mention about the energy level on the fast or feast. I did a 7 day fast in january 3days water 4 days juice and right now i'm on day 11 of a feast and i had/have unlimited amounts of energy, even more so then usual. To give you an idea, between cardio and training, i have been averaging around 2 1/2 - 4 hrs each day and i kick myself out the gym on purpose to rest. There energy will be there......

haha, I know.

Juicing sounds like hard work because you have to make it yourself with a bunch of ingredients that I have never seen in a store. I'm sure I can find it all somewhere.

Here's a story: I worked at a deli last year (I was a vegetarian at the time) and this man came in and said he was doing a "detox". He then ordered egg whites with feta cheese and a few veggies on whole wheat. I couldn't believe he thought that this was a way to detox. I bet it did not work too well.

Also, a rather large woman came in with her 3 kids who were all allergic to soy and when I told her I eat a lot of tofu and soy products she said "that's not good for you, research is going to come out soon to prove it". She doesn't eat soy because she's allergic, just like someone with a nut allergy doesn't eat nuts. I told her that tofu has been around for thousands of years and if there was something wrong with it, people would have stopped eating it long ago.

That's it.

*I have no friends to tell these stories to so please don't mind me.