Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Hi there. I'm now 31 years old. 3 years ago I was 220 pounds and really fat. Then I got a problem with my tooth, which required a surgery and lost about 50 pounds in a few months. I was vegetarian at the time, but I ate very unhealthy. After I lost some weight I listened to a friend's advice to start training ( I was never into sports before that). I started with fitness, then running. It wasn't until last summer, when I got consulted by a nutritionist and got an individual program. It was two weeks of raw food with a 3 day water fasting in between and gradually including some cooked food. I list another 25 pounds and I'm currently at 157 pounds, whch sounds good considering I'm 5' 9" tall. The problem is that about 18% of that are fat and they don't seem to decrease (i got them to 14% during the fasting period). I do a similar but shorter periods 3-4 times a year and this Summer did one a bit longer, but only lasted 1 day on water.

However, I seem to be stuck at some point and I don't see any progress (at least not in my front area )

Here's a set of photos I have taken through the years.


And a photo of my back (just took it. I don't have begore photos, but I do like what's happening there (at least above the waist).


I usually go to the gym 3 times a Week, but recently started going only two times, as I'm learning how to swim and go to the pool at least 2 times a week and also I was on raw food diet too. I also go to the local stadium and do some cardio (mostly rope jumping). I'm now planning to increase my power training to 3 times a week.

I do have some bowel issues (IBS) and a pretty nerve wrecking job (I do work at home most of the time though, but stay up late).

Main problems :
1. I eat late in the evening and usually crave sweet or fatty food - dates and bananas, or even those raw truffels I make (raw nuts and dried fruit and cocoa powder).
2. I sometimes forget to hydrate and end up drinking water not more than 5 minutes before a meal (not during or after).
3. I sometimes overeat - get hungry and eat too much on one meal.
4. I don't sleep well (probably because of IBS, stress and late night meals)

I do some yoga to relieve stress, nut not every day. I also should confess that up until now I've been a vegetarian (and still am) - I do eat some milk products, but not eggs. I have decided to stop eating cheese and milk and only use some raw butter only after cooking. I have decided to ditch gluten completely too.

Here's my diet :

Breakfast - carrot and ginger juice 500ml with some spirulina and/or pea protein
Some fruit and/or/or not raw chockolate "truffels" about 30 minutes after that.

Lunch : some steamed veggies/ rice/quinoa and some legumes, nicely boiled in a pressure cooker + raw veggies and nuts

Dinner is the same as lunch, with some fruit and raw chockolates ot a protein shake before that.

What goes wrong? Well - I sometimes wake up at 11AM, so the whole thing gets stretched to a 21PM or later dinne, which is BAD. I also forget to drink water sometimes and I also forget meals when I'm under a lot of work stress. I also eat a lot, especially on dinner, as It's usually after my fitness training. I do have a protein shake right after the workout, but that doesn't help my wolve's appetite. I also have to eat outside sometimes, which means I eat salt+modified fats, no matter how hard I try not to.

I recently have replaced one of my protein shakes (sometimes two) or the raw salad with a tomato-nutritional yeast-pea protein shake with lemon juice in it.

So basically - I try to eat a lot of protein, combined with carbs and some fat (mostly from the nuts/avocados and some butter), I try not to eat salt (I haven't eaten any salt, incl. hidden salt in two weeks now).


My goal - to be healthy and to reduce those 18% of fat to about 11-12% (I'm being realistic for now). Oh, and a six pack some time in the future, if that's actually possible with my life style and withut the help of "medications"

Nice progress, you've really tightened up and come a long way in the last 2 years!

-Dylan

Thank you for the motivation man! I do think I have a long way to go though. I need to bulk up a bit without adding too much belly fat, which in my case is almost impossible, or so I think.
My typical routine is 5-10 minutes cardio, some warmup and then 1 hour (sometimes more) training. I'm wondering if I should shorten my training sesions and go to the gym more often. My trainer thinks that 3 times a week is more than enough for me.

I'm sure your trainer has great advice, but listen to your body. Know one knows how your body is feeling, but you. Keep making Gainz