Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

I am just some guy on the internet with no credentials but I think your diet is half of the reason you are not making gains. The other half could be your exercise routine. At least you are vegan and you are trying. Props to you! Do you not like to eat leafy greens? If you can handle pea protein you can surely handle kale and spinach. Maybe your green smoothie is the sole source? I also say cut out all of the wheat. The other grains are plenty. If you gotta have an apple make it a granny smith. Drop the peanut butter and use almond butter and walnut. Dates are also at bottom of my list. Easy on the nanners too. I also think your calories are through the roof. If you are at a wall you sound like a good candidate for intermittent fasting. Eat only during an 8 hour window and drink only water and tea for 16 hours (details at leangains.com if interested). Try something simple at the gym for a month like squat day, dead lift day, and bench day with a day of rest between or light cardio. Do 4 sets of 5 reps and only be able to complete 3 or so on last set. My critique may be wrong, but I am just some guy on the internet with no credentials... So feel free to critique my critique.

Yeah the shake is where I get my greens, how many calories do you suggest? Im not at a wall I'm only still finding my feet, and how does fasting help? Surely if your hungry you should eat

I think eliminating ALL wheat would get you into the 2500 range. I think a lot of effort is used battling the GMO that some call "wheat" these days. How does fasting help? That's what I said not long ago. Though many have success with traditional frequent meals and eating wheat, they could possibly make their journey a lot easier. The world is not flat after all... Even if you don't try it, you owe it to yourself to look into intermittent fasting (IF). Lots of threads on various forums in which initially skeptical minds converted to IF with great results. Check out leangains.com it is at the very least an interesting read.

so whats your typical days nutrition? there are only 240 cals of carbs from wheat in my diet, so why do you fast?

For the last 5 weeks pretty low. I only drink tea and water until noon. 5 minute before lunch I do an apple cider vinegar (ACV) shot. Lunch is usually spinach, broccoli, cabbage, avacado with olive oil/ACV garlic dressing. Maybe some nuts and algae (Chlorella/spirulina) around 2. Drink a shake around 3 (half before and half after workout) with almond or coconut milk, blueberries, kale, vega or similar, bcaa+g, creatine. Dinner at 5 or 6 similar to lunch but add beans, wild rice, asparagus, brussel sprouts, sometimes tofu, etc.. Maybe nuts and algae to snack 7 or so. At 8pm I drink a half shake and don't eat again until noon the next day. I take a couple supps here and there, glutamine, reversatrol etc. but don't sweat it to go without for months. I might pick up the calories if I feel the need but at the moment just enjoying getting lean and feeling peppy!

I don't have an allergy to wheat but I did find I have a sensitivity to wheat through process of elimination. Shoot I think everyone does! Then I discovered a book called "Wheat Belly" that more than reaffirmed my belief about wheat. You are a healthy guy, it would only take you a few days to get over wheat withdrawls if you stopped cold turkey. And I mean ALL wheat. Then when you get hungry it will be just that, hunger, and not a craving for empty calories. Then IF is easy. As far as why I fast. Well because it makes me lose fat, feel good, and still gain muscle. Get the biological details of why and how IF works at www.leangains.com I never would have thought I would promote such a concept a year ago.

Low calorie intake and putting on muscle just doesn't add up, what gains have you made? And you seem to be taking alot of supplements, why not just get the nutrition from your food?

Lately only supps are BCAA+G and Vega. I don't consider algae a supplement and I sometimes eat handfulls like candy. Lately minimal gains, mainly cut fat (198-182 so far). Will up the Cals a bit soon when reach target weight of 175 in attempt to reach 185 with muscle. But even then 2000 calories in an 8 hour window should be fine. Did you check out that link?

Oh I don't count algae as a support either it's a whole food and I eat it every day, yeah I checked it out but no offence it seems like hokum to me, it's natural to graze through out the day, and I'd rather listen to my body, plus I'm trying to gain mass not lose it, I don't have much fat on me to lose as it is

Plus I've only just started this diet, before I was just eating well but not consistent and not keeping track of the numbers so wasn't gaining any mass

Yah I guess it is natural to graze these days. I don't think our species evolved with the luxury of grazing. They were forced to fast constantly. Calorie restriction and fasting is the most sure fire way to add years to life. I am not a fan of either but not eating for 6 hours in the morning is no great stretch for me and I now enjoy the feeling. I think their are several on this site who benefit from IF.

And here it is... viewtopic.php?f=6&t=19399&hilit=fasting

As a species we only fasted because there was no other option, now food is in abondance it's not a problem, I'm not saying gorge yourself, but calorie restriction isn't healthy, you havnt said what mass gains you've made with fasting

I don't do calorie restriction, but restricting calories is about the healthiest thing on the planet. Google it. http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2001 ... lained.php

I have been concentrating on losing fat but I am sure I have reconstituted a couple pounds of muscle in the process. It has only been 5 weeks since starting IF but I am happy with gains so far. MANY have gained muscle while losing fat through IF'ing.

Calorie restriction for longevity and IF while gaining muscle are both FACTS. You asked for advice. Look into each concept and be amazed as I was. Or be content worrying about falling off the edge of the earth...

I'll put it simply, how many kilos of muscle have you put on whilst fasting