Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

So I am new here. I have recently gone vegetarian about a month ago and am now starting to go vegan (my diet is all vegan with the exception of eating eggs and whey maybe once or twice a week, at most). I really need to lose weight. What should I be eating exactly in order to lose a lot of body fat. (FYI: I used to eat a very high protein, very low carb diet several years ago and got down to my lowest weight ever...the diet was unsustanable and caused me to binge a lot, hence the weight gain). How much fruit and grains can I have? Should I just focus mostly on vegetables, beans, and legumes with a few servings of grains and fruit a day? I recently heard about the 811 diet...has anyone tried it? Is it more effective then a traditional vegan diet? If you eventually stop doing the 811 and convert to a basic vegan diet, will you gain the weight back?

Sorry for so many questions...I am just desperate to lose this extra weight as soon as possible. I'm so insecure about my weight I'm embarrassed to even go to the gym as a lot of people there have seen me before in excellent shape and will wonder what the heck happened I've been going a few days a week, but I hit the cardio room and steer away from the weight room, which used to be like a second home to me. I really just need to find a sustainable and effective diet asap so I can start feeling good about myself again.

Hi missykay I'm not one of the "experts" on here as I only have a minimum amount of experience and expertise as others on here but I can tell you my experience from being both vegan for a little over a year and then being 811 raw for a few months.

I hadn't had a lot of extra weight when I started being vegan so there wasn't much weight to loose really. I just felt better and ALL the problems associated with my meat eating diet (worst problems were with dairy) went away.

Fast forward to when I went raw I began to eat a lot of fruits. I in fact ate more fruits than veggies so I guess its safe to say I was an 811 raw fruitarian? By that time I had bulked a lot through bodybuilding and had gone back to meat eating (eating crap on top of that) and I went up to around 210. When I went 811 I lost 35 lbs and got down to a nice 175. I still had some to go but I felt I wasn't going to get enough protein doing raw, and went straight back to animal products to get the overload of proteins I thought I needed for another bulk cycle.

Despite going back to that type of eating I NEVER gained all the weight back, although I haven't been too long off of the raw diet. I got back up to about 190 and then went back down and I have been going up and down between 188-190 until now. Part of that weight gain I know is from supplementing with creatine, which I stopped using today (along with going back to being vegan).

So the water weight from that will be lost, and I know I'll lose the fat I gained back also. I think part of my deal is some kind of inflammation because part of that "fat", for me, is body fluid (aside from the creatine water). This could be a symptom of dairy allergies.

For myself, I know how I felt during every type of diet, and there is no disputing the fact that I felt the best during the 811. However, I suggest doing a lot of reading if you go that route because some do not do well on it after an extended amount of time if not done right and I was again only on it for a few months. Perhaps it was good for a detox and that's it. And for your weight loss it may serve that purpose well also. I know it did for mine!

Anyway just my .02.

I know others who actually know what they're talking about will chime in and help you on here.

I'm new here too and its great to see other n00bs here besides me!

Today is my first day going back to being vegan. I already am prepared enough to stop eating animal products NOW and now is a better time than ever! I started out the first time doing it for health, mainly. But I also am aware of the INSANITY which is factory farming, and that has fueled my decision to go ahead and do this TODAY and go from there. I just can't contribute to the suffering of these poor creatures any longer!

Anyway so welcome from another n00b!

David

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High carb, low fat, whole foods. Any questions?

Thanks for the great reponse, David! You actually answered a lot of my questions I think I will stick to a traditional vegan diet this month, just to get used to eating this way and making it a lifestyle change, and then next month do the 811 diet to lose the extra weight and then go back to a regular vegan diet. The fact that you lost weight and said you felt great on the 811 pretty much has me set on trying it for at least a few months. Not sure if I'd do it forever though...where do they get their B-12? I take vitamins everyday anyways so I'd probably be OK, but I am curious how others get theirs while doing 811.

I became vegan for the same reason! Factory farming is SO awful. I am 100% against animal cruelty and it makes me sick to think there are so many innocent animals suffering everyday so people can feast off their flesh. I've been a meat eater my whole life and while I never liked meat much, I ate a ton of it when I started weight lifting a few years back...I'm talking like 6 oz of chicken for 4-5 of my meals a day (I was eating 6 small meals a day). I knew a little bit about what animals went through, but I just chose to not think about it. And then about a month ago I watched Earthlings and that was it for me and I have no desire to go back to eating animal products. Congrats on choosing to be vegan again!

Losing weight is actually fairly easy. It's all about calories in vs. calories out. So all you have to do is this:

Find out your caloric needs (usually body weight in pounds x 14 x 1.5 (for activity)). Eat at a 20% deficit of that. Get 1.5g of protein per pound of body weight and then adjust the levels of fat and carbohydrates to what personally satisfies you. (1g of protein = 4 calories; 1g of carbohydrates = 4 calories; 1g of fat = 9 calories.) Get your macros (P/F/C) from a wide variety of sources so that you also get your micronutrients in. Boom, you'll start losing weight.

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"When in doubt, squat and run hills." - Jim Wendler

IRON MNTN // LOG

^^ That is a great summary for what I used to figure for my calorie intake. I just wanted to add that I myself had to adjust (reduce) it to my own requirements because my metabolism is unusually slow due to being on certain meds.

I also have to add that in my own experience eating fruits (esp certain types like melons) REALLY caused me to shed extra fluids I was holding onto for a long time. I had no idea I could pee that much so frequently!! I also have to say I never knew one could feel so hydrated.

I think there is something fantastic and unique about the water in fruits and veggies that differs from anywhere else. That may sound unscientific and border on "nutty" (as I was called until I lost so much fat and fluid), but from my experiences I can't argue with it.

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High carb, low fat, whole foods. Any questions?

It's all about how the body responds to foods/macro breakdowns. Some people do really well with higher fat diets because their body is carb sensitive and they tend to hold more water when they eat more carbs. Some people do better with higher carb diets because it gives them more energy and they move around a lot more. What you said just shows that it's all about listening to your body and figuring out what's best for you.

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"When in doubt, squat and run hills." - Jim Wendler

IRON MNTN // LOG

Hey guys,
Here are some tips for the weight loss. You should follow these tips.
Do exercise regularly
Running, swimming and jogging
Drink plenty of water
Control your diet
Take more boiled vegetables
Don't take more cholesterol and fatty foods
Eat fresh fruits especially citric fruits
Drink fresh fruits juice
Take green tea
and use fish oil

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Maitland Yoga Training

Thanks for the advice everyone! I've following the 811 diet and working out for about a week now. I don't see a difference in my weight at all. Pretty dissapointed as I read that people lose tons of weight on this diet, but I guess I'll stick with it for a few months and see what happens. If I'm not happy with the result I'll come back here and take up everyone's advice

If you need a good guide for helping with weight loss and becoming healthier look up "The Engine 2 Diet" book. Plant based whole foods, It opened my eyes to the misinformation and contradictory that is out there. He doesn't consider himself "Vegan" but doesn't touch, oils, dairy or animal products. Forks Over Knives is a great Documentary and there is a book/cookbook that you can compliment with the movie and The E2 Diet book. I have dropped weight since November 10th 2011 from 235-205. I was running and rowing for the first month, just a half hour a day. Started weight training mid of December to now. So far so good! Hope that helps.

JR.

Wow, thanks JR! I've seen Forks Over Knives, but I have not heard of the Engine 2 diet...I'll have to look it up! It sounds very similar to what I'm doing except it probably includes beans, grains, and starchy veggies and roots like potatoes. Whole foods is where it's at for sure.

Consuming green leafy vegetables and fruit juice rich in antioxidants are the best diet. Drink around 8 to 9 ounce of water in a day drinking water will eliminate the toxic present inside your body and will help you out to loose your weight. And again doing a little bit of exercise in morning will do the rest.

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sensa weight loss