Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Hey everyone. I made a post here previously, but it kinda died early. I decided I should make a more specific thread about this.

I've been skinny for a very long time. I've recently been trying to eat more in order to gain muscle, and it seems to be working just fine. I've increased my protein intake and just had bigger servings per meal. I like the results, mostly.

The problem is that I've always had this extra fat all around my body. I've never been very lean, but I've always looked pretty skinny anyway. It's really annoying, but before I was working out it definitely looked better than being bony and unhealthy.

Along with some muscle, I've also gained a little bit more fat. I'm going to want to get rid of as much of it as I can in the future, however. But I don't know very much about nutrition, and I don't know exactly what I would need to eat, cut out, substitute, etc. I really need some advice on this, because this extra flab has followed me around for many years and I'm really starting to hate it. I've never seen it gone, but there isn't very much of it. I feel that it wouldn't take very long for it to go away.

Any advice and knowledge would be appreciated. Thanks a lot!

Have you had your body fat tested? Are you sure its fat? If you are thin/skinny maybe its skin? I have a "fat" face but its all skin not fat. I'm pretty sure I can't get rid of it without surgery and im not into that so I think im stuck with a fat face/double chin for life. Skinny guy with a double chin, im like the duck billed platapus of humans.... thank god for beards

I haven't had it tested, but I really don't think it's skin. I've gained some weight since I last weighed myself and it doesn't look like it's all muscle, though some of it definitely is.

I mean, I notice all this extra fat around my belly and it really shows, but it's not that bad at the moment. I just need to know what I can do in the future to become more lean and actually show off the result of my hard work.

First of all you can eat all the carbs you want and not get fat. Make sure you leave out as much fat content out of the equation as possible.

Second, cardio such as walking/running burns fat right off if done correctly and consistently. Find (google) your max heart rate, and walk (treadmill/park/whatever) or exercise at a pace the keeps your heart rate at around 60-65% of your max heart rate. At this rate your body is burning ONLY body fat. Over or under this rate will burn glycogen (carb stores) and/or muscle (protein) for energy in addition to fat which is not what you're wanting.

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

What's funny is I've heard the opposite with carbs/fat. I've been recommended more fat because it gets used as energy, and carbs or sugar get stored as fat. I've always wondered why I hear so many contradictions, and it's part of the reason why it's so difficult for me to figure out what the hell I should eat. I end up just saying "whatever, more fruits and vegetables and anything else that seems healthy." It's probably the reason why I've always been flabby, because I don't watch calorie/nutrient intake and so I don't know what's keeping me this way.

Carbohydrates from fruit, rice, potatoes, healthy ( no unneeded junk in it ) single grain bread ( ideally wheat ) will not make you fat. Carbs from REFINED foods like cakes and pies and all that junk will surely stack on the pounds.

If you want to make muscle gains quickly, you're gonna have to deal with a bit of extra fat usually - don't let this put you off. If you tip toe about and keep trying to maintain low bodyfat, chances are you're going to seriously hinder your gains. Strategy - make chest/lats/thighs bigger. Belly will appear smaller.

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My training log

I'm still trying to eat enough, because I realized a long time ago that I would have to gain a little fat. The problem is getting rid of it when I'm done and keeping it off. I've always had a certain amount of fat, so I'm afraid I won't be able to get it off later on.

This is why I believe so strongly in 80/10/10 and cardio.

As long as you're eating whole plant-based foods you don't have to count your calories as long as you're getting ENOUGH. Never restrict calories for any reason. It is like taking one battery out of your tv remote that requires two batteries, and expecting to increase its performance.

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