Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

I started journaling when the biggest loser contest started, a few days before finding this forum. I thought I'd just post what I had so far...

BL – Day 1 – April 21, 2008

At some point today I will get measured and the Biggest Loser contest at my gym will begin. It’s almost 11AM and I’m using my break at work to wrap my head around what I need to do. Last week, I created a chart to help track my food intake to make sure I’m getting enough of everything. I’ve broken it down into categories: grains, protein, fruits, vegetables and junk. I’m highlighting everything in different colours so I can see, at a glance, how I'm doing. Junk food is flagged in red, veggies in green, grains in yellow, protein in purple and fruits in pink.

I didn’t exactly prepare myself today to ensure that I’ll get the right kinds of food. However, I will fix that when I go grocery shopping tonight. I am feeling very tired today and my stomach is still a mess from all the junk I ate this weekend. Hopefully, after eating well today, I will feel better soon.

My goals for today are as follows:

- Get to the gym for measuring
- Go grocery shopping
- Prepare food for the week
- Try the new yoga video tonight
- Read another chapter in “The Power of Nowâ€

Here is my training program for right now...

DB Bicep Curls 20 @ 12.5
Leg Press 20 @ 90 (I have really bad knees - might not keep it)
DB Chest Press 20 @ 17.5
Bull Rows 20 @ 40
Step Ups 20 per leg
Incline DB Press 20 @ 17.5
Pull downs (Front) 20 @ 40
DB Curls/Press 20 @ 10
Leg Press 20 @ 90
DB Curls/Press 20 @ 10
RDL 20 @ 15 (I'm still working on my form, I feel it in my back and not my butt and legs like I should)
Tricep Pressdowns 20 @ 40
RDL 20 @ 15

When I do weights, I do 40 minutes of cardio. On non-weight days, I do an hour. I try to do this full-body workout three times a week.

Eventually, I hope to be doing 5 hours of cardio a week.

And that's my workout....

Day 9

Today I kicked ass on the treadmill. I walked/climbed almost 3 miles. I'll try for that tomorrow night when I go in for cardio. I unfortunately will only have time to do weights tomorrow morning but will make up the cardio in the evening.

Today was a great day. I loved my new playlist, it was enough to keep me motivated and moving for my hour. I think I ate too much today and feel sick because of it. I will do better tomorrow and be more mindful. I'm feeling quite tired and a little bit like I'm burning out so I have to be careful.

Tonight I am going to bed stupid early and I hope to catch up on much needed rest.

My goals for tonight are:

- Get to bed early
- Get to bed early

My goals for tomorrow:

- Push/test limits
- Be present with every rep
- Eat mindfully

And that's all I have for now...

Day 11

I didn't write yesterday because I simply didn't have time. So here's what went down. On my walk to the gym, I realised I was almost limping. I have issues with my knees and I think five days of training/cardio in a row were a bit too much. I made a decision not to train legs and to skip cardio and give my poor knees a break. I know I made the right decision but I feel horribly guilty.

I went to see my naturopath yesterday and we had a look at some recent blood work. I'm seriously anemic. My iron stores are so low. That explains LOTS! I find it so frustrating that I'm eating well, exercising, getting at least 8 hours of sleep and I'm still deliriously tired. I've ordered a vegan supplement that she suggested and I'll pick it up tomorrow. It could be 3 months before I notice a difference. Ugh!

So I didn't train legs or do cardio yesterday. I found out my iron sucks. Then there was lots of drama in my personal life and I felt totally incompetent at work. I somehow made it through my work day and while I was walking to the Market... I saw the most beautiful red winged black bird. It snapped me out of my mood and it really brought me back to a place of gratitude.

The rest of my night was good.

I must confess. I am not eating as clean this week as I did last. I've been eating out way too much. It's still vegan, balanced and relatively healthy but there's no way it's as good for me as what I make myself. I'm just so bagged right now. I hardly have the energy for anything.

Today was my day off from the gym. I desperately need it because my period is right around the corner and I feel like crap. I stepped on the scale this morning and I was almost half a kg more than I was Monday. I know I put on "water weight" at this time but it's so discouraging.

So enough about beating myself up....

What did I do right today?

1. I ate healthy
2. I did not go out for dinner despite riding past my favorite veggie restaurant when I was on the bus
3. I helped out quite a few people and was supportive to those who needed it.

I have to remember, it doesn't always have to be about me.

So what did I eat today....

Breakfast

1 cup adzuki beans
1/2 cup brown rice
1/3 cup corn
1 cup green kale
1 sheet of toasted nori

Snack
6 dried apricots
4 almonds

Lunch
Tofu avocado salad
3 pieces of whole wheat olive bread

Dinner
1 cup soba noodles
1 cup white beans (I couldn't eat them all)
1/3 cup corn
1 cup collards

1/3 cup rice dream chocolate ice cream (not worth the calories) meh

I'm leaving town tomorrow night and I have to get everything ready tonight. I don't know how I'm going to find the energy to clean my place, prepare food for tomorrow and get ready for the gym. I have to be at work early on top of that so I'll have to hit the gym around 6am. I need a miracle.... or to get off the couch and get started.

Wish me luck!

I am very proud of myself for all that I accomplished last night and this morning. I managed to prepare all of today's meals last night. I had a few minor assembly/cooking tasks this morning when I got home from the gym but for the most part I was all set. I got to bed at 10 on the nose and was only awake for five minutes at 11:30 to speak to my boyfriend before going back to bed and staying asleep until 6:10 when my alarm woke me up. I haven't actually needed my alarm much recently but these days I'm very tired.

I got up straight away and ate an apple with peanut butter while I drank my tea. I made it to the gym. I felt so drained while doing weights. I powered through though. I upped my flat db chest press to 20lbs for 20 reps and it felt sweet! I loved feeling that success. I didn't quit even though I really wanted to at times. My energy was really in the toilet. One of the morning regulars told me she could see that I had lost even more this week. I'm not sure... I work my "skinny" t-shirt today to at least make me feel like I had.

After my weight training, an amazing thing happened. I burned 386 calories in 35 minutes on the elliptical, despite my tiredness. I blasted the fastest songs I had on me and just went for it. I looked over at the photos of the gym members who compete in figure competitions and dreamed that maybe one day that would be me. I had a chat with my "inner fat girl" and we agreed. It's not personal but it's time to go. I sent love to every part of my body and I just booted it. I gave everything I had and more. I feel good because of it. I am super tired but I feel awesome too.

I got myself a membership at fitday.com and am very happy to be on there. I know having access to numbers will really help keep me on track.

I can't wait to get on the train. I'm dying to fall asleep!

And the beat goes on...

I like your style, very positive! It is great to be proud of yourself, know when you kicked ass and be aware of the effort you're putting forth.

Awesome stuff. All the best!

Thanks Robert! I'm trying not to kill myself too early on and then find myself out of the competition due to injury. So, I'm celebrating the small gains and trying to learn as much as I can through the journey. To me, it's more important than the destination.

Day 14
I just got back from Toronto and I am totally wiped out. My body has almost completely shut down due to that horrible, horrible time of the month. Forgive me if that's too much info. If any of you ladies have any tips for not letting it get in the way, please, please let me know.

I was hoping to have my boyfriend take some before photos for me this weekend but we just didn't have time.

I ended up not doing yoga or cardio and eating a few more calories than I should have. However, overall, it was still pretty healthy but more food than I needed given that I didn't exercise at all.

My boyfriend and I decided to sign up for a 5k run for July 1. There's a Canada Day run in Toronto that we're going to do together. I'm very excited to have another goal.

I am heading to bed very soon so I can get as much sleep as possible so I'll be in fine form tomorrow for weights and cardio.

Tomorrow at lunch I'll be getting measured for the second time. I'm a little worried that certain parts of me will be inflated due to water retention but I'll go in with no expectations and just accept whatever the results maybe. Ultimately, I trained really hard last week. I put a lot of myself into my workouts and felt great during and after. That alone was worth the effort! I have 8 more weeks to learn, grow, shrink, tone, and enjoy this adventure.

My goals for tomorrow are simple:

- Eat well, within calorie rang
- Bring focus and energy to the gym
- Stay positive, be grateful

I'll post my new results tomorrow!

Day 15

OMG! I am sooooo tired. I could honestly sleep for another three hours. I'm moving so slowly today, I might not make it to the gym. I've got to get up off the couch, grab my gear and get out the door. I'm going to have to dig deep right now. There's no other way to make this happen.

Good news - The scale was kind. It was the exact same today as this time last week. I am grateful for that. I'm hoping for some progress on measurements in a few hours.

Must go train! OMG!

Day 15 - Continued

I had a great workout. The first few reps were rough but I did the whole workout and even increased my weights in some places. I did 40 minutes on the treadmill with a run for 2 walk for 3 program. I'm starting to train for the 5K run at the start of July. It felt good.

I have been super low energy all day and had way too much tea. It's my only source of caffeine and it hit me hard. I took a two-hour nap when I came home from work and I'm ready to go to bed again, less than two-hours later. My appetite today has been spotty but I'm sure I got enough calories.

My goals for tomorrow are:

- Burn more than 500 calories doing cardio
- Eat clean
- Find some energy to have fun

Day 16

Well, I accomplished two of three goals. I burned 722 calories this morning during my hour of power and had fun. I unfortunately didn't eat so clean. I made a pancake for breakfast after my cardio. I had two pieces of vegan pizza for lunch today. One would've been enough. AND I had fries, an apple and a few almonds for dinner tonight... I went to the movies right after work.

I have a headache now and am dying to go to bed.

Goals for tomorrow:

- Train hard
- Eat clean
- Respect any limits imposed by the after effects of my crazy cardio

Off to bed.

Soon.

I hope.

Day 17

I don't know what was up this morning. I fought my way through every single set. I actually started one exercise, did one rep, stopped and walked away. I was sure I was going to skip that exercise but I tapped into my real inner voice, sucked it up and did it. I made it through my workout! For that, I am proud of myself.

I did my second run/walk of the week. My hip flexors are in serious need of stretching, rest and I don't know what. I think I killed them yesterday. I can't sit for more than an hour at a time before I get really stiff. I've been getting up at work and walking as much as possible today and stretching in the elevators when no one is around.

I must say, despite the burn and tightness in my legs, I love cardio. My abs are even sore which is great!

I talked to my trainer about changing up my weights and doing different muscle groups each day. He says no. He wants me doing full body weights plus cardio. He says it's the way to burn fat. I trust him. I'll go with it.

I reflected on my diet a bit and realised that the first two weeks I was doing so well because I was a) cooking more and b) eating waaaay more veggies. This morning I added 2 cups of broccoli to my breakfast, a ton of bok choy to my lunch and I'll keep up the trend.

I don't know what to do with the scale... how do I know if I'm gaining fat or muscle outside of the measurements? I don't know.

I'm going out for Indian food tonight. I phoned ahead to see if they have some vegan options on the menu. The answer was yes! I'm excited and starved. I had to eat half a Larabar to hold me until dinner time. Ugh!

My goals for tonight and tomorrow:

- Watch portions
- Get to bed early
- Prep food for breakfast and lunch
- Eat clean

I can tell you're a very positive person by reading your journal. As for tips about that time of the month, all I can say is deal with it lol. Sometimes I swear I have my best workouts during this time. And other times it's all I can do to get through a workout, especially ab training, and legs. But I always do my best to not let it stop me from my time at the gym, even if I don't have the best workout. This pretty much goes the same way for anyone that has something keeping them from their workouts.

Great energy in your posts!

The only difference I notice with PMS is that I'm a raging bitch. I use that to my advantage at the gym and take it out on the weights. I also give the stink eye to any guy who gets in my way - but they don't seem to notice, thank goodness.

Good luck with the continued weight loss!

I've posted about my time of the month affecting my training, so you're not alone. For me it's one day a month, and it really sucks the life out of me. Oh yeah, and the pain. No advice on how to deal with it though, sorry.

I also deal with hip flexor issues. Mine's gone right now, but I had to take some time off to let the strain diminish. You should spend as much time as you can on stretching your hips, quads, hams, etc.

I started run/walking this time last year... and did my first race 5k on Canada Day. Maybe that could be a good motivational goal for you as well?

Where did you go for Indian?