Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

THanks John V and Courtney!

Today another great eat day. 100% vegan. Had an incredible banana/cocoa smoothie, with frozen strawberries to sweeten. It was sooooo delicious, like a banana sundae. (thanks again johnv)

Hey Andrea,

I'd like to join the cheering squad! You're doing a great job. Before you know it, 95%/100% will not even be a thought and you'll look back and laugh. You have vegan blood in you, go for it!

Thanks Lean and Green, at this stage I need all the cheers I can get to get over the hump.

Today was awesome! Finally went to the gym after a too long of a break! Don't want to lose too much more of my gains when I worked out a lot a couple months ago.

Seated Leg Curls 40lb x 12, 45lb x 12, 45lb x 12
Walking Lunges 12lbs in each hand, 3 sets of 16 steps (really focused on pulling myself up with the forward leg, could have done more steps)
Step Forward Lunges 12lbs each hand, 3 sets times 24

Front Raises 10lbs x 12 x 2, 12lbs x 4, 10lbs x 8 (next time try more 12lbs)
Bent Arm Raises DB 10lbs x 12 x 3 (difficult near the end)
Seated Rear Delts 5lbs x 12 x 2, 8lbs x 6, 5lbs x 6 (do more 8lbs)
Military Presses 10lbs x 12, 8lbs x 12, 10lbs x 12 (start at 10lbs next time)

Crunches on ball, not sure if I got my form right, 44, 17, 16

So excited! then 35minutes on elliptical easy.

Sipping a huge cocoa strawberry banana smoothie with a protein mix of hemp, soy, rice and pea with almond milk. A nice reward! The secret for me I think is not to let myself sleep in! I get soooo lazy when I sleep in past 10am. From now on bed by midnight and up at 8am.

Other goals: Build more hamstrings, and calves cause I have none

you deserve it, you're doing a wonderful job!

muscle memory Andreafrancis if you lost any muscle from not training, it comes back right away, i'm speaking from experience. I gained size and muscle so ridiculously quick once i resumed training in january after almost 2 years off. I couldn't believe it myself. Don't stress it and besides, if you're looking to maintain for a bit, you don't need to do as much to just maintain so you'll be ok and when you can devote time to change again, you shall be ready.

yea isn't it so much better when you wake up earlier and get the day started? I have been doing just that lately and I wasn't the last couple of months. It feels a lot better.

loving hearing about the lunges, such a great exercise.

do it up girl, sorry for the overload of emoticons but i couldn't choose just one!

I love it!! Thanks for all those! Love your new pic. I'll post before pics and in a month another set, hopefully muscles do come back quickly, I miss my quads. Thanks so much L & G!

Anyone have vegan backpacking meal suggestions? Ill search the forum when I have a bit more time.

My journal:

Wednesday: still have old habits to break. Every Wednesday I get treats (cookies) from some of my students, don't know if I should say anything but I just asked the kids to help me eat them. But school year is ending soon. I ate pretty good today, except for the cookies. Eating more veggies. no exercise, except some biking around town.

Thursday: CRAZY DAY! Had a french couchsurfer with me. We toured Toronto by bike for 4 hours (good cardio), then I taught, afterwards we kayaked for 3hours until 12:30 at night, soo beautiful! part of our return was against crazy strong wind (my arms feel stronger though), the city lights are so impressive from the water. Then I took him into the sewers under the city which really worked our hip muscles since we had to walk like penguins to avoid the sludge. Slept for two hours (not good) and started Friday.

Friday: ate fairly well, a couple tofu stirfrys, lots of berries, mango avocado salad my friend made. very busy, photocopied maps for map party, then was a sleepy mess at it, no exercise, my arms I thought would hurt more but they don't, I thought I really killed them kayaking. I feel my legs though! especially my hips!

Sat: will make a cocoa shake now.

I need to start getting fit and healthy for a 5 day 100km backpacking trip in two weeks!!! Make sure you do lots of weighted lunges!!!!

Also plan vegan meals!!!!

take your cliff builder bars with you on the backpacking excursion. you can even cut up veggie and cucumber sticks, peanut butter. You can bring your protein in baggies and make a protein pudding. You can use nuts as your healthy fats.

In other words, the plan is condusive to any kind of road trip, backpacking trip, etc

On vacations, plan ONE MEAL that you let yourself have what you want with friends and family and the rest of the 4 meals, stay 100% on track.

Shoot me an email about your week.

veggieprincess-you're like momma fitness! you train everyone! when the whole board looks like fitness models, you will be completely responsible! all hail queen vbbf!

So I slipped a bit and ate two muffins today (and a donut) but had a great kale cocoa banana strawberry smoothie. Some beans and peas. Early Saturday a good game of squash. I thought about exercising today but took the day off since I feel a bit sore all over from surveying this past weekend, though it wasn't too hardcore I used it as an excuse. I stayed with new friends, they didn't know I was vegan and I suddenly became strange to them, the girl they thought they new was an extremist, they humored me a bit, urgh! My ezcema is NOT due to being a veggie!!!! I gotta find out what food causes it fast! They're more than twice my age, it'll take time but I know they'll get used to it. But i had limited food, breakfast was white bread and jam. Dinner potato and carrot, (I brought my own tofu) dessert two apple pie slices and raspberry sauce. Lots of tea and honey. Got hooked on sugar again...

Today I ate well, a couple smoothies, bean, peas and veggies, an energy bar, espresso drink, some nuts too and a mango. I never have coffee and I was wired!!!! So bouncy, I meant to exercise but was busy running around getting car parts for my bro to fix my car. I'm getting excited about getting fit, going on a long walk tomorrow with weighted pack!!!

Cardio: walked around town for 2.15 hours with lightly weighted pack 20lbs.
Food: was awesome, will write more tomorrow.

great work! when is your backpacking trip?

Veggieprincess I leave June 30th back July 4th.

A SUPER DAY TODAY!!!

Got up early 7:25am.
Had some beans and veggies.
Went to the gym I hate, it was quiet in the morning which was such a relief, so I'll have NO problems at all going again if it's quiet in the morning.

Same workout as last week but upped the weights.
Leg Curl 45lbs x 12 x 2, 50lbs x 12 (start at 50lbs next time)
Front Raises 12lbs x 12 x 3, 10lb x 6 for left hand to make sure my form is right
Walking lunges 15lb each hand 4 laps, 2 laps, 4 laps (a little out of breath)
Bent Arm Raises 10lb x 12 x 3 up weights next week
Seated Rear Delts 7lb x 12 x 3 up to 8lbs next week
Military Presses 10lb x 12 x 3 up to 12lbs next time
Crunches, 20, 9, 15, 7, 12, 20 these hurt...I'll try to do three regular sets with higher reps next time

Cardio: biked there and back (20min easy)
1.15 hour fast walk with light pack
Off to play squash now!

Food: was excellent, Lunch at Fresh was brown rice, marinated tofu, chickpea stew, sprouts, other veggies and lots of cilantro.

I'm going to go to bed early from now on! It was so nice to wake up before my alarm clock and want to work out!!!

So I won't get to bed early today, too much homework to do. I was hoping to get up early and work out before class, we'll see. Today very good eat day again, rockclimbed a few hours and that's it.

Fairly good eating this weekend, not so good last night but today I bounced back. I need to order Clif Builder bars!! I was eating low protein energy bars today. My upper body aches already! I'm becoming stronger little by little though! We climbed some boulders and rock climbed lots this weekend. Did a bit of hiking around but not with a weighted back so it wasn't much of a workout.