Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Welcome to Veganarchy's Lifestyle Journal.

Here I will post my daily workout and nutrition intake. For the coming months, I hope to gain insight on the vegan diet and lifestyle while maintaining a fit physique. This will only happen with hard work, research, and of course, your suggestions, advice, and constructive criticism!

If you want some more information on my background, you can check out my introduction to this forum here. In my intro I outline my reasons for adopting a vegan diet and talk about switching to a complete vegan lifestyle.

Thanks in advance for the support!! Everyone here rocks.

_________________
'Cause I wanna be Veganarchy
It's the only way to be

Welcome to the site, congratulations with your decision

Welcome and awesome decision to go vegan. It shouldn't be very difficult to maintain your physique, just make sure to eat enough good food so you don't get too skinny. The book "Becoming Vegan" helped me a lot to work out what I should be eating, so I always recommend it to newly vegan people. It's pretty cheap on amazon and easily worth much more. Good luck and have fun!!!

Looking forward to your journal and continued progress

_________________
Where do you get your protein?
http://www.VeganProteins.com

Thank you for the warm welcomes!

Workout summary for Saturday, January 22:
Attended a Vinyasa class.
Grade: B+. I was still stiff and sore from kickboxing the day before.

Nutrition:
- Soymilk with scoop of soy protein
- Apple
- Dank salad with azuki beans, tempeh, dark leafy greens, avocado + other veggies
- Veggies with hummus
- 1/2 cup oatmeal (dry) with cacao nibs, 1/2 sweet potato
- Soymilk with scoop of soy protein and chia seeds
- 1/2 cup oatmeal with banana
- Grapes and blueberries
- Granola (which I would have nixed had I not had the munchies)

Calories: 1,940
Fat: 61.8
Carbs: 294.2
Protein: 84.0
Grade: B-. It would have been lower, but I think I needed the extra food for having eaten so little lately.

Workout summary for Sunday, January 23:
Sundays are my rest and relaxation day.

Nutrition:
- 1 cup oatmeal (dry) with raisins, 1/2 cup blackbeans (dry)
- Carrot, snowpeas, orange
- Glutinous rice cake
- 2 clementines
- 1/2 cup quinoa (cooked), 1/2 cup azuki beans (cooked), alfalfa, spinach
- Grapefruit
- 2 servings tofu, 1 cup quinoa (cooked), alfalfa, spinach, mushrooms

Calories: 1,478
Fat: 20.1
Carbs: 261.1
Protein: 76.7
Grade: A-. I need to start eating at least this much a day. I don't want to underfeed myself. I realize that's not healthy! I need to be more patient with my progress. I'm already doing a great job; there is no need to be so hard on myself. It's easy for me to get carried away.

_________________
'Cause I wanna be Veganarchy
It's the only way to be

Workout summary for Monday, January 24:
Attended a Yogasculpt class (yoga with weights).
Grade: A-. I didn't push myself too hard (except when working abs) so that I can hit it hard tomorrow on the machines. I used 3lb weights instead of 5 and maintained good form. In a few months I hope to feel just as good doing these exercises with 5lb weights!

Nutrition:
- Soymilk with scoop of soy protein
- Carrot
- 1/2 cup quinoa (cooked), 1/2 banana, 1 tbsp cacao nibs, 1/4 cup walnuts (+cinammon; num!)
- Salad of kale, spinach, alfalfa sprouts, tofu, cucumber, mushrooms, radishes, and green onion
- 1/2 cup red beans (cooked), 1/2 cup quinoa (cooked), baby spinach, tomato
- Clementine, apple
- 1/2 cup red beans (cooked), banana, cacao nibs, 1/4 cup soy milk (+cinammon; num!)
- Grapefruit
(To make my salad dressings I usually combine apple cider vinegar (ACV), lemon juice, soy sauce, and spices. If I'm feeling indulgent I will drizzle on some sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil.)

Calories: 1,509
Fat: 37.2
Carbs: 242.4
Protein: 79.1
Grade: A. I got omega-3's in today with my walnuts, got dark leafy greens in, and kept my calorie count normal!

Do you have any suggestions? I encourage comments/suggestions/advice on my diet in reference to my workouts!

_________________
'Cause I wanna be Veganarchy
It's the only way to be

First I just want to mention that you have great self-talk. Few people realize how important our inner conversations are. I don't know if you were conscious of it or not, but you have a great attitude!
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/7-steps-to-positive-self-talk/

Also I want to ask if you have a recipe for your dressing, because I have been looking for a good oil-free dressing and I can't seem to find one. :S

Good luck with everything!

_________________
Learning how to be compassionate, gain wisdom, and love life.

Thanks for commenting on my positive attitude, Fallen_Horse! It's great to hear others affirm my own affirmations and even my inner monologue.

In reference to the salad dressing recipe, my concoctions are always pretty experimental. I take whatever is in my pantry and mix it together. Common ingredients include but are not limited to: apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, spices, and lemon or lime juice. I don't have any ratios for you (well, maybe 2:1 for the vinegar:soy sauce). Just use your good judgment and you'll be oil-free and dandy.

Thanks again for the support and luck! Best of luck to you as well.

_________________
'Cause I wanna be Veganarchy
It's the only way to be

Workout summary for Tuesday, January 25:
- Attended a Zumba class.
- Completed my weight training routine (week 4, day 1):
Lying leg press: 90lbs x 12reps x 2sets
Lying leg curl: 30lbs x 12reps x 2sets
Standing calf raise: 50lbs x 12 reps x 2 sets
Seated cable row: 50lbs x 12reps x 2sets
Back extension: 60lbs x 12reps x 1set; 70 lbs x 12reps x 1set
Flat bench press: 50lbs x 12 reps x 1 set; 50 lbs x 8 reps x 1set
Dumbbell shrug: 10lbs x 12reps x 2sets
Dumbbell press: 7.5lbs x 12reps x 2sets
Triceps pushdown: 22.5lbs x 12reps x 2sets (down 5lbs from last time)
Barbell curl: 18lbs x 12reps x 2sets
Barbell wrist curl: 45lbs x 10reps x 1 set; 45lbs x 3reps x 1set (should use 24lb bar next time)
Crunches: 12reps x 2sets
Grade: C+ for Zumba. I got there five minutes late and didn't have the energy to go all-out. I was confused half of the time and not trying as hard as I normally would had I not just woken up and eaten a poor excuse of a breakfast. B+ for weight training. I really pushed myself on the bench press today; it was my first time adding weights to the bar! It was disappointing to have to lower the weight for the triceps pushdown, but it was understandable since this muscle group had been worked for the past couple of days. That's okay! It will give me a chance to fix my form, since I think I cheat towards the end of one rep by flaring my wrists out a little instead of pulling down all the way with the force of my triceps, .

Nutrition:
- Soymilk with scoop of soy protein
- Smoothie of soymilk, frozen berries, and spinach
- Two clementines
- Salad of kale, spinach, alfalfa sprouts, quinoa, red beans, tofu, avocado + many other veggies
- 1/2 cup of quinoa (cooked), 1/2 cup of red beans (cooked), 1/2 banana, cacao nibs, hemp seeds
- Apple
- Veggie and hummus platter (carrot, celery, red bell pepper, radish, tomato, 3 tbs hummus) and a side salad of spinach, alfalfa sprouts, red beans, tofu, and sesame seeds

Calories: 1,557
Fat: 42.7
Carbohydrates: 233.0
Protein: 85.4
Grade: B+. I should have consumed something more than soymilk before my workout today. I felt weak and confused during the Zumba class. Otherwise, I think I did just fine.

Note: I was especially excited for my weight training routine today, because now that I'm on week four, I am performing more than one set. I just read some tip-top advice: "When you can perform the recommended number of reps for a set, add weight. Many individuals fail to do this, which makes it hard to add any muscle." This makes a lot of sense, as I have felt my routine to be easier than I anticipated. I should be seeing my workouts get more intense as I follow this advice.

_________________
'Cause I wanna be Veganarchy
It's the only way to be

Workout summary for Wednesday, January 26:
Attended a cardio kickboxing class followed by a 30 minute core class.
Grade: A overall. I used 1lb weights the entire time (okay, I put them down for 10 seconds tops) and really pushed myself. Core felt great. I mean, it hurt, but I pushed through it!

Nutrition:
- Smoothie of soymilk, frozen berries, kale, spinach, banana, hemp seeds, soy protein powder, and cacao nibs
- Apple
- Salad of greens, tofu, brown rice, red beans, + other veggies
- 1/2 of said salad
- 1/2 of breakfast smoothie
- Salad of herb greens, tofu, alfalfa, banana, and hummus dressing (hummus+lemon+ACV)
- Grapefruit

Calories: 1,513
Fat: 34.2
Carbs: 216.2
Protein: 110.6
Grade: A+. Low in fat and high in protein! That's what I'm talkin' about. My smoothie this morning gave me the boost I needed to kick it in class this morning. Huzzah! Rockin' body, here I come.

_________________
'Cause I wanna be Veganarchy
It's the only way to be

Workout summary for Thursday, January 27th:
Attended a cardio Kickboxing class.
Grade: A. Damn, after taking this class, I feel like I should have given myself one grade lower than I initially did. It was tough, but I pulled through.

Nutrition:
- 1/2 cup oatmeal (dry) with 1/2 banana, 1 tbsp hemp seeds, 1 tbsp cacao nibs
- Smoothie of soy milk, parsley, 1/2 banana, 1 tbsp hemp seeds, soy protein powder
- Salad of mesclun, alfalfa, tofu, green onion, sesame seeds, with side of 1/2 cup red beans (cooked) and 1/2 cup brown rice (cooked)
- Cucumbers and carrot with 3 tbsp hummus
Salad of mesclun, 1/2 cup brown rice (cooked), 1/4 cup red beans (cooked), tofu, half of an apple cubed, lemon juice, AVC, ginger, cinnamon
- 1 cup unprepared edamame beans
- 1/4 cup oatmeal (dry) with 2 tsp brown sugar
- 3 clementines throughout the day

Calories: 1,702
Fat: 40.2
Carbs: 253.0
Protein: 104.7
Grade: ?. I became really hungry towards the end of the day... more so than usual. I'm wondering if it's because today's workout was incredibly intense. There is a reason for the question mark...

I definitely see progress when I look at my body, but I am not sure how much longer I can sustain myself on a 1,500 calories diet. Perhaps it was just a rough day today, the first of my fitness experiment. And seeing how it's only been a month since I've started exercising, I think I should keep my food intake the same. However...

Whenever I feel tired, I'm always afraid that I'm not eating enough but then get confused as to whether or not I should up my calorie intake. I feel like there is this delicate gray/fuzzy zone in reference to how much one should eat when either bulking or cutting. People say to eat more when you want to gain muscle and to eat less to lose fat, but what if I end of gaining fat when I eat more and losing muscle when I eat less? Strength training and cardio are both important to maintain good health, but how much of each activity is recommended to achieve your goal? The uncertainty you might have just experienced in your mind is what I'm referring to as the delicate gray/fuzzy zone. If you didn't just experience that, you must have some advice on what I should do to get lean.

I guess my question is: what do I do to ensure that I'm losing unwanted fat instead of good muscle?

I never knew losing weight and gaining muscle could be so hard... it seems like a delicate science to me at this point in the game.

_________________
'Cause I wanna be Veganarchy
It's the only way to be

Losing a bit of muscle/strength is a risk when cutting. However you can minimize the risk by making sure you are lifting heavy weights and getting in enough protein.

_________________
vegan for the win!

First, feeling hungry towards the end of the day could be a result of the calorie deficit, or eating larger portions earlier and smaller later, or not getting enough fiber to fill you up later in the day. Can I ask how tall you are? 1500 cals is definitely a low amount if you are doing large amounts of exercise. I noticed my calorie deficit when I was dead tired by the end of the day.

As far as the fat loss / muscle gain conundrum, lobsteriffic is right. Being on a low calorie diet you need to really push your muscles to grow, which involves using them and feeding them. In other words, weights and protein!

_________________
Learning how to be compassionate, gain wisdom, and love life.

Awesome to have another vegan in the world

_________________
Ever since I was a child I have had this instinctive urge for expansion and growth. To me, the function and duty of a quality human being is the sincere and honest development of one's potential.
- Bruce Lee

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

To lobsterrific:
I followed your advice and lifted heavier the other day!

To Fallen_Horse:
I am around 5'4". Weights and protein. Got it!

To VeganResistance:
Thanks for the warm welcome! Love your journal. Keep at it!

Workout Summary for Friday, January 28th:
- Completed my weight training routine (week 4, day 2):
Lying leg press: 90lbs x 12reps; 100lbs x 12reps; 110lbs x 12reps
Lying leg curl: 30lbs x 12reps; 50lbs x 5reps
Standing calf raise: 50lbs x 12reps; 70lbs x 12reps; 90lbs x 12reps
Seated cable row: 50lbs x 12reps; 65lbs x 12reps; 65lbs x 9 reps
Back extension: 70lbs x 4reps x 1set; 80 lbs x 12reps; 80lbs x 8reps
Flat bench press: 45lbs x 5reps; 50lbs x 12 reps; 55lbs x 6reps
Dumbbell shrug: 12.5lbs x 12reps; 15lbs x 12reps; 17.5lbs x 12reps
Dumbbell press: 7.5lbs x 12reps; 10lbs x 12reps; 12.5lbs x 9reps
Triceps pushdown: 22.5lbs x 12reps; 27.5lbs x 12reps; 32.5lbs x 12reps
Barbell curl: 18lbs x 12reps; 24lbs x 12reps x 2sets
Barbell wrist curl: 35lbs x 8reps; 30lbs x 12reps
Crunches: 15reps x 2sets
- Helped a couple friends dig out part of a quincy. I actually used my muscles for something practical!
Grade: A-. It was my first time pushing myself pretty hard on the weights. I think I did a swell job.

Nutrition:
- 1/2 cup oatmeal (dry) with banana and hemp seed
- Salad of brown rice, tofu, parsley, spinach, avocado, tomato, and carrots
- Soup a friend of mine made of black beans, potato, carrot, etc.
- Hummus with cucumber, baby carrots; blueberries, blackberries, strawberries
- Kiwi
- 1/2 cup oatmeal (dry) with a tbsp of peanut butter, mysterious green substance
Grade: C+. I don't know the nutritional content of the soup, but I'd say I consumed near 2,000 calories this day! Munchies are my bane.

Workout summary for Saturday, January 29:
I couldn't get to the gym so I substituted today for Sunday as my rest day.

Nutrition:
- Oatmeal with banana and hemp seed
- 1/2 lb Tuscan White Bean salad of navy bean, parsley, red onion, tomato, EVOO, etc. (from co-op)
- 1/2 lb Butternut Harvest salad of wild rice, butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, etc. (from co-op)
- Granola bar mix: 4 dates, 1/2 cup muesli, 1/4 cup shredded coconut, 1/4 banana, 1 tbsp sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp hemp seeds, 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Rest of the banana, orange
- Carrot with tbsp peanut butter
Grade: D. Since I was staying at a friend's place, I didn't want to hassle with preparing a meal. We went to the co-op and I bought some prepared food. Everything was wholesome; I just ate too much of the goodness. There were also suspicious green bits and pieces in my granola bar mix that might have contributed to why this was. I wouldn't be surprised if my calorie intake was well above 2,000.

Workout summary for Sunday, January 30:
Attended a Yoga Sculpt class.
Grade: B-. I guess my arms and shoulders were still pretty sore from quincy-digging. I also dreaded my friend's hair this weekend which I should take into account as for why my performance was sub-par. I couldn't do half of the poses because it burned so badly.

Nutrition:
- Kiwi
- Salad of green bell pepper, mushrooms, daikon sprouts, strip of tempeh, dash of soy sauce, sriracha sauce, a little bit of peanut butter
- Tempeh ruben sandwich on rye with coleslaw side (from restaurant)
- Oatmeal raisin cookie (from restaurant)
- 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup carrots
Grade: C. I would give myself a lower grade, but I have to remind myself that I can't eat salads for the rest of my life. Today was the first time in a month I put any kind of bread in my body. It was also the first time I had any kind of dessert that wasn't fruit. I suppose yesterday's granola mix was kind of like a dessert, though. Although this weekend's binging has set me back a bit, I don't regret any of my choices. I will just have to keep track of it a bit more diligently or work extra hard at my next session.

This weekend was overall not a success in terms of progress. However, I did put plenty of yummy foods into my body that my palette has not experienced in a very long time. It was pretty pleasurable. My calorie-intake was kind of high these past few days... but, my body might have needed that extra boost. Also, I've been going strong vegan-wise! Yipee!

_________________
'Cause I wanna be Veganarchy
It's the only way to be