VeganDevi Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 (edited) Hi everyone, I am new to this site. I have been vegan for at least four years and have basically eaten healthy whole foods in whatever portions I wanted up to now. I have been in general good health and at a good weight for my height. The older I get though (I am almost 30 now), the more I want to build muscle to help strengthen my body and bones. Now I keep track of my daily food intake (through a program on my computer called Cronometer) to see what my macronutrient ratios are like, and how many calories I am actually consuming per day. As for exercise, I can't do heavy cardio because of my joints, but I do pilates and yoga every day. If I feel like I have a lot of energy I do stationary rowing. Once a week or twice a month I also go to the gym for weight training. I don't want to be massively muscular but just toned, and with minimal fat around my belly. I am almost there, but we can all improve! My usual food intake for the day looks like this: -grapefruit (usually 4. Two for breakfast. Two for dinner). I can't have all kinds of fruit because I find my blood sugar spikes too much. I just love grapefruit. -BIG SALADS are my main meals these days. They have all sorts of raw vegetables in them: carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, celery, parsley, cilantro, avocado. I add seeds and nuts: 1 tbsp sesame seed, 1 brazil nut, 2 cashews, 2 walnuts, 4-6 almonds. I used to eat a lot more nuts but I realize they have a higher fat than protein content, so I am trying to cut back. For dressing I make my own: flax seed, olive oil and apple cider vinegar. I usually top it all with various herbs (thyme, rosemary) and some spices (e.g. cayenne pepper in the dressing, black pepper, coriander and mustard seeds for the taste). -1 cup of some kind of grain (quinoa, brown rice, millet). -I used to eat a lot of beans and lentils, but I find I can't digest them so easily nowadays despite using the carminative spices to cook them in. I feel like they are too heavy for me now, and often make me feel bloated and even constipated. -for the evening I cook up some vegetables. Not over-cooked - still want some nutrients in there! Sometimes I add more water to make it soupy. -sometimes I make popcorn as a snack. -I drink a lot of tea! Anyway, my question has to do with how much protein and carb I am getting relative to fat. I am also trying to lose a bit of fat so I am restricting my calories to around 1500 a day (I am 135 lbs, 5'6", medium build). When I put all my daily intake of food into the Cronometer program, I keep coming up with massive amounts of fat compared to protein and carb. I am aiming for 10-15% protein, 20% or less fat, and the rest carbs, but the 2-3 tbsp of olive oil and 1 avocado I eat in the day really outweighs all the fresh veggies, fruit, and grain I am eating at the moment. The thing is, in my mind these oils are healthy, and frankly I feel better and more regular with them. The raw foods just don't taste as good without the oil. But I end up getting most of my daily calories from fat this way! So, how do I balance out my macronutrient ratios a bit more without getting constipated from restricting my fat intake for the day? Do I simply eat more carb and protein? If so, then how do I keep my total calories below 1500? What am I missing here? Any tips or suggestions are appreciated. Thank you! Edited April 5, 2013 by VeganDevi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thepetitevegan Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 I know what you mean about the salads and oil, so I started making a vegetable purée/ pâté to use instead! Usually one zucchini, 2 carrots, beans or a handful of walnuts, a drop of agave, nutritional yeast and lately some cumin and I blend that to the consistency I want. It helps keep the fat intake lower for me since I can really over do it sometimes! I have some recipes on my blog if you want to check it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomvegan Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 ■To gain muscle 1.5 g protein per pound of body weight daily. ■Eat 5-6 small meals a day. ■Multiply protein intake by 1.5-2 for carb intake. ■Fats improve strength performance.■Ingest simple sugar right after training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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