Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Its a new personal challenge - 12 weeks of a well rounded fitness routine with a slightly modified version of the THRIVE DIET beginning Saturday, July 14. I'll post the daily exercise/workouts and foods I eat. My goals: end my addiction to sugar & bad fats, lose weight, & gain strength & endurance.

The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier published May 2007 has a 12 week meal plan that I will modify by allowing 1 vegan dinner per week (at home or restaurant) and some extra vegies (cooked or raw) at dinner time any time I choose (My vegetarian spouse will freak out if I don't cook him something "normal" for dinner!! Otherwise, he totally supports my THRIVING efforts!)

Exercise/Workout plan: 5 day per week cardio to include hiking, biking, and walking the dogs. Two days per week strength training, hopefully more.

Some of you already know me as the old lady here at VBF - I just turned 48. After a lifetime of bad eating habits and little to no interest in exercising, I started strength training in 1998 only to become very ill in 2001 lasting till 2005. I started back on the path to health and I got 2nd place in the 2006 VBF Summer Challenge. I started the 2007 Spring Contest only to encounter stressful life events (selling our house, moving from Texas to Oregon) that sent me spiraling back to old habits of eating TOO MUCH sugar and fat. Truly, my diet needs a complete overhaul and I'm hoping to achieve that with the Thrive Diet.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll appreciate any encouragement & advise you have to give!

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COMPASSION FOR ALL

I don't follow the Thrive Diet per se, but I definitely try to incorporate many of its principles into my diet.

Oh, and it's never too late to whip yourself into shape. My boss started marathon running at 50 and 10 years later looks much younger than she did when she started. Good luck with everything.

Now, thats what I'm talking about!!! Thanks Pamela!

DATE: 07-14
Thrive Diet Food: Wild Rice & Yam Pancakes, 4 Apple Cinnamon Energy Balls, Cucumber Pesto Salad w/ Tomato Basil Dressing (spouse said this is the best salad he has ever had!!), Chocolate Almond Smoothie, Almond Flaxseed Burger w/ Sweet Pepper Hemp Pesto
Extras: 1 apple, 1 energy ball, 1 bowl oatmeal w/ raisins & hemp milk
ACTIVITIES moving heavy furniture

DATE: 7/15
Thrive Diet Food:Toasted Apple Cinnamon Cereal w/ hemp milk; 4 Apple Cinamon Energy Balls, Quinoa (substitute for popped amaranth) Hemp Seed Salad w/ Cayenne Dill Tahini Dressing; Almond Flaxseed Burger w/ Sweet Pepper Hemp Pesto
Extras: 2 cups coffee, apple, 2 dates
ACTIVITIES: moving heavy furniture

DATE: 7/16
Thrive Diet Food:Banana Ginger Pear Cereal, 4 apple Cinamon energy balls, Adzuki Quinoa Sesame Pizza, Cucumber Pesto Salad, Mango Smoothie
Extras: none
ACTIVITIES: 2 mile dog walk

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COMPASSION FOR ALL

DATE: 7/17
Thrive Diet Food:Toasted apple cinnamon cereal w/ hemp milk; Vega energy bar, Strawberry Banana Smoothie, Salad w/ bean sprouts, apple & carrots, fresh corn w/ wild rice, cinnamon plantain chips, herbal tea
Extras: nectarine, asian salad No peanuts & No crunchy noodles
ACTIVITIES: 1 hour hike with the doggies

DATE: 7/18
Thrive Diet Food: Garlic Oregano Yam Fries, cauliflower w/nutritional yeast & sesame seed topping, garlic kale, cucumber/onion salad, banana peach smoothie, almond flaxseed burger
Extras: coffee
ACTIVITIES: nothing special

DATE: 7/19
Thrive Diet Food: Ginger Pear Cereal w/ Almond Rooibos Milk, zucchini chip almond salad, Black Eye Pea Quinoa Pizza w/ sun dried tomato sauce, banana peach smoothie, 2 energy balls
Extras: handful of hazelnuts
ACTIVITIES: 2.5 mile walk, abs: 100 crunches & 50 bicycles

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COMPASSION FOR ALL

Wow ! Your food sounds good!

I just got the book (finally) today . . .

Can't wait to read it!

I'll keep you posted on how closely I decide to follow it!

Take Care,

Lindsay

Yeah, the food definitely sounds delicious. Keep it up!

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http://climbingyogi.zaadz.com/blog

I've been totally shocked at how delicious most of the recipes so far have been - and my husband too! Also, here in southern oregon there is so much local organic produce that I have added fruits and vegies to the official Thrive Diet Menu. I have to admit, I'm not that fond of prepackaged hemp milk on its own, and I doubt I'll ever eat raw kale after yesterday's "green smoothie" incident! However, I am careful to cook on very low temperatures so the vegies are almost raw. The recipes require more time prepping ingredients (sprouting and cooking beans & grains in advance) which will take me some time to get used to, but all in all - I feel fantastic and my energy last longer and is more consistent (after moving heavy furniture last weekend, I was surprised to not be achy-brakey on Monday). Plus, Last night I had ZERO SUGAR CRAVINGS - a first in months (if not years!)

Thanks Kyle!

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COMPASSION FOR ALL

Good Luck Bunny,
The food sounds like it would be good.

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Turned Vegan and started lifting weights in the spring of 2006 - Age 42

Thanks Montana!
b]DATE:[/b] 7/20
Thrive Diet Food:Toasted Apple Cinnamon Cereal w/ almond rooibos milk; salad, chai w/ hemp seed milk
Extras: carrot ginger soup; went to an Italian restaurant and had tomato basil pasta with olive oil & garlic - what a waste of good taste buds! So bland compared to the Thrive stuff!
ACTIVITIES: 2.5 mile walk, abs: 100 crunches, 36 bicycles

b]DATE:[/b] 7/21
Thrive Diet Food: Wild rice, quinoa, oregano yam mix w/ tomato sauce, coconut lemon lime drink, 1/2 sequel energy bar
Extras: soy latte; Mexican restaurant: vegan taco salad w/ 2 fresh corn tortillas
ACTIVITIES: moved heavy boxes all day

b]DATE:[/b] 7/22
Thrive Diet Food: toasted apple cinnamon cereal, giant salad w/ sesame dressing, hazelnuts
Extras:soy latte, popcorn
ACTIVITIES: spray painting & moving furniture

b]DATE:[/b] 7/23
Thrive Diet Food: apple, 2 dried apricots, fig, sequel energy bar, green beans, fava beans, squash, salad w/ carrot & sprouted sunflower seeds
Extras: 1 1/2 cups coffee, couscous w/ sesame & nutritional yeast
ACTIVITIES: housework

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COMPASSION FOR ALL

The only way I can handle raw kale is in the form of raw kale salad, after it's been rubbed with salt, mixed with lemon juice, and slathered in avocado dressing.

Okay, I'll try that. Thanks!

Good news: lost 3 pounds the first week

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COMPASSION FOR ALL

Make sure you slice the kale into as small of shreds as you can make them. Then add like, 1/2 tsp salt and rub for a while. The salt breaks it down and makes it less tough. Then the juice of about half a lemon. The dressing I just improvise on, but it usually has avocado, hemp or flax oil, water (to thin it), lemon juice, garlic, and cayenne pepper.


Congrats on the weight loss! are you hungry at all?

Not at all - there is no limit on amounts to eat, but I find myself eating less because the food is so filling and you eat something every couple of hours. Thanks for the details on processing the kale.

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COMPASSION FOR ALL

DATE: 7/24
Thrive Diet Food: toasted apple cinamon cereal w/ almond rooibos milk, peach, wild rice w/quinoa, yam, and tomato bean sauce; energy bar, banana peach smoothie, salad w/ carrot and sunflower seed sprouts w/ EFA oil & lemon juice
Extras: 1/2 cup coffee
ACTIVITIES: mowed the lawn (push mower), picked apricots & blackberries

DATE: 7/25
Thrive Diet Food: 2 dried apricots, 1 apple, energy bar, salad w/ carrot and sunflower seed sprouts w/ EFA oil & lemon juice, 1 fig, bunch of blackberries, broccoli, corn, lentils w/ carrots
Extras: coffee
ACTIVITIES: unpacking boxes

DATE: 7/26
Thrive Diet Food: banana, energy bar, cacao almond banana smoothie, vegetable crackers w/ sunflower seed pate, lemon sesame crisps
Extras: coffee
ACTIVITIES: shopping & housework

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COMPASSION FOR ALL

Not at all - there is no limit on amounts to eat, but I find myself eating less because the food is so filling and you eat something every couple of hours. Thanks for the details on processing the kale.[/quote]

I have found myself eating less because the nutrient-density is so much higher. Well, and the past few weeks have been related to stress too.

I wasn't sure if you were "dieting" per se.