tumbleweed Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 About Me I've been into fitness and lifting weights for many years now. There have been times when I've burned out and quit lifting or doing much of anything, but I always come back. Time and wisdom have shown me that lifting weights and getting some exercise isn't all about physical health, it's about being healthy mentally. If I go more than a couple of days without doing anything, I start to get irritable, listless, and don't sleep well. For me, it's a requirement. I'm one of those nuts who goes to the gym at 4:30 am on work days. While you're still sleeping, I'm at the gym. I don't like working out in the evening after work. When I get home, I'm mentally tired and just don't want to do anything else but eat and relax. Besides, my best energy is in the morning after a good night's sleep. The other benefit is that only the hard-core go to the gym at 4:30. You don't have to worry about getting on the equipment that you need. Trust me, it ain't social hour at the gym real early in the morning. Believe it or not, there are usually about 20 people there that early. I used to be into this thing of lifting weights to get huge. Now it's just more to stay trimmed down and lean. After years of killing myself with super heavy sets, it dawned on me that the older I get, the more brutal it is on my joints. Sorry, but I can't see a good reason to bench 225 anymore or squat over 300 (I know, to some of you that's weakling weight anyway). It doesn't make sense to me now. My goal now is to have a good shaped body, be strong and wiry as hell, and do more weight training for real-world applications. I'd rather have a gymnast's body than Arnold's now. Although, I have to admit that sometimes, it'd be cool to be 250 pounds of hulking muscle at 10% or less body fat. However, with my frame, it isn't gonna happen without juice. In my opinion, though, the guys that have the best bodies are most of the UFC fighters. Now those guys are ripped and strong. FYI, I'm 46 years old, 5'10", 178 pounds. Why I went vegan All of the major news outlets are trumpeting the results of a new study that compared three diets; low fat, Mediterranean, and high-protein/low carb (Atkins). The study finds that people on low fat diets lost the least amount of weight, with the people on the Atkins diet losing the most weight. There are quite a few reasons why I think this study can't possibly be accurate, one of which is that the Atkins foundation funded a big part of the study. Other reasons are listed in this article from Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/146641 However, most of the people out there looking for a quick fix to their weight problem will look no deeper into the study. They'll watch CNN, get the 1 minute blurb, and decide to jump on the Atkins bandwagon. This is just a recipe for disaster. With apologies to the animal rights people, my personal decision to go Vegan had nothing to do with saving animals. It had to do with saving myself. My older brother, who was a meat-eating, milk-drinking, football-playing kind of guy, told me he went vegan after reading the book "The China Study". He told me this the day of our father's funeral. Our father died of heart-related disease. Heart disease has killed most of the men in my family at a relatively early age. I was pretty shocked that my brother went vegan. He's about the most politically conservative, evangelical Christian, hippie-hating kind of guy you've ever met. He has always taken care of himself and has never been out of shape a day in his life. That this one book could have changed my brother's outlook was enough for me to read it and investigate. He told me about an NFL player for the Kansas City Chiefs who had gone vegan after reading The China Study. He urged me to read The China Study and take the 30 day challenge. Go vegan for 30 days and see how I feel. My brother said he felt completely awesome, he had not lost any strength in his workouts, and had plenty of energy. I read The China Study. I loved this book for a number of reasons and won't go into a full-blown review. However, I will say that what impressed me most is that the research Dr Campbell did was extensive and unparalleled in the depth in which it was performed. He lists all of things you should eat on a single page. How simple, how elegant. I took the 30 day challenge. That was back in February 2008. In late April, I had my annual physical. My cholesterol levels are rock bottom. They're almost off the chart on the low end. My HDL and LDL are perfect. I've dropped about 5 pounds without worrying about calorie loads. My workouts have not suffered. If anything, I look leaner, and a bit more cut. I still need to drop that extra 5 to 10 to be completely ripped, but I'm working on that. My wife and I have no plans on returning to meat. We're vegan all the way. I'm quite sure that I'll never see a major news report on CNN about the benefits of going vegan. The beef and dairy industries are just too powerful in this country and would fight tooth and nail against anybody who recommends a vegan diet. People have been taught for generations that the way to be healthy and strong is to eat tons of meat, drink gallons of milk, and take drugs and have surgery for their diet-induced heart and weight problems. Sadly, most people won't move beyond their prejudices because they think that vegans are all just a bunch of counter-culture kooks. Veganism has this counter-culture aura about it, and that's what kind of turned me away from it for years. For me, it took the example of my athletic older brother to inspire me. The story of a vegan NFL player inspired my brother. We need to be ambassadors of good health and clean living to spread the word about the benefits of being vegan. The people on this site are all perfect examples of the athletic vegan and can inspire others. When you're talking about your diet and the other person says something like, "There's no way I could give up meat, dude.", ask them to take the 30 day challenge. They'll be surprised at how easy it is. The more people we can convince to take the challenge, the better. As we continue to inspire one person at a time, someday we may get CNN to do a story on the benefits of being a vegan. Now quit reading this and go lift some weights! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makke Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Hi tumbleweed, welcome to the wonderful world of eating plants only I agree with all you say 100% - for me it was also Dr.Campbell who convinced and reassured me the most of being vegan. "With apologies to the animal rights people, my personal decision to go Vegan had nothing to do with saving animals" Same here - I was primilarily looking for health. I think, if vegans (some of them, not all) weren´t so uptight about animal rights in the first place and would stress health benefits more, they could convince more people. It was after I went on a plant based diet that I could break my old meat-eating thinking patterns, not before! Check out this footage, you will also see that Dr.Campbell isn´t just a great scientist, but also a very simple, honest guy... and that´s what I really like about him, he hasn´t got a big agenda or products to sell, he´s just in it for the truth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Welcome! Great to have you here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flanders77 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Welcome aboard! That is what I call a great intro! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuc Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Welcome tumbleweed! Literally "great" introduction, maybe the longest so far! I love your story, it makes so much sense and sounds like you and your wife are doing GREAT! Like I always say to people with long workout history: PICS, PLZ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veganmomma Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offense74 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Great intro and welcome!There are many people here that are primarily in it for health and/or environmental reasons (me being one of them) but watching "Earthlings" will make you feel even better about your diet choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc7 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Welcome aboard and thanks for the detailed intro, that's a great story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubby2112 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Welcome! Environmental reasons are what first pushed me into veganism. It wasn't until later that I realized the suffering caused by the dairy industry, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tumbleweed Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 Thank you all for the responses. I can already tell I'm going to have a lot of fun talking with you. I'll have to take some photos of myself and get them posted. I usually avoid taking my shirt off in public because I tend to blind people with my whiteness. My wife has to wear sunglasses when I take my shirt off on a sunny day. Maybe I need a tanning booth. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endy Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Inspirational, Tumbleweed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veginator Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Same here - I was primilarily looking for health. I think, if vegans (some of them, not all) weren´t so uptight about animal rights in the first place and would stress health benefits more, they could convince more people. So, if I don't have a double standard wherein I feel compassion for some animals capable of experiencing physical and emotional pain (say, humans I know and maybe my pets), but feel no empathy or compassion whatsoever for the ones that wind up on people's dinner plates, who under modern factory farming conditions have undergone a huge amount of pain and suffering on the way there, that makes me "uptight"? WTF? I think if anybody's "uptight" it's those who erect a wall of denial around the issue of livestock animals' well-being. And it isn't just faceless hordes of humanity who are that way, but friends and relatives whom I know and love, too. That doesn't change the way I feel in the least--it angers and saddens me a lot to think about how indifferent most people, including most of my relatives, are to the way animals are treated, and how complicit they are in this treatment. Of course, most people don't really know what life is like for animals raised under factory farming conditions, but then again, it seems many would rather not know. I think "Earthlings" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhxKnys7Ryw) should be required viewing for anyone old enough to not be completely traumatized by it. Anyone who watches this video and sees with their own eyes the brutality of humans' typical treatment of animals and isn't moved to tears has something seriously wrong with them. Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schopenhauer Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 thanks for that Youtube link, Jeff! I haven't seen this before...I'm watching it now. I'm going to send this link out to everyone I know, including my family (who to this day gives me grief every Thanksgiving about not eating meat...I'm sure you've been there. LOL). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Welcome Great Intro ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medman Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Tumbleweed - health is certainly one of the big reasons to go vegan. The great thing is that, regardless of what draws you to veganism, the end result is threefold - positive health, environmental, and animal rights effects. You're right about the "counterculture" aura around veganism. In the US in particular, the media is insane. Oops, I mean "overly conservative". If you aren't enjoying your steak and apple pie with red white and blue sparklers in it, you're a communist and the terrorists have won. A lot of great things are slapped with a "hippie" label and are made taboo - a great example is hemp. It's great for you, great for the environment, and you can make clothes and paper out of it. It's still banned from being grown in the US because it's related to marijuana, even though it doesn't contain THC in it and isn't a drug! You and your brother should both be proud - you've managed to find and make a great lifestyle choice despite the media and attitudes around you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DV Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Welcome, Tumbleweed! Great intro. My husband and I went vegan for health and environmental reasons - and compassionate reasons followed. I would have a difficult time "rating" the reasons at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsorlando Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liftandcode Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Hi. Tumbleweed. I have to say that I chose to go Vegan 100% for Animal Rights reasons. I would probably second that with environmentalism followed by health. While I have been Vegan for about a month, I have realized how much better I feel and have read more about the health benefits then I ever knew. Like you, although not as old, I used to be seriously into lifting heavy weights and was very lean and muscular on a diet of mainly meat and carbs. I have not lost any strength since going Vegan and am sure you feel the same way. I greatly respect and admire your decision to become Vegan, and I'm sure you will live a happier and healthier life along the way. However, I hope you come around to the understanding the reasons why people are so concerned and outgoing, maybe even pushy about animal rights. The horrific abuses suffered by the many creatures on factory farms just causes people to be blinded by rage. A lot of Vegans are not "hippies" and it is an absolute shame that the meat and dairy industries have caused such a backlash against such a noble cause as Animal Rights. Animal Rights activists simply want to end suffering, which as you can attest due to the myriad choices of a Vegan diet, is completely unnecessary. I hope that along with the positive health message that you and your brother can bring back to your "conservative" communities, that you will learn more about animal rights and Veganism and further the spread of knowledge that is being stifled in this country. Good Luck with everything. Much Respect. Now Go get HUGE!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tumbleweed Posted August 1, 2008 Author Share Posted August 1, 2008 liftandcode, Thank you for your comments. You are most gracious. I completely understand yours and others concerns about animal cruelty. Whether one becomes a vegan due to caring for animals or for health reasons, the benefits are the same; better health for us and less cruelty towards animals. It truly is a win/win and I wish more people saw that. I'm not conservative at all; I voted for Carter my first election. But I grew up in a very conservative family. Among my extended family, I could talk til I'm blue in the face about how being vegan helps animals, and they wouldn't listen. However, when they ask me why I quit eating meat and I say because of health reasons, their ears perk up. I talk about how being a vegan helps you keep a healthy weight, how it lowers your BP and cholesterol, and how the food recipes I cook are delicious. Now they're interested and want to learn more. Once I set the hook and they see where I"m coming from, then I throw in the part that it's also good for animals. Yeah, you too, man. Get huge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobita Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 welcome. When you workout that early I bet mentally you feel great, relaxed and vigorous. However, physically you are in your worse stage to perform above your comfort zone. I suggest you to have a good diet, and do the weight workout with energy coming from food, not only from your mind. Nutrition plays a big role in both mental and physical activity.Spiritual and emotional does not depend on nutrition. In other words, administer you energy during the day so that physically you can lift weight after consuming enough carbohydrates, and give a chance to your mental energy to have frequent small breaks at work. PS. sleeping is for the mind and brain to perform memory and housekeeping tasks, your body doesnt recover from sleeping. Sleeping consumes pretty much the same as sitting all night with out moving and eating an apple. All unused energy from food at night becomes fat (energy stores). PS2. The most important meals are the pre and post workout, for optimum results. Independently of your goals, let it be crosstraining, racquetball, tennis, football (the real one...the one played with your feet), any physical activity, including taking an examination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liftandcode Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 liftandcode, Thank you for your comments. You are most gracious. I completely understand yours and others concerns about animal cruelty. Whether one becomes a vegan due to caring for animals or for health reasons, the benefits are the same; better health for us and less cruelty towards animals. It truly is a win/win and I wish more people saw that. I'm not conservative at all; I voted for Carter my first election. But I grew up in a very conservative family. Among my extended family, I could talk til I'm blue in the face about how being vegan helps animals, and they wouldn't listen. However, when they ask me why I quit eating meat and I say because of health reasons, their ears perk up. I talk about how being a vegan helps you keep a healthy weight, how it lowers your BP and cholesterol, and how the food recipes I cook are delicious. Now they're interested and want to learn more. Once I set the hook and they see where I"m coming from, then I throw in the part that it's also good for animals. Yeah, you too, man. Get huge! Tumbleweed,Thanks for letting me learn more about you. My family is actually quite liberal, however when it comes to eating meat they also couldn't care less about the animal cruelty issues. However, after annoying them for months they have definitely come around to understanding my diet more. I am starting to think that what you and others have said about the health angle is perhaps the best direction to go. For instance last night I was talking to my mother who told me her friend just did a Vegan cleanse. I said it was probably because she read the "Skinny Bitch" book which recommends a Vegan diet. She had no idea that's what that book said but was well aware of its popularity. She sounded excited to go get it. It amazed me, because she definitely would not even consider a Vegan diet simply to help animals. So, yes I think you are on the right track. Just keep doing what you are doing. You are a very welcome addition to this forum. The more diversity of backgrounds we have here the better we can understand how to spread the word and be the healthiest we can be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lean and Green Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 Really cool intro super hardcore attitude and great background. Loved to hear about your brother and his switch to veganism. Enjoy vbbf, excited to see your posts and connect. If you think veganism has a dogma around it, you should see the dogma surround raw foodists. We get it from all angles, even our vegan cooked food friends. It's all good. When something works for you, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, as long as you feel good. Hey veginator, if you're reading this, that new avatar of yours is looking good. Could see the progression and that you're working hard at it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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