Working hard/Eating

[Allantgy]

Hi everyone.

Well, this week I started to work really hard in the gym (Or well, what is hard for me because Ive only been a month in the gym). I have some doubts about the relation between diet and recovery time.

I eat three times a day, Ive tried small amounts of food 5 times a day but it doesnt work for me.

I dont know how should I eat or what should I eat to get fast recovery, gain muscles and avoid injury.

Currently Im eating pretty much like this:

WORKOUT

Breakfast: 1 Cup and a half of soy milk with two cups of granola (Raisins and peanuts).

 

Lunch: Pita bread with vegetables and a small bowl of beans cream (I just throw the cooked beans, grains, garbanzo or others into the mixer, is easier on stomach )

 

Dinner: Pita bread with raw vegetables and 48 grams of peanuts.

Water during the day.

 

Any advice?

[liftandcode]

If you are training hard you are almost certainly not eating enough to gain. Since you state that you don't like to eat five meals, I would stick with the 3 you have there, but in addition to that I would add a post workout shake consisting of 20-40 grams of gemma pea protein from trueprotein.com along with some soymilk a banana and perhaps some dextrose/maltodextrin mix for simple sugars to replace muscle glycogen.

 

If you don't want an isolate like pea protein and are looking for more of a whole foods solution you should try to make a similar shake but substitute the pea protein for some form of hemp protein.

 

I would also recommend eating more fruit throughout the day.

[Allantgy]

Well, actually Im from Venezuela, and Im from a small town where there are no vegan products.. no tofu, no soymilk and Ive never seen hemp in my life

So I guess my muscles will have to be built in a more natural way than with vega or other vegan supplements hehehe

Thank you, I wanted to know if I was eating enough.

My dieat is pretty much based on carbs and some proteins, very low in fat. I do eat fruits, I love them, so much that sometimes I just like to lunch two apples and two bananas

Ill try to drink a beverage made from soy that I found a while ago in a market, its vegan, thats why it never came back hehehe people dont like it.

[chrisjs]

You don't need "vegan products" like soymilk or tofu. You don't need protein powder either.

 

Do you have access to some decent brown rice and whole grain breads? That, with the beans, greens, fruits, and nuts will be enough.

 

Obviously you want to eat sufficient quantities and see how your body responds to different ratios of carbs/fats/protein, but you're not missing anything with no soy products.

[Allantgy]

Thank you Chris. You are right. I guess there are vegans out there that are allergic to soy and still they enjoy veganism.

Yes, I have acces to whole wheat breads, they are the only ones I eat The "organic" food in here is usually not healthy food at all hehehe, for example they sell a breakfast cereal that is 99,8% sugar xD Dry beans are really cheap and easy to find and brown rice too.

[CollegeB]

If folks can get big on a raw diet, and I've seen it, you certainly can make it without "vegan products" just be careful about essential nutrients. Namely calcium and b vitamins. Possibly iron...I know there is disagreement about it here.

[Allantgy]

If folks can get big on a raw diet, and I've seen it, you certainly can make it without "vegan products" just be careful about essential nutrients. Namely calcium and b vitamins. Possibly iron...I know there is disagreement about it here.

What do you mean?

[liftandcode]

You don't need "vegan products" like soymilk or tofu. You don't need protein powder either.

 

Do you have access to some decent brown rice and whole grain breads? That, with the beans, greens, fruits, and nuts will be enough.

 

Obviously you want to eat sufficient quantities and see how your body responds to different ratios of carbs/fats/protein, but you're not missing anything with no soy products.

 

Agreed. I didn't mean to say that one needs those things to build muscle. I just suggested them because he seems like a hardgainer that was getting too full to eat enough to grow. Therefore a high calorie shake may be appropriate.

 

However, If you could add in another large meal like that listed above, preferably post workout, with a glass of juice or something, you will see much better gains.

[chrisjs]

Agreed. I didn't mean to say that one needs those things to build muscle. I just suggested them because he seems like a hardgainer that was getting too full to eat enough to grow. Therefore a high calorie shake may be appropriate.

 

However, If you could add in another large meal like that listed above, preferably post workout, with a glass of juice or something, you will see much better gains.

I somehow didn't even notice your post earlier, so I was only referring to the OP's questions. I've used powders off and on and some people swear by them, I just wanted to make it clear that they're not necessary, especially if they are hard to obtain where he is.

[liftandcode]

Agreed. I didn't mean to say that one needs those things to build muscle. I just suggested them because he seems like a hardgainer that was getting too full to eat enough to grow. Therefore a high calorie shake may be appropriate.

 

However, If you could add in another large meal like that listed above, preferably post workout, with a glass of juice or something, you will see much better gains.

I somehow didn't even notice your post earlier, so I was only referring to the OP's questions. I've used powders off and on and some people swear by them, I just wanted to make it clear that they're not necessary, especially if they are hard to obtain where he is.

 

No worries. I think it is great that you followed up the OPs response. The more solid information that new Vegans and/or lifters receive, the better.