Karmacharger

Thanks for the tips everyone. I'm still trying to make sure I'm getting enough calories. I'm keeping a food journal but I think I need to start tracking my calories better. Yesterday, I had a pretty good breakfast (yeast-free toast with sugar free pbj, 1/2 cup tofu w/ 2 cups veggies: collards, kale, carrots) waited an hour and a half and then hit the gym. It took me about 40 minutes to get through my weights and then I crashed mid-way through my cardio... Maybe I should bring some juice or something. It always takes me a while to figure out how much/little I should be eating when I start training again. Today, I split my cardio between the treadmill and the elliptical machine and managed to get a full hour in. I'm trying to respect my body's limits as I'm ramping up but I also don't want to be wussy about it.

My training program includes three days a week of full body training (lower weights/higher reps) and five hours of cardio a week. I'm trying to lose weight right now. I'm nearing the end of my first week and will have only managed four hours including the cardio I plan to do when the gym opens. I tried to get my hour in after doing all my weights yesterday but had no energy left after 24 minutes. I was trying to do 2 minutes fast 2 minutes moderate for the whole session. Before doing weights I had warmed up with 15 minutes on the treadmill. My question: Is there any harm in breaking up my cardio and doing 30 minutes before my weights and 30 minutes after? Or, should I strive to do all 60 minutes in one shot? I'm thinking of doing my weights in the morning and my cardio at night but that is pretty risky since I'm more of a morning person and my gym is much less full in the morning. It's a totally zoo after work. Thoughts? Advice? Thanks!

I had a similar problem this week. I packed all my meals and took them to work with me. By Wednesday morning, I didn't know if I was going to throw up or pass out while doing cardio. I felt so weak and wobbly. I checked out my food journal and realised I was only getting about 1000 calories a day and that was probably an overestimation. I felt full because I was eating all the time but I wasn't getting enough calories since I was eating so clean. Wednesday night, I went home and made a big bowl of soba noodles with veggies and tofu and felt a million times better! It's hard to eat well if you don't plan for it. Buy a cooler and pack it up before leaving the house. I often bring 10 different tupperware type containers to work each day and sometimes, I pack too much but at least a healthy option is there when I need it. I know it's not easy to find the time to prepare your food in advance but leave a box of cereal at work and some soy milk or whatever you put in it. Planning and preparation require time but are totally worth it! Good luck getting your food intake up! I know it's not easy when you already feel full but if you can, try to get the food in first, and drink the water in between. I think, at this point, the food is more important.

A tip for dry beans is to soak them with a strip of kombu.... there's something in the seaweed that helps make them easier to digest. Also boiling them uncovered is a good idea, it helps the gas escape. And I hear that eating "pickled" things can help with the digestion of beans. And finally, my last trick is eating raw Chinese radish "Daikon" or "Lo Bok" with hard to digest foods. Not only does it break down fat but it helps digestion. I can't believe I read this whole thread while eating.

I will definitely post my routine but I'm not yet sure I'm ready to post any before pictures. We'll see where I'm at by week 5 and then I'll give a visual updated. I'm excited about writing my journal on here. I'll transfer it on Monday when I have all of last week's entries. Thanks again! I'm already feeling inspired!!

Thanks for the tip about agave and stevia! To be honest, I really can't stand the taste of stevia. I find it overly sweet that it has an after taste. Ever since I gave up sugar, I have an aversion to really sweet things. I actually have two containers of agave nectar at home... I used to like it as a sweetener but as part of a macrobiotic diet, it's not one of the permitted sweeteners. Even though maple syrup is permitted, it's only supposed to be an occasional thing because of it's effect on blood sugar. I think it is chosen over agave because it does not come from a tropical climate and in macrobiotic theory, one is supposed to eat as locally and as close to their "climatic conditions" as possible. The brown rice syrup and barley malt come from whole grains and are consider complex sugars; their sweetness is more subtle and more suitable for everyday use... according to macrobiotic theory. As if being a vegan wasn't hard enough, I had to go throw that into the mix as well. Wish me luck and thanks for the support and the warm welcome!!

Hey Everyone, I'm so glad I found you all!! I just entered a "Biggest Loser" contest at my gym to see who could lose the most inches in 10 weeks. So I guess I'm not really trying to body build so much as body dismantle. I've been weight training off and on for about 8 years now with some good success off and on. I have a hard time staying on the wagon. I've been vegetarian for the last 6 years and vegan for a very short while. I gave up eggs over a year ago and phased dairy out recently. I also gave up sugar four months ago tomorrow. At times, I'll have treats sweetened with maple or brown rice syrup or barley malt but that's it. No stevia, no agave nectar, nothing artificial, nada. I'm also attempting to train while eating a macrobiotic diet. I've upped the protein slightly and decreased the grains but overall am feeling pretty good. My trainer, who I love, was trying to get me away from the vegan lifestyle, suggesting fish a few times a week. I thought about it and then looked up how much protein legumes and tofu provide and realised, I don't need to go there. I can do this the vegan way and show him it can be done. I'm hoping to lose between 10 and 15lbs over the next ten weeks and maybe an inch per body part... except my calves, they've measured the same forever! The contest started this past Monday and I've put in only three days at the gym. Today was a forced rest day because I came down with something last night. My goal is to do another full body work out and two hours of cardio before the weekend is over. Once again, I have to say, I'm so glad this community exists! And, I too want a vegan hat. It will go nice with my "I make boys cry." t-shirt.