Alejandro The Vegan

i really appreciate everyone coming to my aid! I will look into some of the recommendations you guys have made. I also got a call from Giacomo!

Gotta agree. Diet is the key to ripped abs. I'm 48 and have a six pack (for the first time in my life) and only do about 25 crunches a week. Super low-fat diet (no more than 10% of calories) and the balance only whole foods will get you there without breakin a sweat (most people anyway.) Push your fingers hard into you stomach and you'll feel the cuts in your ab muscles. The cuts are already there from the sit ups, your just can't see em through the fat-and it don't take much.

you are right, they are there.. but I can't see them haha. Ok. I need to know what not to eat now.

Thanks for the feedback guys. And you know what? half of the problem is that I don't really know much about food. I know more than what the average person would know, I mean just being vegan you sort of have to make your self more aware. But I don't know enough to make the correct choices of the ideal foods and portions. I will start by looking into some of the powder stuff you suggested and maybe picking up a book or something. anything you guys recommend? Keep in mind that I'm also going at this alone and picking up whatever I read here and there.

I can't speak for everyone else, but even when I was eating a ton of food (cutting back now) I wasn't spending 20 bucks a day. Not even close. And I never lost a huge amount of weight from going vegan.

 

Tell us what you are eating. If you are losing weight you simply aren't eating enough. It has nothing to do with being vegan or being a meatitarian. Not enough calories go in, weight goes down. Simple. Processed foods will always cost you more. I buy huge bags of brown rice from asian grocers and it ends up costing me a dollar or two per kilo. I buy most or all of my vegetables frozen and buy in season fruits. I eat simple, not a whole lot, but if I increased what I ate it would only cost me about 50 cents a day or a little more.

 

Also, gaining solid mass takes time. It won't happen overnight or even in a few months. Hell, look at Ryan. His size is a result of years of work. Progressive gains over time. Learn to see those gains and accept that more will come, and you will reach your goals.

 

 

I'd like to see how you're training as well. I'm not sure if you have a blog or not, but it would be interesting and help us comment more on your current concerns and issues.

 

 

Veganism is like anything else. Approached rationally and with dedication it's sustainable, healthy, and condusive to a strong, lean powerful body. It can also hurt you if you approach it the wrong way. Same goes for a lot of things.

Ok, good stuff. I'll give you an example of a typical day.

Morning:

Peanut butter and blueberry jelly sandwichs

1 pear

8oz of The Ultimate Meal (w/banana and half an apple)

Midday snack:

Organic Foodbar or Cliff Bar

almonds/dry cranberries

Lunch:

Baby Spinach & Avocado salad with tomatoes.

short grain brown rice, black beans with somoe multi grain tortillas

and some grilled tofu or tempeh.

I work out around 5 or 6 right after that:

brown rice protein shake with mangoes and apples

a soy cheese quesadilla with some sauteed broccoli, mushrooms over some quinoa or brown rice.

anymore wrist tips?

After only 4 and a half months of a vegan diet I'm starting to have second thoughts. I mentioned that I was vegetarian for a year before my switch to veganism.

But I'm losing weight and not really gaining any weight. I can't afford to eat so much on a vegan diet. If I wasn't trying to bulk up and I was just into running and a little weight lifting here and there it would be ok to be skinny.

But I want to gain muscle and some weight. I'm 5'7, I was 160-150lbs when I ate meat, but not fit.

I was 140 to 150ish when I was a vegetarian and working out once or twice a week.

Now that I been Vegan for 4 months I'm only 134lbs! I work out 4 to 5 times a week and I'm more cut, i can see that I'm stronger and I'm noticing more definition. But I just look too thin for my taste. And I read some of your guys' blogs and post about how much you eat, and It sounds like in order to put on some weight people are spending 20 to 40 dollars a day. I may be wrong but I'm on a budget and I can't afford to eat more than what I have projected to spend for the month.

I decided that I will give my self 3 more months. I will train just as hard or harder and I'm going to take my supplements more often (not over do it) And try to eat a bit more with out breaking the bank. If by late June I'm not at least 140 or 145 then I will have to forget about being Vegan, and people... I would love to be vegan for the rest of my life. But I don't think is practical for my goals.

I would love some feed back. positive.

I LOVE IT! thank you so much. I'm like the milk anti-christ.

Alejandro, sorry for hijacking your thread....

 

I'll get it back on topic here.

 

"WHAT ABOUT THE PLANTS? THEY HAVE FEELINGS TOO!"

This is the first time anyone in the history of forums, at least of forums I am a member of. That they have acknowledge the highjacking of a thread! haha. No problem, I don't think you did it. Its ok. Lets all be nice now.

I'm conflicted with the feelings things. Animals feelings are not on my top 3 or even 5? of why I decided to go vegan. I'm not heartless but just being honest.

Ooh me too.

 

I have uber skinny wrists. I bet they are skinnier than yours, Alej.

little wrist peoples UNITE!

Wrist curls. Works for Frank McGrath and that guy has huge wrists/forearms.

That will work? Hmm I will begin those tomorrow! thanks

I think it is. have any of you guys ever heard or seen the Naomi Wolf documentary? It's also a book. called 'The end of the America" check it out! here's a link. It's great stuff!

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=naomi+woolf&hl=en&emb=0&aq=0&oq=Naomi+woo#q=naomi+wolf&hl=en&emb=0

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=naomi+woolf&hl=en&emb=0&aq=0&oq=Naomi+woo#q=naomi+wolf&hl=en&emb=0

I've come to grips with the harsh reality, haha.. OK all joking aside I have very skinny wrist and I hate them. I've noticed my forearms getting a little bigger just from working out but from my wrist to about 3 inches or 4 before my forearm starts it just doesn't match the rest of my body. I wonder if there's something i can do to make that section of my arm catch up. I'm very insecure about my wrist I do whatever i can to not draw attention to them. I was looking at my mom and we have identical wrist, so does my older brother.. skinny and boney haha. I also notice that my moms brother and some of my cousins have the same wrist. I'm doomed huh?

I wanted to know what are some of the craziest rumors and assumptions you have come across from people regarding veganism.

I was talking to a friend who I rarely speak to. I couldn't remember why I don't enjoy having conversations with her and I was quickly reminded. She's shoot everything down that's not "normal". She's extremely conservative in many aspects of her life and I'm the complete opposite. I have friends from all walks of life, but sadly when you come across someone who isn't humble and captivated by the dynamism of the world a conversation can be come very dull. She lives life with a simple mentality, things are fine the way they are and there's no point in changing anything around us or why go outside our traditions and cultures? Why bother? These are some of the things she told me.

"I can't believe you are vegan, your body is hurting inside! It needs nutrients and proteins you can't find on plans or tofu."

"One day you are going to want to have kids and you are going to regret denying your unborn child of essential nutrients."

"You are going to become impotent"

Very cool! I'll check this out soon.

Yeah? so you think so? I figured anything made from milk will give me stomach craps.

(before I was vegan or vegetarian at that)

I have a question regarding what milk and dairy products effect in ones body and why eventually some of our bodies start to reject it.

Drinking milk is probably a habit for most people. I loved the taste of milk and I always enjoyed a glass of cold milk with some cookies. As I got older I stopped drinking milk because I felt I was too grown up for the taste.

I remember working late nights at the studio and all of the sudden a cold glass of milk with a pastry started becoming appealing to me. This was around 2005 when I was 24. I hadn't drank milk as often since I was in elementary school, but this time it was different. I started to get the runs! I felt like a bunch of small fire works were going off in my stomach minutes after finishing my glass of milk, at the time I figured the Milk was spoiled but this continued as I started to drink more milk based stuff, once I got whip cream on my frapuccino and I felt terrible cramps, eventually sour cream started doing this to me and anything that had a trace of milk in it like certain protein bars. Someone told me I am lactose intolerant but I dismissed this simply because I could eat cheese and butter! Only blue and Gorgonzola cheeses up set my stomach a bit.

Perhaps I am some what lactose intolerant but I'm not sure and surprised that It took this long of a time gap for my body to reject milk or products based from it.

Any of you have the similar symptoms or stories?

You can always look on you tube if you want to see a video..

 

Just do a search of ab workouts.

thanks! Yes I have, But I wanted stories from others. regarding how long it took them and if it's difficult, what muscles did they have a hard time targeting the most, what worked for them and what did, etc. =]

Robert and Lean and Green did a killer ab workout last night

 

You might fine this helpful

 

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=16577&start=90

I'm sorry, I don't get it.. I guess I was expecting a video haha.

What did I do to my self for the past 7 years? all those beers! HaHa! I haven't drank alcohol in exactly 63 days and I do abdominal exercises 5 times a week, about 250 a day. and I'm starting to see some muscle and definition on my two upper abs, but the other four are still buried underneath. I have lost weight and an inch and a half or so around my waist. But I guess I would like to see more progress. Based on your personal experiences with ab workouts, what's generally the average reps and how long does it take for you to start seen results?

I heard that tape is not vegan. What other things do you know that I would not know that are not vegan ?

as in analogue tape? woah! thank goodness for Pro Tools!

My favorite fighters are Anderson Silva, he's knees are just... insane!

GSP, I wish I was fit like that guy!

BJ Penn, I love his style, sad he gave up against GSP

Liotto Machida, I'd love to see him and the spider go at it!

and of course Mac Danzig.

I can't stand when people are sitting on the benches or equipment, just sitting there not using it for exercise or their work out, BUT for texting!!!

Thanks to everyone that's giving me great tips! Some of the stuff is pretty given huh? Like I mentioned, I know is not the end of the world but I'm interested to know how others deal with it. I want to make it clear that none of my friends give me any crap, on the contrary, I'm the one who doesn't want to make them feel awkward by not taking part in the very things we did together for years!

I was also wondering about Traveling, finding Vegan alternatives in other countries, I'm originally from Mexico and I went back once last year as a Vegetarian and I managed, I did eat fish though but when I went to Cuba I really suffered and ate more pizza in Havana than an Italian probably eats in a year haha.

Last year as a Vegetarian and as a pretty heavy consumer of alcohol I didn't feel left out at all! I could easily go to our favorite bars and places to have some beers and watch the game or the fights with my boys! I didn't eat chicken wings anymore, But I did have a veggie pizza, or fries, onion rings, typical bar food. Now as a Vegan I find my self rejecting invites to go out with my friends and I feel bad.

I don't want them to think I'm trying to push them away but at the same time I'm trying to change and avoid alcohol and greasy late night bar food because, we are all there so might as well eat and drink since everyone else is. It's a very social thing to do and pretty common, I mean less than 3 months ago I was doing it! But I had enough!

I find my self thinking the following; How am I going to enjoy my self? If I'm not drinking and I'm not eating cheese fries or mozzarella sticks from 10pm till 1 or 2 in the morning? I don't know my self at a bar without that. So I'm a bit unsure how I would act and If I'm going to be the "party pooper".

I hosted the UFC fight a couple of weeks ago, some of friends were positive that my 31 day non-alcohol period was over. There was lots of beer around me and I didn't have one zip. Since then my fridge has 15 Heinekens in there that I have not touched, But 3 months ago I would have finished them in 2 days.

Sorry for the long post, My question is what do you guys do? Or how did you get around it? Going out with your old social circle, minus the food and the alcohol. Thanks!

I know this is simple and it's not the end of the world, but I'm not at the point yet. I'm working on it.

very interesting. I live in an apartment, don't know if I can pulled that off.