nyquil

Hi guys, I'm in the process of switching from a meat oriented diet to this vegan lifestyle. However, i see a lot of people eating things like tempeh, veggie burger, vegetarian bacon, vegetarian hotdogs... and basically things that comes in a plastic package... aren't a lot of these things considered PROCESSED food? what are some things i should stay away from in the vegan world?

whoa! i'm 5'11 too, but only 155 lb :\ There's hope for me yet! What an inspiration! 30lbs should be doable for me if i put in some hard work. the most i've gained was about 10-15 lbs in 3 months or so, but i was a meat eater back then and was taking creatine as well hehe. i'm considering going vegan/vegetarian now... and that picture, as well as robert's pictures are just the motivations i needed to make the switch!

Hi guys(and gals), What a great site and community this is! I feel very fortunate to have found this site at this time when i'm about to make the biggest diet change of my life! and I look forward to learning from each and one of you in the future. Though i am still currently a meat eater, i've always been very concious about my diet. I have never been overweight in my entire life... never was into sweets and junk food, and overall, have been quite athletic all my life. In addition, I have always known the importance of having a balanced meal, as well as the crucial role fruits and vegetables play in our lives. But, i think it's time for me to finally embrace and take the plunge and give this Vegetarian diet a go. (hey, if i can get all the protein from non-animal products without clogging my arteries... why not right?) I'm a male in my late 20s, with a height of 5'11 and weigh in at around 145-155 lbs. Needless to say, i'm quite lean with a very low body fat percentage. I know that a lot of people enjoyed the weight loss that often comes with switching from a meat oriented diet to a strictly vegetarian diet, but as a hardgainer with a fast metabolism, weight lost is really the last thing on my mind. With that being said, I was wondering if anyone could perhaps help me build a good vegetarian meal plan? Though i'm quite familiar with sprouting alfalfa , superfoods, making kombucha tea, making kefir, and what fruit/vegetable is good for what, there are still a lot of names i am very unaccustomed to. (all the different kinds of beans and grains especially) If it's not too much trouble, could someone show me what their grocery list or what their daily meal plan is like? Because I would very much like to start on this journey as soon as possible.. maybe go shopping this weekend and gather up all the necessary ingredients a vegetarian bodybuilder would need for his daily consumptions. Maybe some good recipes for some simple everyday vegetarian dishes? (not something extravagant and fancy looking like the things we see in Vegetarian magazines... but just real meals that are simple to make and dont take up too much time) Lastly, do i need to consume about the same amount of calories as i did when i was on the meat diet? will i require the same amount of protein? I'm guessing that if i take out the meat from my diet i probably wont need as much as i used to since my body will no longer spend so much energy digesting the meat. But at the same time, I am dreadful of losing weight during this process. (since my goal is to be gain some size while staying lean and cut.) Anyway, i'll cut this post short since it's already long as it is. haha I look forward to hearing from you all, and thanks in advance! -nyquil

Hi guy, I'm very interested in the raw food diet which is a vegan diet where all the vegetables and fruits are eaten raw and uncooked. However, being a hardgainer to begin with, it is already hard enough for me to gain size and maintain the size I want. Currently, i'm eating paleo with zone porportion, basically it's a diet with no grains, no rice, pasta, lots of veggies, fruits in place of those typical carbohydrates people usually consume, and meat on the side... and with zone porportion, where fat, protein and carbs are all perfectly porportioned for each meal. But now, i am thinking of taking the plunge and go completely vegan, and completely raw.... but as a hard gainer who is working out to be fit/lean/cut/ while at the same time, gain size and muscles, even while eating meat it's harder for me to put on size compare to a lot of other people, and i shudder to think how skinny i would get if i cut out meat completely as well. So i was wondering if there would be another male out there who has experienced the same thing perhaps? I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this. Thanks in advance, -mike