missyjane

Thanks, L! Can you believe I had to youtube military presses and negative chin-ups? Embarrassing! The negative chin-ups look like a good option. Not sure my PT would sign off on the military press though. I'll talk to her and see what she says. Thanks again for the good ideas!

I like the orderliness of your log too! It's inspiring me to want to keep one too. I keep on in my iPhone, but actually sharing it with people will force me to step it up a bit. Your blog is great--so many great food pics & recipes! Making me hungry! Mmm...

Thanks, Robert! Means a lot coming from Mr. Veganbodybuilding himself. Barb, thank YOU for the kind words. I love meeting other folks who are passionate about the same things. And congrats on your new veganism! I'd love to have you on board at Veganatheart.org, our free email coaching program for newbie vegans and people who consider themselves vegan at heart but not necessarily in practice. I send a daily tip for a month (including sample meal plans) and then send weekly missions thereafter. Feel free to read about how other people have found it helpful here: http://www.kindgreenplanet.org/programs/veganatheart/testimonials/ But let's see...today I've eaten steel cut oats with sweet cashew cream and stewed fruit for breakfast. Had some tofu jerky and a power bar to snack on. For lunch, I had some split pea soup using a super tasty, easy recipe I stumbled across last night: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=21200.0 Had toasted rye bread with Earth Balance on the side. For dinner I'll probably have a bean burrito with veggies, cilantro, and Tofutti Sour Supreme. Oh, I also noshed on 2 pieces of ginger candy and a small handful of vegan chocolate chips (what can I say, I have a sweet tooth!) Hope this is helpful!

Thanks, lobsteriffic! I have been doing bench presses, but not as often as I could. I actually like them, so I'll add more of them back into my program. I do bicep curls during my modified squats, which accommodate some tendonitis in my knee. Was doing bent over rows but my neck/back's been bugging me (herniated disk) so I quit those. So many health quirks! But the good news is I'm feeling quite a bit better in my neck/back, so I can integrate the bent over rows again. Really good tips/reminders. Trying to think of other compound lifts. Hmm...what are your favorites?

So...my first fitness goal was to get down to my wedding weight, which I've accomplished by taking up running. Then I started to amp up my lifting and toning exercises. I'm starting to see a difference, which is nice, but not quite the definition that I'd like to see eventually. I'd like to get more biceps going, and feel like I'm doing bicep curls up the wazoo but not with dramatic results. Wondering if there's anything else I should be doing to gain definition without bulking up too, too much?

Thanks, all, for the warm welcome, good tips and wise counsel. I find I crave the bad stuff mostly late afternoons (between 4 and 6) and then again after dinner. I think part of it is physical (low blood sugar late afternoons) and part emotional (always ate a sugary snack or dessert after school and after dinner growing up). My boss asked me to bake something for an event tonight, so I chose a brownie recipe that used whole wheat flour, a baked beet, maple syrup, and barley malt to flavor and sweeten it. I'm sure it's packed with calories, but they'll be slightly less empty at least. I often do smoothies late afternoons, but they're naturally pretty sugary, I bet, so I should watch that. Plus, I usually use agave to sweeten my tea, for example. Will have to try Stevia. You'll be happy to know that I plugged veganbodybuilding.com (including dropSoul's transformation pics!) to hundreds of vegan mentees in my Vegan at Heart program this week: http://www.kindgreenplanet.org/programs/veganatheart/weeklymission/?page=1 I can tell from my newsletter program that dozens of people have clicked on the pics and explored the site and forums--yay! All best to you, Marisa

It's nice to meet another female newbie with similar goals. I just posted an introduction myself in which I said that the elliptical hasn't been helping me drop weight but since I started jogging (and still swim), I'm starting to see a difference. I think it must be because you generally get more bang for your buck with swimming and jogging, but I can imagine that it must be hard to find the time with a four-year-old! In any case, she's lucky to have such a healthy, compassionate mom. Good luck with your yoga training--that's going to be amazing!

Hi there! I've been vegan for seven years and a vegan activist for 6. I love what being vegan has done for my body--slimmed me down, although since I entered my mid-thirties (and got married), I've noticed my weight creeping back up again. I'd been swimming, doing the elliptical, and weights/physical therapy exercises for back pain, but it wasn't really bringing my weight down. Over the past month or so, I've started jogging twice a week and loving it, swimming once a week, and doing strength training twice a week. The weight is starting to come off, and my friend told me I'm starting to look "diesel." Hey, I'll take it! lol! I'd still like to drop another 3-4 lbs. and tighten up my tummy and my tush. I'd also like to learn more about which nutritionally dense and delicious foods I should incorporate into my diet for optimal nutrition and performance. I crave sugar and simple carbs every day (cake, cookies, ice cream!) but I know that way lies madness. I'd like to satisfy those cravings without giving in to poor nutrition and health. Really glad to have found this forum. It's funny--I used to think bodybuilders and people who were SO into fitness were egotistical and self-absorbed. Now I know that there is nothing selfish in wanting to look and feel great, especially since we have to be at our best physically and emotionally for the hard work of advocating for the animals and the planet, Plus, we're walking billboards for the vegan lifestyle. Look forward to learning tons and being inspired by you all...

Congrats, Robert! Thanks for all the fun things you added to the package. I can't wait to run and work out in my super sexy vegan shorts!