heartgoeshere

i did make it to vegfest! it was amazing. i always feel overwhelmed when there's so much food around and i don't have to read ingredients before i eat anything, it's so nice for a change

hello! i'm ashley, i just happened randomly across this site and i'm kind of excited that something like this actually exists. i've been vegan since the beginning of this year, vegetarian for 11 years before that.

i just moved up to portland, oregon so of course i have my pick of vegan restaurants and the like, but i'm on a very tight budget and i've decided i want to gain some muscle and get rid of this extra body fat (especially in my belly, surprise surprise).

i do yoga 2-3 times a week, i run usually 3-4 times a week (between a half mile to a mile, i've been trying to up it slowly), and do some mild cardio/weight lifting in between. the only thing i'm NOT able to do, though i've been trying to incorporate them into my routine for about a year now, is push ups. for some reason i am just not building the upper body strength required for them and i don't know why!

so anyway i'd just like some advice on how to get off on the right foot for this: if and how i should change my routine, how much protein i need to be getting per day, etc. i hope i can meet some like minded people here, too. surprisingly, i've met only one other vegan in portland in the six months i've been here!