Richard

Woohar!

Hey, welcome to the forum. You seem highly motivated and I'm sure you'll achieve great things with that behind you

Hey man, great introduction, thanks for joining up. It will be great to track your progress, keep us updated on how things go for you, sorry to hear of your troubles.

I don't know why people go to such lengths to defend the obviously indefensible

Just got back from the gym. I beat my personal best for close grip lat pull down (was 8x70kg, and is now 10x70kg), and I'm keeping track of my PBs in my first post to update. Don't think I beat anything else, but it was a good workout, I feel good now, but very drained. EDIT: Oh, also beat leg press. Not amazing, but I have had knee problems so I don't want to ramp up the weight too much. Still, it felt easier today once I got going. I am happy with my strength improvements, and I am getting to a point where I am used to training as well as working at the sanctuary. So I think I am going to focus more on diet now, as that is the thing which is holding me up most I think. I eat too much, too big servings, and too much carbs, not enough veg. I want to rectify that, and lose some of the fat that I have, get leaner still.

Yeah, that's true, though I think it'd still hurt my face Managed to do a set of 9 chin ups today, so I am getting back on that - well happy with that number. Hit the gym a couple more times last week, and will be going again tomorrow. May change things up a bit, get a bit more challenge for myself, I don't want to get too comfortable.

I liked your post Ryan, I didn't feel you were talking to the people who were not that serious with their training, only those who are complaining about not getting results. Obviously, someone who is more relaxed about their training and results isn't going to worry too much or put in as much effort. But those who think they are trying, but actually wasting time and not getting results, then moaning about other things holding them back, you are right, and many people do fall into that trap, of not realising what they are capable of.

Yeah, really want to get back to doing something, creativity levels are bursting at the moment, since I finished my album earlier in the year, I haven't put myself to work, just a bit of writing here and there, but not enough. Having 2 people in a podcast makes things easier in a way, because you can bounce back and forth more like a real conversation. If you want to get across X point, sometimes you can appear like a moron if you just come out with it to the audience, whereas if you start off with the other person making the opposite point, then when you make the point you wanted, it is more justified and acceptable.

Hehe awesome

Not enough nutrition? Hah! If you're vegan, and you're not getting enough "nutrition", surely that just means you're not eating enough, or what you've chosen to eat has few "nutritients". But of course, just saying "not enough nutrition" is to generalize nutrition to an imbecilic level, and makes you sound like a moron from the get go. Her own ignorance is what left her feeling fatigued, not veganism, this is so stupid

Twiglets! http://www.seriouseats.com/images/20070815twiglets.jpg

Great! What does your diet and training look like at the moment? People will best be able to give advice once they know the kind of thing you're doing now.

Well obviously God is going to blow everything up eventually, that's only logical and reasonable to expect, and I assume he'll be using a giant purple Optimus Prime statuette to splat us one by one. But in the meantime, it's nonsensical to just put your head in the sand, I don't know how to wake those types of people up. Even if you got their favourite celebrity to advocate veganism / econess, they'd probably just say that that person has lost their mind, and stop being interested in them... and I don't know what else would work! But, even if you just forget those lost causes, I think there are some fence-sitters who could be swayed by this, and at the very least, it is pretty big publicity/awareness-raising for the movement

Hello there, welcome to the forum. It depends what you mean by "the vegan family" as I've not heard the term before! Also you'll get a different answer from each individual. Personally, I think of veganism and vegetarianism as steps away from the normal levels of support of unethical practices. So vegetarianism is one step, veganism is a couple more. Some vegetarians see their ethical philosophy as the ultimate, and veganism as unnecessary. Some even say that milk/eggs are a necessary part of the diet, or that there is no cruelty involved with the harvesting of those products. That kind of thinking I can't abide, it's the same as those who think it's not cruel to keep animals in captivity and kill them / test on them. But that's not to say that I go out of my way to tell them off - at least vegetarians have taken a step away from the normally accepted levels of abuse, which is better than nothing. But I'd always advise a vegetarian to think a bit more carefully about their decisions if they are open to new information. Because ultimately, a non-vegan lifestyle is unnecessary and unethical, even if you have taken meat out of your diet, there are many other things that are just as bad, if not worse, about those industries, and are linked with slaughter directly, when you buy those products (milk and eggs especially).

I tend to think of "veganism" as an ideal, a philosophy, rather than a label for someone (a "vegan"). So really I think it benefits people to realize that there are lots of things which certainly are not vegan. To say that they are, just because they are inconvenient to you while you strive for the label of "vegan" is ignorant. You will end up with pretty much nobody who can say they are "vegan" also. So instead just say that you aim for a vegan lifestyle, or whatever you like. Calling yourself "vegan" should just be a shortcut, so people generally know what you're talking about. From my perspective, it certainly is nowhere near vegan to purchase products which are tested on animals, if that person is educated and just can't be bothered. But the actions taken by that person are the concern, not the label they give themselves. Wool, leather, animal tested products, and so on, must not be labeled as "vegan", for clarity, even if some people feel it is too inconvenient for them while they aim for their title. It's a fact that it's not in line with the vegan philosophy, certainly.

This seems pretty good to me. United Nations is a big name right? But do people listen to this and take this kind of thing seriously? I hope it opens some peoples' eyes at least

Tell him how you feel calmly and rationally. He may not know how much he is upsetting you and stressing you out. It sounds like you are in the right, and it's your place. Set some ground rules, tell him how much money you want off him and to stop giving you shit about your diet. If he doesn't like it, kick him out and he can live with your parents right? How come he is living with you in the first place?

Relatively the same is still sexual son, let's do this, think of all the starving women out there who just want another look at your hot bod

Great stuff son, I am glad you're able to train more successfully, being held back by injury is no fun at all. Looking totally awesome, share more photos as you progress certainly!

Yeah! Just got back from the gym, finally beat my incline dumbbell bench press PB, which is now 28kg x 12. Woohoo! It was hard work, so I don't think I will go straight up to 30kg, I want to feel a bit more confident since I don't want to wobble and drop the things on my sexy face

Each person has a different motivation and different levels of what they are prepared to do, or go without, regarding veganism. I do not think it is worth arguing over such things, because it is a fundamental difference in what is ethical and / or worthwhile / practical. Those core things are what separate us, and I don't see a way to overcome that, apart from individuals coming to a different conclusion over time after giving it deep thought. It's not the sort of thing that gets sorted out on a forum, no matter how long the debate might become. Personally, I am happy to tell people I won't eat their food if I consider it not to be vegan. I will eat food that has been made in a place that handles dairy products and so on, though I won't eat something if it has non-vegan ingredients. That's my cut off point, and I understand other people's view point on the subject. I don't think it is wise to be negative towards people for doing what they think is right, especially if their actions have no negative impact as a result, just because you consider it a waste of time / effort / unnecessary, others feel differently

Been trying once again to beat my all time best for press ups, which is 50. Got to 43 this time, I am not going to let this get away from me again when I am so close. I am also at my strongest now, I know that, but also I am a bit heavier than when I did my 50 press ups years ago, I was about 11 stone back then and I am now 12, so really 43 press ups at that weight is probably harder, but I want the round 50 number back because it sounds sexy as(s) fuck

Sweet!

No I don't think it would be ridiculous, it depends on your reasoning for avoiding animal products

Feeling superb and energy-rich are not exclusive to non-veganism. In addition, 3% animal products (which is what you're saying would be your maximum anyway) would make barely any difference to how you feel energy-wise, or anything else, so I don't know why you wouldn't just drop all of it, if your health is what concerns you. Though I imagine that it isn't really your health that is of concern regarding this 3% animal products, since it's clear that 3% of your diet is insignificant, and most likely would just be for things you feel like eating, rather than things which have any kind of purpose (as I believe that anything which does have a health-related purpose in your diet could be replaced with a vegan alternative).