stcalico

Most people are not able to build and lose at the same time.. Pitting catabolism vs anabolism doesn't normally work. However as someone just starting out with exercise/lifting you may be at an advantage - check out this article: http://muscleevo.net/lose-fat-gain-muscle/ I don't think being vegan will change anything just make sure you are eating quality whole foods... cut out any processed and refined products. Make sure you supplement with b12 and if you are male you may wish to take an occasional zinc supplement as low levels of zinc will decrease testosterone.

Potatoes, squashes, whole grains, beans and lentils. (starches are filling but will not make you gain weight). Don't add fats and oils tho.

Are you taking b12 supplements? How about selenium?... it is hard to get in vegan diet, but brazil nuts are a good source. Are you including lots of greens for magnesium? Low magnesium can cause headaches. The fat content in soy and yogurt is pretty high, so you may want to limit those if you are concerned about weight gain.

Hi Annie. Your best bet is to look up some vegan recipes and find a few that intrigue you. My favorite are sweet potatoes topped with spicy (salsa) black beans or butternut squash and black bean enchiladas. Wraps with hummus or cashew cream cheese are pretty good and simple. As are soups and chilis. I personally do not like the fake meats and cheeses, but you might... try them and see. Try to add in beans slowly - if you are not used to them they might give you some digestion issues. It gets better tho. Lentils are easier to start with. For coffee I haven't tried it yet, but this one looks good http://shrinkingkitchen.com/all-natural-vanilla-spice-homemade-coffee-creamer/

I make my own hummus. I don't add any olive oil. Just use a little extra water instead. It does have tahini in it, but not so much that I think it is bad. If you dont' mind making it, cashew cream cheese is a nice alternative spread. Still fatty cuz it is nuts, but you would only use about a tblsp or 2 on a wrap.

I believe most people only use Braggs in small quantities.. it is a soy sauce or salt replacement - it has less sodium. It has MSG tho so I would not purchase it personally.

For anyone else reading this post who has same issue... Lysine is a limiting amino acid in vegan diet. A deficiency can cause hair loss. Make sure you are eating beans, legumes or quinoa daily.

My own thoughts based on my research into it: Soy is a bean. Beans are fine. Soy is fine - edamame, tofu, tempeh, miso. If you have concerns about GMO then stick with organic soy. Isolated soy protein is NOT good for you . It is found in some protein powders and some fake meats and It is as bad, if not worse for you than meat or dairy - ie it elevates IGF1 levels which are linked to cancer growth. Most studies saying soy is 'bad' were done with isolated soy protein. Dr Greger suggests limiting soy intake to less than 3-5 servings a day. I personally believe that's too much and that a person should not rely too much on any one food. Variety is best.

Hi Tim and welcome. I switched from vegetarian (10years) to vegan about a year and half ago after watching Gary Yourofsky's .. Best Speech You Will Ever Hear on youtube. Since giving up dairy and eggs, I've done a bunch of research and am healthier for it... ie. I've given up most processed foods now too. I highly recommend everyone ditching those from their diet as they are calorie dense but nutrient poor. Being nutrient poor people tend to eat more of them.. ie. more calories than they need. When you are successful at making the switch, make sure to incorporate a b12 supplement and make sure you are getting enough zinc and iodine in your diet - if not you'll want to supplement. I also 'supplement' with an occasional brazil nut for selenium (helps with iodine uptake - and if you are male, testosterone production). Focus more on your diet if you are looking to lose weight. I personally don't subscribe to the protein myth... but I know many here do so I won't say anything to offend them. Do your own research and follow your own common sense. As far as weightlifting programs, you can use the same programs as omnivores. So long as you are sticking to your training regiment, restricting processed food and meeting your energy requirements, you're sure to see good results.

Welcome aboard. I'm one and half years in and loving it more all the time. I've done a lot of research to make sure I stay healthy (ie. imo, if I don't the animals lose). So feel free to ask question - myself and others will help you out where we can. Cheers.

more veggies! Maybe replace a few of the fruits.

Chocolate is my weakness.. and chips.. and beer. Other than those I think I do okay.. I don't crave most processed foods anymore and the thought of doughnuts or even white bread kinda grosses me out.

If you are eating enough and working out hard enough you need not fear losing mass. Hope it is going well for you.

Hello Frisky. Nice to see another B.C.'er on here.

Hello Loris and welcome to the forum. Looking forward to hearing your transformation story.

Far too much fat in your diet imo. Nuts, avocados and coconut oil every day - yikes. A a few nuts a day, and an avacodo once a week will more than suffice. Skip the coconut oil - it has calories and not much else to provide you with.

Are you taking any supplements (like iron) which may cause this? Or lacking vitamins (like b12)?

Veganhealth has good recommendations to follow. Do be cautious of multi vitamins.. over the long run they will not have enough b12 for a vegan. And supplementing vit A and E is known to have negative effects. Your meals looks good - you include some diversity and not much junk so I think you should be good.

I think any diet change makes you feel like crap. If you have pets you will know that when you introduce new food you should mix it slowly in with their old food to make the adjustment easier on their tummies. I'm not recommending you mix in your old food tho.. just giving that as an example. I felt tired and weak for about 3 weeks when I first switched to vegan. Since then it has been all good. Make sure you are getting your b12, eat lots of green leafy veggies and legumes for iron, and make sure you are getting enough iodine. It will get better. Hang in there.

Hi Crissy and welcome It is easier to grab something healthy if you have it available. You could make big bathes of soup or chili or other dish so that you have portions of that in your fridge to grab and go. Also, wash and have some veggies ready to go. I usually do a bunch of prep on the weekend. I don't like to get up too early to make lunches etc, so that works for me. When I'm too lazy, I will throw some canned organic lentil soup (I buy Amy's in bulk here), in a container and go with that. Amy's lentil soup is pretty good with some salsa thrown in for extra taste and extra veggies with few calories.

I'm always super responsible. So if it was me, I would put a lump sum on my mortgage, or put it in savings or RSP. The government always wants their share.. so be careful about that if you have not already given them their cut. You could go a little less 'boring' than me and do a half fun/half responsible sort of split. That'll cover your bases.

I think you have the right idea to keep things simple.. especially at the beginning of your journey. Raisins are fairly high in sugar and sunflower seeds really high in fat. I don't know if you will want to eat that much of them daily.. they are more snack foods than meals imo (albeit healthy ones). Beans lentils and rices/grains are about as cheap as you can get so you may want to add those into your plan. Dry beans are cheaper than canned.. and no can = less environmental impact too. Beans and lentils have very good protein content. Unprocessed grains have better protein and nutrient content than processed... so avoid all the white grains. Fruit is expensive in Canada too, but I find I can buy it much cheaper if it is frozen. Frozen is likely cheaper because there are less issues with 'timeliness' of delivery and ensuring everything doesn't get bruised an beat up in transport. Or you can buy local fruit in bulk and freeze them yourself. Frozen fruits are great in smoothies with your greens. Yams, potatoes, and squashes tend to be cheaper than other veggies so you can throw those into your plan too. I think it is best to have some variety ... and you can still do that on the cheap. I will buy organic here and there... but cost does play a role. But buying non-organic fruit and veggies is better than no fruits or veggies. Men on plant based diet in general have higher testosterone than omnis so you don't have to worry about that. (sorry I don't have sources but I know in past I saw many studies showing this).

Well... I was just reading a story about someone not liking veggies and interested in being plant strong. Here is the link to the story. Maybe it will give you some ideas.

I should add that breast milk contains 6% protein and babies more than double their size in the first year on breast milk alone. We don't need as much as has been marketed to us. 10% should be more than adequate unless you have some sort of muscle wasting illness or are a burn victim. I also think most people saying they are doing 80 10 10 are doing it fruit/veggie heavy rather than starch heavy. (and often raw). Starch has a slower energy release and is more filling than fruit, so imo it makes far more sense to focus on healthy starches. If you keep the processed foods in you will sabotage any progress you could have made on the plan.

I'm doing 80 10 10, but most of my 80 is from starch foods (usually cooked)... ie. legumes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, squash, corn, oat rice and other grains (whole grains - nothing processed). I do include fruits and veggies in abundance as well ... but they are not mainstay of my plan. I'm feeling terrific with the plan so far (one month) and my sweet cravings are way down.