stcalico

hahah. Welcome Carolyn.

The girl in the photo you posted appears to be ectomorph body type so she likely needs to lift heavy to get the tone she has - an ectomorph will not get nice quads like that without some heavy squatting. She has low body fat, tho genetically it appears she is not predisposed to getting the six pack that everyone wants. And I don't think she would want to lose any more body fat. So your goals would be to lift heavy (prob 8-10 rep range) and eat clean... Try to focus on the major lifts first and do isolation exercises at the end of a workout if you still have energy for it. You may not look like the photo in the end, but focus on working toward being the best you that you can be.

It happens, but it doesn't bother me at all. Even my dad says vegan is a word that means poor hunter. I'm proud to be vegan tho and I want people to know that I am. I can't change the world, but I can at least be an example of how it could change. I try not to fight with anyone.. there is always common ground and I find I have better success with people working with that.

Here's what one blogger says made her decide to switch and how she stayed motivated to stick with it. She and her husband were meat eaters. You could call it switching to the right side... instead of the dark side .. at least give yourself a chance to feel you might be doing the right thing.

I like your site! I'm working toward no added sugar or oils too so I will be keeping an eye on your info. Welcome!

I have a container of creatine that I purchased to give a try. I stopped taking it after reading about it possibly being a mutagen (contains heterocyclic amine). I could not find enough valid research to make a definitive decision about it, but I figure most supplements are processed and not so good for you, so I've quit for now. Haven't thrown out the jar yet tho... If I do try it again I will definitely cycle it.. to ensure your body maintains its ability to create its own, and because there have been no long term studies on safety. http://www.jissn.com/content/9/1/33

I guess you will have to be the inspiration for your brother then heh! Sometimes it is motivational when you have someone to compete with. Protein and other supplements aren't really necessary and not necessarily healthy anyway so don't worry too much about that. Just focus on eating whole, nutrient dense foods and you will be fine. You can start off doing body weight exercises. Might be fun to work on those type of exercises and use them to start doing some parkour? But if you think body weight exercises will get boring for you, then I'd suggest joining a gym at first. Having access to the gym equipment will give you an idea of what you would need to buy for home if you decide to go that route. Welcome and good luck.

Welcome Steffie I agree with rickb and jungleinthefrunk. Lift heavy and do your cardio after your workout if you still have energy. Dark chocolate is not very hard to come by and is usually vegan.. you do have to check the ingredients. I used to think I didn't like dark chocolate, but once it was my only option I sure grew a taste for it... I love it now. .lol. My new goal is to wean myself off added sugar and fat so no chocolate for me. I haven't had any in a couple weeks, and I don't crave it... so I believe it can be done. There is a recipe section here you can check out where people have posted their favorite recipes and sites. I use Pinterest for my own collection of recipes.

I had Red lentil puree on rice the other day ...I made a double batch because it is easy to make and fairly cheap as far as meals go. I changed the recipe a bit.. used red pepper instead of green and sauteed garlic and onions before throwing in the rest. Rice and beans (or lentils) are about as cheap as it gets. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are good to. Throw in a few veggies and you are good. Most people on this forum are vegan... they don't eat eggs, dairy, meat, fish, or snails so you probably don't have to worry about anyone here recommending those things to you. We may push the broccoli tho.

The bodybuilding industry in order to make money has lead people to believe they need 1g or more /lb of body weight. This is a myth that even vegans succumb to. You really don't need that much. http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/apr/protein.htm

Don't let anyone bug you about protein. If you are eating healthy foods and making sure to include a variety, you will get more than enough. I'm working towards a Mcdougallstyle plan... no processed foods, no added fats or sugars. In a different vegan crossfit forum I've heard that many others have had some excellent success with that plan. From everything I've read, it makes a lot of sense, so I'm almost ready to jump in myself. Well, as soon as I can give up my creamer, tortilla chips, and choc chip nut bars... haha. Its always easy to know what to do.. harder to do it. Anyways the McDougall plan may be worth looking into for you. Apparently you will never go hungry eating like that and will have tons of energy .. but you will have to be willing to try new recipes etc. If McDougall is too extreme for you then at the very least try to eliminate any/all processed foods. They are crap - they offer very little nutritional value and they will work against any weight loss goals you have. If you are considering adopting a vegan lifestyle long term, make sure to supplement b12. Welcome to the forum.

How's the plan going for you? I've heard from a few people in a different forum (facebook-crossfit vegans and vegetarian) that have had awesome results with McDougall's plan. I'm working up to going that way cuz it makes a lot of sense to me. I suspect I will likely cheat here and there -moreso with baking. I've cut out most processed carbs, and have managed to make stir fry's without oil now. Just gotta cut down on the nuts.. which makes me a little bit sad. I think although McDougall's plan uses starches as the centre of each meal, it is still important to include lots of greens and vegetables... that is where people trying the program might fail.

I haven't tried it yet, but based on more than one vegan bloggers review, Wildwood Organics is suppose to be good. Dextrose is 4th on the list of ingredients... in others it is usually second in the list.

Welcome Camie! Psychologically speaking, preaching or arguing is a sure-fire way to build up others' resistance to your ideas. Best and easier to work on points you agree on... so def. you are on the right track.

If you were recently omnivore, you do have a 'limited' store of b12 and will do okay without supplementing in the short term. If you were vegetarian.. don't trust that you have any extra b12 stores. If you are planning to remain vegan for the long term, you should start supplementing B12. B12 deficiency is the most common reason someone will get unhealthy and go back to animal products. Here's a brief article about that. It is better to get a little too much than not enough. Make sure you know the symptoms of a deficiency if you are going to try to make a go of it with just fortified foods, as the effects of a deficiency can be severe and lasting (ie, nerves don't regenerate well). Welcome and good luck in reaching your goals.

Sorry no idea where I was going with that..tho I'm sure at the time I had something on my mind or more than likely just read something related. lol. Personally I eat way too many almonds and peanut butter which are both high in omega 6. Don't think I can give up my nut bars or pb and banana tho... so I guess I have no plan right now.

I just read this. You may be interested... http://nutritionfacts.org/questions/are-there-any-benefits-of-aloe-vera-concerning-digestion/

Hiit or LSD can both be beneficial in a training regimen for a sport like hockey or soccer. Do hiit to improve explosive strength and improve VO2 max and recovery time, and do LSD to improve your endurance. Time may be a factor on what you decide to do in any session... you can get HIIT over with faster. Whether you gain or lose weight doing any type of exercise will be primarily dependent on your food intake.

Yes it is possible to gain muscle while running/biking. Make sure to eat enough calories. P90x is a good program and is also adjustable.. ie. you can add weight to make the workouts more challenging. So it is definitely a good way to get started. I would recommend including leg exercises (squats, lunges) to complement your biking... ie. biking and running will primarily work slow twitch muscle.. (ie. high rep, low weight), so in your workouts you will want to target fast twitch by doing lower reps with heavier weight.

Building muscle and losing weight are competing goals. Since your goal is to lose at least 30lbs I would suggest you focus on weight loss as your primary goal. Losing weight is 80% diet. Realistically, working out does little to help you lose weight.. but it does help you to maintain muscle and keep up your metabolism, so it is still important. At 6'1" I'm surprised that you are only eating 14-1500 calories. I'm 5'3" and 1400 calories is how much I would aim to eat when I'm losing weight. It is possible to eat too little which will slow down your metabolism, encourage your body to hold onto fat, and generally work against your weight loss goals. I actually do prefer to count calories so I know how I need to adjust if what I'm doing is not working. I don't like to guess, so the calorie counting works well for me. Beware the 'shakes' they can be fairly calorie dense... and they are a highly processed food. As to your question about cardio or weights... both will burn calories. But if your goal is to change your shape and add muscle (ie. tone) then weights are definitely a better option. Good luck.

That's a tough one. Perhaps a topic for an ethical debate. I am one to say 'what's done is done', I can't change the past... ie. I can't change that animals were tested on and that there are now vaccines available. So next question, do I take the vaccine. I don't want to hurt animals. People are animals too so I don't want to hurt people. Is there greater harm done by taking the vaccine or not taking it? If the vaccine is for a particularly lethal contagious disease I think it might be a good idea to take it. But flu vaccine... no, that vaccine is more to protect the individual. Usually only the weak succumb to the flu (children, sick and elderly). I haven't had a cold (or a sick day from work) even since becoming vegan, so I think healthy eating must have some protective quality.. (just my opinion so far, I could change that opinion in time... we'll see). Regardless... I don't feel a flu shot is necessary for most people. If you work in hospitals, I think you would be obligated to have all shots.. to protect yourself as well as the patients since you will be coming into contact with all sorts of viruses and bacteria. Have you hear of the book 'Bird Flu.. a Virus of Our Own Hatching'? The author of that book predicts the inevitability of a massive worldwide pandemic which will basically be caused by conditions of factory farming (overcrowded, filthy and antibiotic laden) - ie. factory farms are providing a breeding ground to create the perfect storm.

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear you are feeling somewhat better. Good luck with the running.

The easy/short answer.. I don't believe it is okay to contribute to animal torture and suffering. There are no reasonable justifications for contributing to that. But my answer has much more based in social psychology, ethics, and philosophy, that it really is not a complete answer. The real answer is much more complex and deep. But it would take hours to explain so I'll leave it at that. One day I plan to get all my thoughts on this on paper. I agree.. many animals will be abused and die regardless of my actions.. but a few won't .. ie. similar situation to the story about the girl saving starfish on the beach.. I also don't think I have the power to change the world... not by myself... but I believe it is possible as more jump in that we can start a movement. in that direction.

I just googled it... doesn't look too hard to make. http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/07/aloe-vera-recipes/

Hi Otmane. Welcome. You should make some quick progress since you are just starting out. You can get some pretty good workouts using just your body weight. There's are lots of body weight workouts online if you look and they will probably give you some good ideas about how to challenge yourself and go further. For your current workout, you may want to get a band so you can do some pullups.. ie. the band makes it a bit easier to start. And on alternate days instead of squats you could throw in some lunges or weighted lunges. If weight loss is your goal, some easy changes to start with are to cut out processed food like breakfast cereals and to cut out liquid calories like fruit juice or pop. Fruit juice has no fiber so it does not fill you up. Unlike pop, juice does have some nutritional value, but it is still costly in terms of calorie intake. Fruit or a fruit smoothie are better options. Good luck.