stcalico

I don't think it is possible to provide feedback without knowing what the goal is.

When I first decided to try being vegan my original plan was to start out as a 'weekday' vegan and then go back to vegetarian on the weekends. I got that idea from Graham Hill's Ted Talk. (only a 4 minute talk).

Well, after the first 5 days of eating vegan, I never did go back to eating vegetarian actually... just couldn't. But that was me.

Maybe that plan will work for you tho? You're more likely to be out with friends etc. on the weekend.

Hi Mel. Welcome.

Here is a better chart. It is more realistic about buckwheat. Too bad, but I guess buckwheat was a bit mushy anyway.

Came across this chart so thought I would share. Buckwheat is an impressive protein source!

I bought some buckwheat awhile back and the girl at the checkout asked me what it is used in and I replied 'I don't know'. I finally tried it in a lentil recipe yesterday to replace another grain I didn't have ... had no idea I was getting so much protein.

And in case you want to try adding legumes again, I heard that the Truroots Sprouted Bean Trio available at Costco is much easier on the digestive system than some of the other legume options.

Just don't go overboard... some people's systems take longer to adjust.

Hi and welcome.

Strange, generally vegans have higher testosterone than non-vegans. You mention you've tried some natural substances. Have you tried adding a zinc supplement?

Phytates (in plants - particularly soy and legumes) may inhibit zinc absorption and vegan men lose more zinc than women... so men are more at risk for deficiency. (even moreso for athletes)

If you don't want to use supplements (cuz you don't want to get too much either), you can increase zinc absorption in beans & rice dishes by adding garlic and onion and also making sure you are getting enough vitamin D in your diet. (vitamin D is best taken with a meal). Keep in mind there is a lot more zinc in whole grains than refined - so avoid the processed foods.

Hi Javier,

I've done a bit of crossfit in past and love it too. Been off for pretty much a year due to shoulder injury, but am gearing up to go back next month.

Too much soy is probably not good. But pesticides exist on all fruits, grains, legumes and vegetables, so no reason to avoid soy for that reason at least. Try to find organic and non-gmo if you can tho.

You don't need powders if you eat well... but they certainly make the job easier. You can always order powders or protein bars online.

Here are a couple articles I have bookmarked on vegan nutrition (for athletes)

http://www.scienzavegetariana.it/medici/vegathletes.htm

http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/vegan_athlete.pdf

Legumes are a great source of protein and your best bet to get in enough lysine (the most limited amino acid in a vegan diet), but if you really feel you must cut them out, then quinoa is good as are nuts (and nut butters) and whole grains like oats,millet and wild rice. Limit anything processed - although many prefer to take a protein powder which are a highly processed food.

I highly recommend a 'green smoothie' for breakfast. I throw in about 2 cups of spinach or kale along with fruit and flax and chia seeds (for omega 3). 2 cups of spinach has only 2g of protein... but calories for that protein are only 14. You get a lot of other benefits from spinach or kale tho.. like vitamin k and iron. The fruit in the smoothie (vit. c) ensures you absorb the iron.

Here is a good article on nutrition for the vegan athlete.

For anyone interested... free, online speakers presenting about various food topics (April 27-May5). Lots of well known speakers here.

http://www.foodrevolution.org/summit-nelson-family.php?orid=71&opid=47#.UW92OzfSzSI

Interesting take. I rarely do cardio - I fight myself to do it sometimes, .. but maybe this will make me feel less guilty for it.

Welcome

Looks like you have your diet dialed in pretty good. Impressed! That's usually the biggest battle for most.

I eat similar... but minus the midmorning snack, midafternoon snack, and workout shakes. And I add lots of veggies to dinner. Not sure what you weigh... and how many calories you need to maintain, but I would suggest not going more than 200 calories over your maintenance, or you will be gaining fat along with muscle.

Have fruit instead of fruit juices if you can - being devoid of fiber, juices are not as nutritious as real fruit.

Yeah! Hope it goes well for you. Did the apparel arrive then?... lol.

You may have more success if you 'give' yourself power, rather than take it away:

ie. rather than saying "I can't eat that" to yourself, say "I don't eat that crap!".

Or when your are tempted by a certain food, just flex your muscles.. that very small act can remind you of your own strength (rather than make you struggle against a weakness). You can even try telling those cookies where to go if that works for you. lol.

That's what works for me ... somewhat... but I do go down the other path now and then too so I do know what your are saying. Food is a huge tempter.. it tastes good. I do allow myself a little chocolate near the end of each night.. that helps and is something to look forward to - and maybe keeps me from acting like the fellow in your video link. (lol). But yes I do have to have the will to take a small piece.. not the hole bar.

Have clear goals and focus on that future rather than immediate wants - it's very much like budgeting to save for a car or house - if you really want it, you will save. Food is the fuel you will need to reach your goals. You only have so much room for fuel tho so opt for 'good fuel' - don't replace it with super shitty fuel. Keep that in mind while you muscle up and take the world by storm!

And keep only the good foods in your house. Otherwise you are already planning to fail. If you have family members who are not on board with you, then at the very least you can ask them to keep their 'treats' at work instead of in the house.

Don't know if you've tried all this before.. but you asked, so I'm throwing the suggestions out there.

Hi there.

Here is an informative article from Dr. McDougall which goes into some detail on the topic.

I did not read it all, but it looks like information that you will find useful.

You are comfortable with your current weight.. but unfortunately the only way to lose extra abdominal fat is to keep losing. Unfortunately, many females lose weight in the lower half last, and gain it there first (myself included). Probably not what you want to hear. (sorry).

Not sure what you mean about your glutes.. if you are feeling you have weight to lose.. then same answer as above. But if you want to change shape of them, then only way to do that is to do squats and lunges and lift HEAVY. ie. You don't want to do a weight that you can lift more than 8 times.

I would recommend starting with barbell lunges.. and move onto rear-foot elevated lunges when you are ready (they are a bit harder).

For squats remember that the lower you squat, the more you will engage the glute muscle... but be safe and use proper form when doing them.. low squats make you more prone to back injury particularly when lifting heavy.

If you don't have a squat rack, then the leg press will have to do... just make sure you are getting a good range of motion so that you are engaging glutes along with hams and quads. Make sure to position your legs so your knees are not bending past your toes tho.

Reality is genetics play a big role too.. you won't be able to fight that.

You've made some amazing progress so far .. wtg!

Just thought of this... if you are okay with gluten, then seitan is good (made from a flour product called vital wheat gluten). It is somewhat processed, so I'd consume it in moderation.

The first time I made it, it turned out awful and gluey, but I tried a different recipe that worked well. They freeze well - I freeze them in tinfoil in packs of 2 (ie. I use 2 for a meal). These cutlets go well with mashed cauliflower (prepped like mashed potatoes - I add sauteed garlic, onion powder, bit of vegan butter, s&p) and asparagus or green beans. Very low carb meal.

Apparently seitan has 3 grams of carbs vs 18 grams of protein. The recipe I linked to has chick peas.. so that may skew the nutritional profile a bit.

Many of the sources of protein for vegans are high in carbs.. or else they are high in fat.

Remember tho, that many of those foods high in carbs are also high in fiber. Much of that fiber is not digestible! - it just passes on through. While it's going through... it picks up cholesterols and estrogen and clears it out. That is why there is less heart disease and less breast cancer (for women) in the vegan population. Fiber also will make you feel full for some time. So don't think of all carbs as bad. We all just really need to steer away from processed carbs that have been stripped of all their beneficial nutrients and fiber - white rice, white pasta, white bread, white flour, crackers, cereals etc.

I had an awesome layered dip today - home made refried beans (with jalepeno and garlic), quinoa, salsa, & chopped tomatoes. (had to skip avocado, cuz the one I have is not ripe yet). Yup lots of carbs... but I don't feel guilty and I will probably feel full for some time. I'm here by myself, so I have no problem eating that dip with a spoon instead of tortilla chips. And if I did want chips with it, I might just crumble some on as a top layer... I'd eat less of them that way. Gotta be creative. lol.

I love green smoothies myself. I slowly started add more and more spinach or kale which are a good source of iron ...you can eat lots of greens and they have VERY few calories for the protein they provide. Quinoa is a seed.. but it is a very good source of protein. Avocados are good source of healthy fat and protein. Sweet potato .. again has protein. I was recently reading about some people in Russia who survived on potatoes only for an entire 6 months and when tested their protein levels were fine. I like to have a good mix of food personally.. I suspect too much of any one thing is not all that good for you. ie. I'll have something like sweet potato and lentil soup. The variety also helps to ensure I'm getting a good amino acid profile over the course of a day.

I suspect you are thinking of chimpanzees.. they don't kill their own that I've heard, but on the rare occasion they hunt, kill and consume other smaller monkey species. They show that in the Disney movie 'Chimpanzee. Beautiful nature movie btw.

Hi Paulina and welcome.

Females don't have a whole lot of testosterone, so don't fear getting big. I try to lift heavy and am not bulky at all. The big female bodybuilders you see are usually on steroids!

You have listed some great goals to work toward. Good Luck!

Thanks for your intro. Sounds like you are lovin' life.

I've never tried to see how many pushups I could do in a minute.. gonna have to give that a go now.

Anyway, welcome to the group.

Hey Mugen. Looks like your diet and workout plan is really working well for you!

I love my gluten personally... particularly the beer... haha... but I know there are those that don't tolerate it as well.

Other than that I'm totally with you on the 'lovin' the diet' thing. I have made so many new recipes that I've fallen in love with it is unreal... just made a sweet potato casserole tonight to add to my list of favs. And I do feel better overall too!

Curious... what plan do you prescribe to to "balance your omega 3 intake"?

Thx.

Like the title of this post. Sooo true. Keep workin' at it... you'll get there.