Broccoli Monster

Hey, everyone. Working on my nutrition plan and wanted to get some input on what my macros ought to be. I'm really skinny and need to put on muscle. I'm 6 foot, 30 y/o, and about 145 lbs. I have a real hard time gaining weight. Also, anyone have a good online resource for nutritional info for various foods? Thanks so much. Can't wait to get started!

Hey, everyone. It's been a long time since I posted last. I've gotten pretty lazy but I'm looking to finally get started. I'm in terrible shape. I'm still trying to work out the nutrition plan, one that requires little cooking and offers the most convenience. I've been browsing the nutrition plans of others and noticed that a lot of people use pumpkin seeds for protein. That sounds like a great convenient protein source. So are there any major nutritional differences between the types of seeds out there? I take it that raw is better than roasted and/or salted, right? Should I diversify my seeds to get a better amino acid profile?

Yeah, I'm referring to my entire neck as a whole. I know my traps need development but it seems like my neck is disproportionately thin. I assume that it will take care of itself if I pursue fitness long enough, but perhaps there's something I don't know.

"The body was designed to be as energy efficient as possible. However, since our bodies have been put through the meat grinder of daily sedentary living, we have lost our energy saving capabilities. In essence, you are always fighting against gravity, and when your body is misaligned, it is fighting way more than it needs to be. In turn we feel more tired, muscles feel tight, and this takes a toll physically AND mentally. When you get the body closer to it’s original form, you make it much more energy efficient and in turn, things that were once difficult will seem much easier." (Source: http://bonytobeastly.com/posture-muscle-match-made-in-muscle-heaven/) Interesting...

Lately, I've been feeling like I'm not carrying myself properly. I've heard that bad posture can lead to back and neck problems over time while good posture can lead to better confidence. Does anyone have any knowledge about the effects of posture on health, mood, and training? Does anyone have any reliable sources that teach proper posture and its benefits?

So I've been trying to incorporate more fresh fruit in my diet. I was out shopping the other day and realized that some fruit is way more expensive than others. A case of raspberries costs $4 while an apple or banana might be less than a dollar. I understand I should probably eat a variety of fruits but I was wondering if anyone knew if there was a core set I can stick to in order to get proper nutrition. I love my raspberries and blueberries but at $3-4 dollars for a large handful, I think I need to put my wallet first. Will I be losing out on something if I skip these types of berries? What should I make sure to eat?

Hey, guys. This is my first post in this section. I wouldn't say I'm all that interested in being a "bodybuilder" per se, but I am interested in getting a physique that is stronger and healthier-looking. One of the things I want to work on though is my scrawny neck. It really stands out when I'm wearing t-shirts. Having practically no traps is probably not helping the situation. I know I can do shoulder-shrugs to help build this area, but I'm not familiar with any other exercises that build your neck. Can anyone help me get rid of my pencil-neck?

I would second the going to the doctor idea, too. Eliminating beans and nuts from your diet is a pretty big thing. I would try a rigorous scientific approach to this before you consider eliminating such key things from your diet completely. Go to a doctor who can test you for allergies or intolerances.

Sounds like quinoa and seeds are the only choices for you.

1400 calories doesn't sound like a healthy amount of food. If you eat too little you'll put your body into starvation mode and your body will cling to any calories you give it so it can survive the hard times. Your weight loss needs to be gradual or you'll work against yourself. Use a calorie calculator and check how many calories you need to get by everyday and try lower that by a couple hundred and see where that gets you. Again, slow and steady does it or you'll never get anywhere. Also, the fact that you mention pain concerns me. You should be careful not to put strain on your joints, especially if you're already a heavier person. You really don't want to be hurting yourself like that or you'll end sedentary while you go through recovery. Push yourself, don't kill yourself.

You really have to work yourself hard to lose fat. Walking ain't gonna cut it. If you're going to walk, make sure you really push yourself. As for your knee pain, cardio doesn't have to involve running or walking. You just have to do some repeated and strenuous movement to get your heart-rate up. You can be creative about it. I would go on YouTube and search for "low impact cardio". There's tons of videos on there that you can do at home. You can also try swimming or other types of water workouts if you have a pool available to you. That's pretty hard cardio and no impact. As for the hunger, well, I wish I had your problem. Haha! I ignore my hunger all the time and lose weight without thinking about it. I hear that drinking glasses of water can help make your stomach feel full. If this doesn't work, try eating a little bit of fruit to give your gut some fiber to work on.

So as part of my new diet plan, I'm trying to take a vitamin supplement every day. I'm taking Blue Bonnet B-Complex caps (www.bluebonnetnutrition.com). I understand that B-12 supplementation is important for us as our diet does not give us access to that, but are there any other nutrients that a vegan diet tends to be short on that I should know about? I want to make sure that I'm not deficient in anything but I also don't want to pop things in my body if I don't need to. By the way, does anyone know anything about how these sorts of vitamin mixtures are formulated? This particular brand gives you: B-1, B-2, B-3, B-6, Folate, B-12, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Choline Bitartrate, Inositol, and PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid). I was only trying to get a B-12 cap but I got all this other stuff with it. I'm curious why these particular things might go together. I know nothing about biochemistry. Man, this B-vitamin stuff make you *nauseous* if you take it on an empty stomach! Ugh.

Lately, I've been trying to shape a better nutritional regiment. I've been focusing on trying to get more fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts in me and I'm eating brown rice to supplement the calories. It's a decent start but I'm having a problem with fat. I'm 6', 140 lbs and I can tell I seriously need to get more fat in my diet. I'm really scrawny. I've been trying to shove nuts in my mouth when I can and I'm getting an avocado in here and there but I feel like I need to make a more focused effort on getting fat on a daily basis. I need a plan. So my question is how much fat should I be eating? I can only think to eat nuts, seeds, and avocados at this point. Are those my only options? And how much of this stuff should I be eating on a daily basis?

I just cooked myself a whole block of frozen spinach the other day and, man, was that good. I'm about to go make another. I'm having difficulty thawing out that block efficiently and cleanly though. I keep taking the block and sitting it in warm water, draining it, and returning hot water to the bowl its in until it thaws. I suppose I could try microwaving it or boiling it, but boiling water takes a while. What is the best/fastest way to take a frozen block of spinach and make it edible?

I went to a Greek restaurant a while back and had an unbelievable lentil stew. I think the basic ingredients were lentils, onions, tomatoes, and vinegar, but I'm not sure. I've been dying to make this for myself. I think it would be really great to make as a convenience meal. I could just make a large batch and divide it among a couple containers for easy high-protein meals. Anyone have any good lentil stew/soup recipes? Thanks.

Crap. I should have posted this under Vegan Recipes. I don't want to double-post. Can I move it over there somehow?

I went to a Greek restaurant a while back and had an unbelievable lentil stew. I think the basic ingredients were lentils, onions, tomatoes, and vinegar, but I'm not sure. I've been dying to make this for myself. I think it would be really great to make as a convenience meal. I could just make a large batch and divide it among a couple containers for easy high-protein meals. Anyone have any good lentil stew/soup recipes? Thanks.

Oh, and I need to be a member of their system for them to even take a look at me. Can't just walk in and pay cash. Capitalism clearly hasn't reached the field of medicine yet. No wonder our system is so screwed up.

I just called my local clinic and they told me that a doctor has to order any bloodwork done on me. The receptionist who picked up didn't seem to understand my confusion. I don't see the need to talk to a doctor and pay inordinate amounts of money to simply have someone take my blood and send it off to a lab to see if it looked ok. Do I need to talk to a mechanic before I get my oil levels checked? Ridiculous.

How did you find out that these foods were affecting your body negatively? I'm hearing from the grain-haters that a lot of people "don't know they're sick" or that people who have issues with grain have "adapted" to their illness. The question then becomes: If you don't know when you're sick, how can you know when you are truly well? I wish there was some systematic way of knowing what you're body is ok with. I suppose allergy tests are one way, since they can just poke you in certain areas with an allergen and see if that area is showing symptoms. Not really much guesswork there. Is it possible to just go to a doctor and ask for bloodwork to see if you're deficient in anything? I'm thinking that might be the way to start. Not too long ago my sister found out that she's allergic to a bunch of random stuff and now I'm wondering I should get tested. What were some of the "wrong ways" that you learned? Maybe I'm making some mistakes myself.

Lately I been trying to nail a good vegan meal plan out for myself. I hoped coming to this site would be of use, but it seems that every time I find myself on the verge of drawing something up some user or "expert" pops up and calls my basic nutritional assumptions into question. Ever since I started on this journey I've been hearing all sorts of conflicting advice: -Humans have been cooking food forever and cooking is essential to eating certain types of beneficial foods! -If it can't be eaten raw, it isn't meant for human consumption. Cooking decreases nutritional value and increases carcinogens! -Humans have not evolved to eat a plant-based diet and require meat to be healthy, as is evidenced from their inability to extract B12 from plant sources. -Humans only ate meat because of survival necessity and not because it was healthy for them. -Whole grains are heart healthy and should be a staple food. -Humans are not equipped to properly consume many grains and legumes. It is the consumption of grains that causes and exacerbates modern illnesses. -Grains aren't bad for you as long as you eat only certain grains and don't make them a major portion of your diet. -Eating grains is ok as long as it is in its whole form. Avoid processed flours. -GLUTEN KILLS PEOPLE! AVOID OATS! -Nuts are an essential source of fat for vegans. -Nuts and grains contain toxins and you should always avoid them. -Vitamin B12 can be derived from plant sources. -No, it can't. -Supplementing B12 is required for vegans. -Vitamin B12 supplements are not bio-available to humans. Eating animals sources is the only sure way to ingest the proper amount. -Eat one gram of protein per pound of body weight a day to see gains. Any less and you're wasting your time. -Protein isn't that important, but you should eat supplements if you want to get strong. -You should only be eating organic food. Everything else is full of toxins. -Organic food has not been shown to be any more nutritionally beneficial or better-tasting. -You're slowly killing yourself every time you eat sugar! It's not natural! -Fruit juices are just as unnatural as sugar cane. Don't drink them! -Sugar and fruit juices are ok in moderation. -Sugar is ok as long as it is consumed in its raw state. -Soy milk will negatively affect your testosterone levels. It's like eating estrogen! -Soy is good for men in moderation. On and on this stuff goes. The fervor and smugness some people use to defend their claims is just nuts. It's really no wonder that Americans have such poor diets. I'm trying to delve into basic nutrition and I'm getting my head spun around by conflicting advice with everyone claiming to have an expert/doctor/nutritionist/evolutionary biologist on their side. Human nutrition is starting to sound like witchcraft or voodoo and less of a science. I was eating a bowl of rice and tofu when I started to read the anti-grain blogs and now I can't finish my "healthy" meal. This stuff is making me neurotic. Can someone give me some clarity here. Who the hell am I supposed to believe? Perhaps some of the moderators would like to chime in?

When I first went vegan I found a great YouTube cooking channel. This woman cooks Indian food and there are a lot of vegan dishes on here channel, many of them can be made vegan by substituting the dairy out: http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/category/vegan/ I think the key to not grossing people out is to avoid processed meat substitutes. They just have a "fake" feel about them and many just don't taste good.

I'm pretty sure beans can't be included in a raw food diet. Like you said, you have to cook them for them to be edible. Red kidney beans will make you sick if you don't cook them.

Hey, everyone. Trying to get back in the game but I need to get my nutrition straight first. I've gone to Scooby's Home Workout Calorie Calculator (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/) and it says that for me to gain muscle with moderate exercise I'm going to need to eat 2685 calories a day. With one gram of protein per pound of body weight per day that means that I'll need 6 meals of 448 calories and 23 grams of protein per day. That sounds like a lot. In the past my workout diet regiment was a strict diet of: cans of tuna, tilapia fillets, rolled oats, rice, whey powder, and water. Everything was measured out and eaten at regular intervals. The whey powder used to screw my digestion pretty bad but the strength did come. So now it's time to reinvent the system. So what types of small meals do you guys eat to keep up your nutrition? Any of you guys follow a meal plan that you can share that I could emulate? I'm thinking of doing a lot of rice & beans, quinoa dishes, nut butters with fruit. Thanks.

Hey, guys I just signed up here but I've been a vegan since May 2010. This isn't my first time in the world of fitness. It was my New Year's resolution in 2009 to get fit and I stuck to it well into that summer, but unfortunately life got in the way and I never went back. See my introduction for more details on that. Bottom line is that I'm dying to get some weight on me and being a lazy vegan with poor appetite is going to make it impossible. I'm currently 6' tall and approx. 140 lbs. I'm skinny as a rail and I'm struggling to figure out a game plan. Last time I checked I think I was supposed to be getting around 3000 calories a day with one gram of protein per pound of body weight if I intended to gain muscle mass. I have no idea how to do this on a vegan diet. Could you guys help me draft some sort of a meal plan so I can get back in the game? Thanks so much.