ExRx.net

I was all ready to go vegan
Then I remebered bacon was from Pigs.
And Pigs are animals.
Delicious animals.

You hear it primarily from vegans who are into evangelization for their lifestyle. Not exactly an objective source. Color me cynical. But your personal experience with veganism could prove me wrong. Some people do well on vegan diets, some people need meat.



I also dabbled with vegetarianism back in the 1980s, after reading the book Diet For a Small Planet, and getting into a relationship with a woman who was a heavy duty vegetarian. We went our separate ways, and my commitment to vegetarianism lapsed. The importance of eating fruits and veggies remained - but you don't have to give up animal protein to eat a lot of fruits and veggies.

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Thanks, TimD

still not sure how much soy per day is okay.

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"his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see" - muhammad ali

my moobs tell me it really doesnt matter

I eat very little soy intentionally

You'll have to have some source of supplemental protein. Consuming the quantity of protein from vegan whole food sources that bodybuilders recommend is very, very difficult.

Most of the vegans that I've known claim that the need for protein is overstated. But they tend to be into endurance training, not weight lifting.

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Thanks, TimD

yes, i already found some good portein supplements. and what do you think of seitan?

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"his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see" - muhammad ali

Wheat protein - an excellent source of l-glutamine (an important amino acid in post exercise recovery), but overrall a lower quality protein source. The gluten that makes up wheat protein is also a common allergen. A lot of vegans are jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon for that reason.

And not just vegans are going gluten-free. Many of the members of this board are on paleo diets, which eliminate grains from consumption. I haven't gone all the way there yet, but cutting down on cereals has made managing my weight easier - something that I appreciate as I approach age 60

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Thanks, TimD

damn, seitan sounded like the best substitute for soy...high on protein, low on calories and tastes a bit like meat. so, i think the only option to reach 1g protein per lbs with a plant based diet is to maybe drink 100g of rice or pea-protein shakes. what do you think about pea-protein powder?

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"his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see" - muhammad ali

Have you tried spirulina? It's sold as a supplement but in the third world it's grown for food. It's 70% protein.

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Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~Hippocrates
Strength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley
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Thanks TimD

yeah, i know it. some vegans take it to get enough vitamin b12 and iron. but i think it's more expensive than pea-protein.

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"his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see" - muhammad ali

Why not combine the two?

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Thanks, TimD

combining is a very good option!

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"his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see" - muhammad ali

Hey all. Been awhile since i posted here, so thought i would check in and was pleasantly suprised to find this post - since i have just finished up a year on a strict vegan diet. As some of you know, i had a heart attack about 4 years ago at the ripe old age of 36 - which lead to a lot of tests that pointed out some other underlying problems and long story short i was advised to make a switch to the vegan diet. And i did. It was a lot easier than i thought and frankly, it was the best decision i have ever made. I feel a lot better overall and have noticed a marked improvement in my health. I was borderline diabetic. No more. My bad cholesterol levels were 3x the max level. No more - they are 1/2 the max now. My good cholesterol levels were 1/2 of the minimum. No more - they are at 1 1/2 the min now. IBS - GONE. I don't need to take a nap after meals any more - in fact i can eat any time i want, as much as i want. Energy levels are way up. Sleep better. Endurance is hugely improved. And...

My lifts have not suffered one bit. In fact, they have actually improved when you consider that my body weight has dropped to 165lbs from 210'ish when i made the switch. Both my wife and i were shocked at how much weight i dropped, because to look at me before, you wouldn't guess that there was that much to lose! But hey, wifey likes, that's a good thing... ;)

I don't and never have taken supplements - don't believe in them.

The truth is, you don't need to eat anything from an animmal to work out like one or make gains.
In fact - if you want to improve your health, DON'T eat anything from from an animal and then WORK OUT LIKE ONE.

I realize that this may work for me, not others, but i thought i'd chime in having lived on both diets.

It has been nothing but a positive learning experience for me and i highly recommend it.

Nuff said - now to regain my crown as the exrx 1 arm lift challenge - any takers? I say we score it this time around as % of body weight... ;)

Good to see you back Hoister and I'm glad to see your health has improved.

I'm just curious if you've made any changes with regard to grains, sugar, vegetable oils, processed, junk or fast foods?

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Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~Hippocrates
Strength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley
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Thanks TimD

thanks for telling your experiences and nice to hear the vegan diet helped you. now the question of all questions: do you eat soy?

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"his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see" - muhammad ali