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my foray into vegetarianism

Changed said:
I've been a vegetarian for almost a month now. I came to the conclusion that I should cut out meat during a sudden revelation while reading about Gandhi's life. A month ago I was in a rather bleak situation: gaining weight, not growing mentally or spiritually. I decided the food I ingested would have a large impact on my lifestyle as a whole--and it has.
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I'm much like you lately, and like most Americans grew up exposed to all courses of meat/dairy.
Recently as a part of a sudden awakening to how ecologically immoral my relatively modest lifestyle is, I now feel obligated to immediately convert to a vegetarian diet.

Even though I consider myself somewhat "health conscious", I just turned a year older and have been feeling terrible.
Eating (and drinking) sustain our existence, and thus really should be our #1 concern! Especially in a sat-fat filled world full of cancers&toxins, in the air / on the dinner plate.

My only real concern is losing weight (especially if I start distance running again); I've always been ~40lbs underweight ..
I've avoided eggs/beef/pork for a long while, but love poultry/tuna/milk/cheese and might starve without them, But that is a weak excuse I know; I need to do what is right and adapt.
Looking forward to hopefully revolutionizing my diet & my health :)
 
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^ you won't necessarily lose weight, if you're careful with your diet you can get ample protein & carbs. If you find yourself losing weight then just increase your carbs & fat intake (nothing wrong with snacking on fruit and nuts throughout the day). There are a few renowned athletes that are vegetarian/vegan too such as Carl Lewis so it's not impossible to train for running without eating meat :)

best of luck!
 
no... as a male I find it crucial to avoid soy based food products. My testosterone levels are taking a big enough hit without a lot of meat-based protein- I can't be ingesting soy to further hamper my masculinity.
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This. Is. So. Retarded. I. Actually. Took. The. Time. To. Type. Like. This.
 
great post.

i myself am vegan, initially for my health concerns, 4 years ago i was 330lbs with my blood pressure rising i decided to end it and live healthy.

becoming vegan is hard, and i am lucky that i am a chef (now a vegan chef + 3 years!) to make it easier. you most certainly need to study and do your research to ensure you get all the proteins, vitamins, amino acids, carbohydrates and fats that are essential for optimal vegan health.

lately i have been skimming through a couple of animal rights books, and now i look at veganism in an entirely spiritual way. and as i get deeper into the big picture i feel a lot more compassion for all things living.

if any of you want to start a vegan/veg post or you if you would like to PM me for ideas/recipes/general questions, i would be most up for contributing to it in every possible way. :)

life is life.

*edit* by the way, i am now 245lbs, healthy, active, focused on goals, and more spiritual.
 
Changed said:
no... as a male I find it crucial to avoid soy based food products. My testosterone levels are taking a big enough hit without a lot of meat-based protein- I can't be ingesting soy to further hamper my masculinity.
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I get a lot of my protein from soy products(for the last 3 years) and last time I checked I still had balls.
 
protein is needed regardless of anyones diet.

should i suggest a few other protein-rich foods besides soy which would include lentils and legumes, sprouts (pea, buckwheat, popcorn), quinoa (a complete protein) and also amaranth (the world's smallest grain).

usually if i am on the go and cannot make a complete meal, i will snack on a couple of handfuls of pea sprouts which will give me the protein i need to fulfill my daily intake.

remember that all nuts and seeds have essential oils, fats and proteins also.
 
I'm a male at about 5'8. Before going vegan, I weighed about 121-124 pounds. After, I'm reaching about 128-129. This is through working out, no dairy/eggs, but it did include a good amount of soy. I'm switching over to a 'modified vegan' diet, which will include fish products.
 
Just came across this thread. As of 3 pm yesterday, I'm going vegan. No bullshit. I've been doing a little reading about the advantages of a vegan or vegetarian diet, and was really shocked at some of the shit in meat and dairy(not to mention how they treat the damn animals)

My diet used to consist of red meat, tuna, eggs, chicken, and more chicken. With the complex carbs thrown in every once in awhile. I found myself always feeling sluggish/drained of energy and minor skin issues.

I'm still very new to this type of diet and am looking to pick up tips as I go. Now I am really into working out and fitness, so I have planned on getting sufficient protein(I dont' believe you need as much as everyone thinks) from legumes/beans, nuts, etc. I usually train hard 6 days a week so I'm interested in seeing how my body responds to this change.

So far the staples of my diet will consist of:

Oatmeal
Brown Rice
Tons of fruit: strawberries, bananas, apples, oranges
Veggies: broccoli, bell peppers, onions, potatoes, corn, spinach
Kidney, lima, and other beans
legumes
Tofu
Whole weat pasta
Nuts/almonds
Protein powder(post workout)


My main goals are to to feel better, one. Secondly I want to drop down to 7-8% body fat by this spring/summer. Any tips or suggestions are appreciated. :)
 
KStoner, how the hell are you gonna keep your swole on with a vegan diet?




Stay on that shit for a month, and you'll be walking around in flip flops and bead necklaces talking about how America should get out of Iraq.
 
well there are SOME 'militant' vegan-types:

alf.jpg


;)
 
KStoner6tb said:
My main goals are to to feel better, one. Secondly I want to drop down to 7-8% body fat by this spring/summer. Any tips or suggestions are appreciated. :)
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You need more fatty foods on that list.
Avocado
Oils

If your weight gain is sensitive to carbs build your diet around vegetables, fats, and protein. Not saying you should avoid grains. Only that almost everything you eat is going to be carb rich as a vegan.
 
^ah yes I forgot to mention I'd picked up a little avacado. What do you mix them with? Or you just eat'em plain?

Binge Artist said:
KStoner, how the hell are you gonna keep your swole on with a vegan diet?
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I use to ask that same question. Till I read about Bill Pearl winning Mr. Universe four times as a vegetarian. Carl Lewis claiming he had his best year as a vegetarian, and countless other very successful athletes.

I like a challenge anyway. :D

Binge Artist said:
Stay on that shit for a month, and you'll be walking around in flip flops and bead necklaces talking about how America should get out of Iraq.
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..I've already bought the necklace!
 
Avocados can be used in place of mayonaisse or butter on sandwiches and toast, chopped up as a pizza topping, added to salads, etc.
 
I usually add avocado to my salad or sandwich.

Quinoa and Buckwheat both have complete amino acid profiles.
Might want to take it easy on the Quinoa though.
 
Going on 2 months myself as a vegetarian. Health reasons (ie prevention of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity).

Tofu with soy sauce, garlic, whole green beans, broccoli and sauteed onions
Soy Milk & Granola with Acai berries
Guacamole (wife's recipe) with Corn chips
Fruit Smoothies
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Bananas, Mango, Coconut, Papaya, Strawberries, Blueberries)
Fresh Veggies (Yams, Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Beans, Peas)

Even started my own garden. And I live in an apartment too. Patio gardening some cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach and strawberries.

The absolute best part is my 3.5 year old daughter. She LOVES it all!
 
You're dad eats way too much beef. A hamburger a day is not a healthy life style. I enjoy the taste of meat, but I eat it mostly for the protein and iron. I try to limit my meats to mostly chicken, turkey and fish, all of which are healthy choices of meat, but I still eat beef 2-3 times a week. It has good iron content. The main thing with vegetarian diets is to make sure you are getting enough iron, protein and omegas. I was a vegetarian once and at first it was kind of fun, but eventually it was burdensome, and I had a hard time eating proper meals. My family was concerned for me and I ended up losing a lot of weight from not having easy access to all of the nutrients I needed in my diet. I lasted about 3-4 months, maybe more.
 
I've been vege for ah.... well, I don't remember. Four or five years now. I remember the last thing I ate was this horrifyingly gross calzone and looking at it, thinking, "wow a pig died for this? to rend muscle from bone for /this/?"
Then i stopped eating meat! Lost a lot of weight and feel way better and eat more exciting food so!
 
Congrats on the decision for a diet change kstoner :)

If you're looking for protein and healthy fats I recommend tahini or (100% or organic) peanut butter on wholemeal bread, both should be well over 20% protein and tahini has a reasonable amount of fibre, potassium, magnesium, calcium etc too. It's a bit of an acquired taste as it's a little bitter though. Flax seed oil is your best bet for omega 3's.

Your list above looks great with a lot covered with your fruit, veges, legumes, nuts, and complex carbs.

Good luck =D
 
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