Vegan question for mckmain
- Thread starter Cbelle
- Start date
Yes Carole, I know you once did the Zone. And I was at my best on it, although I had to up the calories from a measly 1,200 a day to 2,200 at most when I was strength training. It worked!
However, my body is changing. It's taking me longer to lose the flab. I read that no one ratio can work for you all the time. I've been experimenting with ratios and I'm finding that lowering my carbs to increase my protein makes me lightheaded and makes me crave more food, especially the unhealthy ones. I'm open to ideas on what to take out of my diet (aside from Cheetos
) and what else to put in. Hey, no one ever died trying to eat healthier.
Pinky
However, my body is changing. It's taking me longer to lose the flab. I read that no one ratio can work for you all the time. I've been experimenting with ratios and I'm finding that lowering my carbs to increase my protein makes me lightheaded and makes me crave more food, especially the unhealthy ones. I'm open to ideas on what to take out of my diet (aside from Cheetos
) and what else to put in. Hey, no one ever died trying to eat healthier. Pinky
Mckmain
Cathlete
Thanks Cbelle! I am glad I checked the 2nd page or I would have missed this post!! In May last year I read the book "Eat to Live" by Dr Joel Fuhrman. I really enjoyed the book and my DH wanted to try something different also. We set out just cutting back on animal protein until one night my DH said "aren't we going to cut the chicken and meat totally out?" So...we did. When I went Vegan I was a bit scared I wouldn't get results cutting back on the amount of protein the Zone had specified. The Zone had quit working and I had gained about 15 lbs. I went to fitday.com and put in everything I ate. My protein went from about 120g to 60-80g. I think the average daily requirement of protein for a female is about 55-60g.
The same time I started Vegan diet I started a P90X rotation adding some Cathe workouts too. Obsessive you think.....Pinky, I never imagined I would loose the weight I had gained plus more at this age (45), but it worked. For the 1st time in my life my thighs got smaller although I did loose some running strength.
A sample of an average day is:
Coffee and half a genisoy protein bar before workout
B: Fruit smoothie consisting of 2 cups fruit, 3/4 cup soymilk, 1T ground flaxseed. and 1 scoop vanilla whey (my only non-vegan daliance) or soy protein powder.
L: Big romaine and spinach salad, with beans for protein and avocado for fat plus other veggies. Also some fresh fruit.
S: other half of protein bar.
D: Usually a tofu, tempeh, seitan dish or homemade soup recipe plus another big salad.
Dessert: another fruit smoothie with fruit, soymilk, sometimes protein powder and I split this with my DH.
I try to drink between 66 and 90 ounces of water a day. Which is ALOT easier in the summer...
I have bought a few Vegan cookbooks and try new recipes evey week. Plus I have gotten some good recipes on this forum. I like this site for alot of info www.vegsource.com There are discussion boards and you can post questions and they do get answered.
Pinky...I have a salt habit myself (not cheetos..) but I have resorted to trying to eat chips (if I get the craving) that do NOT contain any trans fat. I do think this has helped me ALOT!! They have a good selection in any health food store.....my last ratio that I had at fitday was protein 26%, carbs 49%, fat 25%.
HTH.......Carole
The same time I started Vegan diet I started a P90X rotation adding some Cathe workouts too. Obsessive you think..
...Pinky, I never imagined I would loose the weight I had gained plus more at this age (45), but it worked. For the 1st time in my life my thighs got smaller although I did loose some running strength.A sample of an average day is:
Coffee and half a genisoy protein bar before workout
B: Fruit smoothie consisting of 2 cups fruit, 3/4 cup soymilk, 1T ground flaxseed. and 1 scoop vanilla whey (my only non-vegan daliance) or soy protein powder.
L: Big romaine and spinach salad, with beans for protein and avocado for fat plus other veggies. Also some fresh fruit.
S: other half of protein bar.
D: Usually a tofu, tempeh, seitan dish or homemade soup recipe plus another big salad.
Dessert: another fruit smoothie with fruit, soymilk, sometimes protein powder and I split this with my DH.
I try to drink between 66 and 90 ounces of water a day. Which is ALOT easier in the summer...
I have bought a few Vegan cookbooks and try new recipes evey week. Plus I have gotten some good recipes on this forum. I like this site for alot of info www.vegsource.com There are discussion boards and you can post questions and they do get answered.
Pinky...I have a salt habit myself (not cheetos..
) but I have resorted to trying to eat chips (if I get the craving) that do NOT contain any trans fat. I do think this has helped me ALOT!! They have a good selection in any health food store.....my last ratio that I had at fitday was protein 26%, carbs 49%, fat 25%. HTH....
...CaroleCarole, thanks for the info. I bookmarked vegsource and will check it out slowly (never enough time to be on the computer nowadays, with my 4-year-old figuring out how to surf and use all my hardware).
I do currently take in 60-80 grams of protein a day. I've been experimenting on keeping my carbs at or below 100 grams a day -- got the idea from Atkins -- but my weightlifting suffers, it makes me lightheaded, and I keep eyeing my son's Cheetos and popcorn. Eating so much veggies also makes me gassy, although I think that will pass once my body gets used to it. Lately I've been adding a lot more oatmeal and potatoes that I eat with the skin on, no added stuff. I'm guessing potatoes are just as high on the glycemic index as rice (we only have the white kind around here), but it's easier for me to control my portions with potatoes. I pick a small one, scrub it, zap it in the microwave, and an hour later I'm ready to lift weights.
It's great to know that to get your definition I can still keep my fat to near my old Zone ratio. I'll keep trying to see what suits my 35-year-old body. I checked those online perimenopause sites and I'm having a LOT of those symptoms. I think insomnia is also wreaking havoc on my body, with one's hgh levels getting messed up with too little sleep...x(
Thanks again, Carole.
Pinky
I do currently take in 60-80 grams of protein a day. I've been experimenting on keeping my carbs at or below 100 grams a day -- got the idea from Atkins -- but my weightlifting suffers, it makes me lightheaded, and I keep eyeing my son's Cheetos and popcorn. Eating so much veggies also makes me gassy, although I think that will pass once my body gets used to it. Lately I've been adding a lot more oatmeal and potatoes that I eat with the skin on, no added stuff. I'm guessing potatoes are just as high on the glycemic index as rice (we only have the white kind around here), but it's easier for me to control my portions with potatoes. I pick a small one, scrub it, zap it in the microwave, and an hour later I'm ready to lift weights.
It's great to know that to get your definition I can still keep my fat to near my old Zone ratio.
I'll keep trying to see what suits my 35-year-old body. I checked those online perimenopause sites and I'm having a LOT of those symptoms. I think insomnia is also wreaking havoc on my body, with one's hgh levels getting messed up with too little sleep...x( Thanks again, Carole.
Pinky
Mckmain
Cathlete
To a degree that's true, but hey...no one is perfect! This is from the book:
For the 6 week plan
UNLIMITED
eat as much as you want
all raw vegetables, including raw carrots (goal: 1 lb daily)
cooked green vegetables (goal: 1 lb daily)
beans, legumes, bean sprouts, and tofu (1 cup daily)
fresh fruit (at least 4 daily)
eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes
LIMITED
not more than 1 serving (1 cup) per day
cooked starchy vegetables or whole grains
(butternut or acorn squash, corn, potatoes, rice, cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, breads, cereals)
raw nuts and seeds (1 oz max per day)
avocado (2 oz max per day)
ground flaxseed (1 T per day)
OFF-LIMITS
diary products
animal products
between meal snacks
fruit juice, dried fruit
Now I will admit....I never weighed my food to see if I got in a lb of veggies. I know I went overboard with fruit and I did not beat myself up over not getting in a lb of veggies! This 6 week plan is for max weight loss! I wouldn't think the people just wanting to improve their overall heatlh would have to be this strict. The Zone helped me not crave any of the starchy foods and I don't like acorn or butternut squash anyway. After the initial 6 weeks I would try for at least 4 servings of fruit and 2 big salads plus in the soup recipes there are alot of vegetables. Whenever I got hungry in the beginning I would eat beans. I found it very inportant to get in the 1 cup of beans a day. I am rarely hungry....hope this helps a bit......Carole
For the 6 week plan
UNLIMITED
eat as much as you want
all raw vegetables, including raw carrots (goal: 1 lb daily)
cooked green vegetables (goal: 1 lb daily)
beans, legumes, bean sprouts, and tofu (1 cup daily)
fresh fruit (at least 4 daily)
eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes
LIMITED
not more than 1 serving (1 cup) per day
cooked starchy vegetables or whole grains
(butternut or acorn squash, corn, potatoes, rice, cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, breads, cereals)
raw nuts and seeds (1 oz max per day)
avocado (2 oz max per day)
ground flaxseed (1 T per day)
OFF-LIMITS
diary products
animal products
between meal snacks
fruit juice, dried fruit
Now I will admit....I never weighed my food to see if I got in a lb of veggies. I know I went overboard with fruit and I did not beat myself up over not getting in a lb of veggies! This 6 week plan is for max weight loss! I wouldn't think the people just wanting to improve their overall heatlh would have to be this strict. The Zone helped me not crave any of the starchy foods and I don't like acorn or butternut squash anyway. After the initial 6 weeks I would try for at least 4 servings of fruit and 2 big salads plus in the soup recipes there are alot of vegetables. Whenever I got hungry in the beginning I would eat beans. I found it very inportant to get in the 1 cup of beans a day. I am rarely hungry....hope this helps a bit...
...Carole
Mckmain
Cathlete
It's funny when I went to Vegan....I was never weak or light headed when lifting. But I will say the first 2 weeks when I had a long run...yes, I was weak then, but my body adapted. I will agree about the gas from the veggies and from the beans, but your body does adjust. I love potatoes and I am not very strict with them now. After a long run on Sundays I have potatoes, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and sometimes cabbage fried up in a bit of olive oil and then I put some Vegan sour cream and salsa on them....it is AWESOME!!!!
I might have a bit more energy as I am not chasing around a cute little 4 year old!! Good luck with finding what works.......Carole
I might have a bit more energy as I am not chasing around a cute little 4 year old!! Good luck with finding what works....
...CaroleI was actually flipping through that book again Don't know why, but the scale says I keep adding on pounds
I exercise.... don't eat cookies or salty crips, junkfood or anything.... I have been adding more and more dairy though lately. Guess I'll start with cutting that out again. I love my yoghurt/all bran for breakfast, sigh....
Dutchie
Don't know why, but the scale says I keep adding on pounds I exercise.... don't eat cookies or salty crips, junkfood or anything.... I have been adding more and more dairy though lately. Guess I'll start with cutting that out again. I love my yoghurt/all bran for breakfast, sigh....
Dutchie
Mckmain
Cathlete
Hey Dutchie....they do make soy yogurt!!!...
Cbelle..looks good but for dinner I'd add a soup or stew or chili recipe from the book or another source. Try to add some tofu, tempeh, seitan, or TVP in the recipes if possible plus you should have some Flaxseed (1T) added somewhere .....this would help.......Carole
Cbelle..looks good but for dinner I'd add a soup or stew or chili recipe from the book or another source. Try to add some tofu, tempeh, seitan, or TVP in the recipes if possible plus you should have some Flaxseed (1T) added somewhere .....this would help....
...CaroleJust my take on this, but when you have what seems to be a lot of veggies, it's also alot of water & fiber so you do feel hungry sooner. I personally have a large assortment of veggies in a salad at lunch & will be ready to eat in about 3 to 4 hours later.
Get this, one of my dear friends who is grossly overweight decided to eat like I do at lunch. She told me she always thought my salads where way to huge & how could I eat that much. Once she started trying it, she realized why. The veggies digest that much quicker. The sad part is, she stopped because it was also much more expensive to choose the salad bar than the regular cafeteria food. It doesn't make sense, but it's true.
That being said, since I try to put in some good complex carbs here & there, I am not famished, nor am I bothered by cravings for sweets & salts that often.
Marla
Get this, one of my dear friends who is grossly overweight decided to eat like I do at lunch. She told me she always thought my salads where way to huge & how could I eat that much. Once she started trying it, she realized why. The veggies digest that much quicker. The sad part is, she stopped because it was also much more expensive to choose the salad bar than the regular cafeteria food. It doesn't make sense, but it's true.
That being said, since I try to put in some good complex carbs here & there, I am not famished, nor am I bothered by cravings for sweets & salts that often.
Marla
Maybe in the US of A, but I called all supermarkets in my area. And ther are 4 of them. None has soy yoghurt. I'd never seen it before either. They have soy milk in 3 flavors, soy desserts and even bio-organic soy milk. No Yoghurt... poor me.
I'll see if the health food store maybe has it. We're a town of 175,000 people, and only one health food store. Guess that tells you all you need to know
Dutchie
I'll see if the health food store maybe has it. We're a town of 175,000 people, and only one health food store. Guess that tells you all you need to know
Dutchie
Hello Carole,
I've been considering a vegetarian diet for while now, but since my goal right now is to gain if not maintain my muscle, I've hesitated making the switch. Obviously, you are proof positive that you can still build muscle on a vegan diet. You look fantastic and I'm inspired! Would you mind sharing your what your training schedule is like? Frequency and intensity of weight (heavy, moderate, etc) and cardio routines.
Thanks in advance,
Alexandra
I've been considering a vegetarian diet for while now, but since my goal right now is to gain if not maintain my muscle, I've hesitated making the switch. Obviously, you are proof positive that you can still build muscle on a vegan diet. You look fantastic and I'm inspired! Would you mind sharing your what your training schedule is like? Frequency and intensity of weight (heavy, moderate, etc) and cardio routines.
Thanks in advance,
Alexandra
Carole, can I bother you with another question on the Eat to Live diet? As our in-house expert ;-))) Now today I had lentil and vegetable soup for dinner plus two small pita bread with hummus and grated raw carrot (yummie). Would that be a good dinner, or should I have skipped the pita bread?
Dutchie
Dutchie
Mckmain
Cathlete
Alexandra...if you feel strongly about vegetarianism give it a try. If you don't like it then go back to what you were doing. I am not naturally muscular so yes being Vegan will help maintain your muscle. Don't worry!
My main form of cardio is running. I am training right now for a 50K run in March. My second love is step and kickbox. I also do Cathe weights and sometime throw in some P90X. The following is a typical week at this time:
Sun: Long run (16-20 miles)and a stretch workout
Mon: Easy short run (3-5 miles), abs, and Shoulders, Triceps, and Bicep weights. Sometimes kickbox in the afternoon.
Tues: Cathe Leg workout for strength then a harder 6 mile run.
Wed: Chest & Back, abs and a 5-7 mile easy run.
Thurs: Cathe Legs for endurance (L&G usually),6-10 mile run then shoulders, triceps, biceps weights.
Fri: 3-4 mile run, chest & back weights and abs
Sat: Cathe leg workout for strength, abs and yoga or stretch.
This can vary a bit depending on my work schedule and the mileage I need to get in.
Dutchie....you are sweet! Your dinner sounds good, but I might have added a small salad and maybe only had one hummus sandwich.....I probably still avoid bread due to the Zone but Fuhrman say pita is good!!
Hope this helps......Carole
My main form of cardio is running. I am training right now for a 50K run in March. My second love is step and kickbox. I also do Cathe weights and sometime throw in some P90X. The following is a typical week at this time:
Sun: Long run (16-20 miles)and a stretch workout
Mon: Easy short run (3-5 miles), abs, and Shoulders, Triceps, and Bicep weights. Sometimes kickbox in the afternoon.
Tues: Cathe Leg workout for strength then a harder 6 mile run.
Wed: Chest & Back, abs and a 5-7 mile easy run.
Thurs: Cathe Legs for endurance (L&G usually),6-10 mile run then shoulders, triceps, biceps weights.
Fri: 3-4 mile run, chest & back weights and abs
Sat: Cathe leg workout for strength, abs and yoga or stretch.
This can vary a bit depending on my work schedule and the mileage I need to get in.
Dutchie....you are sweet! Your dinner sounds good, but I might have added a small salad and maybe only had one hummus sandwich...
..I probably still avoid bread due to the Zone but Fuhrman say pita is good!! Hope this helps...
...Carole
janiejoey
Cathlete
Carol,
I have the book "Eat To Live". I was on it for one week and after that week I was craving sweet and salt to the max. So I splurged and didn't go back to it again. A couple of weeks have passed and saw your picture on posts. I want to be healthy like you, and I have the same book as you do. I guess I quit too soon. You have inspired me to try again.
Thank,
Janie
I have the book "Eat To Live". I was on it for one week and after that week I was craving sweet and salt to the max. So I splurged and didn't go back to it again. A couple of weeks have passed and saw your picture on posts. I want to be healthy like you, and I have the same book as you do. I guess I quit too soon. You have inspired me to try again.
Thank,
Janie
Mckmain
Cathlete
Alexandra and Janie....its very hard IMO to go cold turkey and cut out all animal protein. I would reccommend easing into it. The first 2 weeks for me were very tough as my body was in withdrawals from the junk food I had been eating. But as I began to loose weight and feel better it got easier. I also read another book called "The Food Revolution" by John Robbins and that opened my eyes alot. So, besides going Vegan for health reasons I am also Vegan for ethical reasons ......Carole
..Carole