Are there any vegetarians here?

[dana82]

that are really into weighlifting and have their desired physique?

[vegan]

I'm vegan and back to working out regularly after a month break in my routine. My 5-day/week workout includes treadmill, resistance equipment and exercises on a mat (push-ups, leg lifts, etc.). I don't have a set of weights. I've made considerable progress on getting to my desired physique while improving my overall health considerably.

[gymgirl]

what do you consider vegaterian? no dairy too? or just no fish, and meat?

[dana82]

I guess for me personally no meat or fish...

[gymgirl]

well in that case...i can tell you this about my experience.

i didn't eat meat or fish for about 7 years, and never had the phyisique i desired. i added fish into my diet about 3 years ago and it, along with other things has made a great difference. i can say this year, my body (in my opinion) is the best it has ever been. i'm at my lowest bodyfat percentage in years. i have more energy, less stress, and have been healthier all around. i made a few other changes in my life (started lifting heavier, cut out as much processed foods as possible, left an extreamly stressful job, and added a lot of fish into my diet).

are you thinking of becoming a vegatarian?

[Mr VW]

i'm a vegetarian. i don't have my desired physique yet though. how long have you been a vegetarian?

[dana82]

well I'm torn! Everything I read about health says how bad animal fat is for you. I don't like red meat I do really like chicken and I'm okay with fish. For health benefits I was considering switching to vegetarian or vegetarian but allowing dairy and fish. However most vegetarians I meet never really seemed toned and fit just skinny..... of course I don't know what their exact diets are but I do want a fit look. So ideally I do really like chicken and fish I just do believe what I've read about animal fat products doing damage on the body.

What would a typical day for you look like?

[Lady C]

Being lacto-ova-pescado vegetarian will probably be your best bet. Fish products have great benefits of the the omega fats and you can still get the protein requirements needed to stay muscular. I used to be almost vegetarian and I found I could not get enough protein without getting higher carbs. My health improved significantly when I added more protein to my diet (fish, eggs, chicken, yogurt and cottage cheese - no milk [lactose intolerant]).

I agree most vegetarians are mostly skinny, even if they are quite active, rarely are they muscular. I have a friend that decided to go vegan. He lost maybe 30-40 pounds and looks very sick. He says he feels great but he looks sick. He does not do any sort of strength training just cardio.

[dana82]

"lacto-ova-pescado vegetarian" What exactly is this? Just no red meats?

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by dana82

"lacto-ova-pescado vegetarian" What exactly is this?

lacto-=milk products
ova=eggs
pescado=fish

[gymgirl]

Originally Posted by Lady C

Being lacto-ova-pescado vegetarian will probably be your best bet.

interesting...well i guess that is what i am, i never knew there was a name for it.

dana, you were asking what a typical day would look like...you can check out my foodlog if you want, however my diet is far from perfect!!! it seems to work for me right now. http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJ...bluespanishsky

[vegan]

No matter what you call what you're doing, the more plant-based whole foods you eat the better off your health will be. Regular exercise is also a necessity for optimal health, regardless of diet.

[DBZ Status]

if you want to do it without carbs try soy protein. At my grocery store you can buy soy nuts (the only complete nut protein) they dont have much carbs. They taste kinda plain but if u can choke them down u can reach your goals

[Joanne]

Hi,

I've been vegetarian for almost 6 years now. You could almost say that it happened by accident because I was having digestion and other related problems and I finally went to go visit a naturopathic doctor after bouncing around from one specialist to the other without any improvements. The naturopath took me off of meat, dairy, wheat, sugar and white flour products. You're probably wondering what I ate? It was very difficult at first but I found new foods to enjoy - beans, fish (salmon, rainbow trout, halibut, tuna, cod), grains (oats, millet, quiona, couscous), fruit, brown rice, brown rice pasta and I tried out new vegetables that I never ate before - kale, sweet potatoes, rapini, swiss chard.

I noticed a HUGE improvement in my overall health as well as, I was not experiencing the pains and problems that I previously experienced. I experimented with new recipes and enjoyed eating the 'vegetarian' lifestyle so I maintained it. My complexion has improved and so has my physique but I am not into heavy weight lifting. I do work out 5x a week (cardio and resistance training) and perform a mix of exercises in and outside of the gym. I do add soy protein powder to my fruit shakes once in a while but I do take it on a regular basis. I prefer to get my protein sources from foods, as been recommended from people on this site.

One of my favourite breakfast's: 3 tbsp. oatmeal, 3 tbsp. puff cereal, 7 almonds (chopped), 1.5 tbsp. raisins, 1 tbsp. ground flax seeds and soy milk.
Snacks: 1 slice whole grain bread (toasted) or plain rice cake, 1.5 tbsp. avocado (as a spread) sliced tomatoes - for those of you who eat cheese, you could add a slice of cheese. I sometimes eat goat or feta cheese instead of regular cheese.

[dana82]

Thanks guys! I knew goat cheese was considered the better cheese to eat...is it the same case with feta? because I like feta but not goat cheese, lol