Living my best life!
BoxerBrawler
Posts: 2,032 Member
I had tried a couple of times to go 100% plant based (vegan). Not for weight loss or health but for my own personal reasons. First time I went cold turkey and refused to supplement and at first I felt amazing but by the end of the month I crashed and burned! Went back to eating meat. I had a trainer who insisted that I eat tons of meat-protein and fat absolutely convinced that I needed excess calories and meat to grow my muscles - an outdated way of thinking for sure! That kind of lit my fire so on my next try I gave up everything but fish and egg-whites and the occasional piece of chicken. I spent a lot of time researching nutrients, food, recipes, ingredients, whole foods, replacement foods, you name it. I took very small baby-steps and it took me over a year before finally giving up eggs, fish and the occasional chicken all together. Part of the journey was accepting that my number of carbs would go up and learning to enjoy breads, beans, pasta's, rice, etc. Throughout my "dieting" life I always went for the no-carb, low-carb, low calories, excessive protein thing. A big mistake! But eh... we live and we learn. At first I really made sure to carefully balance out my macro's through whole foods - veggies, fruits, seeds/nuts, etc. I watched my numbers like a hawk to make sure each day landed exactly where it should in terms of nutrients. I also began to supplement - slowly - with B vitamins, Iron and C. The longer I went the more amazing I felt! I finally realized that I didn't need to supplement, that with a diverse and balanced nutrition plan my body would want for nothing. Within months the weight began to drop off even though that was not my goal. My energy, my sleep habits and my overall mental health increased by leaps and bounds! I crave nothing and I am never left feeling hungry or empty or tired or fatigued in any way. Everything I eat is beautiful and everything I cook is creative, fresh and flavorful. My athleticism is absolutely through the roof! I have never felt stronger and my muscles are growing before my eyes! Back when I was eating egg whites, lotts of egg whites I only 'thought' I felt good, but it wasn't until after I got off them I realized I felt like crap!
My success story... living life and eating a nutritional plan based upon what agrees with my ethics and personal values, and being healthier than I've ever been!
It took me a long time to get here and if anyone else is on a similar journey all I can say is keep trying!
My success story... living life and eating a nutritional plan based upon what agrees with my ethics and personal values, and being healthier than I've ever been!
It took me a long time to get here and if anyone else is on a similar journey all I can say is keep trying!
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Replies
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I couldn’t be vegan purely because I love eggs! But good for you ☺️ I like to think of gorillas 🦍 they are huge, strong, muscular and they only eat plant based food 👌🏽3
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Ok, so what does a typical day of eating look like for you? I wanna feel like that too!! 2
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Congratulations to you OP! I am happy that you have found something that works for you. I wish you continued success in your wellness journey. I wonder why anyone will disagree with your post without the courtesy of offering their thoughts on what they are disagreeing with. Do you friend and ignore the naysayers 🙏2
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Thanks for the replies and thanks for being courteous! I was afraid that the second I mentioned the V word there'd be all kinds of negative comments LOL! I am truly blessed to have found my path!1
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Ok, so what does a typical day of eating look like for you? I wanna feel like that too!!
I am big on GBOMBS so all of my meals have those elements: Greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds. My typical breakfast is a greens bowl and I add in smoky maple tempeh so: 4-5 cups of spinach or arugula or another leafy green - red or white onion (sometimes shallots), mushrooms (I love wild and all kinds of mushrooms) usually roasted pepita's, 4-6 slices of tempeh and sometimes add in's like chopped broccoli, some tomato. I always toss in a handful of beans (white or black) and sometimes I even add some blueberries right in the mix. I warm it for about 30 seconds just to let it all wilt, I add black pepper and everything bagel seasoning and yum! For lunch I usually have a base of greens and of course add the onions, mushrooms, seeds and berries and I'll go for a sweet potato or piece of tofu, maybe some avocado, definitely beans, once in a while I'll do a veggie burger on top. Dinner is always hearty and quite often the biggest meal of my day. Anything from grains, pasta, beans, breads - I like to do a big thing of roasted root vegetables and will use those for a main. I make my own "cheese" sauce with nutrtional yeast and cashew. Sometimes I just have a plain old vegan tuna sandwich which is justs smashed chickpea, vegan mayo, etc. I try to keep things simple, whole and consistent. I do weigh and measure my portions and try to stay away from "replacement" products.2 -
You *will* need a B12 supplement. There are NO plant sources of B12, but you can get a lab-produced supplement to get B12 in your diet. It takes about 3 years for your body to use up your liver's store of B12, so you may feel OK without the supplement now, but I recommend adding it back into your diet BEFORE you end up with anemia. B12 neuropathy and anemia are no fun and I do not recommend them to anyone.
My sister is vegan and enjoys the lifestyle, but supplements her B12 and her iron (as needed) to maintain her health and make her ethical choices easier to maintain. I fully support your vegan diet, but wish to caution you against going off *all* supplementation. B12 is one of the important ones that your body cannot function without and you can not get from a plant source.
Congratulations on accomplishing all that soul searching and dietary discipline and research! That's an accomplishment that many never complete.2 -
ElizabethKalmbach wrote: »You *will* need a B12 supplement. There are NO plant sources of B12, but you can get a lab-produced supplement to get B12 in your diet. It takes about 3 years for your body to use up your liver's store of B12, so you may feel OK without the supplement now, but I recommend adding it back into your diet BEFORE you end up with anemia. B12 neuropathy and anemia are no fun and I do not recommend them to anyone.
My sister is vegan and enjoys the lifestyle, but supplements her B12 and her iron (as needed) to maintain her health and make her ethical choices easier to maintain. I fully support your vegan diet, but wish to caution you against going off *all* supplementation. B12 is one of the important ones that your body cannot function without and you can not get from a plant source.
Congratulations on accomplishing all that soul searching and dietary discipline and research! That's an accomplishment that many never complete.
Thank you!
I do supplement with B12, Iron and Vitamin C for now but am not doing that forever. I am actually getting way more than I need on my current plan with a wide variety of plant-foods!
The myth of Vegans needing B12 supplementation is only partly based in fact. Well-absorbed forms of vitamin B12 are only readily available in foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy; but many foods such as non-dairy milks, cereals, spreads, and nutritional yeast flakes available in a plant based diet are naturally fortified with B12. This type of B12 can be derived from an isolated bacteria source meaning that not only aren't vegan's missing out but most likely we're getting more than the recommended daily intake.
In most cases the vegan form of fortified B12 is not bound to protein, therefore it has a greater bio-availability (increased and easier rate of absorption through the gut lining), unlike animal based versions which rely more on the efficiency of digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid in the stomach to break it down to a smaller component, allowing it to pass into the blood stream. Not only is this fantastic for those that choose to eat a plant based diet, but also for those who suffer with digestive problems. Digestive disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chrohn’s Disease, Dysbiosis (an imbalance of gut flora), or low stomach acid production can negatively affect the way food is digested and absorbed, due to either an imbalance of essential bacteria, a physical manifestation, or inflammation.
This readily digestible form of B12 does not require your digestive system to work as vigorously, and therefore may help increase absorption rates dramatically where digestion may otherwise be compromised. Although it was stated earlier that plant based foods do not provide readily available B12, there is a loop hole. The soil that many of these products are grown in may contain elevated levels of B12 due to the presence of naturally occurring bacteria and fungi. I’m not saying that its wise to not wash your fresh produce, but if you are buying organically grown, local produce it is more than likely that you are absorbing some B12 from the soil traces in these foods.
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anna246marie wrote: »I couldn’t be vegan purely because I love eggs! But good for you ☺️ I like to think of gorillas 🦍 they are huge, strong, muscular and they only eat plant based food 👌🏽
they also have different hormones and stomach/digestive tracts. You can't compare their diet and bodies to ours... elephants and cows are vegan, they have a lot of fat on their bodies.1 -
Congratulations to you OP! I am happy that you have found something that works for you. I wish you continued success in your wellness journey. I wonder why anyone will disagree with your post without the courtesy of offering their thoughts on what they are disagreeing with. Do you friend and ignore the naysayers 🙏
Well, one part that was wrong is that she was "...convinced that I needed excess calories and meat to grow my muscles" you do need excess calories to grow muscles, not necessarily meat though... that still rings true regardless of the diet you choose.2 -
I see your problem with your first attempt: as an aspiring vegan you should have gone cold tofurky.3
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tauntonmom wrote: »I see your problem with your first attempt: as an aspiring vegan you should have gone cold tofurky.
HAhahahahahaha I see what you did there haha!!!
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Congratulations to you OP! I am happy that you have found something that works for you. I wish you continued success in your wellness journey. I wonder why anyone will disagree with your post without the courtesy of offering their thoughts on what they are disagreeing with. Do you friend and ignore the naysayers 🙏
Well, one part that was wrong is that she was "...convinced that I needed excess calories and meat to grow my muscles" you do need excess calories to grow muscles, not necessarily meat though... that still rings true regardless of the diet you choose.
No, that is not true. Not "Excess" calories to grow muscle. Each individual only needs the amount of calories it takes to support muscle growth and repair, not a calorie more. Excess calories will put on the pounds but unfortunately those pounds won't all be muscle.1 -
BoxerBrawler wrote: »Congratulations to you OP! I am happy that you have found something that works for you. I wish you continued success in your wellness journey. I wonder why anyone will disagree with your post without the courtesy of offering their thoughts on what they are disagreeing with. Do you friend and ignore the naysayers 🙏
Well, one part that was wrong is that she was "...convinced that I needed excess calories and meat to grow my muscles" you do need excess calories to grow muscles, not necessarily meat though... that still rings true regardless of the diet you choose.
No, that is not true. Not "Excess" calories to grow muscle. Each individual only needs the amount of calories it takes to support muscle growth and repair, not a calorie more. Excess calories will put on the pounds but unfortunately those pounds won't all be muscle.
I guess our definition of excess is different... I see excess as a caloric surplus, which is in excess of maintenance. Muscle growth if not in a surplus is slow under the best of conditions, adequate training, rest, protein, adherence. even more so if you are a trained individual.2 -
BoxerBrawler wrote: »Congratulations to you OP! I am happy that you have found something that works for you. I wish you continued success in your wellness journey. I wonder why anyone will disagree with your post without the courtesy of offering their thoughts on what they are disagreeing with. Do you friend and ignore the naysayers 🙏
Well, one part that was wrong is that she was "...convinced that I needed excess calories and meat to grow my muscles" you do need excess calories to grow muscles, not necessarily meat though... that still rings true regardless of the diet you choose.
No, that is not true. Not "Excess" calories to grow muscle. Each individual only needs the amount of calories it takes to support muscle growth and repair, not a calorie more. Excess calories will put on the pounds but unfortunately those pounds won't all be muscle.
I guess our definition of excess is different... I see excess as a caloric surplus, which is in excess of maintenance. Muscle growth if not in a surplus is slow under the best of conditions, adequate training, rest, protein, adherence. even more so if you are a trained individual.
Yes - it can become quite the science project and it's absolutely possible. Most of the so-called industry experts are stuck in the 80's. Old school way of thinking consuming excess protein and calories consisting of eggs, chicken, sweet potato, steak and rice. It's the same with old school body builders who give up carbs to "lean out". Leave it all in the past. I am a trained individual (in training), always in training. I maintain and even grow muscle without a surplus, yes under the best conditions. I train so much I can hardly keep up with my calories and being vegan doesn't make it any easier. Unless one has actually put in the research and done the work I don't put much value on ones thoughts and opinions surrounding that. I take my training and nutrition very seriously. And yes, I'm a master licensed dietitian and sports nutritionist.
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HufflepuffGrl9 wrote: »BoxerBrawler wrote: »Ok, so what does a typical day of eating look like for you? I wanna feel like that too!!
I am big on GBOMBS so all of my meals have those elements: Greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds. My typical breakfast is a greens bowl and I add in smoky maple tempeh so: 4-5 cups of spinach or arugula or another leafy green - red or white onion (sometimes shallots), mushrooms (I love wild and all kinds of mushrooms) usually roasted pepita's, 4-6 slices of tempeh and sometimes add in's like chopped broccoli, some tomato. I always toss in a handful of beans (white or black) and sometimes I even add some blueberries right in the mix. I warm it for about 30 seconds just to let it all wilt, I add black pepper and everything bagel seasoning and yum! For lunch I usually have a base of greens and of course add the onions, mushrooms, seeds and berries and I'll go for a sweet potato or piece of tofu, maybe some avocado, definitely beans, once in a while I'll do a veggie burger on top. Dinner is always hearty and quite often the biggest meal of my day. Anything from grains, pasta, beans, breads - I like to do a big thing of roasted root vegetables and will use those for a main. I make my own "cheese" sauce with nutrtional yeast and cashew. Sometimes I just have a plain old vegan tuna sandwich which is justs smashed chickpea, vegan mayo, etc. I try to keep things simple, whole and consistent. I do weigh and measure my portions and try to stay away from "replacement" products.
Hi!! Congratulations on feeling so great!! I’m so happy for you!! 😃🥰 Just out of curiosity, do you follow Dr. Fuhrman’s regiment???
Thanks!
I've done all the research on everything Dr. Fuhrman but don't follow the regimen to a T. I do however follow the GBOMBS plan 2 -
I'm 4 years Vegan, about 3 months WFPB, all following GBOMBS and ETL! Woo hoo, way to go! I'm excited to say my energy levels have increased dramatically as well, I'm very excited for my future years.2
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Semantics of "fortified" and "supplemented" aside, I'm glad you're getting your B12. I have pernicious anemia and cannot produce the intrinsic factor required to get the B12 from my gut into my blood stream no matter what format it is in. I also have a genetic mutation that makes it difficult for my body to STORE it. B12 is vitally important to staying alive, whether you get it from fortified foods, naturally occurring foods, supplements, or injections. Your body can not make it and needs to get it *somehow.* The other choices are largely up to your personal ethics, genetics, medical conditions, and personal preferences. I'm very glad you've done your research.2
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khristiana wrote: »I'm 4 years Vegan, about 3 months WFPB, all following GBOMBS and ETL! Woo hoo, way to go! I'm excited to say my energy levels have increased dramatically as well, I'm very excited for my future years.
LOVE GBOMBS!
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ElizabethKalmbach wrote: »Semantics of "fortified" and "supplemented" aside, I'm glad you're getting your B12. I have pernicious anemia and cannot produce the intrinsic factor required to get the B12 from my gut into my blood stream no matter what format it is in. I also have a genetic mutation that makes it difficult for my body to STORE it. B12 is vitally important to staying alive, whether you get it from fortified foods, naturally occurring foods, supplements, or injections. Your body can not make it and needs to get it *somehow.* The other choices are largely up to your personal ethics, genetics, medical conditions, and personal preferences. I'm very glad you've done your research.
Anyway, we can agree to disagree and I'm sorry for your troubles.
Actually meat eaters are more likely to have a B12 deficiency than vegetarians/vegans.
Here is a really good article
http://www.vibrancyuk.com/B12.html
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