Should I Vegan? Broad topic.

Wade406

Vegetables have all the protein you need. And you can skip the eventual heart attack or stroke when you reach your senior years.

Tobacco = / = meat


And veggies aren't going to net me 180+ grams of protein per day........There's a reason there isn't an abundance of vegan bodybuilders or elite level athletes who are vegans........


I'll gladly take the potential health risks that come along with enjoying the foods I love and being able to meet my current fitness goals.

1. My point was because you like something doesn't have anything to do with whether that something is beneficial for you. Smokers like tobacco. You like meat. It doesn't mean its good for you simply because you "like" it.

2. You are convinced you need 180+ grams of protein per day. If you consumed half that, and stayed with your weight training regimen, what would happen? I would offer to you that you (your liver) are eliminating most of that protein. Your training is the primary part of your gains, not the protein intake. I used to be the guy (when I was half my current age) that found it important to bench twice my bodyweight (I weighed 170-ish and benched 340-ish). Now my source of pride comes from being able physically outperform compared to guys half my age, whether its digging ditches, chopping wood, climbing a mountain, or playing ultimate frisbee.

3. Health risks. You say that now. I am 54 years old. My father had his first bypass surgery at 54. My mother acquired type 2 diabetes at 63. Two thirds of all people over the age of 65 in the US have diabetes. As you age, chronic disease becomes increasingly important to you. Sadly, diet is more important than exercise for long term overall health. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the US. In our 20's and 30's we're bulletproof. I don't want to be the guy who gets a clue in his 70's that he's got chronic conditions that it's too late to recover from. You and I are likely in different phases of life. The smart ones start earlier. I wish I would have started 20 years ago.

And by the way, be concerned that you don't have happen to you what happened to me and many others like me. You get used to your caloric and protein intake, as well as your energy expenditure. Then something happens that greatly changes your expediture (an injury, marriage, kids, job change, etc). It is essential that your intake goes down to match that. If it doesn't you may face unwanted weight gain. And that sucks.