Meatless and muscles

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Sunny____
Sunny____ Posts: 214
in Food and Nutrition
I am not a vegetarian, but really have been reading a lot about health and nutrition and am interested in changing my diet. I also haven't lifted weights in about a year (heavy lifting) and am really wanting to put on some muscle for toning and definition. However, I am confused on what to eat and how that will play into my muscle building. I am no longer interested in eating a high protein diet. I want my diet to be mostly veggies and fruits now. Protein I guess will come from eggs, chicken and shakes (but very little). Can I still build muscle if I eat mostly vegetables? Must I have meat and protein shakes to build muscle? I am about to do an all fruit and veggie cleanse now for a few weeks. Can I lift during that or would it be a waste of time without the protein. I guess what I am asking is,

"can vegetarians" have a muscular build?

And where do vegetarians get protein from or how do they build and feed their muscles?

(I prefer more of a muscular look for me than skinny).
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Replies

  • BreakingOath
    BreakingOath Posts: 193 Member
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    Beans, eggs,soy protein are good sources of vegetarian protein.
  • DojoMaster888
    DojoMaster888 Posts: 61 Member
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    Yes you need protein to build muscle. The amino acids are the building blocks and come from protein. Oddly enough I dont eat a whole lot of meat myself, mostly chicken when I do, but I make sure to have whey protein shakes in order to allow me to get the necessary protein so Im not just wasting my time at the gym lifting. I eat mainly salad, fruit, and veggies myself in order to stay in my calorie goals so eating enough steak to get my protein gets kinda pricey lol.
  • DojoMaster888
    DojoMaster888 Posts: 61 Member
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    Oh and btw muscle is WAY more appealing the just plain skinny any day of the week.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    You need protein to build muscle along with a calorie surplus. Also, you are not a vegetarian or eating a meatless diet if you are consuming chicken.

    If you are still going to eat chicken, get your protein from that and eggs. Eat greek yogurt, beans, legumes, etc for protein. You don't need protein shakes provided you are eating enough protein. Tons of protein in yogurts, eggs, dairy, beans, legumes, nuts, nut butters, etc.

    Also, why are you doing a fruit and vegeteable only cleanse? You don't need to cleanse your body outside of showering regularly. Eating nothing but fruits and vegetables for a period of time will not do you any good. Not consuming protein will lead to muscle loss especially if you are eating at a deficit and not lifting. If you are only going to eat fruits and veggies I would imagine you wouldn't have proper energy for lifting and you would have barely any protein to help with muscle repair should you lift. Eat a balanced diet.. forget about a fruit and veggie cleanse.
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
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    Yup you need protein

    Vegetarian bodybuilders do exist though
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    A muscular look boils down to body fat %. Everyone has muscle, what degree they have is what the difference is. Only protein builds muscle, so you have to have an ample supply of it to build more and still support the muscle you already have. It can be done eating less meat, but you will have to eat more volume of vegetables to match the protein of meat.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Doesn't matter where the protein comes from but I suggest aiming for 1 gram per lb of lean body mass. If you don't know your BF% then aim for 0.8 grams per lb of body weight if in the "normal" weight for your height, or 0.75 if above "normal".

    On top of getting enough protein you will also have to eat at a caloric surplus in order to put on any noticeable amount of muscle.
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
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    http://life.dailyburn.com/diet-and-nutrition/5-famous-vegetarian-bodybuilders/

    Absolutely, vegetarians can be muscular.
  • laurynwithawhy
    laurynwithawhy Posts: 385 Member
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    If you're just going for definition, it depends on your natural body composition. Are you naturally muscular? Then yes, you should be able to get defined eating little protein. But if you aren't muscular you are going to need to eat protein and calorie surplus to gain muscle.

    I am a vegetarian but I have a very high lean body weight and am naturally muscular. I do eat about 100 grams of protein/day to retain the muscle I have while trying to lose fat.
  • Angeloftheshore
    Angeloftheshore Posts: 227 Member
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    I thank the OP for asking this. My husband and I are planning to move slowly into a vegetarian lifestyle and both of us want to start lifting.
  • k8eekins
    k8eekins Posts: 2,264 Member
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    I am not a vegetarian, but really have been reading a lot about health and nutrition and am interested in changing my diet. I also haven't lifted weights in about a year (heavy lifting) and am really wanting to put on some muscle for toning and definition. However, I am confused on what to eat and how that will play into my muscle building. I am no longer interested in eating a high protein diet. I want my diet to be mostly veggies and fruits now. Protein I guess will come from eggs, chicken and shakes (but very little). Can I still build muscle if I eat mostly vegetables? Must I have meat and protein shakes to build muscle? I am about to do an all fruit and veggie cleanse now for a few weeks. Can I lift during that or would it be a waste of time without the protein. I guess what I am asking is,

    "can vegetarians" have a muscular build?

    And where do vegetarians get protein from or how do they build and feed their muscles?


    (I prefer more of a muscular look for me than skinny).

    Muscle-defined and athletically-fit for that solid appeal clearly is what you're garnering for, so in short, when zeroing in on vegans/vegetarians plant-based sources of proteins think => sprouts, the darkest greens, nuts & seeds plus what many frown upon in here - spirulina.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    Of course you can. Look at vegan and vegetarian body builders for inspiration. My lifting partner is vegetarian and she SMASHES it in the weight room every time.

    I would suggest the usual gram of protein per lb of LBM. It takes a little bit more planning. But as you're not actually vegetarian and are willing to eat things like chicken, eggs, etc, it should be pretty smooth going. A quality protein powder can fill in the gaps.
  • dcuevas6235
    dcuevas6235 Posts: 135
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    The thought of a meatless existence makes me shudder! But if you insist . . .

    Although there are many ways to fullfill your protein needs with just veggies, there are some things you're probably gonna have to look out for: Complete proteins, proteins that have a high anabolic value, sources of iron, Folate, and B12. These things become less and less of an issue if you decided to ignore the fact that chicken and fish are meat. However, if you wanted to go completely meatless, I would suggest eating nuts like almonds, walnuts, and pistachios as well as researching supplementation.

    I would provide some sources, but all of my info came from courses and books. I'm sure our other pal's links should provide the information you're looking for. I wish you the best on your vegetarian journey!

    P.S. If you were also wondering how much protein you should take in a day the rule that I was taught: The average person (not active) should consume .8g protein to every kg of LEAN MUSCLE. Those who are active and weight lifting, you should consumer 1.2-2.8g protein/kg of lean muscle. Gym's and personal trainers usually have devices to help determine what % of your body weight is lean muscle. This is important, because your body can only absorb so much protein at once or in a day (20g at once, and per day will vary). Longest p.s. ever!
  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
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    Quinoa and edamame are great vegetarian/vegan options that are both complete proteins. Don't neglect your dairy... milk, cheese, cottage cheese. It's definitely do-able. Don't short yourself on protein. Over time you can really wreck your nails, hair and skin if you're deficient. (been there, done that. Takes a long time to fix it).

    (ps. it feels like S_U_M_M_E_R in here)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    No, it is a waste of time for vegetarians to lift. It is also impossible for vegetarians to get a decent amount of protein without shakes,
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    No, it is a waste of time for vegetarians to lift. It is also impossible for vegetarians to get a decent amount of protein without shakes,

    ^^ OP, have you met Sara? The hot vegetarian who lifts and eats ice cream every day?
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    .
  • GoTeamMeaghan
    GoTeamMeaghan Posts: 347 Member
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    No, it is a waste of time for vegetarians to lift. It is also impossible for vegetarians to get a decent amount of protein without shakes,

    ^^ ummm...not true...I've been vegetarian for almost 3 years and have plenty of muscle definition. I eat 130-175g of protein a day and only 20g of that comes from a protein shake. Feel free to check out my diary for ideas. You will also want to make sure to consume enough iron too (blackstrap moleasses, snap peas, oatmeal, quinoa, kale, cream of wheat, fortified breads & Gardein faux meats are all good sources).
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    No, it is a waste of time for vegetarians to lift. It is also impossible for vegetarians to get a decent amount of protein without shakes,

    ^^ ummm...not true...I've been vegetarian for almost 3 years and have plenty of muscle definition. I eat 130-175g of protein a day and only 20g of that comes from a protein shake. Feel free to check out my diary for ideas. You will also want to make sure to consume enough iron too (blackstrap moleasses, snap peas, oatmeal, quinoa, kale, cream of wheat, fortified breads & Gardein faux meats are all good sources).

    I am a vegetarian - have been for 25 years. I should have used the sarcasm font. But thank you for the thoughtfulness.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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