Hey Veeky Forums, I'm going vegan and I'm looking for any tips/pointers/experience (is it possible to be a Veeky Forums vegan?)
Background: I'm 22 and a recovering alcoholic who quit drinking 5 months ago. In that time, I've lost 45 lbs just adding light exercise and eating what I want (I was drinking A LOT). I'm still chubby but getting down to my goal level of body fat. Even though I've been losing weight, my diet is still pretty shit. Lots of sodium, processed foods with empty carbs, lots of sugar and fats. For me, going vegan is a way for me to start eating a healthier diet and try to lose the rest of my beer belly. I plan on integrating some light weight training/bodyweight exercises to get muscle tone, but I'm not trying to get shredded (yet).
Most vegan groups I've checked out are filled with whiny shits, which is why I'm here for a more realistic perspective. I'm not in it for the ethical/moral reasons, I'm just trying to get more Veeky Forums, how do I do it and not die?
(pic related, maybe: I got some free samples of vegan protein powder recently and they're not bad tasting. one serving of the powder I tried mixed in 10 oz of unsweetened soy milk is about 24 g of protein, which is....not a lot)
Being a vegetarian will make it 100x easier. As you can eat eggs, drink milk and use whey.
Lincoln Rodriguez
Sorry if this isn't the board for this, I know that the standard Veeky Forums diet is whole milk, chicken cutlets and oats but all the vegans I know seem unconcerned about protein which makes me think they might be malnourished
Lincoln James
I'm lactose intolerant as well, so I've already cut most dairy out of my diet. (I can tolerate some) but the biggest change will be cutting out the meat and cutting out things that have non-vegan ingredients (which is attractive to me because I want to eat less processed food like frozen meals and fast food).
Another struggle I'm having is that I see so much conflicting information on how much protein I should be eating. Usually the numbers I see people saying in communities like Veeky Forums is a lot higher than the numbers you would see on a vegan board
Jaxson Morris
Vegans on average are probably less concerned with making muscular progress than the average Veeky Forums poster. You can lose weight without going vegan. The FDA recommends 50g a day or something like that, but you won't make big gains with that low amount.
Logan Jones
Nice to see you're being realistic OP
You'll probably have to shell out extra dough for vegan safe products and pick up your diet to accomodate lower bioavailability of protein in sources, or simply deal with not having as optimal a protein intake.
You should be ok, I would advise maybe not being a strict vegan if you can afford not to and try to have as full a diet as possible while being satisfied with the effort you've put in.
Connor Jones
Being vegetarian is still way better than vegan. You will get to eat healthier as a vegetarian. Vegan is going too far if youre concerned about your health.
Its a lot easier to build muscle and stay healthy with options like eggs, lactose free dairy products and whey. As they provide nutrients which you have to suplement in a vegan diet.
Owen Lee
Base your meals around beans, lentils, and whole grains like oats and brown rice. Incorporate a variety of veggies, and snack on fruits (especially berries) and nuts/seeds (especially walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds).
Whether you stay vegan or not, those core diet principles are always applicable.
Brandon Morales
I've been vegan for two years. I lift, but I generally do more endurance training, working towards my first marathon. So, I can't give you advice for putting on a ton of muscle, but maybe I can offer some general health insights.
Make sure to get on a vitamin D and vitamin B12 supplement. You should try to incorporate enriched foods into your diet, but it's easy to miss these two vitamins and you should plan to supplement. Get your blood levels tested at about six months to a year on the diet to make sure that you're maintaining your iron level. I also take a multivitamin about once a week and use iodized salt, just to cover my bases.
I try to eat mostly whole fruits and vegetables, which is affordable if you shop in season, buy frozen, and eat plenty of cheap bananas and apples. I try to add some kind of protein to each of my meals to help recovery, although you don't have to be so concerned about protein supplements for general health (you might to build muscle, but someone else would have to advise you on that front). You can get more protein in by mixing quinoa or hemp into your oats, and including tempeh, tofu, beans, or lentils into your other meals. Remember that mixing brown rice and legumes will give you a complete protein in terms of amino acid breakdown. You can try nut butters, but I prefer them as a snack instead of a main protein source (although you could look into PB2 or something similar).
My biggest recommendation when starting out vegan is to track your calories. If you're eating vegan, and especially if you're eating clean and unprocessed stuff, your meals will be way less calorie dense at the same volume that you're used to. A ton of people make the mistake of eating the same volume of plant foods, and then get sluggish because of the lack of calories. Use an app like Cronometer to get a handle on how many calories you get through, and don't start calorie cutting until you're used to the diet.
Let me know if you have questions!
Julian Gonzalez
You don't need to supplement anything.
t. Vegan of 1 year, 25% to 10% bf
Tyler Collins
Would 100 g/per day be enough to make some "modest" gains? I'm 5'8" and 190lbs currently, probably won't think about building muscle until I get down to 160-170.
Yeah, I wouldn't beat myself up if I ended up needing to add in non-vegan supplements to avoid malnutrition. If vegan protein sources have lower bioavailability, will I have to eat even more protein then???
This is what I've been planning. I don't think I'll be "hungry" but I'm worried once I hit the body fat % I'm looking for, that I won't be able to keep weight on/gain muscle.
How much protein do you eat? Is it something I'll need to worry about or should I be more concerned about my vitamins? About the calorie tracking: I'm losing weight right now because quitting drinking massively reduced my calorie intake. I eat when I'm hungry and eat junkfood (tons of deserts and shit since halloween) and through it all I've been losing about 2 lbs a week steadily for the past 4.5 months but my diet is still crap. I wouldn't be surprised if going vegan caused me to lose additional weight, but that isn't the sole objective for me. 2.5lbs/week seems like it has been a healthy pace, but 45 lbs in under 5 months is kind of a drastic weight loss. How can I tell if I'm losing weight too fast? Does it not matter as long as I get all the vitamins I need and don't let myself get underweight?
Jason Clark
What's ur height/weight and how much protein/calories do you eat most days (if you can tell me)? If you've tried gaining muscle mass, was it hard?
Noah Ortiz
>I'm worried once I hit the body fat % I'm looking for, that I won't be able to keep weight on/gain muscle.
When I want less calories, I eat more solid foods like whole oat groats, whole barley kernels, brown lentils, whole chickpeas and beans, etc, fresh fruits with less emphasis on bananas, and lots of green veg.
When I want more calories, I prefer whole wheat pasta (lentil pasta is also great if you can find it), whole grain breads (ezekiel bread is the shit), nuts and nut butters, dried fruits and bananas, starchier veg like sweet potatoes, and blended beans (especially hummus and red lentils).
Both are pretty easy.
Josiah Davis
Nice. Anything I should watch out for while transitioning from my shit diet to veganism? Will I fuck my blood sugar up or anything? I'm sure whatever it is can't be worse than alcohol withdrawal, but do u have any tips for dealing with cravings in the early stages?
Thomas Perry
>(is it possible to be a Veeky Forums vegan?) No.
'Vegan' has nothing to do with being healthy or physically fit, in fact it deliberately sabotages your health and fitness, allowing you to merely survive, prioritizing animals and the planet over human life; it's really a form of self-hate.
You will not make 'gains' living a vegan lifestyle, you will get weak and skinny and over time even your mind will be compromised due to chronic amino acid deficiencies.
I suggest you look somewhere like Wikipedia for a description of what 'veganism' actually is, because most of you seem to think it's some sort of diet, when it's a whole lifestyle and a moral choice, nothing to do really with humans being healthy. There's lots of propaganda surrounding it to make it SEEM like it's healthy but it's seriously not.
Tyler Moore
Blood sugar should improve, as should other things like cholesterol profile, insulin sensitivity, and markers of inflammation.
Probably the most important thing to watch for is ensuring you get adequate B12, vitamin D, and iodine. Everything else you shouldn't have a problem with if you're eating whole foods, but B12 isn't stored in plant foods, vitamin D is a hormone that can get low if you don't get much sun exposure, and iodine can also be lacking depending on where your food is grown. The easiest solution is a vitamin B12 and vitamin D supplement, and using iodized salt. Most plant milks contain B12 and vitamin D fortification, but like with cow's milk, it's not enough for optimal levels.
Also, get used to people like this
Charles Taylor
Shut up, faggot, quit spreading your lies.
Ian Phillips
I literally don't care about animals I'm just trying to be a vegan to undo the damage of my alcoholism and to fuck girls at my local food co-op.
Also you rely on animals for ur amino acids? sounds like something a cuck would do desu
Josiah Reyes
>99-Cent Store bait from not-the-OP fuck off faggot
Blake Lopez
Let's hug it out bruh
Christian Moore
Why don't you instead become a pescatarian instead? Seafood like Swai, Clams, Mussels, etc is very cheap, low calorie, and often has more b-vitamins, omega-3, iron, protein, etc in a smaller serving compared to regular meat like beef and pork.
I'm not a pescatarian but I do try to incorporate seafood into my diet frequently.
Andrew Parker
Cool, I'll have to look into B12 and D supplements. I know I had a slight vitamin D deficiency so its something I'll have to watch.
And yeah, that guy sucks, so do a lot of vegans. I'm looking forward to my new vegan life though
Juan Roberts
eh, not really a big fan of seafood
Aiden Campbell
I eat a pretty low amount of protein compared to the weightlifters here, maybe around 60g-70g per day if I had to think about it. I stopped counting calories and macros a long time ago because a whole foods vegan diet lets me maintain my weight without having to keep diligent track of it. If you're concerned about nutrient levels, you can use this calculator to find what your basic needs are: nal.usda.gov/fnic/interactiveDRI/
I think the measure of losing weight too fast is how it changes your energy level. If you feel drawn out and lethargic all the time, it's probably a sign that your calorie deficit is affecting your body negatively. You need to eat enough calories to at least cover your nutrient needs and resting metabolic rate, plus more if you're doing moderate to intense exercise. If you're eating enough to get in all of your macro and micronutrients, and you have plenty of energy, I wouldn't worry about the number of calories.
Start making the switch off junkfood as soon as possible, though. The first month vegan is the hardest, but after you get through that your body adjusts and things get easier. Just make sure to eat enough calories of the right foods. It's true what they say, when you eat you're not just feeding your brain, you're feeding your gut. The more plant foods you eat, the more you promote the gut flora which thrive on plants, and the more you'll end up craving plants. Sounds like horse shit, but you can read up on your intestinal microflora and how they affect your cravings.
Brody Baker
>clams, mussels >bottom feeders that eat shit and heavy metals >literally the filthiest food >seafood >healthy
Parker Price
Pescotarian.
Julian Butler
i went vegan because of health and fitness, because i want to be fit long term and vegan is the healthiest. I've been vegan for 2 years and i've never been in better shape. You should buy fortified milks, like almond or soy mik. They've added b12 and vitamin D. If you dont want it you might want to buy B12 supplement. non vegan people get it from meat because they inject big doses of b12 into the animals. gl
Blake Morgan
Also dw about protein intake, focus rather on eating nutritious food. Oats, nuts, lentils or beans should cover it easy. Being vegan is rather good for bodybuilding than bad, its way easier to stay lean. You build and keep muscle just the same if you eat enough which is obvious for both vegans and non vegans. Also being healthy and in better shape makes workouts better. Its win win. gl bro
I must apologize for Wimp Lo, OP. He is an idiot. We have purposely trained him wrong, as a joke.
Zachary Clark
That's because protein isn't as important as you think, I weigh 180 and when I went vegan I didn't lose any weight on like 60g of protein a day, 100g is enough to gain muscle
Nolan Lee
This is a great picture
Make sure and take 3000 iu's of vitamin d3 everyday and take 3000 mcg of b12 per week (don't worry you can't take much) and then eat at least half a cup of flaxseeds or walnuts to get your omega 3's or you can take an algae supplement with preform dha and epa (what omega 3 makes, good for heart health)
Those websites are clearly cherry picking and biased and not academic, I could link you thousands of studies saying the exact opposite
The president of the american college of cardiology is vegan and shows how a vegan diet can prevent heart disease, but I guess that random bro on your website is right
stop linking some random blog post and link something academic if you want to be taken seriously, because right you you just look silly
Colton Powell
The guy shitposts every night.
Evan Watson
Hey bro, vegan fag here.
Vegan protein powders all suck and are way too expensive. I use textured vegetable protein (TVP) and gluten as protein powder. Gluten is like 1$/lb and TVP is 2.50/lb in bulk. Also, don't fall for any of the bullshit macronutrient ratios vegans shill like 80/10/10, just eat the same amount of everything you would on a regular diet.
Jacob Williams
>Those websites are clearly cherry picking >Inplying this entire retarded thread and your memeposting isn't doing that right now >not academic >I can't be assed to read again I've posted more proof for the scientifically correct and obvious than all the posts shilling in this thread combined including yours >I could link you thousands of studies saying the exact opposite And it wouldn't mean jack shit because actual science continually disproves what you're desperately trying to shill. >The president of the american college of cardiology is vegan and shows how a vegan diet can prevent heart disease The only thing he proves is that you can buy into psuedoscience and be elected for a position that not only does he probably not know a thing about what he was put in charge of because ,like you, he's too busy trying to shill his meme diet; but also that there were most likely more non indoctrinated people better qualified than him. He also proves that even further that he shouldn't be taken seriously, not only by believing bullshit but also being dyel as fuck. >but I guess that random bro on your website is right Along with all the actual, non bullshit science proving him so, yes he is. >stop linking some random blog post and link something academic if you want to be taken seriously, because right you you just look silly >stop posting things that debunk my meme pseudoscience about dieting and do my research for me because I can't be assed to read >shitposts Nice projection, especially since this thread literally started with a giant shitpost and if you don't think all the posts itt wanking vegen/vegetarianism and/or whining about evils of meat aren't massive circle jerking shitposts about nutrition you've bought deep into psuedoscientific shill memes.
Adam Ward
LOL you have to be so caught up in your meat lie or trolling, I can't tell because meat cucks can be pretty retarded
Grayson Peterson
>LOL you have to be so caught up in your meat lie or trolling, Nice projection, again. Your arguing what you are, and I'm the liar and troll? You really have fallen deep for your own bullshit circlejerk >I can't tell because meat cucks can be pretty retarded If your going to continue arguing your pseudoscience, you don't have the right to call anyone retarded
