General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Another Vegetarian question Rss Feed  
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2014-08-19 9:26 AM

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Subject: Another Vegetarian question
Sorry, I know this has been beat to death.....

I'm trying to reduce my cholesterol w/o drugs and after reading "The China Study" I decided to try going vegan or at least vegetarian.

My problem is I'm a small guy anyway and I'm always trying to gain muscle, not fat. I workout in the gym, a LOT, and I'm also training for a marathon, swimming and biking a little.

My problem is I'm losing so much strength. I have been going vegan mostly, for about 3 - 4 months and I have lost 30% of my strength and size, that is awful for a guy. The weights I used to workout with in the gym for 10 reps, I can barely get up now.

I have been eating a lot of beans, tofu. soymilk, nuts, hemp, black rice, quinoa, taking vegan protein powder, and even spirulina, etc and I'm still losing muscle and even worse I've lost my abs due to all the carbs. Prior to going vegan, I was eating mostly meat and very few carbs (broccoli, squash, asparagus) and had a decent body, now I look like a skinny old man who has never worked out.

Any advice before I go back to eating meat?


2014-08-19 10:14 AM
in reply to: KWDreamun

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Subject: RE: Another Vegetarian question
I really have no certainty as to why you are losing strength or muscle, if you are getting a sufficient amount of protein. But, I suspect that you are not taking in enough B12 and Omega 3 fatty acids. B12 is a biggy for energy, muscles and is completely lacking in any meaningful way in a Vegan diet. You need to be taking a supplement ( I use MethylCobalamin 1 mg per day).

I have been a Vegetarian for several years and have much more energy and muscle definition (just absent the marbling of fat in the muscle) then I had when I ate meat and poultry. I do though still eat fish twice a week for the Omega 3's and eat parmesan cheese and an egg occasionally. So maybe you can really do a close review of your protein intake, B12 and then modify your diet a bit without adding back red meat and poultry.

One thing though, I stopped eating soy products almost completely, with the exception of fermented soy from time to time, and replaced soy milk with Almond milk. Don't know if it is in my head, but I felt better after cutting out the soy.
2014-08-20 11:24 PM
in reply to: KWDreamun

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Subject: RE: Another Vegetarian question
Originally posted by KWDreamun

Sorry, I know this has been beat to death.....

I'm trying to reduce my cholesterol w/o drugs and after reading "The China Study" I decided to try going vegan or at least vegetarian.

My problem is I'm a small guy anyway and I'm always trying to gain muscle, not fat. I workout in the gym, a LOT, and I'm also training for a marathon, swimming and biking a little.

My problem is I'm losing so much strength. I have been going vegan mostly, for about 3 - 4 months and I have lost 30% of my strength and size, that is awful for a guy. The weights I used to workout with in the gym for 10 reps, I can barely get up now.

I have been eating a lot of beans, tofu. soymilk, nuts, hemp, black rice, quinoa, taking vegan protein powder, and even spirulina, etc and I'm still losing muscle and even worse I've lost my abs due to all the carbs. Prior to going vegan, I was eating mostly meat and very few carbs (broccoli, squash, asparagus) and had a decent body, now I look like a skinny old man who has never worked out.

Any advice before I go back to eating meat?


That's interesting, as the majority of people talk about how much more energy they have after making the switch. I am not a complete vegetarian (I indulge in fish), although my wife wishes I was hehe my wife would be better at answering this question than I could. Have you increased your training much in the last few months (i.e. perhaps your more tired from that)?
2014-08-22 7:24 AM
in reply to: ChemNerd23

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Subject: RE: Another Vegetarian question
Thanks, for the replies.
I have a lot of energy and not tired, I love working out but I'm losing size and I worked so hard to get what little muscle I had.
2014-08-30 8:19 AM
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Subject: RE: Another Vegetarian question
I'm wondering if the issue might be that you're eating too few calories to support all that training, rather than a lack of protein. It sounds like you're getting plenty of protein but still losing muscle mass despite lots of strength training. I naturally have a small build too and struggle to look like anything other than a 90 pound (well, 115 pound) weakling. Maybe less of a big deal for a woman but it can be--I recall getting laughed at when I got on the blocks to swim butterfly in high school, asked as an adult if I'm anorexic, asked at the start of a tri if I can handle the swim, and mistaken from the back, at age 42, for a middle school student! Marathon training can really burn up the calories--make sure you're getting not only enough total calories and protein but enough healthy fat--that can be a challenge for vegans. I was a vegetarian (and am not that fond of dairy products or eggs so pretty close to vegan) for a while in my late teens and early twenties while running pretty high mileage, and remember struggling to keep weight on and always feeling hungry. Eventually gave it up mainly because I got tired of eating so many nuts! If you don't have any compelling philosophical reasons for veganism, you might consider adding some low-fat dairy products and fish to your diet, which could be an additional source of calories and protein.

Definitely not my area of expertise, but an acquaintance who has a body-building background tells me that the timing of when you eat the protein matters for building muscle mass--I think it is supposed to be soon after the workout. Since a mix of protein and carbs is also recommended to aid recovery, maybe try making sure to get more protein into your post-workouts snacks or meals.

Edited by Hot Runner 2014-08-30 8:25 AM
2014-09-02 9:10 AM
in reply to: KWDreamun

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Subject: RE: Another Vegetarian question

My guess would be that your diet is out of balance. I am a vegan and I am stronger than when I was eating meat and I have a six pack now.
What I do to make sure I am getting enough protein is I aim for 110-120 grams of protein a day when I am in a training cycle. For breakfast I get about 30 grams of protein from whole grains and soy milk and at lunch and dinner I eat one of the following: tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans. Plus I also eat A LOT of fresh veggies and fruits

When I buy tofu I get the super firm tofu because it has the highest protein content which comes out to be about the same as tempeh and seitan in regards to grams of protein per serving. In comparison brown rice, black rice and quinoa are kind of low protein sources but are good for rounding out a meal.

Once in a while I have a protein drink and the only processed carbs I eat somewhat regularly is white rice. Other than that I avoid the processed foods.

I am closing in on 50 and I am stronger than when I was closing in on 40 plus the whole food plant based diet is the only tool doctors have that can reverse heart disease - its that good for the body. I'm not going back.


2014-09-06 10:12 AM
in reply to: KWDreamun


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Subject: RE: Another Vegetarian question
They are saturated fats, not just fats, that may increase cholesterol levels (at least this is what most researchers currently believe). Some meats: poultry, goat, and fish are low in saturated fats.

Dietary cholesterol may increase blood cholesterol only in "cholesterol responders," so this may be genetically determined. Egg yolks do not raise cholesterol levels in everyone.

High-carbohydrate diet (>60% total calories) can increase blood triglyceride levels...
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