Vegetarian Athlete

[Barkadion]

Genuinely curious if any of TB-ers are vegetarians. How does that work for you?

My wife brings the topic of going meatless (not completely vegetarian) once in a while.. I can see that we could go this road as a family at some point of our life..

Personally, I had bad experience with cutting meats off my diet in the past. My performance would go down dramatically. Could be due some psychological side of things, though.. I have been meat-getarian for all my life.

I'd appreciate any thoughts or comments.

[Green2Blue]

Why not start slow? Go meatless one day a week. Maybe up it to two after a month, so on and so forth.

I see vegetarianism less of a issue than veganism.

[Barkadion]

Why not start slow? Go meatless one day a week. Maybe up it to two after a month, so on and so forth.

I see vegetarianism less of a issue than veganism.

That could be a way to go for sure. I am still interested to know if anyone done that with TB type of training..

[mtguy1976]

Finally something I can contribute to. I've been vegetarian for close to 10 years. I eat eggs and milk occasionally but I do use whey protein powder. I'm not vegan, I love animals and all but my health comes first and going vegan wouldn't work for me. The hardest part is finding what to replace your protein with. Beans are a great source, but if you're like me, your wife will not like it when you've had beans a few days in a row and blow up the bathroom and bedroom. Nuts and nut butters are my go to for calories. It's taken me some time to figure out what works for me. In the beginning of going veggie I went from 155 to about 138. Mainly because I didn't know how to refuel after some intense workouts. I'm finally back up to about 155 after eating a lot more and going with TB.
For me, this is a usual day

Wake up at 0315
16ish oz of water
Snack
Dates and peanut butter
Protein shake
Breakfast 0700
Oatmeal
Honey
Nuts

Snack
Protein bar. Usually Builder bar or Quest bar

Lunch
Salad with some kind of protein (beans, egg or "fake meat")
Or
Peanut butter or cashew butter or almond butter and banana sandwich
Carrots
Avocado

Workout

Post workout drink

Dinner
Lentil soup
Apple and peanut butter

Frozen yogurt or ice cream (that's every night)
My calories vary anywhere from 2600-3000. Protein can be from 130-170 and carbs 300+
Of course each day is different.
For the workouts that I do I need as much food I can stomach. I stay away from tofu and soy. As for the fake meats the one company we use is called Beyond Meat. Their stuff is made out of pea protein. It's pretty freaky how close it is to meat with the texture. You can get it at Whole Foods, Safeway and any natural food store. All the other fake meats like morning star and Bocca are filled with junk and fillers.
I've tried the vegan protein powders; their taste is ok at best and I just never felt good after drinking them. As for the protein powders i am currently using is Optimum Nutrtion (I use the stevia ones, try o keep things as clean as I can) and the other is by a company called 18 Series Nutrition. It's called After Action Recovery, its higher carbs but I use it after an intense HIC, E or SE.
In all I've learned to just eat a lot so I can recover from the workouts. Hope this answered your question and I wasn't all over the place. If there is anything else let me know

[Barkadion]

Finally something I can contribute to. I've been vegetarian for close to 10 years. I eat eggs and milk occasionally but I do use whey protein powder. I'm not vegan, I love animals and all but my health comes first and going vegan wouldn't work for me. The hardest part is finding what to replace your protein with. Beans are a great source, but if you're like me, your wife will not like it when you've had beans a few days in a row and blow up the bathroom and bedroom. Nuts and nut butters are my go to for calories. It's taken me some time to figure out what works for me. In the beginning of going veggie I went from 155 to about 138. Mainly because I didn't know how to refuel after some intense workouts. I'm finally back up to about 155 after eating a lot more and going with TB.
For me, this is a usual day

Wake up at 0315
16ish oz of water
Snack
Dates and peanut butter
Protein shake
Breakfast 0700
Oatmeal
Honey
Nuts

Snack
Protein bar. Usually Builder bar or Quest bar

Lunch
Salad with some kind of protein (beans, egg or "fake meat")
Or
Peanut butter or cashew butter or almond butter and banana sandwich
Carrots
Avocado

Workout

Post workout drink

Dinner
Lentil soup
Apple and peanut butter

Frozen yogurt or ice cream (that's every night)
My calories vary anywhere from 2600-3000. Protein can be from 130-170 and carbs 300+
Of course each day is different.
For the workouts that I do I need as much food I can stomach. I stay away from tofu and soy. As for the fake meats the one company we use is called Beyond Meat. Their stuff is made out of pea protein. It's pretty freaky how close it is to meat with the texture. You can get it at Whole Foods, Safeway and any natural food store. All the other fake meats like morning star and Bocca are filled with junk and fillers.
I've tried the vegan protein powders; their taste is ok at best and I just never felt good after drinking them. As for the protein powders i am currently using is Optimum Nutrtion (I use the stevia ones, try o keep things as clean as I can) and the other is by a company called 18 Series Nutrition. It's called After Action Recovery, its higher carbs but I use it after an intense HIC, E or SE.
In all I've learned to just eat a lot so I can recover from the workouts. Hope this answered your question and I wasn't all over the place. If there is anything else let me know

Really appreciate that, mate! Few questions if you don't mind.

1. How was your transition to the meatless life? Did you go cold turkey? How long did it take to feel comfortable?
2. Do you take any specific supplements due to your vegetarian diet like B-12 for example? If so, do you take it on the regular basis or occasionally?
3. Do you eat seafood?
4. You didn't mentioned dairy as your protein source. My thought is greek yogurt and cottage cheese can be main protein delivers. No?
5. You seem to eat substantial amount of carbs. I guess, this is how you make it up to your calories requirement. How does your body composition react to that?
6. Did your training change once you went meatless? Did you train similar to TB protocol before the transition? What are your major struggles with the training due to the diet?
7. Overall, do you like it/hate it/regret the decision? Would you recommend it to any TB-er?


Thanks!

[mtguy1976]

Really appreciate that, mate! Few questions if you don't mind.

1. How was your transition to the meatless life? Did you go cold turkey? How long did it take to feel comfortable?
I went cold turkey. I never was a real big meat eater before hand. My wife has some health issues that was making it hard for her to digest meats, so I suggested we try going meatless and see what happens. It helped her, so we have stuck with it.
2. Do you take any specific supplements due to your vegetarian diet like B-12 for example? If so, do you take it on the regular basis or occasionally?
I take Vitamin D, about 4,000 iu daily
3. Do you eat seafood?
No seafood
4. You didn't mentioned dairy as your protein source. My thought is greek yogurt and cottage cheese can be main protein delivers. No?
Sorry, I knew I forgot something. Yes I do eat Greek yogurt. I usually mix it in with my smoothies, or add granola, berries or nuts. I also use cottage cheese with fruit or mix in PB and eat it that way for a late night snack
5. You seem to eat substantial amount of carbs. I guess, this is how you make it up to your calories requirement. How does your body composition react to that?
Its been fine, but that works for me. My sister in-law can look at a sweet potato and gain weight but eat a steak or ribs and she is fine. A lot of my workouts also tend to be more SE and HIC driven so I can get away with more carbs
6. Did your training change once you went meatless? Did you train similar to TB protocol before the transition? What are your major struggles with the training due to the diet?
My training when I went veggie stayed the same but it wasn't TB. I was still fighting (Muay Thai and MMA), my weight dropped mainly because I wasn't too sure on how to properly recover and refuel. I shifted from fighting to more of a crossfit mix and I was plauged with injuries from pushing way too hard, not recovering the right way and working out way too much. I started to get things back in order (eating wise, learning more about recovery) maybe 6 months before I started TB and its been great ever since
7. Overall, do you like it/hate it/regret the decision? Would you recommend it to any TB-er?
Me, personally I love it. This works for me, but I would say if someone wants to try it, go for it. It will take time to get used to it just like any other diet change.


Thanks!

[Barkadion]

Really appreciate that, mate! Few questions if you don't mind.

1. How was your transition to the meatless life? Did you go cold turkey? How long did it take to feel comfortable?
I went cold turkey. I never was a real big meat eater before hand. My wife has some health issues that was making it hard for her to digest meats, so I suggested we try going meatless and see what happens. It helped her, so we have stuck with it.
2. Do you take any specific supplements due to your vegetarian diet like B-12 for example? If so, do you take it on the regular basis or occasionally?
I take Vitamin D, about 4,000 iu daily
3. Do you eat seafood?
No seafood
4. You didn't mentioned dairy as your protein source. My thought is greek yogurt and cottage cheese can be main protein delivers. No?
Sorry, I knew I forgot something. Yes I do eat Greek yogurt. I usually mix it in with my smoothies, or add granola, berries or nuts. I also use cottage cheese with fruit or mix in PB and eat it that way for a late night snack
5. You seem to eat substantial amount of carbs. I guess, this is how you make it up to your calories requirement. How does your body composition react to that?
Its been fine, but that works for me. My sister in-law can look at a sweet potato and gain weight but eat a steak or ribs and she is fine. A lot of my workouts also tend to be more SE and HIC driven so I can get away with more carbs
6. Did your training change once you went meatless? Did you train similar to TB protocol before the transition? What are your major struggles with the training due to the diet?
My training when I went veggie stayed the same but it wasn't TB. I was still fighting (Muay Thai and MMA), my weight dropped mainly because I wasn't too sure on how to properly recover and refuel. I shifted from fighting to more of a crossfit mix and I was plauged with injuries from pushing way too hard, not recovering the right way and working out way too much. I started to get things back in order (eating wise, learning more about recovery) maybe 6 months before I started TB and its been great ever since
7. Overall, do you like it/hate it/regret the decision? Would you recommend it to any TB-er?
Me, personally I love it. This works for me, but I would say if someone wants to try it, go for it. It will take time to get used to it just like any other diet change.


Thanks!

Awesome input! Thank you!

[Jefferson]

Vegetarianism has a certain esthetic appeal, but I don't think it's optimal for those that bang heavy weights. I've experimented with shorter bouts of meat free eating (whole food only), but it's difficult for me to feel both satisfied and not bloated.

What's been working for me is mixing up my protein sources as much as possible. I do fish, shrimp, shellfish, chicken, beef, pork, venison, duck, organ meats, eggs, even tofu occasionally.

One benefit of eating a wide variety of protein sources is finding out how your body reacts. For example, eggs tend to spike my blood sugar so I tend to eat them after workouts only. Fish, and seafood in general is very easy for me to digest and doesn't sit heavy, so it's perfect before a long workout or a very busy day.

By eating a wide variety of meat I tend to eat a bit less, and naturally seem to enjoy a vegetarian or vegan meal about 20 percent of the time. I tend to eat about 1 pound of meat a day. Although the range is from zero pounds to 2 pounds.

I used to be very strict about eating but it ends up occupying too much head space. Now I don't restrict anything, and as a result, I eat real home cooked food 90% of the time. Basically I stuff my face full of real nutrient dense food, and if I still want garbage I'll eat that too.

Full disclosure: I'm 30. 5' 9". 213 17% bodyfat. Weight is slowly moving down and my goal is to stabilize at whatever weight I have abs at, without a rigid eating plan. Previously that was 193, but I've added a bunch of muscle since then. Slow and steady is the most sustainable way. Yo-yo diets really mess people up. My brother was always heavy and decided to lose weight 6 years ago. He's kept off 70lbs, in part I believe, because he only tried to lose weight once.

Hopefully that gives people another perspective on diet and intuitive eating. Peace.

[Barkadion]

Vegetarianism has a certain esthetic appeal, but I don't think it's optimal for those that bang heavy weights. I've experimented with shorter bouts of meat free eating (whole food only), but it's difficult for me to feel both satisfied and not bloated.

What's been working for me is mixing up my protein sources as much as possible. I do fish, shrimp, shellfish, chicken, beef, pork, venison, duck, organ meats, eggs, even tofu occasionally.

One benefit of eating a wide variety of protein sources is finding out how your body reacts. For example, eggs tend to spike my blood sugar so I tend to eat them after workouts only. Fish, and seafood in general is very easy for me to digest and doesn't sit heavy, so it's perfect before a long workout or a very busy day.

By eating a wide variety of meat I tend to eat a bit less, and naturally seem to enjoy a vegetarian or vegan meal about 20 percent of the time. I tend to eat about 1 pound of meat a day. Although the range is from zero pounds to 2 pounds.

I used to be very strict about eating but it ends up occupying too much head space. Now I don't restrict anything, and as a result, I eat real home cooked food 90% of the time. Basically I stuff my face full of real nutrient dense food, and if I still want garbage I'll eat that too.

Full disclosure: I'm 30. 5' 9". 213 17% bodyfat. Weight is slowly moving down and my goal is to stabilize at whatever weight I have abs at, without a rigid eating plan. Previously that was 193, but I've added a bunch of muscle since then. Slow and steady is the most sustainable way. Yo-yo diets really mess people up. My brother was always heavy and decided to lose weight 6 years ago. He's kept off 70lbs, in part I believe, because he only tried to lose weight once.

Hopefully that gives people another perspective on diet and intuitive eating. Peace.

Thank you for the respond.

Vegetarianism has a certain esthetic appeal, but I don't think it's optimal for those that bang heavy weights. I've experimented with shorter bouts of meat free eating (whole food only), but it's difficult for me to feel both satisfied and not bloated.

Now.. This is interesting. Can you elaborate, please? I have similar personal experience in the past but I do not understand this.

In theory - One should see no difference with going meatless if the calories/macros are in place and the diet is supported by proper supplementation (B12 and such).. Especially if some animal protein and fats are still around (like: eggs, fish, dairy..).

In practice - Oh man, oh boy, oh brother..

[Jefferson]

Vegetarianism has a certain esthetic appeal, but I don't think it's optimal for those that bang heavy weights. I've experimented with shorter bouts of meat free eating (whole food only), but it's difficult for me to feel both satisfied and not bloated.

Now.. This is interesting. Can you elaborate, please? I have similar personal experience in the past but I do not understand this.

In terms of esthetic appeal, it seems "cleaner", "lighter", and more "natural". This might partially be because most meat is such low quality and comes shrink wrapped in Styrofoam like hazardous waste. Preparing it, is more akin to surgery (wash hands, wash surface, wash knife, wash hands, wash everything) than preparing a clean healthy animal for consumption. When I get game meat or wild caught fish, I don't have the same qualms. Also I enjoy fruits and vegetables. So any excuse to spend $5/pound on asparagus works for me.

In theory - One should see no difference with going meatless if the calories/macros are in place and the diet is supported by proper supplementation (B12 and such).. Especially if some animal protein and fats are still around (like: eggs, fish, dairy..).

I think calories and macro nutrients are overrated, over utilized, and like a broken clock, right twice a day. Food is more than just fuel, it conveys information about the environment. Further, nutrient density and availability is way different between animal and plant sources. Compare a can of beans to a can of sardines. Sardines read like an anti-aging supplement: 688mg DHA, 313mg EPA, B12, Vit D, Selenium, Coenzyme Q10, Calcium, Vit A, etc. Can of beans: mostly carbs, fiber, protein, some calcium, and iron.

Eat six raw egg yolks with 150g of white rice, 150g of steak, 1 can of sardines, 200g of asparagus, top with an acidic sauce, and salt liberally. You'll wake up like a 16 year old, annoy the wife, bang heavy weights, hit a run, and still have energy to spare. Try the same with a vegan meal. In my experience, I can't make it work. Everyone is different though so your mileage may vary.

At the end of the day, I try and stuff my face with a wide variety of nutrient dense foods. When I go to a social event, or out to dinner then I don't worry about it. I also eat more fruit and veg than a lot of vegans I know, but I also have 50 extra pounds of muscle.