Hola veggies!
I made a few plans to my lifestyle changes. FIRST OFF!!! Ain't no way I am sticking to 1200 calories. Insane. Tried it earlier this week, and I was really hungry. I am sure it is totally workable for some, but I won't get the results I need with only 1200 calories. My main goal is to gain musculature, and in this process, lean out. I was faced with the choice to cut calories or eat to build muscle, and I have opted to try the latter. Muscle = increased metabolism = fat burnage. Good enough for me. The bottom line is to eat CLEAN. That's sorted!!!!
Next, I had to figure out how to achieve the 40 40 20 ratio with vegan food sources with the "my fitness pal" application. Admittedly, this was a bit difficult because a lot of great plant sources of protein also have a decent amount of carbohydrates. In addition to this, many vegan foods are low in calories, and I increased my goal to 1800!! Soy products, such as tempeh and tofu are an exception. I also discovered nuts and seeds have large amounts of protein, and plenty of good fats. Too many nuts bumps the daily limit above 20%. Needless to say this took a lot of tweeking.
In the end, I decided to purchase a vegan protein powder called MRM veggie protein. It contains around 130 cals per scoop, and provides a bit over 20 grams of protein. I can't wait to receive it! Here is the rest of my shopping list for the week: almond milk, organic apples, quinoa, black beans in a can, yves ground "meat" (soy alternative-not highly processed), salsa, onions, peppers, hummus (pre-made), edamame (soy beans), tofu, green beans, yellow peas, sweet potatoes, seeds and a few other items. I generally pick four or five meals and eat them all week. I don't eat three different types of meal each day of the week. I will avoid the boring details of listing my meals and nutrients, etc. etc. Here is the general meal plan: Meal 1 - Protein shake with almond milk, Meal 2 - Black beans, sauteed peppers/onions and faux meat on quinoa (salsa on top!), Meal 3 - Hummus and edamame, Meal 4 - Protein shake with almond milk, Meal 5 - Baked tofu cubes (marinated with Braggs liquid aminos) with a side of green beans, Meal 6 - NEW RECIPE! yellow pea&sweet potato soup, Meal 7 - little piece of greater than 70% cocoa dark chocolate. I will post the soup recipe this weekend!
Lastly, I wanted to touch on my weekly work out routine. I probably previously mentioned I train muscle groups once a week. I generally aim to do about 3 to 4 exercises for each muscle group. I perform 3 sets and 8 to 10 repetitions of each exercise. I increase the weight with each set. If I can not complete the reps, I decrease the weight. All my movements are slow and controlled. No rocking, using momentum, etc. I SHOULD be keeping track of the weight I'm using to continuously challenge myself. On the website www.bodybuilding.com you can sign up for a free account and log your progress. This is an awesome site to figure out what exercises to do, and there are also little instructional videos. Also, you tube is helpful as well. As for cardio, I use the treadmill for 20 to 30 minutes after each work out. Today, I will be working my shoulders with the following exercises: military shoulder press *machine, front&lateral raise with free weights, and the shoulder shrug *machine -- I don't know what you call it. Sorry! And shoulder press with free weights. To name a few! I'm still learning how to work each part of the muscle group, so I will update you as I learn.
Oops...not done yet! For lunch today I had a Good veggie sandwich. If you live near Winston Salem North Carolina, check out The Carving Board, which is a deli with soups, sandwiches, and salads. Order the veggie sandwich MINUS the mayo, and MINUS the cheese. Add dijon mustard. It was so yummy. It had roasted assorted peppers, avocado, cucumber, carrots, tomato, onion and lettuce. I ordered it on oat bread, and it was very fresh! I would provide a visual, but I ate it. Ha. Peace and Love!!!!
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