Hello veggies --- I hope all is well as we enter the new year of 2012!!!
I have been doing well!!!! Trying my best to stick to my diet. I have been thinking/reading/changing up many aspects of my diet as I gain more information regarding veganism, and even raw diets. In addition to reading about the 80 10 10 diet and "Becoming Raw," I bought a book called "Vegan Bodybuilding and Fitness" by Robert Cheeke. I haven't finished the latter, and I really don't love it. I thought it would be a manual for anybody interested in working out and fitness, however it is really geared to BODYBUILDERS. (Duh, I should have known by the title right?) It also has a lot lot lot of biographical information, and I am just not interested. Of course, KUDOS to the man for his achievements and web empire!
Anyways, on January 4th I entered a contest at Gold's Gym to transform my body. I had my preliminary measurements and I was quite surprised. I now weigh almost 130 pounds, and I am closer to 25% body fat. She measured my waist to be about 30 in, and hips 36 in. Today I measure my flexed bicep and it was about 11 in(Yay ---up from like 9/10 along time ago!) Anyhow, I hope my transformation includes decreasing my fat percentiles, by gaining plenty of muscle.
I decided since I have a 3 month period to fool with, I might as well give this 80-10-10 diet a try. After thorough research, many people boast increased energy, mental clarity, clear skin, better digestion, less colds, yada, yada. I try NOT to get sucked into the hype, but I am quite curious. I talked to my Father about it (former veggie himself!), and he confirmed that people he knew on such a lifestyle thrived. However, as I mentioned in a previous thread...I will continue my supplementation and some protein powder too. Also, I will occasionally eat some cooked foods like hummus to accompany my vegetables, but I will keep this to a minimum.
I don't want to explain the diet in limited space. However, I will be eating 80% carbohydrates in the form of fruit, 10% proteins, and 10% fats. I will be eating predominantly bananas and dates. I will eat other fruits in season to supplement these basic fruits. I will incorporate vegetables, ESPECIALLY green leafy ones! I will consume one sun warrior raw protein shake daily (This contains 17 grams of protein!)
I know you all are thinking. How will you get enough protein?! First and foremost, the average person only needs 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram body weight per day. For me it is just under 50 grams a day. I simply choose to supplement my diet with the shake because I want to gain muscle muscle muscle, and thus choose to take a little more protein in. Many individuals on the diet do not, and seem to make good advances (With just the proteins in the natural items, along with nuts/seeds). Another "different" aspect about the diet is to really thrive, one must consume closer to 3000 calories. *If you are an active woman! (Like me!)* This will ensure you have all the energy you need. Naturally, you train hard, fat dissipates, and you gain lean mass. Also, with such a large consumption nutritional needs are met, also, I will be taking vitamins...so it is all good. I will be logging all of my diet at cronometer, and on here as much as possible!
If this were a lifestyle I LOOOOOVE and choose to maintain, in the long run I would likely adopt 70/15/15 ratio to give myself a little more fat (for peace of mind!). However, this is a TRIAL! And for the next three months I will devote myself to the cause. You may be wondering how the H*LL do you get 3000 calories!? This is why I will be consuming so many nanners, because they are cheap and calorie rich. 1 pound is roughly four bananas and 400 calories. I will basically be consuming like 15 a day at baseline. This is typically done by buying bananas at a wholesale store or by the case. Not at Whole Foods though...there nanas are like upwards from 80 cents a pound. To begin I will just buy bananas every other day until I figure out the cheapest way to do this. The other produce can be purchased weekly, like normal. Here is my meal plan/grocery list! To start...like most "bodybuilders" I will be eating every 2 to 3 hours. Then I will try and condense with time.
6 - 4 bananas (a few green leaves - like kale)
8 - 4 bananas and coffee w/almond milk
10 - Sun warrior raw protein drink w/water (kind of like chocolate milk)
12 - 4 bananas (a few green leaves)
2 - 5 apples
4 - 0.25 cup pumpkin seeds
6 - 1 red pepper and lots of kale dipped in hummus (Cucumbers and tomatos may be good too!)
8 - 4 bananas and some dates
Currently, I have oranges, pineapple, mango, clementines, kiwi, organic apples, seeds, almond milk and kale on hand. Tommorow, I will be purchasing the nanas and dates (Perhaps some cucumbers). I will update you regarding the price at that time. This will not be more expensive, because I will no longer be taking out, or buying extras like diet dr. pepper.
I just want to express this is a VERY simple menu. Many folks in the raw movement make very flavorful salads, smoothies, etc. However, I want to make this very easy to follow in the beginning and move on from there. Plus, as I said nanners are cheap! Perhaps with time I can share a few recipes.
Now for my workouts! My husband shared a tip with me for getting swole! He constantly changes up the sets/repetitions. For example, normally we do three sets of ten for each exercise. Last week, we did two sets of ten with higher weight. Also, as I have stressed in the past, I will not be pushing cardio for long lengths of time. Instead,I will only perform like 20 minutes of high intensity intervals. This means I will alternate between a fast pace and a slow pace each minute. The intervals seems to work well to blast fat, and preserve muscle (according to some experienced individuals!)
P.S. My former roomie told me she made quinoa/beans for the first time and topped it with Nigerian spicey sauce. However, she complained it was terribly bland. I recommend cooking rice/quinoa in flavored broth instead of water to kick up the flavor!
Also....if you are looking for a healthy snack while watching the game, or a movie. Google Kale Chips.
Peace and love veggies!!
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