Overweight Vegan!

**Indigo** · 08-04-2009 10:29 AM

Hi there,

have been reading this forum for a few days, thought it was time to introduce myself and ask for advice!

I'm female, 38, have been following a vegan diet for about 6 years now - having failed as a veggie before, as all I seemingly ate was cheese! once i'd dropped all dairy/eggs from my diet and started to take more notice of how to plan my meals and where to get my protein from, my regular anaemic phases just stopped! I feel so much more full of energy without dairy, so maybe I had a slight intolerance anyway! As a vegan I'm lazy, I eat (or ATE!) a stupidly high amount of white bread/crisps/chips...

So. I'm 75.7kg as of this morning, I joined a Gym last August, and went about 3 times a week for some cardio and a stretch, didn't alter my diet at all. Not surprisingly my weight didn't move and although I had more energy, that was the only bonus to giving up a few hours a week, so naturally my interest kind of tailed off over xmas and it's taken until February to get back into the swing of it so to speak (that and the thought of letting an expensive Gym membership going to waste without giving it a good go!).

Hubs and I are both on a mission atm. I seem to be a little more serious than he is atm, but I'm hoping by being a lot stricter and doing more exercise I can gain the results I'm after - slimmer and fitter.

Foodwise - I'm following what my Trainer tells me, although he is vague as he's not clued up about vegans at all! I seem to be teaching him! hehe he's keen for me to follow high protein/low carbs for weekdays, and as i work sat/sunday i'm the same for saturday, and relaxed on sunday - roast dinner for the win!

Breakfast - Porridge with soya milk

10.30 - 2 slices wholemeal toast, 1/2 light choice baked beans, pure soya marg.

12 - pre workout - soya yogurt, apple, banana

2.30 - hemp protein, soya yogurt, raspberries, soya milk

4pm evening meal - generally tvp chilli/home made lentil burger mix/lots and lots of veggies small amount of carbs - rice/wholemeal pasta

8/9pm hummus with mix of celery/apple/carrot/cucumber

am making a huge effort to drink water all day, approx 3 cups of tea a day with soya milk and splenda.

workouts - 3x weekly 3x12 reps arms, 2x12 legs, 2x12 abs/back, 10 mins interval on stepper, 10 mins on incline treadmill intervalled 3 times with hill climbs.

2-4x weekly cardio - 10 mins stepper, 10 mins interval training on bike, 20 mins fast walk on treadmill.

any suggestions/comments? i've been following this strictly for a week and dropped 4lb, which i was very happy with, am hoping to drop 2lb a week and then maintain when i'm happy that i'm within normal BMI etc!

**LionHair** · 08-04-2009 10:48 AM

Welcome to the forum Indigo

This might be a good sticky for you... http://forum.myprotein.co.uk/diet-nu...-calories.html

And this one in particular...
How to Get Your Daily Protein When You’re Vegetarian or Vegan

**Luffers** · 08-04-2009 10:53 AM

If you've dropped 4lb then its obviously working very well, I would like to see some good fats in your diet as its a fact that to burn fat you need to eat fat. Try adding 2-3 tbsp of macadamia nut oil into a protein shake first thing in the morning.

Incidentally could I ask which gym you are a member of?

**Indigo** · 08-04-2009 10:56 AM

Quote

Originally Posted by Luffers

If you've dropped 4lb then its obviously working very well, I would like to see some good fats in your diet as its a fact that to burn fat you need to eat fat. Try adding 2-3 tbsp of macadamia nut oil into a protein shake first thing in the morning.

Incidentally could I ask which gym you are a member of?

oohh nice idea, where do i get that? standard supermarket i take it

I'm a member of Fitness Farm

u'd suggest another protein shake in the mornings as well then?

i'll pick up some avocados next time i'm shopping as well i think

cheers Lionhair, i'll go look at those links now! managed to read everything else but those 2 it seems!! hehe

**Luffers** · 08-04-2009 11:01 AM

I doubt you'll find it in the supermarket, I've not seen it myself, best to order online, I'll see if I can find you the link from where I buy mine from. Yes, have it in a shake at breakfast with along with your porridge.

Not heard of Fitness Farm, where is that? Is it a big gym?

**Indigo** · 08-04-2009 11:10 AM

Quote

Originally Posted by Luffers

I doubt you'll find it in the supermarket, I've not seen it myself, best to order online, I'll see if I can find you the link from where I buy mine from. Yes, have it in a shake at breakfast with along with your porridge.

Not heard of Fitness Farm, where is that? Is it a big gym?

ah kk, i'm heading into Dursley in a bit, i'll have a look in the health shop for some

Fitness Farm is on the same ground as Cattle Country, somewhere around Berkeley.

It's big enough, about 7 treadmills, 2 rowers, 5 steppers, 8 bikes or so, 4 tv's with different channels and subtitles - perfect when i need to go to my 'happy place' when motivation is waning.. haha i tend to go when top gear is on! plenty of weight machines, and they run spinner classes, mixed martial arts, and have a seperate room with plenty of space to stretch. i like it, it's informal, relaxed, friendly and you don't get the feeling other people are watching you, you know?

**Luffers** · 08-04-2009 11:12 AM

Here is the link for mac nut oil, it comes from abroad so its better to buy 2-3 bottles IMO to make it more affordable.

Organic Extra-Virgin Macadamia Oil by NOW Foods - Natural Foods (16 oz Liquid) | Earth Nutritionals

Here is some info why mac nut oil is so good.

WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT MACADAMIA NUT OIL?

We all know the importance of having healthy fats in our diet and in this regard macadamia nut oil rules supreme. Containing 84% monosaturated fat, 3.5% polyunsaturated fat and 12.5% saturated fat, the oil from the macadamia nut is one of the healthiest fats you can consume. Its monosaturated fat content includes oleic acid (known for its thermogenic effect) and it also contains the highest known level of paimitoleic acid - which is also present in fish oils and has been found useful in lowering cholesterol levels and protecting from heart disease. Monosaturated fats are called 'good fats' because they help reduce blood serum cholesterol levels as well as enhancing protective high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and suppressing harmful low-density lipoproteins(LDL).

MACADAMIA...THE NUTRIENT POWERHOUSE

Macadamia nut oil contains significant amounts of essential and non-essential amino acids. These play an important role in terms of building muscle tissue, connective tissue and in blood plasma development. It is also a valuable source of Iron, Potassium, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, Copper and Selenium. As far as vitamins are concerned, macadamia nuts have significant amounts of vitamin E, Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pantothenic Acid (B5) and Folate.
Macadamia nut oil is also a rich source of phytonutrients which act as powerful antioxidants and free-radical scavengers.

MAC NUT OIL VERSUS OLIVE OIL

Olive oil is probably the most widely used oil at the moment and it is generally regarded as heart healthy due to its 70% monosaturated fat content. However, that is all about to change once people become more familiar with macadamia nut oil - which contains 85% monosaturated fat.
Olive oil is also noted for its instability and its tendency to deteriorate rapidly at room temperature. When used in cooking, olive oil burns (depending on age and quality) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or below. On the other hand, macadamia nut oil has a smoke point of 410 degrees. This high number allows you to use macadamia nut oil at higher temperatures than most oils. Olive oil can also have a rather overpowering flavor which is not a problem with macadamia nut oil, since it has a light, nutty, buttery flavor -making it a better choice for omelets, sautéing, stir-frying and even baking.

MAC NUT OIL AND FAT LOSS

Many people are still under the mistaken belief that consuming fat makes you fat...this could not be further from the truth! In fact monosaturated fats (like those found in macadamia nut oil) may be metabolized differently in the intestine than other fats. This in turn means that they do not produce 'fattening' bio chemicals. It is also a fact that the body actually burns body fat more efficiently if there is fat in the diet. In addition to this, studies have shown that fats such as the oleic acid found in macadamia nut oil are preferentially burned as fuel, rather than being stored as body fat.

INCORPORATING MAC NUT OIL INTO YOUR DIET

By now you should be convinced of the multitude of benefits to be gained from adding macadamia nut oil to your diet. As previously mentioned, you can use it in cooking and baking but you can also add it to your shakes. By adding 1 tablespoon Mac Nut Oil you actually slow down the absorption of the whey protein allowing for a more sustained release of this key nutrient. In addition you are supplying yourself with a healthy fat source which is of vital importance when it comes to building healthy muscle tissue.

So there you have it, a complete rundown of the benefits to be gained from adding Mac Nut Oil to your diet. Up until now, only the top professional bodybuilders were aware of the value of this supplement and were using it to great effect both off season and during contest preparation.

Another good choice of oil would be udos choice.

Udos Choice: Udos Choice Ultimate Oil Blend 500 ml @ energiseforlife.com - 24 Hour UK Delivery

The cheapest place I have found to by udos is ebay.