I have been a vegan for over a year now. I have a mission to show the world that vegans can be extremely fit. I am a little discouraged with some of the vegans I first met and the shape they were in. I am curious to talk to some of the fittest vegans on this board and know how they stay in shape. VEGAN POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!

What's your definition of fit?

Um, I don't think that I would qualify as the fittest, but I'm in pretty good shape. I've done a marathon and an international distance triathlon. I'm training for another marathon this fall and I would like to qualify for Boston this time.

Right now I'm running a lot for the marathon, but now that I'm back at school, I'm trying to fit in free weights 2 or 3 times a week. I like to swim and bike too. Basically I just try to make exercise an important priority and do as much as my body and hectic schedule will allow. :)

I would think that most vegans stay in shape in the same way that non-vegans stay fit. Good diet, exercise, etc. And I would think that most vegans are out of shape for the same reasons that non-vegans are out of shape. Inattention to diet, lack of physical activity, whatever.

Somebody who can hike, bike, walk three miles, play various sports. Physically strong both outside and inside. Does not carry excessive bodyfat or is too thin.

I totally agree with you and I think you are very fit. I don't mean to say you have to look like a bodybuilder. You being a marathon runner is great and I have the utmost respect for you. I believe as vegans we have negative stigma that we are mostly weak and frail. I would love to change that belief!

There is more to someone than their body shape or level of fitness.

I suppose that I meet your definition of a fit vegan, then, though I do have a little excess body fat.

I've never actually met a true vegan (just two "vegans" who would eat dairy if offered to them) but I'm sure there are a lot of fit vegans out there. :)

I totally agree that physical fitness is not the only thing that makes a great vegan. But I do believe it should be one of the vital components. I assume we have at least one similar goal....to show others the great life of being a vegan. I believe that if we show people you can be EVEN healthier as a vegan more people will take the chance. What do you think?

Seems we've had several of these posts recently. I admit I've dreamed of being a fit vegan, but haven't done much to attain that dream ... so far I am more fit than vegan, but still have a long ways to go in both areas.

On a side note, have you checked out veganfitness.net? There are certainly some fine fit vegan specimens over there.

I am pretty sure you are fit. I never meant if you have some bodyfat that you are not fit....not at all. I just would like to hear from the fit vegans and what things they do to stay in shape.

Thanks for the info. I am new at the message boards and that is one of the sites I am going to check out. I am just curious about the message boards that don't have fitness or bodybuilder in their names on whether or not the members put fitness and ultimate health as a priority. I hope you make the full change over eventually. It will be really healthy for you and it would probably be nice for a few animals out there.

veglife- Oh yeah, I get that a lot. Probably because not only am I am vegan, but I'm also a 5' tall female. So despite the fact that I'm fairly muscular for a girl and don't look thin or frail, people assume that I can't do anything physical for myself.

kiz- Of course there is! I mean I'm sure that I could run more than I do or whatever, but I don't want to compromise those other areas of my life. But at least for me anyway, being fit is very important to me, and it comtributes a lot to my own personal happiness. I put a lot of effort into exercise and it is irritating to me when people assume that because I don't eat animal products, I can't be healthy.

I find it a compliment when people are surprised that I am a vegan. I don't know about you ND, but I must hear "you don't eat meat?" about twice a day. Also, It is great way to talk to people who are not currently vegan about the myths of veganism. If people see how great of shape you are in, they might be motivated to follow. Most people do follow by example.

Thanks for the info. I am new at the message boards and that is one of the sites I am going to check out. I am just curious about the message boards that don't have fitness or bodybuilder in their names on whether or not the members put fitness and ultimate health as a priority. I hope you make the full change over eventually. It will be really healthy for you and it would probably be nice for a few animals out there.

There are certainly members who place fitness and health as a priority, but to me Veggieboards has always come across as an assorted sampling of vegpeoples. I don't really know any non-veg body builders, so I'm not all that surprised not to come across many vegan bodybuilders, either. We're pretty much regular folks, minus the bacon :D

please, you're making too big of a deal about being a "fit vegan".

Well maybe to you. I have worked in the fitness field for over 10 years. I have seen many people who got coronary heart disease, severe osteoporosis and type II diabetes because they thought exercising and eating right was not that important. Most people feel "invincible" until something goes wrong. It is much better to prevent than to try and rehabilatate.

Veg, have you noticed the hamsters thread? That's where some people around here post what they've done for the day, exercise wise. You might like that.

I do yoga, running, weight-lifting, and cycling (on a stationary bike, since I don't have an outdoor bike here). I'd love to do judo again, but haven't found a good school for it that isn't a half hour away.

Thanks,

I will check that out.

By the way, You seem very active that's great.

I need to do as many different things as you do.

I agree Bueanosayres, you are making too big a deal out of it. I have been very fit, (I was lo-vegetarian then). I was biking everywhere, I did hard-core martial arts practice many hours every day, I was learning belly-dancing. At the time, I looked too thin. I was not too thin, I just had the classic, scrawny, no-fat fit look. People would comment on it. Naked you could see I was all muscles, but in clothes it looked like scrawn.

Right now I am unfit. Sure I can walk three miles, bike to the store and back or whatever, but I do not consider myself fit. I carry a little excess fat, but so what? I'm within my healthy weight range, have healthy BMI and all that. I do look good. I look good in or out of clothes. I have a belly, and a butt, and a nice set of decent sized breasts that I did not have when I was very fit.

I'm sorry, but like I said in a similar thread, I think that a plump, pink cheeked, glowing with health vegan lady who has an awesome rack is every bit as enticing as a whippet-thin, buns-of-steel vegan lady.

I noticed that most people who are against being fit keep bringing up the body type image. Obviously being fit on the inside is more important than being fit looking on the outside. But like it or not they do have a strong correlation. Obviously we can bring up exceptions to all rules. Don't you find it facinating that the population as a whole (in the U.S.) is becoming more fatter, less active and sicker? Isn't it staggering that 70% of all diagnosed chronic diseases in the U.S. are preventable through eating right and being physically active. If you just think of yourself, than obviously the only rules that apply would just pertain to you. But if you have any interest in showing others one of the correct paths of living a healthy life, physcial fitness should be a strong component of the lifestyle.
It can't be done with so-so nutrition alone.

Where does veglifestyle ask for the whippet-thin, buns of steel vegans? All I hear him asking about is activity levels.

When I was 23 and starving myself, I had that body, but I was unhealthy as can be. When I ate, it was nasty processed food and the exercise I got was walking from work to the train station. Now, I'm a strict vegetarian, who runs 3.5 miles 4X a week, but I have curves I didn't have back then. I consider myself to be much more fit than I was even though my body fat percentage has gone up. My resting heart rate, however, has gone down.

I am not against being fit. I wish to be, and am trying to become, fitter. I felt better when I was in shape. I never said being fit was not important, for I believe it is important to being healthy, and being healthy is important in, and of, itself. I just don't believe that looking fit is important. As I said, I am wishing to become fit again, and it has nothing to do with my looks, it has to do with how I feel.

Where does veglifestyle ask for the whippet-thin, buns of steel vegans? All I hear him asking about is activity levels.

When I was 23 and starving myself, I had that body, but I was unhealthy as can be. When I ate, it was nasty processed food and the exercise I got was walking from work to the train station. Now, I'm a strict vegetarian, who runs 3.5 miles 4X a week, but I have curves I didn't have back then. I consider myself to be much more fit than I was even though my body fat percentage has gone up. My resting heart rate, however, has gone down.

Not specifically, but he does say "not carrying excess fat, and not too thin". I carry excess fat now, and it looks good on me. It all went to my boobs and arse, and I aquired an hourglass figure. I look good, although I am not particularly fit. When I was super-fit, I looked scrawny. Although I was within my healthy weight range, I looked too skinny. Frankly, I think I look much better plump. Being fit does not equal looking good, and looking good does not equal being fit.

I noticed that most people who are against being fit keep bringing up the body type image. Obviously being fit on the inside is more important than being fit looking on the outside. But like it or not they do have a strong correlation. Obviously we can bring up exceptions to all rules. Don't you find it facinating that the population as a whole (in the U.S.) is becoming more fatter, less active and sicker? Isn't it staggering that 70% of all diagnosed chronic diseases in the U.S. are preventable through eating right and being physically active. If you just think of yourself, than obviously the only rules that apply would just pertain to you. But if you have any interest in showing others one of the correct paths of living a healthy life, physcial fitness should be a strong component of the lifestyle.
It can't be done with so-so nutrition alone.
to me, being "fit" means being healthy. i've always been slim(even before going vegan). but i'm strong and i eat right, although i don't excercise. but i am "physically active". besides living the vegan diet in itself is "living a healthy life". the only correct path of living i'm interested in showing others is living cruelty-free.


PS the world has already been shown "that vegans can be extremely fit"...there are plenty of vegan pro athletes.

I'm the fittest vegan I know!