Question about fitness...

[Funner]

I've been a vegetarian since 2006, when I started I was overweight but now I'm really skinny, I've been going to the gym for over 5 months and my friends and family tell me that if I keep going I will have to start eating meet again. Is there another way to keep that balanced?

Thank you.

[Wednesday_12]

Just because you are going to the gym doesn't mean that you have to start eating meat again! Just make sure you keep a balanced diet and you should be fine. If you are worried about becoming too skinny make sure to increase the proteins in your diet, but these can be vegetable proteins (nuts, tofu etc). not necessarily meat proteins.

Make sure to calculate your BMI and that it remains in the healthy zone, and if it doesn't then could you see a nutritionist? They could give you vegetarian food options.

[jenna]

What is your day-to-day diet like? And what sorts of exercises are you doing and how often?

[Funner]

Mmm Okay, In the morning I eat cereals with milk or eggs then for lunch I usually eat rice with vegetables and salad or pasta and at night I eat a sandwish or have a soup. The thing is that I'm doing too much sport activities, I play tennis 3 times a week, I do weight lifting as-well 3 times a week, I have P.E. class 2 times a week, though I haven't experienced any problem during these activities I always have the concern that I might be missing something on my diet.

Thank you for your help guys.

[Jinga]

Sounds like you need more calories to keep up with your activity. Eat more calorie dense foods like nuts, nut butters, avocados, veg oil, etc. I'd also suggest fitting in a couple snacks between meals. Even if you started eating meat again, you're going to continue loasing weight unless you up your calorie intake.

[codemonkey]

Just make sure you're compensating for the calories you burn in the gym by eating more. Healthy fats are your friends. And don't be afraid of sugar either. You really don't need to stress about avoiding sugar unless you're trying to lose weight. I mean don't load up on fritos and cookies but treats are a good thing now and then.

[jenna]

You can go to sites like http://www.fitday.com and keep track of your food that way. It's a good way to see how many calories you're getting in, how many you're burning and what sorts of vitamins and other nutrients you're getting. It'll help give you an idea on what you need to add in.

You definitely don't have to return to eating meat. There are lots and lots of people who work out regularly, even body builders, and they do very well on a veg*n diet. You just need to make sure you're getting enough calories/nutrient.

[starling]

You can go to sites like http://www.fitday.com and keep track of your food that way. It's a good way to see how many calories you're getting in, how many you're burning and what sorts of vitamins and other nutrients you're getting. It'll help give you an idea on what you need to add in.

I don't mean to be a downer, but please be careful when using calorie-counting sites like these. It's easy to become obsessive about it and end up damaging your health. I got so weird about it last year that it turned into somewhat of an eating disorder.

Don't be like me! Be healthy about it and you'll be fine!

[nilrecurring]

If you're doing a lot of cardio-type workouts then it's good to have balanced foods that are easy on your stomach available, so you can eat more. I really like a big bowl of ground flaxseed and oatmeal after I do yoga. I know people say high-protein foods aid recovery better, but I think a lot of times those are energy-deficient. I haven't gotten sore since adjusting to being mostly vegan as long as I've eaten well. Anyway, if you're a small meal person a fourth meal and a snack would probably help a lot, and things that are easy to eat like mild curries over rice or lentil soup would probably be a good bet.

Edit: I just remembered I haven't touched an animal product in over a week. I guess I can call myself a vegan now, and not mostly.

[Funner]

Hey, thank you guys for helping me out, I'm gonna start on eating more nuts I really forgot about those. And everytime I have the opportunity to eat pizza or Mexican food I do and I eat a lot haha.

Regards

And go veggies! (By the way people think one is gay because they care about other animals and that's not true lol!)

[Wednesday_12]

Lol @ the thinking people are gay just because they care about animals! People who disrespect animals are just lame imo :afro:

[Shantih]

Avodados and hummus is what keeps me nice and "fluffy" :lol: Now I'm trying to loose weight I'm still eating hummus, but less and with carrots or celery, rather than bread chips.

Mmmm.

[Funner]

Hummus yeah, I wish I know how to prepare it...

[nilrecurring]

You can get boxed instant hummus mix, so all you have to do is add water and olive oil. Since I live a long way from the nearest grocery store I have a ton of it. It's really handy if you just want a little bit for a sandwich or some veggies.

[Dirty Martini]

I don't mean to be a downer, but please be careful when using calorie-counting sites like these. It's easy to become obsessive about it and end up damaging your health. I got so weird about it last year that it turned into somewhat of an eating disorder.

Don't be like me! Be healthy about it and you'll be fine!

You can get obsessive about anything, though. Veganism, calories, washing, exercising, etc. Point being, if you try it and get obsessive then stop. But don't not try it just because you might get obsessive.

[SeaSiren]

You are not eating enough calories or eating often enough. 3x's a day is not good. You should be getting 5-6 meals in per day.