Vegetarians have a duty to be fit and healthy!

[Eco_Jihadist]

I wrote this on http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=view&f=0&p=53858

A vegan who is skinny, anaemic, excercise deficient and sickly could potentially be doing as much harm then good; sure, he might not be killing any animals but he could be putting other people off vegetarianism, specially people who know little about it, or who have the guilty concience but are maybe trying to convince themselves it isnt the way forward. *some people will also maliciously and dishonestly attribute the persons shortcomings to their vegetarianism*



And I believe it holds true; I cant stress how much I believe it helps the vegetarian/vegan cause to be fit and especially strong. A veggie with the above characteristics gives a bad image, while I guess a fat overweight vegetarian gives a pretty neutral one but a vegetarian/vegan bodybuilder helps no end, and to a lesser but still significant extent, any other athlete!


i cant tell anyone how to live their lives but this is just my opinion, and I'd love to discuss this idea.

Personally I think it would be great if every veggie who wasnt an active sportsperson in some other field already just went down to the weights gym thrice a week and ate an abundance of protein and calories, that it itself will give a very powerful physique.

by the way I am NOT suggesting that most vegetarians or even a greater amount proportionally compared with non vegetarians are unhealthy in the way I described but that we are truly representatives of our outlook with food and that image should really be upheld, and there are plenty of perfectly moral and educated people who simply dont realise that our diet is in no way restrictive.

Refuting these theories with science (e.g explaining where vegetarian *insert nutrient here* comes from) is okay, refuting them with in your face evidence, namely a ripped/powerful and athletic body is better.

[Licence]

Completely agree but then I do work out 6 times a week!

I love looking fit and healthy and totally dispelling meat-eaters' views that you have to eat meat to be strong.

Just today I had lunch with someone who mentioned the protein thing, and I had to tell him its a myth that you need to eat meat to get protein.

[Gear Shifter]

Shouldn't all omnis be required to be fit and healthy?
Why don't sickly or obese omnis scare people into Vegetarianism?

[jAded]

I don't fit into any of those categories. I'm just normal looking, exercise moderately (and probably am slightly stronger than your average 24 yr old female), and eat fairly well. I often get told that I'm "healthy-looking for a vegetarian", though.

[PlaybackGuru]

Well that is your opinion....I think all vegetarians should just cut the crap and go vegan but I don't go telling everyone....opppps....sorry!

[Poppy]

Should veg*ns eat garlic? :think: We sure wouldn't want to stink and turn people off.

[slicknickns]

veganbodybuilding.com kicks ass.

but yes, vegetarians have a duty not to look sickly and to even look better than your average, fit, omni. it's crucial.

[PlaybackGuru]

veganbodybuilding.com kicks ass.

but yes, vegetarians have a duty not to look sickly and to even look better than your average, fit, omni. it's crucial.

why? I want facts not just that is combats a stereotype.

[Kiz]

So in other word's you (the OP) thinks everyone should be a clone of yourself? We all should go to the gym three times a week and lift weights? I suppose you're paying for all this for everyone, right? Yeah, I'm sure it's nice to be fit and all but to go around telling everyone else they should be gym junkies is a tad off. Why shouldn't I say that all vegetarians should be Trekkies? Vulans are vegetarian. Makes sense to me. It'll help get rid of the hemp-clothes, electricity-eschewing hippy vibe stereotype, too. Man I hate that stereotype. grrrr

[Kiz]

veganbodybuilding.com kicks ass.

but yes, vegetarians have a duty not to look sickly and to even look better than your average, fit, omni. it's crucial.

No, I don't have a flippin' "duty" to look like anything thank you very much. I'll look however I damned well want, whether that fit, hot and tanned in a tiny bikini, sloppy and white in a pink velour tracksuit or dressed up in cosplay style as a Japanese catgirl.

[PlaybackGuru]

No, I don't have a flippin' "duty" to look like anything thank you very much. I'll look however I damned well want, whether that fit, hot and tanned in a tiny bikini, sloppy and white in a pink velour tracksuit or dressed up in cosplay style as a Japanese catgirl.

Marry me!!!!:beatnik:

Oh I shouldn't be smoking, right?

[slicknickns]

lol, everyone on veggieboards takes things so...personally.
c'mon don't you guys enjoy debunking stereotypes.

hahaha, it probably has more to do with my 'conservative' postings



U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

and besides did any one not notice the title of this thread?

[jAded]

Expecting all vegans to be total fitness-freaks could be counter-productive anyway. If not for the "vegans are pasty smelly hippies" stereotype, then they're seen as boring do-gooders, and sucking down on protein supplements and getting up at 5am to go on your 10k run fits in nicely with this stereotype.

So look after your health for YOU, not out of some sense of obligation to the greater good of your ideology or whatever.

[Eco_Jihadist]

Shouldn't all omnis be required to be fit and healthy?
Why don't sickly or obese omnis scare people into Vegetarianism? Often they do...

[holly golightly]

Since when is a gym membership or money required to be physically fit?! What an absurd and ignorant insinuation.

Anyway, I don't think it is anyone's duty to look a certain way or even be health conscious. While I appreciate the correlation between my health status and veganism, that others assume, the two do not positively correlate. I am a vegan because I am an animal lover and I am healthy for vanity.

The people I meet who are vegan/veg that smoke or do not exercise at all still get props from me (as long as they don't smoke near me).

[Eco_Jihadist]

I think what I'm saying is being slightly misrepresented...

For the people being a little bit defensive I did say that I'm not trying to shove my ways on others nor do I advocate anyone being clones (whoever said that) of me!!!

I'm simply pointing out a way in which a myth can be dispelled and not just the cliche hippie myth, in reality not every omni subscribes to that and I think many meat eaters do actually believe you can live a perfectly healthy life i.e long life etc without meat but not that you can achieve high levels of physical ability.


And my views on exercise are kinda being taken out of proportion! I'm not suggesting that anyone should live on protein supplements and go for 10k runs at the crack of dawn or anything like it! However, healthy eating and three (say) 40 minute weight sessions can give anyone a muscular physique; maybe this seems 'extreme' and I'm not 'telling' anyone to do it, I'm just stating my opinion that such simple adjustments to a persons everyday schedule can really make a difference for them, and here for their ideals.



Also plz note, even though I said 'gym' I'm useing that in its broadest sense, of course its possible to get a great physique without a gym; bodyweight workouts, circuits, certain sports etc etc, all those count :)

[holly golightly]

I think what I'm saying is being slightly misrepresented...

For the people being a little bit defensive I did say that I'm not trying to shove my ways on others nor do I advocate anyone being clones (whoever said that) of me!!!

I'm simply pointing out a way in which a myth can be dispelled and not just the cliche hippie myth, in reality not every omni subscribes to that and I think many meat eaters do actually believe you can live a perfectly healthy life i.e long life etc without meat but not that you can achieve high levels of physical ability.


And my views on exercise are kinda being taken out of proportion! I'm not suggesting that anyone should live on protein supplements and go for 10k runs at the crack of dawn or anything like it! However, healthy eating and three (say) 40 minute weight sessions can give anyone a muscular physique; maybe this seems 'extreme' and I'm not 'telling' anyone to do it, I'm just stating my opinion that such simple adjustments to a persons everyday schedule can really make a difference for them, and here for their ideals.



Also plz note, even though I said 'gym' I'm useing that in its broadest sense, of course its possible to get a great physique without a gym; bodyweight workouts, circuits, certain sports etc etc, all those count :)

It's not misinterpreted. My response was to the imbecile equating your opinion to a gym membership requirement and money. Like another said, some just take the message boarding wayyy too personally, especially if they are insecure anyway and feel personally affronted.

[Licence]

It's not misinterpreted. My response was to the imbecile equating your opinion to a gym membership requirement and money. Like another said, some just take the message boarding wayyy too personally, especially if they are insecure anyway and feel personally affronted.

Err..pot, kettle, black!

[PlaybackGuru]

Again vanity rears its ugly head. What about vegetarians with hereditary or medical issues. What about the paraplegic vegetarians? Or the dwarf vegans. Vegetarians do have a duty, (in shape, not, or on their way to or trying to be) to respect and be compassionate and accepting to animals of all shapes, species and forms. Vegetarians also have a duty to educate people about the abuse of precious animals and how a plant base diet can improve their health and reduce their carbon footprint. Unless you are one of those goofy dietary vegetarians! (insert sarcasm smiley here) Oh and by the way I do not perpetuate the Hippie stereotype by any means. Oh crap, why am I posting here I should be working out, so even though I feel great I need to look more like the OP. Ahh a world of genetic clones! One of us...One of Us.

[Poppy]

Thanks to being veg*n, my inner beauty shines through. :sunny:


Joking! To be honest, being vegan and exercising regularly helps me keep my weight and cholesterol down, and my energy up. But I'm a short, middle-aged mother of two adults, and very few people are going to want to look like me no matter how low my fat percentage is!

[Pirate Ferret]

I dont like people presuming im a health freak just cause i'm vegan. so working out 200 times a day would surely prove that!

im not sickly or anaemic so thats good enough for me

[Eco_Jihadist]

veganbodybuilding.com kicks ass.

but yes, vegetarians have a duty not to look sickly and to even look better than your average, fit, omni. it's crucial. well said :)

Also if you're showing yourself to be better then an omni in a sport or in the gym or whatever (I'd only recomend this with friends btw not total strangers!) you can never let them forget it :)

[Eco_Jihadist]

its all very well saying that what should really make people become vegetarian or at least respect vegetarianism is the 'facts' i.e vegetarians are NOT nutrionally deficient *gives scientific explanations* and that animals are treated badly and so forth but people definately need real life examples.

Lets imagine there were no vegan and vegetarian athletes and bodybuilders at all, what kind of light would that shed on vegetarianism? A negative one, regardless of any scientific explanation.

[vigilant20]

I think my obesity proves beyond a doubt that a vegetarian diet is more than sufficient to meet my needs :P

[InstantKarma]

To paraphrase the late, great John Lennon: I don't owe anybody jack-****.