It's been officially two months since I had any kind of animal products. The last time I had poultry was at the beginning of September. One thing's for sure, I haven't been missing it!
I love the energy the plant based foods provide. The common misconception among many who go to the gym is that you need a ton of protein to build muscle. This is just not the case, as many athletes have now proven.
I'm week eight of the vegan muscle building challenge. I may not get as shredded as I want after the 13 weeks, but I feel great! I still want more muscle to fill up the skin on the lower part of my arm so I'll keep going, even after the challenge ends.
This challenge not only got me to eliminate any animal products, I also have been starting to incorporate new foods in my diet.
Well maybe not 10 pounds, but I definitely have been gaining some weight. Checking the body fat analyzer, my body fat is around 14 (which means around 12 or so), so this would mean I gained muscle. I am over 200 pounds for the first time in over a year.
I never thought I'd be happy to gain weight but this weight is necessary to build muscle. As long as I didn't gain fat, I'm happy! I am focusing on muscle growth and lifting 5 days a week. It can be a grueling schedule but I think the hard work will pay off.
I'm loving this challenge so far! Before doing this challenge, I thought that bodybuilders needed so much protein. I always thought protein powders were necessary for growth. And I thought I could build muscle without gaining weight.
I probably gained about 5 or 6 pounds so far, at least from the last time I checked. I know it's all muscle because the body fat stayed the same on the body fat analyzer at the gym. I'm seeing the difference and I feel stronger too. I still want to get larger triceps to fill the skin, but I am getting there!
I am so happy I read the "Shred It" book by Robert Cheeke! I'm getting the kind of results I've been working so hard to get for a long time now. The workout examples he gives are awesome, and he explains the importance of getting enough food, healthy plant-based foods.
A lot of bodybuilders could benefit from this book. So many people overload their systems with protein powders and extra meat just to fill up with extra protein. It took me by surprise that the human body needs about 5-10 percent protein. The fact that he built muscle on this diet was enough proof for me.
