You ever notice the amount of TV ads these days that market protein rich foods? It's almost as common as the ads for prescription drugs. You would think that protein is the most important thing your body needs and that the more you have of protein the better.
[youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txx8sgiOdvc"]
As a bodybuilder, I made a decision to not overload my body with extra protein. Every single American unless they are starving has more than enough protein. I didn't want to build muscle if it meant compromising my kidneys or liver with excess protein. This is part of the reason why I went plant based... the protein in plants won't raise my IGF-1 levels, or insulin-like growth factor 1, which increases one's risk for cancer and other diseases.
The vegan bodybuilders like Robert Cheese, Will Tucker and countless others really inspire me and show me what's possible without meat. I'm on a mission trying to prove to my whey protein powder friends at the gym that there's a much healthier way to build muscle.
It's not easy to workout five days a week, but I've been doing this for a while now. You might wonder what motivates me to keep going...
It's my belly. Yes, that ugly loose skin around my abs that still hasn't tightened. I know it's a losing battle but looking at my abs (the lack of a 6 pack after four years of sustained weight loss), it gets me to work hard.
Over 5 years ago, I ate so bad. I would exercise but get absolutely nowhere. I consumed so many processed foods that I'm surprised I didn't get full-blown diabetes. But that just goes to show how the body can heal itself.
I never realized how important healthier foods choices were back then. Finishing off a half gallon of ice cream in two days, you can see I was on the wrong track. It took pre-hypertension to wake me up. No way was I going to rely on meds!
Bodybuilders require a lot more calories than most people. As for myself, I already reached my goal weight and I'm not looking to lose more weight so I have to make sure I eat enough.
As a vegan for almost four months now, a lot of people have asked me about what foods I eat. I figured I should take the time to go through my diet as it might help others that are looking for a way to change to a plant based diet but not really familiar with what foods to eat.
