Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

I began the "Shred It!" challenge with a lot of confusion. I did vegan challenges before where I would give up animal products for weeks at a time. I never imagined I would go this long without any turkey or eggs and feel good in the process. All I have to say is that the challenge works!

I may not have perfect muscle definition yet, but I'm closer than I ever was. Yes, 13 weeks might be enough for some people, but for me it will take a while longer. However, I can feel the muscle growth, especially in my arms and chest. A lot of the loose skin I had there is now covered with muscle. There is still some loose skin left on the arms, but I know I'm on the right track.

I'm almost done with the Shred It! workout journal, just a few more workouts. As this challenge winds down, I've come to realize that everyone is a work in progress. It's not like once I finish the challenge, that goals will have been reached.

I'm still evolving and learning a lot about muscle building along the way. This challenge has been a real eye opener though. When I think of how much money I wasted on protein powders before this, it's so unnecessary! They were plant based protein powders so they were less damaging to the body than whey protein, but still, I could have achieved netter results over the past few years just eating whole plant based foods. But that's why challenges are so important, you hopefully learn how to better yourself.

I was like other weight lifters over the years. Yeah, I used the protein powders, thinking they would help me achieve the muscle mass that I worked hard for. I mostly used vegan based powders but did try whey protein once or twice. Whey protein never digested well for me which is why I didn't use it for too long.

Anyway, I believed the same myth that I still hear over and over again... that you need a lot of protein to gain muscle. Before I continue with the article, please note that I am not debating animal versus plant protein here. I'll save that for another time. Rather, I want to focus on this myth that have gotten all too common, about how much protein we need.

When I started the Shred It! challenge, I thought it was supposed to go 13 weeks. However, I discovered that the journal I've been using for the challenge will last a few weeks after the 13 weeks. I think the reason for this is that the author planned for the users to write in it 7 days a week and I only kept track of the 5 days a week that I worked out. In any case, I'll keep going as I can't wait to see the results of the challenge.

I have been doing strength training, really focusing on my muscle, for the past 3 years or so in an effort to tighten my loose skin after weight loss. However, the Shred It! challenge marks the first time I've seen this kind of progress. It really amazes me that the results I'm getting are without animal products. I had turkey and eggs a few times a week before going completely vegan at the start of the challenge. I used to think those animal products were necessary for muscle building but it did not yield the kind of results that I'm getting now with plants only.

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.