Going Vegan

[Mark Wilkinson]

I am about ready to make some major lifestyle changes and I am just looking for some advice from people that have done it.

Currently, I eat very few vegetables and I eats lots of meats and carbs. I am a grilling fanatic, I don't see a problem spending 12 hours smoking a brisket. I eat too many sweets and love ice cream.

Luckily I have a speedy metabolism which basically allows me to eat whatever I want as long as I have some level of exercise. My blood sugar levels are another story, they fluctuate wildly (though not as much since I started running again) and I crash HARD if I have a heavy meal, especially if I finish it off with some desert. My friends have coined my crashes as "Mark-olepsy".

All of this being said I want to go full vegan (dietary, nothing more), including getting rid of highly processed sugars and trying to consume as little soy as possible (my son is allergic so I don't like having it in the house)

Any words of encouragement/discouragement from someone that has done this? Anything I should look out for? Any good online resources?

Thanks!

 

[NickW]

Good on you if you can make the switch. I sure couldn't myself. I recently have given up (again) a lot of processed foods and am pretty strictly eating meats and veggies and fruits. Yes I do eat potatoes too but I am not adding anything to them and am not eating them everyday. I personally don't believe they are as bad as a lot of people think (I have read research out there that proves this too, it's just the amount that we as a society eat as well as how we alter and process it that makes them bad). Anyhow, I've lost 2 pounds this week already and am feeling very good and energized. I hope the vegan lifestyle makes you feel the way I do right now with my own made up diet.

 

[migangelo]

i'm with nick. more meat and veggies for me along with fruit. little to no processed foods and right now no alcohol. i can go without meat for a while but won't make that lifestyle change. if you can do it than best of luck.

you crashing after you eat i believe would be attributed to carb sensitivety. maybe you can try cutting out the grains first before making the switch?

 

[Barefoot Dama]

That is just plain nonsense Mark.
Just quit eating all the crap you're eating(sugars/processed foods)and you'll see you energy levels soar and never crashed again. And eat your fruits and vegetables man!

 

[janson]

I agree with what Mike, Nick and Dama said. I try to stick with meat, veggies and fruit as much as possible, and definatley feel better when I do.

 

[LittleBird]

I have been looking at a vegan diet as well. I started with eating as clean as possible for about a two week period and then started to introduce more Vegan food (beans, whole grains ect.) and reducing my meat intake. I found a book called "The Kind Diet", by Alicia Silverstone and it seems to have some pretty good suggestions if not alot of info on the food we eat. I'm still looking for more info myself. Don't think I can just jump into eating sea veggies. So far I've managed to reduce my meat intake to twice a week and I try to make it fish. Dairy is harder, I love my Latte's and haven't tryed soy milk yet. Oh well tea for now... Good luck

 

[Lomad]

For those with Soy concerns, try almond milk. I much prefer the flavor, and the consistency is creamier than soy.

Not giving up my steaks anytime soon, though. Just add more veggies...Steak salad ftw!

 

[scedastic]

lentils, beans with dark leafy greens are not to be underestimated for being very satisfying, and delicious, imho, when spiced properly.
honestly, if you can get rid of any junk from any part of your diet, that's a step in the right direction. Tough habit to break, though.

 

[Mark Wilkinson]

Thanks everyone. Yeah I am the kind of person that has to make a big change all at once or it doesn't stick. I have a lot of will power right up front, and it typically lasts long enough to create new habits.

I am a huge fan of spinach and kale, and I could seriously eat rice and beans for every meal as it is, so hopefully this won't be too much of a shock to my system.

Maybe I will start blogging my progress.

 

[JoshM813]

Go the opposite route! Paleo! Haha. You get plenty of consistent energy from fats. Which I believe is the best source of energy for running. But if you do decide to go vegan just really stick with it and make sure to really eliminate the sugars...also eat more nuts and seeds. Not as full meals but as good snacks

 

[Bare Lee]

For those with Soy concerns, try almond milk. I much prefer the flavor, and the consistency is creamier than soy.

Not giving up my steaks anytime soon, though. Just add more veggies...Steak salad ftw!

Don't forget the desert steak! I once served more steak for desert at a dinner party.
I liked almond milk too, before I switched out my breakfast cereal for mixed nuts and dried fruit. I then have two small fruit and veggie meals, the first is mostly fruit and the second is mostly veggies. Then dinner with family--meat, chicken, fish, or seafood with cooked veggie or salad but little or none of the corn, rice, potato side dish everyone else has. The only reason I can see to go vegan is if you think you're saving the planet, but all mass-scale food production for short-term profit is harmful. The solution is a total overhaul of the way we (re)produce our foodstuffs, not just the semi-sentient ones. We evolved as omnivores--don't mess with success.

 

[LittleBird]

If you have questions as to weather or not a vegan diet is enough for a runner , read "eat and run", by Scott Jurek

 

[Vampire]

Scott's book convinced me to give it a try, 2 weeks in I'm feeling 'better' in myself - like i have more energy, and have started losing weight slowly. Definitely going to try to keep it going, I haven't had any bad cravings for anything bad yet.

My works canteen does a vegetarian dish every day, which helps, but they often load it up with cheese (which is like my kryptonite).

 

[Mark Wilkinson]

Scott's book convinced me to give it a try, 2 weeks in I'm feeling 'better' in myself - like i have more energy, and have started losing weight slowly. Definitely going to try to keep it going, I haven't had any bad cravings for anything bad yet.

My works canteen does a vegetarian dish every day, which helps, but they often load it up with cheese (which is like my kryptonite).

I am half way through the book. The recipes will definitely help out.

And no I am not trying to save the planet or anything. I am just not the kind of person that gets tied to my food and I want to try something completely different than my norm.

 

[Bare Lee]

I am half way through the book. The recipes will definitely help out.

And no I am not trying to save the planet or anything. I am just not the kind of person that gets tied to my food and I want to try something completely different than my norm.

Fair enough. For me just cutting back on my portions of flesh, and eating mostly raw, whole fruits, veggies, nuts & seeds is the ticket. Just be careful you're getting everything you need. I have a few vegetarian friends that look kind of haggard and anemic. But none of them have a weight problem, that's for sure.

 

[Mark Wilkinson]

Fair enough. For me just cutting back on my portions of flesh, and eating mostly raw, whole fruits, veggies, nuts & seeds is the ticket. Just be careful you're getting everything you need. I have a few vegetarian friends that look kind of haggard and anemic. But none of them have a weight problem, that's for sure.

I know what you are saying. I think a lot of people dive into vegetarianism with an ethical mindset and forget about the health aspect. As if when you stop eating meat you are suddenly fit and healthy.

 

[Bare Lee]

I know what you are saying. I think a lot of people dive into vegetarianism with an ethical mindset and forget about the health aspect. As if when you stop eating meat you are suddenly fit and healthy.

Yah, it can be done, but it's a lot more work to get proper nutrition, especially now that legumes are suspect and some researchers are suggesting that animal fat in small portions can be highly beneficial.

 

[Abide]

Yah, it can be done, but it's a lot more work to get proper nutrition, especially now that legumes are suspect and some researchers are suggesting that animal fat in small portions can be highly beneficial.

Since when are legumes suspect? Are you talking about the fad diets claiming they have dangerous lectins?

 

[Bare Lee]

Since when are legumes suspect? Are you talking about the fad diets claiming they have dangerous lectins?

Yes. And I have no way of evaluating those kinds of claims, it was just something I read (and have mostly ignored--my wife and I like our sugar snap peas too much, but I don't do beans and lentils like she does). If you have a link to a good counterargument, I'd appreciate seeing it.

 

[JoshM813]

They are high in phytates, which is alright in small amounts but the problem in today's society is that grains and legumes are staples...way too much phytic acid which of course inhibits mineral absorption, specifically vitamin d.