Healthy way to gain weight VEGAN style and Bodybuilding?

[kjbill]

Hello folks!

I hope this finds you well.

I have been a vegan since last December 2007. I lost a lot of weight and it has been great until now. I am slightly under-weight and fighting with gastritis and acid reflux. ( Something I already had before I started eating healthy. )

Due to the gastritis and acid reflux, I cannot eat a lot if nuts daily.
I started bodybuilding to start gaining more muscle mass, but I need to learn what to eat a lot of to gain the muscle. So far, I am getting fit, but no significant weight gain or bigger muscles. Especially in my neck and face. I look super thin to the point were people I starting to worry about me.

Is anyone here a Vegan Bodybuilder with successful muscle and weight growth?
1. What does you food menu look like for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner?
2. What vegan protein powders do you use and recommend?

Thanks!
-Bill

[ThoughtAddict]

How old are you?
What sex?

What are your goals for bodybuilding? Just building mass, or are you interested in strength too?

What is your bodybuilding regimen like?

And, probably most importantly, what's your current caloric intake like? A friend of mine with severe acid reflux has serious issues with weight. She's found that the best solution is to supplement her usual nutrient dense foods with empty calories. Your solution will probably involve an increase in calories combined with some kind of supplement to increase protein and stimulate muscle growth.

One supplement that has worked well for me has been creatine. It is only good if you eat sufficient calories and use the extra energy available to your muscles during the workout. Not sure how it would work with gastritis and reflux, but it is vegan.

[Fullcrum]

I am not 100% sure about weight-gain, but I am very sure that acod reflux can be cured through green smoothies. They will increase the strength of your stomach acid.

If you're interested, read "Green for Life" by Victoria Boutenko.

[Iamsuperman]

I've have great results with creatine as well and I would recommend it to vegetarian bodybuilders.

[kjbill]

Originally Posted by Iamsuperman

I've have great results with creatine as well and I would recommend it to vegetarian bodybuilders.

Thanks for the comments!

How do you get your creatine? Is my understanding that it is a naturally occurring amino acid that is found in our body.
READ BELOW:

"Unlike most supplements that athletes use, creatine is neither a vitamin, mineral, herb nor hormone. It is a naturally occurring amino acid that is found in our body that has the chemical name methyl guanidine-acetic acid (see Figure 1 below). As most of you are already aware, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. The majority of creatine (about 95%) is located in the skeletal muscle system, and the remaining 5% is in the brain, heart and testes. We acquire most of the creatine in our system by consuming meats and fish as well as dairy products, egg whites, nuts and seeds. Although the human body has a way of storing very high amounts of creatine to enhance recovery and muscle power, it is quite challenging to consume enough food to provide the same amount of creatine that using supplements will. In the event that you do not consume enough creatine to suit your body’s requirements, your body can synthesize it from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine. This manufacturing process takes place in the kidneys, liver and pancreas."

[kjbill]

Originally Posted by Fullcrum

I am not 100% sure about weight-gain, but I am very sure that acod reflux can be cured through green smoothies. They will increase the strength of your stomach acid.

If you're interested, read "Green for Life" by Victoria Boutenko.

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll look into it.

[kjbill]

Originally Posted by ThoughtAddict

How old are you?
What sex?

What are your goals for bodybuilding? Just building mass, or are you interested in strength too?

What is your bodybuilding regimen like?

And, probably most importantly, what's your current caloric intake like? A friend of mine with severe acid reflux has serious issues with weight. She's found that the best solution is to supplement her usual nutrient dense foods with empty calories. Your solution will probably involve an increase in calories combined with some kind of supplement to increase protein and stimulate muscle growth.

One supplement that has worked well for me has been creatine. It is only good if you eat sufficient calories and use the extra energy available to your muscles during the workout. Not sure how it would work with gastritis and reflux, but it is vegan.

I am a male. 46 years old. 5' 9" tall. 151 lbs.

My goals for bodybuilding is to build mass ( gain about 7 to 10 more pounds in lean muscle ) and to build strength too.

What vegan protein supplement do you recommend to increase and stimulate muscle growth?

I am new to bodybuilding. I have been doing it for 2 months.

Thanks!

[bdp]

What about seeds? Sunflower, hemp, chia, pumpkin, etc. Raw, of course.

[Dannyboy1]

You're going to need protein powder for muscle regeneration. I have a protein drink every 3 to 4 hours as I was told by my trainer. I get remarkable results. 2 months ago I could only bench 155 because I hadn't worked out in years. Already I can bench 205 now and I can military press 145 over my head. The protein is very important because you're tearing your muscles when you work out and when they knit back together they need protein. That's how they get bigger. Also, switch up your routine every couple of weeks so your muscles don't hit a plateau.

[ThoughtAddict]

I'd recommend a creatine powder and a protein powder, as well as an overall increase in caloric intake. Since you're vegan, you'll probably be limited in choices of protein powders. Soy is the obvious choice, but I've heard good things about rice protein powder.

You don't need to go overboard on the protein, though. If you're eating raw fruits and veggies, you're probably getting more protein than you expect. I'd recommend tracking your calorie and protein intake and using protein powders to supplement deficiencies. You need between .6 and .8 grams of protein per pound of body weight, or 90-120 grams a day. If you're eating a balanced diet, it should not be hard to achieve these numbers. check Vegetable Protein how much protein in different vegetables Proteins in vegetable for a quick glance at protein in various veggies.

One additional consideration: while in a bulking phase, you may want to focus on strength training to muscle failure and avoid aerobic exercise. For years I tried to get bigger while playing soccer, but couldn't gain much mass. When I stopped playing soccer, I tried again and was able to pack in the pounds.

Best of luck to ya.

[kjbill]

Originally Posted by bdp

What about seeds? Sunflower, hemp, chia, pumpkin, etc. Raw, of course.

Unfortunatelty, due to the gastritis and acid reflux, I cannot eat a lot of nuts and seeds daily. I am going to need to supplement.

[Dannyboy1]

Originally Posted by kjbill

Unfortunatelty, due to the gastritis and acid reflux, I cannot eat a lot of nuts and seeds daily. I am going to need to supplement.

I've never had any problems with Whey Protein. It works great.

[ThoughtAddict]

Isn't whey derived from milk?

[igmistro]

Perhaps I'm missing something... You have gastritis and acid reflux. Your digestive system is obviously in need of healing. Instead you want to overburden it even more by taking creatine, protein supplements, etc.
Have you considered getting well first and then worrying about bodybuilding?

[Fullcrum]

I second that, igmistro.

If your digestive system is fixed, you'll absorb more nutrients from the food you eat, so you won't have to consume as much. You'll be much more efficient, and isn't that what you want?

If you want to fix the digestive system, you need enzymes. And no food has more enzymes for the quantity than green smoothies. If you want more enzymes eat more sprouts. But green smoothies alone will make your stomach better. It made mine better.

---------
Ever since I was twelve (that's as far as I remember in terms of this), I've often had stomach aches after eating food. Usually it would occur after eating a lot of food, or it would happen after eating a heavily processed meal. After I started drinking green smoothies this year, it NEVER happens. Do yourself a favor and eat enzyme rich foods. Then your protein will be put to good use.

[Amandaaa]

Um... well I gain weight (unintentionally) by eating more veggie meat and whole grain bread. You could also try drinking more soy milk, almond milk, or rice milk. (Another way that I accidentally pack on pounds. )



(As a side note... you say that you have acid reflux. Do you eat breakfast?! And have you ever tried drinking aloe vera juice?)

[Revolution]

There is actually a web site about vegan bodybuilding.

[James45]

Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness