Can a vegan diet make me strong. Let's find out.

[Nate Silvers]

Age: 25
Bodyweight: 13.7st
Height: 6'4"
Bodyfat: Unkown

Goal:
Reach 16 stone in three years and squat 200KG.
Eventually one day squat 300+kg, deadlift 450+kg and overhead press 200+kg. (I'm just setting the bar high).

New goal in 12 months (25/06/14) set by Ultra_Extreme:
174kg squat and dead.
82kg bench.

Motivation:

I've always been a skinny guy my entire lift. I don't mind being skinny, I'm happy with who I am. I also don't mind looking like the guy from the cola advert but my real reason for lifting is for animals.
I love animals, ever since I was a kid. That's never changed as I've grown up, except now I'm aware of them. I later got into a band called Goldfinger who are vegans which led me to ask myself questions about what I eat. I then went vegetarian at age 14. Met a vegan online and she gave me a lot of insight and stick for being a vegetarian (she was a vegan). I remember saying what's wrong with milk and she made me aware of it. I never took her serious enough and went vegan a year later but not for long. Now I'm sticking to it.

So I decided I wasn't going to give a penny to these dairy and meat industries and adopted a new diet.

This is were the lifting comes in. I've often got in deep conversations with people about this choice. I always make a very strong argument but I want the body to back up the words. If people can listen to why I don't eat animals and see that I'm big and strong, they will take me seriously.

"Oh but you're not getting enough protein or iron", "vegans are weak", "no gains ever came from a plant".

I want people to ask me what I eat because I'm so big. I want young lifters to see me and think "damn he's massive, what does he eat". I want to be known for it, the natural guy that doesn't eat meat but is huge. To inspire people to take a real interest in nutrition from other sources, to at least leave people aware of another option rather than guzzling down a dozen eggs a day.
If I can be able to out lift the guys at my gym then it's proof I'm strong and getting enough protein. When a heckling meat eater tries to mudsling me I can stand proud and back up my words with real evidence. People like to believe things with their own eyes.

So whenever I feel like I can't pick up that barbell and lift it because I'm not strong enough, because it's painful, it's tiring. I think of all the suffering animals have to go through in their pathetic lives. I think of McDonalds and KFC and the anger inside to do that last rep. For myself the animals and the planet.

Arvid Beck is a great inspiration.

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=bio_beck

Robert Cheeke owner of veganbodybuilding, really down to earth guy.

Also check out Derek Tresize, Giacomo Marchese, Jimi Sitko, Robert Cheeke.

Diet:
Organic vegetables, legumes, beans, grains, water, nuts & seeds, fruits, bread and organic hemp protein powder.

Carbs: Broccoli, peas, tomatoes, spinach, bananas, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, berries, butternut squash, arborio rice, pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, garbanzo beans, pinto beans.
Protein: Veges, black beans, soya chunks (55g), quinoa, brown rice + red beans, peanut butter, almonds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, soya milk, shredded wheat, hemp powder, tofu, bagel.
Liquids: Water, fruit juices, almond/hemp/soya/oat milk, smoothies.
Fats: Coconut oil, peanut butter, avocados, ground flax seeds, olives and granola.

Previous lifting history:
November 2012. Eight months of a three day split on legs, triceps/chest, biceps/shoulders and back thrown in across the days. 10-2 reps.

Bodyweight - 12.4st

Squat - 50kg
Deadlift - 80kg
Bench - 40kg
OHP - 40kg
Penlay Rows - 50kg

Current lifting program:
Second week of the Stronglifts 5x5, strictly.

Bodyweight - 13.7st

Squat - 72.5kg
Deadlift - 105kg
Bench - 65kg
OHP - 52.5kg
Penlay Rows - 62.5kg

 

[Nate Silvers]

Thanks for the positive feedback and encouragement. Just to clarify I want to reach 16 stone in three years then eventually reach my lifting goals. These goals are very high but so they should be, the sky is the limit. Realistically I want to be squatting 170KG in three years.

I'm not going to reply to any comments about eating animals. I'll leave it at that to prevent any troll accusations. I'll let the progress speak for itself. Cheers.

 

[Nate Silvers]

Part of my goal is to look big, to pack on some muscle. I know I have to get to at least 16 stone to start filling out.

 

[Nate Silvers]

There's a guy on strava - the cycling logging website - who is a vegan and absolutely spanked everyone in a distance challenge back in January. I think veganism lends itself better to a sport like cycling than to bulking up and lifting, though...

That's awesome to hear. Well maybe you are right but I'm going to surprise you.

Do you think your goals are realistic? What did you base your estimations on?

I think it's realistic to reach 16 stone now I've got my diet down. This is based off my own current progress and talking to other lifters. Squatting 170KG is based off the fact I can squat 100KG already. I don't know how long it takes to go from 100-170 but three years seems realistic to me.

 

[Nate Silvers]

Syla5

I changed it from 200 to 170 because I'm not sure I can reach 200, I should be saying I can but to be realistic I'm saying 170. I'll edit the first post, if you think it's too low then I'm doing 200kg.

 

[Nate Silvers]

Will do cheers Syla

 

[Nate Silvers]

Living up to your name. I'll be posting some videos during my progress.

 

[Nate Silvers]

Fair play, but to repeat my earlier question is your lifestyle going to be vegan as well as your diet.

Read the OP.

Translates to: "I'm pasty whipped and would eat my own faeces to impress a girl"

I had and still have a girlfriend. This vegan girl I used to try and disprove her all the time.

 

[Nate Silvers]

So you don't own any leather or other such products?

I can't say for 100% if anything I own had an animal involved. I don't own a leather chair, belt. I couldn't even afford to if I wanted, most things are made of faux leather these days. My shoes are faux suede. I do have an awesome T shirt made of cow though.

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5986/1ngt.jpg

 

[Nate Silvers]

I'm eating a vegan diet and I'm not buying animal products, also I've only being vegan for around ten months. I cut out everything bit by bit. You don't know how much time or money I've spent on anything. My diet is not inadequate either.

 

[Nate Silvers]

Syla

Looked like he was overstating my words to make statements about me that aren't true, at least that's how it looked. Especially when he didn't even try to confirm his preconceptions. Trust me I've done a ton of research. Freefaller, I wasn't being defensive to you, just stating the facts.

Freefaller may know a lot about food but how much does he know about a vegan diet and how much I eat? I'm a member of a vegan forum which has given me a lot of advice already, but he doesn't know this.

Captain Planet
Yep spot on, beginner gains will come easy but I'm glad you don't think my diet will hold me back. This is the goal of the thread. Thanks.

 

[Nate Silvers]

Dude get out my thread then if it's a sack of ****. Shredded wheat and bagels are a source of protein, you don't know what I have with them.
I know about iron, calcium and B12. Do you know about dairy?

You clearly know nothing about a vegan diet. I don't need or want your help. This is meant to be a training log anyways, not a diet thread. I listed *some* of my diet to complete the introductory start of the log. I also stated I don't want to talk about the diet because obviously it's a controversial subject that stirs intense debate on here. I don't want this log getting derailed because of it.

 

[Nate Silvers]

Ok, I was giving this a second chance, as probably many others were, but you are doing the same as last time. Laying in to those with knowledge you could learn from, rather then reading the advice and asking questions, your getting defensive and lashing out. People won't know what your doing unless you say, and your being given opportunity to provide more details and yet your replies are "you don't know what I am doing" which really kills the conversation/information flow.

No more posting from me here, I am out. Good luck Nate, I hope for gains and an attitude adjustment.

People don't know what I'm eating but like to post like they do. I don't even want to talk about my diet. He killed the conversation as soon as he failed to ask me beforehand before declaring fiction like facts. Shame to see you out but fair enough if you think I was out of line.

I forgotten more about nutrition than you'll ever know.

Don't worry, I shall be leaving you to your delusions. I was trying to help - but clearly you're too stubborn or stupid to listen.

Oh and as for shredded wheat and bagels, sure if you add other foods to them, then sure they can become a source of protein... just like broccoli becomes a good source of protein with a topping of steak.

Yeah I believe that.

Yeah good luck with that, even with steroids and training for 10+ years you'll be hard pushed for that. Get real.

I make this vow to you, for every extra kilo you lift, I will eat an extra lamb, calf, fish, egg and chicken to motivate you further.

You had no intentions of helping me right from the start. Just "sarcastic quips".

Not gonna bite any further.

 

[Nate Silvers]

Thanks, farewell. I get all the help I need from my gym and veganbodybuilding.com. Strange how everyone on there is so nice.

 

[Nate Silvers]

I lolled so hard at that. Made my night.

 

[Nate Silvers]

How did it? Because I can laugh at myself?
arknor - What do you mean chicken isn't meat and neither is fish or hen periods?

 

[Nate Silvers]

They've been massively helpful to you over at veganbodybuilding.com haven't they....

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=35519

Stalking me eh. That's a new thread and not the only thread I've made.

lol quality snooping, tbf they probs all died from lack of actual food by now. You probs get one 14 year old girl show up and post, with frail fingers and a good heart, till she either also dies or discovers bacon.

Keep that motivation coming!

mrthingyx

I'm one of those people. I love milk cheese and eggs, I didn't give them up without making sure I get those nutrients from plants. I know quite a lot about nutrition myself.

B12 I get from flax seed, fortified cereal and I get omega from flax seed and nuts, especially hemp seeds which contain all three. Cali flower there's four, sprouts there's five, walnuts six, olive oil seven and many more. Did you know when animal protein enters the human body it makes our blood acidic instantaneously but our blood can't stay acidic for long or else we die. Our body has to figure out how to neutralize the acidity, through phosphate. The only one source in the body is our bones. So it takes the phosphate right off our bones to neutralize the acidity and we pee out the calcium. That's why society that consume the most amount of animal protein have the worse rates of osteoporosis bone fractures and cancers. I might know a lot more than you think.

 

[Nate Silvers]

Skeptic.

I know I'm a skinny guy, but then I get told mass doesn't equal strength. Okay you want 52.5kg OHP you will get it.

Shredded wheat does have some protein in it though, 11.6g per 100gram. Okay it's not exactly a steak but it's part of my balanced protein intake.

Okay let's drop egos at the door, I'm not your enemy. No more bull****. I don't think Freefaller is coming back though.

Ultra_Extreme

Drop the alpha and beta crap. Do all big power lifters think they are superior to everyone else? Don't belittle people. I have had these kind of discussions with big guys in real life and they are all very nice people. I don't get called stupid, or idiot etc. Treat me as you would want me to treat you. Set an example here. I repeat again I'm not anyone's enemy here or out to cause debate. That just happens naturally as it's a controversial diet. This is why I don't want to talk about the diet side. So let's forget all that and give this thread a rest for a while, don't post in it if you really think I'm an idiot. I'm not gods gift or anything special and I put my hand up right now and say nearly every guy here knows more about me than lifting.

 

[Nate Silvers]

Come on man, I have good intentions. Don't close the thread because then you won't get to laugh at my horrible gains and total embarrassment of failing.

 

[Nate Silvers]

mrthingyx

I don't need textbook science or a medical study to show me what people are dying of but for the record every study you can produce that says humans need meat, cheese, milk and eggs, I can find two.

2 to 1 ratio, showing that meat, cheese, milk and eggs are responsible for every major disease.

But you're right both sides are as bad as each other. We all know medical studies can be manipulated both ways. So let's scrap the studies. We don't need them.

All I have to do is pay attention to this society of meat, milk and egg eaters that everyone lives in. My cousin has type one diabetes and is living off insulin shots the rest of his life, grandad had a heart operation to save his life. I know people who have died from strokes. My girlfriend, she got asthma too now. What's the one thing we all have in common besides the air we breathe and the water we drink? Meat, milk, cheese and eggs. Animal products all year long. Yeah you can attribute some of the cancers to pollution. But how you gonna blame obesity on pollution?, strokes and diabetes?

I'm not here to tell you you're wrong, I'm just tired of all the lies from the meat and dairy industry. You don't have listen to my perspectives, but most people don't even know how cruel the milk industry is. Even vegetarians don't realize there is more cruelty in a glass of milk than a steak.

The Chemist

Thanks for the input and the information about calcium. If dairy and animal protein leading to osteoporosis is incorrect. If people are getting enough calcium from dairy and meat then how come there's osteoporosis at all? If the ph and acidity levels do not occur physiologically then calcium isn't getting peed out and there is no calcium problem? The dairy industry said themselves the main reason they exist, is so you can get calcium.

If people are getting enough calcium from dairy and meat then how come there's osteoporosis at all? In the UK and USA the meat eating society, the egg eaters the cheese eaters. People tell me they get everything they need from meat and dairy. Then why in every city is there a shop selling calcium supplements? I thought everybody was getting calcium from the animal products. That's what the meat and dairy people say?