HI everyone - 49 year old male here, did vegan about 20 years ago, and it lasted a couple of years. Started again about a year ago - but succumbed to chicken because of the protein myth (because of my workouts). NOW, I'm fully ready to commit again forever.
Problem is weight loss - it just really isn't happening. I need to drop 50 pounds. I do cardio, and lift at the gym 4-5 times per week. There's so much info overload - I'm getting discouraged. I'm told bc I'm not getting enough calories, I'm losing muscle and not fat. I'm told too much cardio isn't burning fat - it's burning muscle. I'm told my muscles aren't recovering from lifting bc I'm not eating enough.
Do I just stop going to the gym? Is the gym keeping my weight up? PLEASE HELP!
First off, I love your screen name.
Second, I also go to the gym on a regular basis. It probably varies with different gyms but my gym has the highest concentration of myths per square foot in the universe.
According to the author of
Strenght Training Over 5o, the rate of diminishing returns for strength training kicks in at 2 sessions a week. And you are probably doing too much per session, too. Buy or borrow the book. Every claim in the book is supported by research.
You almost never will lose muscle before fat. (I only use the conditional "almost" because I don't know everything). But metabolically and biologically speaking, it's just so much easier for our bodies to convert fat to energy. It takes energy to break down protein into energy. It's just not a good idea. Heck, the whole purpose of storing fat is for energy.
You can use a calorie calculator to determine how many calories your body requires. Yes, they are not totally accurate. but who can eat exactly 1875 calories a day anyway? It provides you with a good range as a goal. and monitor your weight and measurements. If you are not making adequate progress - adjust.
Cardio is essential. and again the only way you will lose muscle is if you have already lost almost all your fat. I do cardio every time I go to the gym. but only strength train twice a week. There is also a lot of research that supports the idea that longer less intensive workouts are better for weight loss than higher intensity workouts. And anyway the recovery period for high-intensity workouts is longer.
As far as a vegan weight loss diet goes, I've been trying to follow the 6-week program in Dr. Fuhrman's book Eat To Live. Its a pretty extreme diet and I'm having trouble sticking to it - but its working anyway. Besides being vegan it eliminates sugar and oil.
