It's important to refine the diet at a pace that is comfortable to avoid binging and wildly oscillating behaviors. 7 years ago I was that vegetarian who ate fish (lots of deep fried tofu, ugh, and did I ever have acne and bags under my eyes!).

Just for the record of What Is Possible: this summer I switched to a 100% fruit diet... and gained 30 pounds of muscle!!! (30 pounds of MUSCLE!!! THAT'S RIGHT!! Come and get this White Belt, boys, you know you want it! Rrrrrr!! ) I ate 8-10 lbs of fruit/day, got lots of sunshine, cycled, and did yoga. That's it! I also had several moles fall off... it was quite amazing.

Climate and seasonal freshness really affect things, too. Most of the fruit available now is disgusting (bar pomegranates and raspberries ) so I'm eating more nuts, veggies, sprouts.

I tried to go fruitarian in the summer the past two years before this one, and I wasn't ready. I think I was too demineralized and lacked the assimilation capabilities to thrive. Unfortunately, just because something is evolutionarily optimal does not mean our bodies were born and nurtured in an environment that really supported us the way we need to be... so it takes time and love to adjust.

Paleo doesn't quite appeal to me, but the bottom line is, 75%+ calories from raw food will work miracles. I had a friend lose almost 100 pounds in a year just by eating 75%+ raw food, as much as he wanted, whenever he wanted. He still ate some rice. Get all the processed stuff out and as much living, vibrant, nutrient-dense food as you can afford. Do the best you can whenever you can and DON'T STRESS!!!

Sprouting is UBER cheap, and you can sprout all kinds of things. Sprouts are loaded with enzymes, protein (if that concerns you), lots of goodness.

But even if 75% raw food is way too overwhelming... just start with a healthy breakfast! Once you don't have to think about that and the breakfast is a habit, think about lunch. Have an apple when you would have had something else. Take the extra few minutes to throw in greens. Every bit helps, and over time, in the big picture, all these small changes add up to something amazing, and you will look and feel a million times better.

Much love.

WICKED discussion about fruit/raw food, the brain, and altered states of consciousness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt0deUiGO-E

30 lbs of muscle? How tall are you, cause that's... that's like a world class level of bulking. I'm not joking holy shit.

5'7''. I had horrendous internal damage from a decade of anorexia. I'm assuming that once things like vital organs were repaired, my body finally reached a point where it could start really building healthy tissue. I've been raw for about 3 years, started doing it the same time I started drinking Aya, so that was totally the turning point where I chose to live and start nurturing myself.

I was high-fat raw for the first 2.5 years, EASILY eating 3000 calories/day, but my weight hovered around 100-105. My mood, skin, energy levels, digestion, flexibility, and general health improved DRAMATICALLY, but I wasn't gaining any muscle.

With fruit, once I engaged even a moderate amount of physical activity, muscle just appeared effortlessly. I'm about 130-135 now. I literally woke up one day and noticed, "OMGWTF... humble beginnings of a 6-pack?!" Biking, yoga, sunshine and mangoes. Nothing more. Everything (in warm weather) on fruit feels so easy, waking, walking, running, stretching, lifting, no resistance in the body. The body simply DOES.

It feels really incredible to be empowered in my body. I spent SO many years hating myself, and feeling especially ashamed of my physical weakness, wanting to waste away and disappear. I love being able to bend, stand my ground, lift things, climb... basic movement is really a blessing. I want to be able in my body for the rest of my life. I am so grateful and so happy. I had to forfeit my ticket to seeing a concert on my 19th birthday with my favorite band because I starved myself so badly that I couldn't get out of bed and had crippling nosebleeds.

Last time I drank Aya, I just sat with myself and enjoyed how cosmically beautiful I am. Contrast that to a lifetime of self-hatred! The body is this amazing, self-regenerating organic machine... health and self-love are beautiful. I'm beautiful now because I love myself. Or, because I love myself, I can finally be as beautiful as I am supposed to be.

But, back to the original point, any fresh food in a diet is wondrous. Fruit doesn't work for everyone all the time for an infinite number of reasons, but I thought that bit was interesting to mention specifically because so many people are quick to knock vegetarianism/alternative ideas about protein/etc. The most interesting thing to me is the question: what is possible?

What level of health can we enjoy? How radiant can we possibly be? How many tools are available to us? There are many people and many answers... I think it's very interesting to understand more about these things when they happen.

It's totally had a positive impact on my consciousness, too.

^yeah those 30pounds are more than just muscle I'm afraid.
That's WAY more than your body can produce in a year even with intensive training.

Do anyone on this forum workout (body building) and have a vegetarian-ish diet?
I go to the gym to "lift weights" 4 days a week and would like to change my diet
to something more healthy and moral.
Not that I have a problem with eating meat but I dont like how it's being done.
Shooting cows on a conveyor belt isn't exactly fishing with a rod.
I would like to eat some fish once or twice a week though.

Any good sources for proteins?

Is there a community webpage for something like that? preferably with information about plants
and how much nutrients they contain, protein levels etc.

Rice and beans are good full proteins. Quiona. Most animal products I'd assume. If you're looking for strength gains Eat more than you need to and do compound lifts (bench dead-lift squats).

ms_manic_minxx: Deficit of calories is important when lowering body fat (seeking a six pack) and therefore I don't think you could get it with 3000 kCal and just moderate physical activity.

Like I said it's possible to do any "natural" diet WHEN you reach a certain spiritual level but a fruit diet for an average Joe can sooner kill than heal.

Paleo has the same testemonials but I believe it's much safer and more backed up with science.

That being said I'm absolutely delighted about hearing you overcoming your health problems. All the nutrition advice I try to give comes exactly from that place, wanting to give people a change to achieve a level of health that they can't imagine when being sick. It takes so little in a way Thank you for sharing.

imPsimon: You are probably overtraining. To gain muscle you need an excess of protein, something like 2g/kg of body weight. You might want to try "GOMAD" - Gallon of milk per day and some sort of training. I think there is some sort of "problem" with plant protein not being as complete as animal.

xtechre: I'll write or steal something today

I workout different muscles each day and rest every 2 days so I'm not overtrained.
There's a week before I use the same muscle group again and my protein intake is
well covered.
My thought is more how can I change my diet to be "more" vegetarian and still
get the same effect as an everyday meateater...muscle building-vice.

What about Whey Shakes with Oatmeal ?

I use whey after workout but it cant replace every meal...or it probably can but I don't think it's
very good in the long run.
Ideally would be to only eat real food but I dont like the idea of preparing food
more than I do now, I hate cooking.

Oatmeal is great and healthy fastfood though!
4mins to prepare and very good energy.

I would like to cut out the mountains of tuna I eat about...uh, 24/7.

I suggest soaking grains before ingestion. Also avenin protein might have similar effects to gluten.

Also somewhat high levels of lections, phytic acids and Omega 6's aren't exactly great.

I would monitor your blood glucose after eating a bowl. You might be surprised.

imPsimon, I don't recall an expert who would recommend 4 days a week just for amateur bodybuilding but I'm not very involved in this community (besides the nutritional view) so I'll trust you with that.

If I understood you correctly, you are asking for protein sources for vegetarians ? I can't help you with that but I hope someone will. Be well.

The Protein Myth

Something to think about.

What should one do ? Should he go with his ego driven I-want-to-be-right-because-I-KNOW-I'm-right desire ? Or should he say nothing and letting Tao be ?

Middle: Whoever seeks answers in this thread, don't take the words of those who advise you as facts. Ask, research, doubt, ... It's your journey.

3dl of cooking water in a bowl, add salt and then 2dl of
oatmeal. cool the sludge in the sink. Enjoy!
(this should be in the advanced chemistry section)

I actually tried to eat it dry once when I overslept.
Stupidest idea ever. Gave up up and went to work hungry.



Neither do I but I have never heard anyone say that you shouldn't either=).
There are many different ways to work out. Some people just go out for a walk or jogging.
Other's do fullbody exercises or...uh, fitnessdancing? "call on me" style.
There's marathon training or bodybuilding etc...
None is better than the other. It all depends on what you want out of your training, what you think
is fun and how you want to spend your time.

As for the four days it's pretty standard body building. You divide your muscle groups over the week.
Legs, back, neck, shoulders etc...then you work out all the muscles in respective area.
It's a very good way to get to know your body, you'll get loads of energy and you feel great!



I'm looking for some kind of diet change that will enable me to get the same results with less
meat. Thanks! me too

I'm sorry but he talks and moves like a snakeoil salesman. "I build muscle without doing anything" Haha!!
Change what he's talking about to an ab-tronic or a 40 inch glossy widescreen tv with built in wi-fi
and they would fit right in.
The only information I can find on this guy is his own website and other "raw" sites and the
youtube videos are the same. No scientists. No science.
Just Tim and his friend Burk trying to convince me why science is wrong and they are right.

Maybe I'm wrong but I have seen nothing convincing. If you know of any kind of evidence
for this guy and his movement being legit that would be awesome.

He claims to have been on the diet since 2004 so there should have been some tests done.
This theory should be very easy to prove or disprove scientifically.