Planning to go vegan...help please!

[a la izquierda]

I'm a vegetarian now. I would like to be vegan by Memorial Day- no particular importance on the day however. The caveat is that I am a competitive mountain biker, so I ride and exercise a lot. I bought a book on becoming vegan in 30 days, and I'm hoping this helps. But I figured the DU community may have some good suggestions for me.

Thanks in advance.

[Elad]

1. "Thrive" by Brendan Brazier, a vegan professional tri-athlete

should alleviate any worries about nutrition you have. I think you will probably find that your athletic performance increases rather than decreases when you go vegan.

The things to remember to be a successful vegan athlete are simple and pretty much what you would expect. Eat your fruits and veggies first and foremost (and don't overcook! raw is good too), then whole grains/pseudo-grains, then worry about supplemental protein by eating some tofu/tempeh with those fruits, veggies and whole grains. Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Drinks lot of water.

Sample day: trail mix for breakfast with tea, power-salad for lunch (this means a REAL salad, a *giant* bowl of mixed greens with some baked tempeh, steamed broccoli/carrots, a little brown rice, half an avocado and dressing), organic food bar for snack, fruit/trail mix/smoothie pre-evening workout, and a giant bowl of mixed stir-fried veggies with tofu and whole grains for dinner. Doesn't get much better than that!

[a la izquierda]

2. Thanks! That's super helpful.

All of the cyclists I am friends with think I'm totally nuts. I plan on going gradually, eliminating dairy first. I know where my eggs come from, so I'll get them out last.

But thanks for the suggestions!

[Ignis]

3. Mmm, that sounds like a tasty salad!

:thumbsup:

I'll add this advice: Don't be afraid of a little (healthy) fat in your diet. In the transition from Veggie to Vegan, you'll be losing a lot of the fat from dairy and eggs, and that fat helps your brain tell your body that it's "full." Too often, I've seen people transition to a vegan diet without throwing an extra avocado (for example) into their meals here and there, and that's much too much change all at once.

[flvegan]

4. Vegan athlete? *faints* Unpossible!

I kid, I kid. Congrats! With your activity level, do you take any sort of supplements?

[a la izquierda]

5. I don't now...I just eat a ton...

However, I'm pretty sure I'm lacking something. I'll be meeting with a nutritionist next week and getting some blood work done.

Thanks, btw.

[flvegan]

6. Let me know what he/she says.

I've got 3 certs in sports nutrition/training and a pretty piece of paper from Cornell University in plant nutrition. I'm also a bodybuilder and an avid mountainbiker (I ride a Fisher Sugar...yeah, aging but I love her). I'll be happy to help you out where/when I can.

[a la izquierda]

7. Thanks a million!

I'll just PM you?

[flvegan]

9. Please do.

[Ignis]

8. OT: I love me some Fisher MT bikes!

I had a Hoo Koo E Koo about 15-20 years ago that I rode until it fell apart...and then I put it back together and rode it some more.

:toast:

...But I'm not sure how you can be a "mountain"biker in Florida. ;) Let me know when you visit CA so we can hit the coastal mountain trails all along HWY 1.

[flvegan]

10. We actually have several really good trails here.

NOTHING like what you guys have out west, though.