Going Vegan

[Polecat]

About 10 days in of this lifestyle change. I'm lucky, in that my wife is about a year ahead of me and is an amazing cook. I really miss steaks, burgers and chicken wings, but I can already tell I feel different.
A little more energy at the gym and my waist is tightening up.
It hasn't been easy, but I've been able to stick with it so far. Anyone else made the dive, I'd appreciate feedback. Thanks!

[Ragnar Hogbrok]

Just watch your testosterone and protein. Vegan is cool and all, but you still need your protein. I prefer animal based, but to each his own. I have cut red meat down to once a month or less and eat much more veggies and beans than I used to, but chicken and turkey on the grill is hard to beat.

Good luck to you.

[Albert Einswine]

Man has never been, and not meant to be an herbivore. We are omnivores and require some animal protein.

[Polecat]

Man has never been, and not meant to be an herbivore. We are omnivores and require some animal protein.

Actually, according to the research I've done, humans are frugivores, like apes. True omnivores, like bears, have sharper, longer teeth and shorter intestines, allowing meat to pass through more quickly.
It hasn't been easy, but I've been able to do it so far. Supplementing protein with protein shakes and eating a lot of cashews, beans, hemp seeds (yes hemp seeds) haha and other high protein plants.

[holeinthewall]

If I didn't eat meat I wouldn't eat.  Green things are meant to be mowed not eaten.

[Hogs run wild]

why not keto?

[bennyl08]

Actually, according to the research I've done, humans are frugivores, like apes. True omnivores, like bears, have sharper, longer teeth and shorter intestines, allowing meat to pass through more quickly.
It hasn't been easy, but I've been able to do it so far. Supplementing protein with protein shakes and eating a lot of cashews, beans, hemp seeds (yes hemp seeds) haha and other high protein plants.

The general anthropologic consensus is far from us being frugivores though.

https://ucdintegrativemedicine.com/2016/03/youre-not-cow-gorilla-dont-eat-like-one-either/#gs.4v2iot
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnthropology/comments/570uza/were_the_ancestors_of_humans_really_frugivores/

Some links to read.

Essentially, we don't have sharp super sharp teeth because 4we've been using tools for millions of years. We have a much shorter digestive tract than pure herbivores because they have to digest fibrous plants and cellulose. We aren't even capable of digesting cellulose.

Further, if you loo at the changes to our physiology dating back to the austraelopiths, we become increasingly more adapted to eating meats. Herbivores spend the vast majority of their waking life eating food because you don't get a ton of calories. And while you do need to be able to escape predators, running prey animals tend to have eyes on the sides or their heads to better see. More herbivorous animals with front facing eyes aren't long distance runners like we are.

We've evolved to get high calorie density of whatever variety we can and be adaptable eaters. We don't eat much in the way of leaves because we can't get any calories from them hardly. We go for roots, nuts, and fruits and such when eating plants so we don't have the teeth or chewing motion or digestive track to eat a typical herbivorous diet. We've been using fire and tools for literally millions of years so we don't need a highly acidic stomach or super sharp teeth/claws to eat and break down/kill the bacteria in meat. There's evidence of our stone tools on animals bones dating back nearly as long as our stone tools. Sure, it's possible we didn't eat that meat, but unlikely.

None of this is to say you shouldn't go vegan. Again, we're designed to be adaptable. However, going vegan is tricky and can't be done casually. Not in terms of how difficult it may or may not be to only eat vegan foods, but because it is difficult to get the proper nutrition as a vegan. For example, while broccoli has calcium, your body doesn't absorb as much of that calcium as it does from dairy. Similarly, proteins from animals are more readily available to your body than from plant based sources. More importantly, it is extremely easy to become deficient in heme, zinc, omega 3's, and B12 on a vegan diet. You have to go out of your way to make sure you are getting those nutrients which are readily available to non-vegans.

[82abn Ard]

Probably live a long time if you don't starve to death.   Pass me a ribeye!!

[1990sHogBallChild]

If I didn't eat meat I wouldn't eat.  Green things are meant to be mowed not eaten.

And your future colonoscopy and cardio exams say otherwise

[HF#1]

Good path to malnourishment.

[CurDog64]

Depends on the goal.

If the goal is to lose weight and maintain basic health, it can be done.

If the goal is to compete in athletic events or gain muscle/lose fat most efficiently, there are better diets.

Best of luck man.

[widespreadsooie]

The tree didn't fall if nobody hears it

[Alpha 211]

If I didn't eat meat I wouldn't eat.  Green things are meant to be mowed not eaten.

I used to say this too, until I saw green icing on a birthday cake!

[bennyl08]

Depends on the goal.

If the goal is to lose weight and maintain basic health, it can be done.

If the goal is to compete in athletic events or gain muscle/lose fat most efficiently, there are better diets.

Best of luck man.

Plenty of professional athletes are vegan.

Now yeah, I'll attack bad arguments for veganism such as that's the way we evolved or because animals have feelings (look in depth at the plant world and they have a rich range of behavior as well. They can lie and cheat. They can share and help. Capable of solving mazes, etc...).

However, nothing about being vegan as an athlete is any harder or less efficient than any other diet. You can't eat casually and have to put thought into what you are eating for sure. However, that's true of any diet.

[daprospecta]

Plenty of professional athletes are vegan.

Now yeah, I'll attack bad arguments for veganism such as that's the way we evolved or because animals have feelings (look in depth at the plant world and they have a rich range of behavior as well. They can lie and cheat. They can share and help. Capable of solving mazes, etc...).

However, nothing about being vegan as an athlete is any harder or less efficient than any other diet. You can't eat casually and have to put thought into what you are eating for sure. However, that's true of any diet.

I didn't go vegan but I spent the month of Nov not eating meat, minus thanksgiving. I did notice a difference but my veggie count went up 10 fold. All those athletes that are vegan got their size and strength from meat. You can maintain on a vegan diet but you aren't building very much with it.

[CurDog64]

However, nothing about being vegan as an athlete is any harder or less efficient than any other diet.

There is no high quality nutritional research to support this. Only anecdotal accounts and marketing.

[Pork Ranger]

Is the OP still alive? Still Vegan?

[HF#1]

Plenty of professional athletes are vegan.

And injury prone.