Vegaterian bulking diet - please critique

[jfalco]

I'm new to the forum. I've worked out for years of and on, but never really tried to put on weight until recently. I'm considering my first cycle and I've asked a few questions on the forum. Everyone keeps telling me that the first thing I need is to get my diet in order, so I kept track of what I ate yesterday and I was hoping maybe you guys could give me some pointers.

I am 31 years old. 5'8" 154 lbs

meal 1 - 4 egg whites, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup almonds, brocoli, colliflower, lettus, 1 tbsp salad dressing
meal 2 - protein shake (24 grams whey protein)
meal 3 - 2 tbsp peanutbutter on 2 slices whole grain bread. 2 cups 1% milk
meal 4 - same as meal 3
meal 5 - protein shake
meal 6 - 1 cup brown rice, fried tofu, veggies and whatever else they put in a green curry

I eatimate this at about 175 g protein, about 2800 cals. I'm really not sure on carbs and fat, but it seams about right on carbs and maybe a little high on fat. I'm not too worried about a little extra fat because I am naturally thin, and since sping is coming, I'll be stepping up my cardio. I hate doing cardio at the gym, but once the weather gets nice I love to run.

this is a pretty typical day. I've been trying to gain weight for about 3 months. In that time I've put on a little over 10 pounds. Unfortunately these 10 pounds are very easy for me to put on. After that I gain weight slowly. Since high school I've hovered between 130 and 150. I'd like to get up to 170 or so.

[jfalco]

I usually work out somwhere between meals 2 and 5, but it varies quite a bit. I keep an unusual schedule. There is never more than 3 hours between meals, but the times also vary quite a bit.

[TRA]

I won't comment on the diet, as there are others here much more qualified to do so.

But I will comment on the vegetarianism. I was vegan for 8 years, veg for the following 7. I noticed declining energy levels about 2-3 years into the vegan diet, which persisted from that point on. I also experienced cyclical energy levels, good in the mornings, mid-afternoon crash, didn't matter how I structured my diet or exercise. Irritability got worse. When I hit 40 I felt like shit, and attributed it to the fact that I was running distance trail runs. Started lifting, cut down on runs, little difference.

Got my test checked last year, so low the doc who ordered it called me at work and told me he couldn't believe I had the energy to take a leak. Probably a bit genetic, but definitely worsened greatly by the veg diet, high soy supplementation, which was estrogenic, and worsened the problem. I eat meat now, and I feel much better. Also doing HRT test. I was veg because of ethical beliefs, but it wasn't worth my own health and well-being. Just a thought.

[WOLFCRAFT]

I was vegan for years as well, then turned to "pesketarian"... if that's how it's spelled...
Meaning I eat fish but not meat (beef, chicken, etc.)
I find this beneficial because I get all of the benefits meat provides, but am able to keep my ethical standpoint pretty much the same.
Lots of fish, eggs, and whey... can't go wrong there.

[T-MOS]

I'm new to the forum. I've worked out for years of and on, but never really tried to put on weight until recently. I'm considering my first cycle and I've asked a few questions on the forum. Everyone keeps telling me that the first thing I need is to get my diet in order, so I kept track of what I ate yesterday and I was hoping maybe you guys could give me some pointers.

I am 31 years old. 5'8" 154 lbs

meal 1 - 4 egg whites, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup almonds, brocoli, colliflower, lettus, 1 tbsp salad dressing
meal 2 - protein shake (24 grams whey protein)
meal 3 - 2 tbsp peanutbutter on 2 slices whole grain bread. 2 cups 1% milk
meal 4 - same as meal 3
meal 5 - protein shake
meal 6 - 1 cup brown rice, fried tofu, veggies and whatever else they put in a green curry

I eatimate this at about 175 g protein, about 2800 cals. I'm really not sure on carbs and fat, but it seams about right on carbs and maybe a little high on fat. I'm not too worried about a little extra fat because I am naturally thin, and since sping is coming, I'll be stepping up my cardio. I hate doing cardio at the gym, but once the weather gets nice I love to run.

this is a pretty typical day. I've been trying to gain weight for about 3 months. In that time I've put on a little over 10 pounds. Unfortunately these 10 pounds are very easy for me to put on. After that I gain weight slowly. Since high school I've hovered between 130 and 150. I'd like to get up to 170 or so.

there is just not enough calories or quality protein for you to gain weight on this diet, sorry

[jfalco]

there is just not enough calories or quality protein for you to gain weight on this diet, sorry

Ok, I did the research and math and found that I should be eating around 3200 calories, but what do you mean by "quality proteins"

please correct me if I'm wrong:

eggs are complete proteins

peanuts and dairy are complimentary proteins and when eaten together make a complete protein

tofu is a complete protein


Those are my main protein sources for that day. Did you just mean that I need more total protein or do I understand this wrong. I've upped my diet to 3200 cals and 200 or more grams of protein. Am I on the right track?

Thanks.

[T-MOS]

Ok, I did the research and math and found that I should be eating around 3200 calories, but what do you mean by "quality proteins"

please correct me if I'm wrong:

eggs are complete proteins

peanuts and dairy are complimentary proteins and when eaten together make a complete protein

tofu is a complete protein


Those are my main protein sources for that day. Did you just mean that I need more total protein or do I understand this wrong. I've upped my diet to 3200 cals and 200 or more grams of protein. Am I on the right track?

Thanks.

yes eggs are great, not sure about the peanut/dairy combo as a complete protein, or the tofu, but my concern is that you want to gain weight, and there is just not enough food there for that. you need good carbs in each meal

have a look in the bulking diet section to get an idea of macros needed and some more good carb sources like sweet potatos and such

[jfalco]

I was vegan for years as well, then turned to "pesketarian"... if that's how it's spelled...
Meaning I eat fish but not meat (beef, chicken, etc.)
I find this beneficial because I get all of the benefits meat provides, but am able to keep my ethical standpoint pretty much the same.
Lots of fish, eggs, and whey... can't go wrong there.

Look into the fishing industry a little and you might find that your ethical standpoint is radically different. I struggle with this quite a bit, because I know it would be much easier if I started eating fish.

I have no idea what your reasons for being a vegetarian or peskatarian, but from an environmental standpoint, unless you catch the fish yourself, it aint much better than eating meat. Then again I eat dairy, which is definitely at least as bad as eating fish, so I guess it's just where you want to draw your line. I would quit dairy if I could, but it's just too hard to get good nutrition w/o it. I can't see any moral issues w/ eggs as long as they're free range.

[jfalco]

yes eggs are great, not sure about the peanut/dairy combo as a complete protein, or the tofu, but my concern is that you want to gain weight, and there is just not enough food there for that. you need good carbs in each meal

have a look in the bulking diet section to get an idea of macros needed and some more good carb sources like sweet potatos and such

This I understand. Thanks for the quick response. I've actually been reading quite a bit and added a lot to my diet. I'm throwing some hemp protein in my shakes and eating more calories. I find that I have to add a 7th meal to do this. I a little confused about carbs. I had heard that it is bad to eat carbs and fat in the same meal. I drink tons of milk, so obviously I'm not super concerned about this. Should I forget about this and just eat all my macros in every meal? Also I heard that carbs were bad in the before bed meal.

I

I'm aiming for 40%/40%/20% on my macros. Does that seem right to you?

When I stopped eating meat, I learned how to eat a nutritious vegetarian diet, but bodybuilding nutrition is new to me.

Thanks again for your help

[Big_gRunt]

You can get to 170 or so on a vegitarian diet. For sure. I'm not a vegitarian now, but I was for about 2 years. During that time I reached my highest bodyweight (15bls heavier than now) and had a BF% of <10%.
My meals went like this:

Meal 1: 4 eggs on wholemeal toast with 2 slices of cheese. Bowl of wheat cerial w/Protien powder

Meal 2: PWO shake
Meal 3: 500ml Milk, + home made muffin (extra eggs in the muffin mix)
Meal 4: Salad Sandwich containing slice of cheese. Bag of hot chips with gravy.
Meal 5: Breakfast cerial (wheat bix) with protein powder.
Meal 6: What ever was going....minus the meat (usually added eggs &or tofu)
Meal 7: Another protein shake.

Use rice milk instead of soy because of the estrogen issue. It's cheaper and tastes better.

Utilize vegies with dark green folage (they contain folate). Folate improves transfer of amino acids to and from the one-carbon-pool . Spinach.

You can munch on almonds during the day too.

Then it's just a matter of time. Don't expect 4bls /month. 1 or 2 would be more like it.

[WOLFCRAFT]

The estrogen/soy thing is a complete myth.

You'd have to eat an insane amount of soy protein to have even the slightest effect on your estrogen levels.

[xnotoriousx]

I would hate it if I couldn't eat meat.

[jfalco]

I would hate it if I couldn't eat meat.

It's a personal choice. I used to love meat and it was a sacrifice to give it up, but I miss it less all the time. At this point its been so long that I probably wouldn't like it anymore. No texture like meat in the plant world.

[LAW]

I was a lacto ovo vegertarian for 15 years. Eggs, Dairy. No chick,meat or fish. Raised my 3 sons that way to and they didn't start eating meat products until they were 16.

Any bean or legume with any grain is a complete protein. Peanuts are considered a bean.
Dairy is a complete protein within itself. There is a way to be healthy vegertarian, I was not one of them.

[Deltasaurus]

you need some more protein to gain properly IMO add in some Chicken Breast or Lean cuts of steak. if you eat eggs thats animal products so cmon bro All or none join us in the Carnevorous Side