Lifestyles

[Ayashi Foxtail]

This has probably been spoken about before, but hey, there aren't many threads going at the moment, I figured what the hey.

Foodwise, how much do you think about your food? Do you go for your five a day etc? Do you try and work out nutrients or do you just figure that you are eating vegetables, you've probably taken in enough?

What about exercise? Do you do much? Do you think you do too much/too little? What kind of exercise do you do and do you find it easy to keep up with it?

Being nosy really... I just watched "Make My Body 10 Years Younger" or whatever that programme is called, and wondered what they'd find if they did tests on me... Most of my dinners are cooked by mum (I try to cook dinner on the days when she works, but she's rather kitchen territorial. I swear she peels spuds at 10am to spite me) so I have no control over that and as for the rest of the day, I tend to eat things like crisps and apple pie... perhaps a small bread roll... but not big on salad or anything particularly healthy. I wondered if I need to think more about how much of each nutrients I'm putting into my body, especially if I'm not getting enough of something and not realising it. I want to adopt when I'm older and it's something I want to think about eventually, because I want to go to social services with a proper sort of portfolio of Vegan meals nutritionally suited to children and suchlike so I can prove that I've thought really carefully about bringing up a child on a Vegan diet.
As well as that, my exercise is dire. I'm a former anorexic (well, I still have my issues, but I like food too much lol) and that difficult time did damage to my body that makes it hard now. When you lose weight, a good percentage of that weight loss is muscle and now I can't really cycle and I can't run. My muscle mass is not really anything. I can't lift more than say 6 kilos for more than a minute or so. So I'm in a sort of catch 22 because I can't exercise because I have no real muscle mass and I have no real muscle mass because I don't exercise, and on top of that, if I exercise, I'll lose weight and thereby lose muscle mass because my body is processing fat and muscle to feed my muscles, so I'm right in the bad stuff there.

OK, that turned into a waffling ramble on my life story! I don't know if anyone has any good nutritional or exercise advice... would be gratefully received :D

[Gliondrach]

My diet isn't the best. I mainly live on toast, always with tahini on it. I eat nuts and raisins every day. Apples every day. Bananas a couple of days a week. A vegetable stew once every five days or so. Lots of tea with soya milk. A multi-vitamin and mineral tablet. A vitamin C tablet. A kelp tablet. And a B-complex tablet.

I think everyone should have a multi-vitamin tablet because modern food is not as nutritious as it was many years ago despite an increase in crop yields. This is according to a study with contributions from the University of Texas, Washington State University and the Organic Centre.

I exercise regularly. You can see what I do in the exercise blog thread.

If you eat enough food and do weight training correctly, you can increase your muscle mass. A good place to get advice on that is the vegan bodybuilding and fitness forum.

[vegan mummy]

I don't care too much what I eat, but considering I don't eat too much junk (ie. cookies..I might indulge [is that the right word??] once a week..but not like every day) and mainly snack on a variety of fruit, and lunch is either leftover dinner or a sandwich, and I always make dinner so I know I'm putting in heaps of vegetables..I think I eat pretty well. So I'm not too worried on that front..I guess I worry sometimes that I don't eat enough, as I am breastfeeding and you're supposed to consume an extra 1000 calories or something for that..that's a lot of food..I just don't have the time to eat that much!

As for exercise, I don't think I exercise too much, but I definitely do quite a bit. I go for a walk every day for about 45 mins, and then about 2 times a week I'll do a set of post-natal exercises, 30 mins each session, and then I go to an hour long mother and baby exercise class once a week. I've increased my exercise steadily since the birth nearly 4 months ago..I started off just walking for 30 mins every few days..so it doesn't tire me out, my body's used to it now. And I'm back to pre-pregnancy weight, yay!!

[Gliondrach]

Seems like a sensible exercise routine, Vegan Mummy.

[Fauxmage]

Ooh my lifestyle is all over the place. Sometimes good, and sometimes bad. Which is why I don't talk about it very much! :o

Sometimes I eat according to Doug Graham's 80/10/120, which is huge quantities of fruit and leafy greens. But then someone's birthday comes along, and I eat conventional food, and cake. I love to make cake, and I am really good at it, if I do say so myself. I love a good risotto too. And there are so many good vegan junk foods available, and more getting created all the time. Ahem. :shy:

I do walk dogs for a living, so there is a basic bare minimum level of fitness maintenance, but I don't get much real serious cardiovascular training. I should, because I love to hike in Yosemite, and the elevation is hard for me to cope with. It wouldn't be if I were in better shape. I do strength training, but only in spurts. I have trouble with self discipline, and maintaining routines.

I also am haphazard with supplements, but I suppose it all balances out in the end. I seem to be in better health than many people I know, but that may be partly on account of good genes, which I can't take any credit for, and abstaining from many things I have always believed are toxic, like alchohol, cigarettes, vaccinations, and all sorts of drugs, legal, illegal, prescription, or over the counter. I've got no moral objections to any of those things. They are just not for me.

[Ayashi Foxtail]

At the moment my exercise regime is trying to run around the block. Well, since I can't run very well, it starts off "Run for 20 seconds, walk for 20 seconds..." and then becomes "Rapid flapping about 20 seconds... walk for 20 seconds... 2 minutes wondering what a heart attack feels like". I end up walking all the way on the leg back because my heart hurts.

[Gliondrach]

What you are describing, Ayashi, for the first part of your running, is interval training. That is where you do some sort of exercise at a very fast pace, then at a slower pace, then fast, then slow, and keep on like that. It has been found to be better than exercising at a steady pace. And it doesn't take as long as the steady pace type. You increase both aerobic and anaerobic fitness at the same time. And burn more fat each day.

So keep it up and try to do more running than flapping. Flapping is for birds. :book:

[Ayashi Foxtail]

lol most people walk faster than I run... my brother pushing a motorbike can walk faster than I can run!

[vavaving]

Do you try and work out nutrients or do you just figure that you are eating vegetables, you've probably taken in enough? I read up on malnutrition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrition#Malnutrition) and found out what kinds of nutrients are necessary. Then I looked at nutritional data for foods, and surveyed their prices at local stores. From there a fair amount of trial and error was involved in figuring out how my body responded to them in all manner of situations. Also, considering that I would be eating them long term, I researched each for potential hazards, like pesticide residues, arsenic, other toxins, etc. That narrowed my list down to just a few nutritious foods which total less than $100 per month.
Foodwise, how much do you think about your food? Do you go for your five a day etc?I don't have to think about it at this point. Its just a matter of keeping the foods available to myself. I snack throughout the day, and eat one full meal at some point (typically following exercise).
What about exercise? Do you do much? Do you think you do too much/too little? What kind of exercise do you do and do you find it easy to keep up with it?I run usually 7 miles at at time, including one-mile uphill. Bodyweight exercises using a pull-up bar and gymnastic rings are my other pursuit.
I've lost approximately 70lbs since I changed my lifestyle. Another 20lbs to go before I reach the goal of mid-point for my height to weight ratio.

I recommend daily consistency in exercise and nutrition. Your body can respond very well to this over time. :treadmill:

[Gliondrach]

lol most people walk faster than I run... my brother pushing a motorbike can walk faster than I can run!

I think your brother has the wrong idea about motorbikes. You are supposed to ride them, not push them.

[Ayashi Foxtail]

oh yeah, very funny, I haven't heard that one recently. He was wheeling it round to the local garage. He hasn't even taken lessons yet.

[Gliondrach]

Well, good luck to him.

[Soynut]

I think I eat pretty OK, but I go into snacking binches some weeks, and the snacks are often dark chocolate and potato chips (must be those crazed female hormones!).:rolleyes: Here's my list of food that I try to include in my diet on a daily basis:

- organic fortified soy or rice milk for extra calcium (most of them contain 30% and is as much as regular milk).

- nuts...or at least either peanut butter or raw almond butter on a toast.

- dark green veggies... at least one a day.

- a couple of fruits, and sometimes only a smoothie.

- whole grain bread.

- some type of legumes or beans, but more often some tofu product.

- try to eat a variety of fruits and veggies in general (I mostly spend my time at the produce isle when I shop these days).

- a multi-vitamin, a tablespoon flaxseed oil, and twice a week a B-12 (methylcobalamin) supplement under the tongue.

I consider myself in good health with a normal energy level, so I guess this is is working for me. Interestingly enough, after becoming vegan I need less sleep - I could totally party all night if I wanted to and still be OK the next morning! And this is something I could not do before, I would be tired the whole next day feeling like a heavy sandbag. I also have much more stamina when I exercise!:yea: I stopped smoking 4 years ago, and before then, I smoked a pack every two weeks or so. I have a few drinks of alcohol on rare occasions. No other drugs... only on prescription drugs or over the counter painkillers in emergency situations. I do cardio at the gym 2 to 3 times a week plus long walks with my dog. Cardio is my natural anti-depressant, and something I don't want to live without.:)