I've been a vegetarian now for 5 days, and I've been working out, I wanted to share my results. Are there any other vegetarians on here? What benefits have you seen? (overall)

I went vegetarian for about 1.5 months once, and i actually really enjoyed the food. *i am apparently a carnivore at heart* I have kept many of the habits i created while being vegetarian and eat way less meat based protein then before. I think my biggest challenge was making sure I was eating balanced and meeting my dietary needs. (there are plenty of unhealthy vegetarians out there) I still really like eating beans and lentils and experimenting with herbs and spices.
What types of dishes do you enjoy
I can see changes for sure.

Damn good progress for 5 days. If I weren't trying to put on muscle and lost fat at the same time I might consider going vegetarian. Building muscle requires protein=eating meat, and protein shakes aren't too healthy as main source for that. That would kinda defeat the purpose of being a vegetarian IMO haha.

This is probably a stupid question..but i dont know the answer..lol.
Can you not build muscle with plant proteins? Some of those have large amounts...or does it have to be from an animal.

I've been vegetarian since the beginning of June, and I lost approximately 40 pounds during that time, with NO exercise.

Now I'm starting to regear my diet towards complex carbs (fruits and vegetables), plant proteins (beans and tofu!!!), etc...because the last few weeks I have been turning into a junk food vegetarian, while when I started out, I was very conscious of the health aspect of what I was eating. As soon as I went back to scarfing processed foods and soda, the weight started to creep back on. And I'll tell you, going as vegan as possible (avoiding eggs and dairy) will do WONDERS for your diet, as that fatty cheese can kill ya. Horrible for your digestion too. I haven't had the heart to give it up entirely, but I have significantly reduced its part in my diet and I can really tell the difference.

I'm also making an effort to exercise now, in order to take those last forty-five pounds off that I want to see gone.

Yes, it is possible to build muscle with plant proteins, but the problem is you also have to add in another source of protein (such as a whey protein supplement, or soy etc.) and those aren't really the most healthy sources for protein. Also it's hard to get enough "good fats" being a vegetarian but not impossible. Basically its just alot harder to build muscle on a vegetarian diet and takes more dedication (losing weight and getting stronger is hard enough lol).

It is not a lot harder to build muscle as being a vegetarian. That is just a myth in my opinion. I know many veggie body builders, who are doing great! Tons of foods contain good protein. Soy, nuts, beans, legumes, etc etc have protein. It is also not hard to get "good fats" Some good fats you can get are extra virgin olive oil, natural peanut butter, and avacodo. Both use no animal products

Sorry, but this is false.

Meat based proteins are the only sources of *complete* proteins (with a handful of exceptions, like soy and dairy, I believe). But as long as you're getting complete proteins (which means all the amino acids) it doesn't matter if your proteins are plant based or meat based. It just means when you get your proteins from veg/grains/legumes, you have to make sure to get a variety of sources.

But it is entirely possible to build muscle w/out meat based proteins and w/out powders or supplements. It just means being MUCH more aware of what you eat and being vigilant about your protein sources. You can't be a junk-food vegetarian and expect it to work. (Thanks maverick for the great phrase!)

And that's completely and utterly false, since all of the good fats ARE veggie based: olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, peanut and nut butters ... those *are* the good fats. So it is completely easy to get good fats as a veggie.

I'm not sure where you're getting your nutrition info from, but it's not accurate at all.

Already look smaller in 5 days! You're doing great!

If you are a vegetarian and you want to make sure you get all your protein, Bragg's Liquid Aminos are your friend.

Bragg Liquid Aminos by Bragg - GG-1002 - at The Vitamin Shoppe

I haven't tried any yet, but I know a bunch of vegans who swear by it for staying on top of your nutritional balance.

Well, someone tell me how does meat taste like?
I am a pure vegetarian!

wow, my question that i thought may be stupid brought back some great information... thanks all

I didn't say it was impossible to build muscle on a vegan diet...just more difficult...and yes if your bodybuilding you have to add in a powder and or some type of soy if you wanna build muscle (it takes about a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight to build muscle, it would be pretty hard to get that without some other source). Your right about the fats though.

I'm sorry, but this just isn't correct. You don't *have* to add in a powder or supplement to build muscle.

Yes, it is easier to get the required protein by adding in a supplement - whey or soy powder or whatever. But it IS possible to get 1g per 1lb eating veggie. You just have to manage it carefully.

And, for the record, you DID say that you had to eat meat to build muscle. So if that's not what you meant to say, you might want to keep that in mind for the future. To quote you, you said: Building muscle requires protein=eating meat,

People take what they read on these boards seriously and when someone speaks as though he or she is an authority, a lot of people will believe that w/out bothering to do further research. IMO, when someone posts on these boards giving advice, they have a responsibility to make sure that they're posting accurate information, or else being very clear that what they're posting is opinion vs. fact.