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Should I become non vegetarian.?
Hi, I am 23/male/207 lbs currently after loosing 35 lbs in 4 months. I have lost pretty much enough fat and now I want to build some lean mass. I have been working out for more then a year now. Now to gain some muscle I am suppose to have around 200 gms of proteins. But being a vegetarian I can get amost around 50 or so grams from my diet so I cannot compliment rest 150 with 6 protein shakes.
Thus I am confused that should a I becone a non vegetarian. Will it help me better, I have never had anything non veg my whole life and m not really looking forward to it. Is it uuterly necessary or can I stick to bwing vegetarian and become muscular , if yes then what should I eat the most in vegetarian food.i cant have soy too much cause it tend to increase estrogen .
Please help.
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Want to answer more questions in the Health & Fitness category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Nutrition?
I actually read an article recently in a Vegan magazine about this couple [Link](Mouse over link to see full location) This guy is a body builder and he's vegan. I would check out the site and see if there's anything you can add to your diet.
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I assume that when you say vegetarian you don't mean vegan right? I.e. you can eat dairy, eggs, etc.?
If this is the case then no problem. If not then it is difficult (but possible). I will provide an answer first for one then for the other:
Vegetarian Diet
As a vegetarian you have access to some of the best protein sources there are: egg whites and whey. If you are a pesco vegetarian then there is also fish - in particular tuna (but I am guessing from your question that this is not the case). Other great sources of protein include low fat dairy products (in particular cottage cheese).
Getting 200 grams is easy. Supplement your meals with egg whites (each has about 5 grams), low fat cottage cheese (I eat the stuff almost by the tub), skim milk, yoghurt, and other dairy. I would not go beyond 2 shakes per day, its just not as good as real food. Also work in the vegan protein sources that I mention below.
Vegan Diet
Now, if you are a vegan then its much harder. Non animal protein sources are not as good. The food may have other health benefits but in terms of protein quality plant sources are incomplete. This means that they do not have all the essential amino acids, limiting absorption. This is why vegans have to constantly mix many different protein sources. Moreover, these sources tend not to have as much protein in them either.
Some of the best sources of vegan protein are: Soy, wheat gluten, beans, nuts, quinoa, oats, spinach, lentils.
I would also recommend creatine as a supplement. It is useful for anyone, but since one of the best natural sources is meat it is probably even more useful for the vegan/vegetarian lifter.
Also take a good vitamin supplement and make sure you are getting your omega 3 fatty acids (a supplement is usually a good idea for most people).
So, bottom line is you need to vary your protein sources and aim for 5-6 meals per day with 30 grams of protein in each meal. Add to this a protein shake and you have hit your target.
Oh, and do keep in mind that the protein requirements that you normally see quoted (which vary from about 1.5 grams to 2.5 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight) refer to LEAN body weight. So unless you are really slim at 207 pounds (94kg), you do not need 200 grams.
Personally, I have always opted for the lower end of that spectrum. My lean bodyweight is probably around 105kg and I eat maybe 175grams of protein per day (I do powerlifting btw).
Ok, sorry for the mess, I hope this is useful. Good luck :)
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