From India - Please share your experiences

[Anand]

hi davinder,

check out guru's diet, its a post in this thread on the 1st page, its all veg. try the suggested schedule, and see if you can add some non-veg items to it.
keep a healthy combination of non-veg, veggies, fruits, carbs and healthy fats, and you should be fine
did you checkout the posts in the website by mehdi: this and this, these will give a pretty good idea of what to have and what not to. dont worry about not being able to take whey, its a good source of protein but it is just a diet supplement. you still get a lot of protein from regular food.

you can make/try non-veg meals like
grilled chicken/tandoori chicken with rice and dal
boiled/cooked chicken with veggies
fish/canned tuna with pasta
chicken noodles
(if you like other sources of non-veg, try them too)

other sources of protein you can try are
boiled/scrambled/raw eggs, milk, mixed nuts, beans, legumes, sprouts.

if you can cook by yourself or have things cooked then you can try different things, it is also the healthier and economic way to do it.
if not you will have to scavenge food outlets to get what you can out of them.

hope this helped

[hemram4u]

hEY isn't DAAL has too much carbs?
Mehdi says carbs post workout only right....just wondering...if we can eat that other times

[Anand]

hi hemram4u,

is dal too much carbs? i dont know, maybe it is. but if taken in moderation, i think it should be ok.
the food that i was suggesting was not tied down to any specific timing, just examples of what to have.
but you are right about mehdi suggesting to have carbs post workout.

[Nilan666]

hEY isn't DAAL has too much carbs?
Mehdi says carbs post workout only right....just wondering...if we can eat that other times

According to what i know. Daal ie legumes and lentil are "protein rich" more than they are carb rich.
What has carbohydrates is rice.We indians consume too much rice anyway. That is responsible for out 'softer' looks.

Also cutting out rice while upping your protein intake is a great way to lose weight and fat. I ballooned to 74.5kg in march. Ive now dropped back to 71kg.

[Anand]

yup i agree, we eat a little too much white rice. i think brown rice is a slightly better and healthier option.

[Anand]

guys, this thread got recognition as one of the best threads of may'09. yay!!
check out this link for more details

Best of The Forum in May 2009. StrongLifts.com also has a forum with +4800 members and +100.000 posts. The forum has lots of knowledgeable members, is very active and free. Some of the best threads:

* “What’s Dragging You Down?” Challenge
* Eating “Clean” versus Calorie Counting
* I wish I progressed like some of you
* How important is just being strong
* Can you really expect to squat 1.5x with a beginner program?
* Overweight and struggling with the BW excersises
* Skeptical of 5×5
* How do I stop Mindless eating?
* Significance of overhead press grip width
* From India - Please share your experiences
* Movie stars - getting in great shape, and quickly
* Help me please its getting hard to finish 5×5

thanks for all the contribution guys. keep them coming. and special thanks to guru and shree for starting this thread

[guru]

guys, this thread got recognition as one of the best threads of may'09. yay!!
check out this link for more details

Best of The Forum in May 2009. StrongLifts.com also has a forum with +4800 members and +100.000 posts. The forum has lots of knowledgeable members, is very active and free. Some of the best threads:

* “What’s Dragging You Down?” Challenge
* Eating “Clean” versus Calorie Counting
* I wish I progressed like some of you
* How important is just being strong
* Can you really expect to squat 1.5x with a beginner program?
* Overweight and struggling with the BW excersises
* Skeptical of 5×5
* How do I stop Mindless eating?
* Significance of overhead press grip width
* From India - Please share your experiences
* Movie stars - getting in great shape, and quickly
* Help me please its getting hard to finish 5×5

thanks for all the contribution guys. keep them coming. and special thanks to guru and shree for starting this thread

Yep, saw that yeterday & my chest got a bit puffed without benching or dipping.

Let's keep it that way.

[shree]

Wow ! that a great news ! Great job Guru.

I was not working out for last couple of weeks due to sore back.Pulled muscle while swimming, kept me away for a while.

Also vacation time for Son & Wife, so not really able to follow any routine. Hopefully thing should be okay once school reopen and son is on his way to school.

After a gap of 4 weeks, should I start all over ? what do you think?

my stats are as below

170cm · 65kg · 36yo

Front Squat - 45 kg, BP - 45 kg, OHP - 35 kg, DL - 75 kg

[guru]

Hi Shree, I don't think you need to start over, but it's your call. Even if you do start over, maybe you can decide to add 5 kg initially.

BTW, if you don't mind me asking, why are you not maintaining a log here Shree?

[shree]

Thanks Guru.

I maintain a log, in excel file. When I started this program I was not sure if I will do it for long time so avoided creating a log.

Once I start again then I will start maintaining ! ( I hope to it should be soon)

[Anand]

hi shree,

pretty nice stats you have there. way to go.
regarding getting back after 4 weeks, i would say take it a little easy on the very first workout, maybe try to do a set or two at 75% of your max 5x5, if you feel comfortable then continue on with your regular weights.

[guru]

Hey guys, this thread has really become popular. It's been referred to in Mehdi's recent article too -

How to Get Your Daily Protein When You’re Vegetarian or Vegan

Posted: 01 Jun 2009 08:31 AM PDT

To maintain and build muscle, you should eat at least 1g of protein per pound of body-weight per day. That’s 200g daily protein if you weigh 200lbs. The easiest way to get this is to eat a whole source of protein with each meal.

The Protein 101 post has an example diet that gets you that amount. However it’s aimed at omnivores. Since some of you don’t eat animal products, here’s how to get your daily protein if you’re a vegetarian or vegan.


What Do Vegetarians & Vegans Eat? Mostly vegetables, legumes & fruits. They never eat meat, poultry or fish but might eat eggs & dairy depending on the type of vegetarianism.

* Lacto-ovo Vegetarians. Eat eggs & dairy, but no animal flesh.
* Lacto Vegetarians. Eat dairy, but no eggs and no animal flesh.
* Ovo Vegetarians. Eat eggs, but no dairy and no animal flesh.
* Vegans. Eat no eggs, no dairy, no animal flesh and no honey.


The Cons of Vegetarianism & Veganism. Some think these diets are healthier because they’re high in fruits and veggies. While most people should definitely eat more of these, vegetarianism & veganism have drawbacks too.

* Lower Test Levels. Saturated fat and cholesterol increase testosterone levels which benefits muscle mass, strength, energy levels, libido, body fat, … These are mainly found in animal products.
* Health Issues. Soy is high in phytoestrogens, a female hormone. Eating soy in small quantities like they do in Asia is OK. But excess intakes can cause infertility, cancer, heart diseases, … Read The Whole Soy Story.
* Fat Gains. If your daily caloric need is on the higher end, things get hard unless you eat lots of carbs. But this usually causes fat gains.
* Allergies. Consuming huge amounts of dairy, eggs & soy to get your protein can cause lactose intolerance, digestive problems, acne, …


Protein Sources for Vegetarians & Vegans. If you’re lacto, ovo or lacto-ovo vegetarian, go heavy on eggs, milk, whey and cottage cheese. Other protein sources to meet your daily intake:

* Beans. Black, garbanzo, hummus, kidney, fava, winged, mungo, lima, …
* Legumes. Lentils, peas, peanuts, peanut butter, …
* Nuts. Walnuts, almonds, pistachio, cashew, …
* Seeds. Sesame, pumpkin, hemp, flax, …
* Milk. Soy milk, almond milk, …
* Soy. Soy beans, tofu, deli-style soy meats, soy cheese, …
* Whole Grains. Brown rice, quinoa, granola, oats, breads, …
* Veggies. Broccoli, asparagus, spinach, kale, collard greens, …
* Protein Powder. Soy protein, hemp protein, rice protein, …


Example Vegetarian Diet. Here’s an example diet that fits within the 8 nutrition rules. Works to keep your body fat within healthy ranges.

* Breakfast. Whole eggs, spinach, orange.
* Snack. Mixed nuts, apple.
* Lunch. Tofu, legumes.
* Snack. Smoothie: whey, broccoli, berries.
* Post Workout. 1 liter milk, banana.
* Dinner. Soy burger, mixed beans.
* Pre bed. Cottage cheese, berries, ground flax seeds.


My 2 Cents on Vegetarianism. Vegetarians & vegans often struggle with their body fat. Reason: these diets are higher in carbs and most people get fat eating excess carbs. You’ll need to be very active to get away with it.

Yes there are plenty of vegans & vegetarians out there who have built muscle, got stronger & lost fat. I’m sure it can be done if you know what you’re doing and use protein supplements. But again: read The Whole Soy Story.

If you want to get stronger, build muscle & lose fat, I believe an omnivore diet that follows these 8 nutrition rules is superior for the above reasons. Then it’s only an ethical or moral issue.


More Reading:

* From India - Please share your experiences. Diet tips.
* Soy Online Service. The truth about soy.
* The Whole Soy Story. Official site of the Kaayla T. Daniel’s book.
* Beyond Vegeterianism. Are humans natural vegetarians or omnivores?

[Nilan666]

Good for us. Good for everyone

I had a hard time convincing mum to stop insisting i eat rice, but the results are speaking for themselves. I still have to eat rice at dinner though. Oh well.

[electric]

I've tried asking for lactase pills in pharmacies and places that sell weightlifting supplements, but none of them know what it is. Have any of you managed to buy lactase? I'm sure most of you can't try GOMAD without it .

[guru]

Sorry electric, never had to try them. I'm not intolerant to milk at all. I never did a full GOMAD, but was drinking about 1.6 - 1.8 litres everyday some time back. Other than some gas, no issues.