Re: Can I bodybuild and eat as a vegetarian? Newbie looking for advice

i believe wholeheartedly that one can be in a physically demanding sport like bodybuilding and still be a vegetarian. fruits and veggies have all the protein we need; bodybuilders just need to eat more than the average person. currently, im 5'6", 136 lbs and my goal is to gain another 10-12 lbs of muscle within the next year.

im a ovo-lacto vegetarian (i eat cheese and sour cream about once a week but absolutely no milk (i cannot overemphasize how destructive milk is). my only source of egg consumption comes from the homemade ice cream i make just about every week or two using only organic heavy cream, soymilk, raw organic eggs and natural unprocessed sugar. otherwise i do not consume eggs any other fashion, cooked or uncooked.

im a firm believer in proper food combining and eat only high water content fruits (watermelon, kiwi, cantaloupe) in the morning, nothing else. on weekdays, for lunch i generally have baby bananas and natural organic, freshly ground peanut butter and for dinner i have two baked potatoes with organic butter, Sea Salt , chives, and a salad.

i snack throughout the day on air popped popcorn with organic butter and Sea Salt , raw sunflower seeds (i go through a ton of them a week), flavored oat snacks and fruits (especially oranges and apples). on weekends i dont deviate from the morning fruit routine but lunch and dinner varies, consisting of only vegetarian recipes with legumes, potatoes, wheat or rice pasta, brocolli, etc. (always accompanied by a salad). i may splurge on a bean and cheese burrito once a week at my local mexican eatery (accompanied by a salad). i eat cleanly, consuming no candy, junk food, fast food, processed food, pastuerized juices and preserved foods. i drink only freshly squeezed juices using a citrus juicer or power juicer on occasion and distilled water only througout the day.

so far my weight has maintained at 136 lbs. i've worked out for years attaining the lean and muscular look, but just recently made the decision to go with a new routine and attain a more muscled bodybuilder-type physique. i've been on the new routine for about 3 weeks. i admit im not gaining weight as quickly as i would like but, i workout 2-2 1/2 hrs a day five days a week so im fortunate not to be dropping weight at least, perhaps due to cutting back my cardio by about 85%. i may look into supplementing with soy protein if results are not forthcoming in the near future though. Tweet