Any vegetarians here?

[tetra]

You need a paradigm change. It seems that you've been expecting to have someone tell you what is right and wrong, true and false. If you just absorb everything people say, you're going to absorb a lot of crap, because people say a lot of stupid things. You need to engage in your own critical thinking.

To get a start, go read the FAQs, and if something doesn't seem to make any sense, go ahead and ask about it. Don't say "but I heard elsewhere..." because "elsewhere" may be well be an idiot. Explain in terms of your own reasoning what you think the issue is. You'll be surprised how things start to make sense when you look at them critically, as opposed to comparatively (that is, compared to what "they all say").

My post might not have came off that way, but that's exactly what I'm trying to do. I didn't want to just get another source and be mislead again. I figured at least if someone said something detailed and extensive here, I could go figure out the truthfulness of it myself.

BTW, I'm new here -- I have no idea where the FAQs are. I saw FAQ listed on the User CP, Forum Jump, Forum Rules, etc. line, but I can't find what I'm supposed to look for.

BTW again, thanks for the lead.

 

[XTrainer]

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f15/d-s-faq-useful-threads-718093/

 

[animalistik]

before I say anything, I want to make it clear that I'm not a vegetarian, herbivore, whatever the hell you wanna call those people. don't have any problems with eating meat, death, etc. I want to learn exactly what it is I'm putting into my body. why I need it/what it's going to do.

I'm getting REALLY sick of nutritional misinformation and have been running back and forth between many different things for years. for instance, when I first learned about nutrition, I was fed the bullshit that is the food pyramid. some sources suggest we have more in common with herbivores than omnivores or carnivores, so go vegan.. but no one says the cooked vegetables are worthless because they're cooked. another source suggesting we're omnivores and people screw up with the classifications of animals because they focus on what they're eating (ex. there are carnivores who have vegetation as a main part of their diet; this would not make it a herbivore).

1. are raw foods healthier to eat than cooked food?
2. what's in meat that we must have that we can't get elsewhere? (only thing that comes to mind is lipids, doesn't make sense for a plant to have fat) what kind of meat? I don't care about taste; I want impact
3. I saw this: YouTube - The Protein Myth
posted this link before at another site and people totally ignored everything about the vid so I'll highlight points in it. is there any truth to them? any clarifications to be made to gain full understanding of the statement?
@ 1:20 "Why am I 15 pounds overweight? Because I have too much muscle. I build muscle without doing anything."
@ 1:54 "What I'm getting are amino acids in the form of enzymes. Protein is the middle man."
@ 2:07 "You don't need protein. You need amino acids."
@ 3:03 "Any fresh fruit or vegetable is full of enzymes."
@ 3:08 "Everything you eat, as long as it's not cooked, is full of amino acids."
this last line here especially makes me wonder.. if this is true, then what type of uncooked meat am I supposed to eat? I don't have much knowledge about the human body's ability to digest raw meat, but I've always heard of horror stories like people getting diarrhea and literally shitting themselves to death.

4. what dietary substances should we be skipping out on and why? I remember hearing something about people NEEDING fat. along with that, men shouldn't increase their iron intake.

How credible is that source? As a vegetarian (for ethical reasons) who eats a lot of whey/dairy/eggs/nuts to make up for the lack of protein in my diet, what he was saying interests me.

 

[XMoker]

BTW, I'm new here -- I have no idea where the FAQs are. I saw FAQ listed on the User CP, Forum Jump, Forum Rules, etc. line, but I can't find what I'm supposed to look for.

BTW again, thanks for the lead.

Right here...

 

[JEMtheROCK]

u can get health logs about working out... i dunno about being a vegetarian

 

[Hanuma4n]

Although, it may seem like plants shouldn't have lipids or fats, they do. For example, Vegetable oil, corn oil, is derived from plants. There are lipids associated with the thylakoid of cyanobacteria and higher plants have 'phospholipids' associated with it (thylakoid membrane), which form lipid bilayers. Plant derived oil is also used for biodiesel. Just use a search engine to find out more.

 

[The Emphatic 1]

I have been a vegetarian for about 7 years now since I started at age 18 and now I'm 25. At the time of 18, the main reason I became one was due to my religious beliefs. I'm a Buddhist and the religion follows a vegetarian diet as part of their philosophy and idealism. Also, I will admit that I was ignorant thinking and believing that it is "healthier" just by being one. I was never that "health savy" back then, but I wasn't exactly a couch potato either. Anyways the more I started studying about health and fitness alongside with another revamped interest in MMA, the more I realized that you can be just as healthy as an omnivore or as a vegetarian, herbivore if you will.

I'm no health guru and I know a ton of people who hang around this forum know a ton more than me (been lurking here since 2006, but never posted), however, I do believe it's all about balance. Although there is a ton of more restrictions being a vegetarian/vegan, etc. it's all about a healthy balanced diet. You can be unhealthy whatever your diet is just by being a junk food addict, insufficient exercise, and the likes.

In terms of being at optimal health and performing at the highest athletic peak, I feel that there are too many factors that come into play that can throw everything off. You have to put into considerations that everyone isn't created the same whereas some are genetic freaks of nature and others are not and "naturally hindered." The environment comes into effect and what that can do to someone's body. There are so many other aspects that come into play that who's to say that dieting is enough of a major reason to form an absolute assumption. There will be radical extremes who stand out for both omnivores and vegetarians/vegans for athletic performance, lifespan, health issues or the lack thereof, etc.

As for "the journey to being a great athlete," being an omnivore is clearly the easier and faster path. However, I believe vegetarians/vegans can get there too. It's just the climb is more difficult up the mountain. I'll use myself as an example, I'm trying to bulk and gain weight/muscle strength without sacrificing my stamina and cardio. I hear a ton of criticism with people being negative and insulting how it can't be done and I will get nowhere with that vegetarian lifestyle. That's just more motivation and inspiration for me to reach my goals. I'll get there eventually someday no matter how long it takes and I won't cheat to reach the end.

For the record, I'm 5'4" and currently around 120 lbs. Yeah I'm tiny and scrawny, but I'm still going to bulk as a vegetarian. I was around this weight even as a meat eater once so it's not like I lost a ton of weight converting. My parents are short, just how it is.

 

[Sinister]

It's not about just believing something can be done. It's about addressing accurately the very precise obstacles that will be hit along the way of attaining a goal. Idealism does not work in athletics, and neither does a perspective of total uncertainty in order to allow for anomalies. Anomalies are not a standard of measurement, and tangible things like temperature measurement, blood work, and other forms of medical monitoring more than give those who undertake the responsibility of the health of an athlete more than they need to figure out what the problems are, and how to address them.

It's folly to think such problems can be glossed-over with any form of idealism.

 

[The Emphatic 1]

It's not about just believing something can be done. It's about addressing accurately the very precise obstacles that will be hit along the way of attaining a goal. Idealism does not work in athletics, and neither does a perspective of total uncertainty in order to allow for anomalies. Anomalies are not a standard of measurement, and tangible things like temperature measurement, blood work, and other forms of medical monitoring more than give those who undertake the responsibility of the health of an athlete more than they need to figure out what the problems are, and how to address them.

It's folly to think such problems can be glossed-over with any form of idealism.

Oh I do know that it takes more than just believing something can be done. It's vital and critical to analyze thoroughly the problems as well compensate or at least somehow suppress them from completely ruining the success of the goal(s). Proper evaluation of these problems and "handicaps" are necessary to fully be able to strategize in tackling them. I'm trying to study and read what I can in terms of reaching my goals despite the difficulty level.

I agree with you that idealism and athletics will conflict and that there's no way anyone can get away from the laws of science. The human body was designed in a matter of being omnivores, just the way it is. However due to my ideals, I have no choice, but to work with what I got even though it's not much to work with. I am hindering myself, I know that, but I believe I can still be at a state of health that I'm comfortable with and be "reasonably healthy.". I want to reach my personal optimal health without neglecting my beliefs and without compromising them.

Anyways, what I meant about anomalies is that there will always be some that can skew a perspective to certain questions. I mentioned it in more terms of there are outstanding measures that can prove someone wrong like in regards to vegetarian/vegans athletes that excel astonishingly or reach over 100 years old or something. The average or majority of the group is what matters and you actually suppose to take out the radical extremes to form a proper assumption or answer. Come on, it's not like I didn't take Statistics in college! My belief is that you can still be an amazing athlete even as a vegetarian/vegan. That's all subjective I'm sure and people will differ on that, but I don't think my kind is "screwed" no matter what.

I don't think I'm trying to "gloss over" with my ideals that would solve all my athletic hindrances. I'm just attempting to make with the best of both worlds without my judgement of violation.