Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

When I first lost the weight over 5 years ago, I relied on a pedometer to make sure I would get over 10,000 steps a day. It worked and kept me motivated, but it was easy to lose and the battery would go rather quickly.

I eventually upgraded to a FitBit Charge and that was a big upgrade from the pocket pedometer. I actually had three FitBits over the last couple years. It was cool as it would vibrate on my wrist whenever I reached my goal of 10,000 steps. The only thing I didn't use the FitBit for was to track the sleep, which didn't interested me.

It's exactly one year since I went completely plant based (well to be precise, September 6th). After losing 150 pounds almost 5 years ago, I didn't need to lose more weight. I had what many considered to be a healthy diet. I was eating poultry, eggs and dairy a few times a week and did get my blood pressure down and avoid medication. But I had other goals...

It's always been about health, back when I first lost weight. I ate lots of fruits and vegetables based on different articles I've read and from reading books by Dr. Fuhrman and others. I was getting more information on how animal products were not healthy. But this wasn't enough to convert me to a plant based diet. I tried vegan diets a week or two on and off for a couple years but always went back to animal products.

When I started my plant based journey nearly 9 months ago, I was about 192-195 pounds. I was trying to gain muscle but my diet was not as good as it could be.

Then I discovered the many vegan bodybuilders online and I began to read Robert Cheeke's book "Shred It!". That changed my whole way of eating and the way I trained. Bodybuilders like Robert Cheese and many others are eating only plant based foods and are definitely getting results.

It's not easy to workout five days a week, but I've been doing this for a while now. You might wonder what motivates me to keep going...

It's my belly. Yes, that ugly loose skin around my abs that still hasn't tightened. I know it's a losing battle but looking at my abs (the lack of a 6 pack after four years of sustained weight loss), it gets me to work hard.

It's nearly 7 months for me as a completely plant based athlete. During this time, I've been working out hard, 5 days a week and have been seeing results. It may not be as fast as I like, but I do see progress each week.

I never would have believed years ago that muscle building could be possible without meat. After all, nearly everyone I encounter eats animal products, and some use whey protein powder. But I discovered there are many athletes out there proving that "No Meat is No Problem"... people like Robert Cheeke, the first vegan bodybuilder that I read about.