I have been experimenting with a vegetarian diet in the past week as part of a plan to make more changes to my lifestyle. So far it is going pretty well, it is more of a challenge to get the right nutrients but I also like to eat vegetables anyways so it isn’t that big of a deal. It has however, gotten me thinking about how to get great six pack abs while following a vegetarian diet. When people usually think of vegetarians they think of some really skinny guy, which can be the case but I also tend to think of vegetarians that I’ve met that don’t eat meat but replace it with processed junk food. It is crazy to think that you can be a fat vegetarian but they are definitely out there. Anyways, I wanted to write up a post of guidelines to get ripped abs with a vegetarian diet, mind you this is a lean and muscular look I’m talking about not simply being really skinny and being able to see undeveloped abdominals.
Get Protein Sources in Line
Meat does have plenty of nutritional value so when you cut it out of your diet you must find alternatives to replace what has been lost. Protein is of course the building block of muscle and .75-1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight should be sufficient to gain muscle with your workouts.
Obviously the type of vegetarian you are will help to decide the protein sources you should consume. Lacto-ovo vegetarians have the options of both dairy products and eggs to help fill the protein gap. A scoop of whey protein powder in fat-free milk is a great post-workout option to get not only protein to your muscles but vitamins and minerals as well. Whole eggs generally have around 7 grams of protein per egg as well as a variety of necessary minerals that can be hard to come by from vegetables alone.
Pescetarians are those who only eat seafood as a source of meat. Fish is going to be a primary source of protein for these folks and will also help with providing their bodies with healthy fats like Omega-3’s. Amongst the best fish to consume are tuna and salmon.
Foods that every vegetarian can eat will make up a majority of the protein that can be consumed. Different types of nuts such as almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts are not only great sources of protein but also have fats and minerals such as iron and magnesium. Legumes such as beans and lentils are loaded with protein and fiber which is also important when trying to lose fat. Black beans, kidney beans, and great northern beans are great choices that have different tastes so you have the option of variety in your diet. Other great sources of protein include natural peanut butter and peas.
Supplements can play a major role in making sure your body gets sufficient amounts of protein in order to get ripped. Whey protein powder is the best option but it is a protein derived from milk which is a problem for pescetarians and vegans. Non-animal based protein powders include soy protein, rice, and hemp. Luckily, nowadays there are plenty of supplement choices for those who don’t want to use animal products that it should be fairly easy to get your protein.
Here are a few protein supplements for vegans as an example: Vegan Rice Protein Powder and Sunwarrior Classic Protein
Choose fresh over processed
This is a rule whether you eat meat or not. Processed foods are generally loaded with fat, sugar, salt, and simple carbohydrates that will wreak havoc on your body and get easily stored as fat. For example, baked beans swimming in whatever sauce is a bad idea while beans you actually have to soak and cook are the best idea because nothing is added to them. However, those bagged beans do take a long time to prepare so for people with time constraints opt for canned beans that don’t have any sauce but do get canned with salt. An easy solution to get rid of most of that excess sodium is to rinse the beans with water and it will wash most of it away.
Fresh foods will also help with your energy levels when compared to processed foods. If you need to go hard in the gym to achieve the ripped physique you desire, it is advisable to fuel your body with the best foods available, after all junk in, junk out. Processed foods are also not nutrient dense and often lack any significant nutrients at all, so beyond filling your stomach, they don’t have very much purpose.
Get Your Nutrients
I don’t think nutrients are that hard to come by on a vegetarian diet if you’re smart about it. There seems to be a lot about vegetarians experiencing iron deficiency with their diets which is definitely a concern for those who like to work out a lot. Iron is categorized into heme and non-heme sources, beef is loaded with heme iron that is more easily absorbed by the body. Vegetarian sources are going to be non-heme sources for the most part which are less easily absorbed by the body.
However, you will get plenty of iron from the following sources, nuts, beans, peas, other legumes, spinach, eggs (if part of your diet), amongst others. For instance a can of beans in my pantry contains 21% of the daily recommended amount. Eggs are about 4% per whole egg. Other sources are generally between 5-10% per serving. If those aren’t enough there is always the option of adding an iron supplement to help get to the recommended amount.
A multi-vitamin may also be a good choice to help make sure that all of your bases are covered with nutrients. However, this does not mean to simply take a multi and eat crap the rest of the day and everything will be fine. Multi-vitamins are a supplement, meaning they are used to supplement the nutrients already found in your diet, not be the sole source. Stick to foods with plenty of vitamins and fiber like the green veggies (spinach, kale, broccoli, peas), protein and other nutrient packed legumes and nuts, slow digesting carbohydrate sources (brown rice, whole wheat breads, sweet potatoes), and of course fruits that are loaded with other good stuff our bodies need.
You can of course get ripped with a vegetarian diet. Adding muscle is a bit more of a challenge without being able to consume things like chicken or beef but it can be done if you plan and educate yourself on what foods will supply you with the nutrients you need to grow and help to shed the excess body fat that will unveil your abs. You don’t have to look like a twig just because you are a vegetarian, simply work hard and get your diet in line and the results will come.
Workout for Getting Ripped
Rusty Moore is a trainer and fitness expert who has released his 3 phase workout program, Visual Impact Muscle Building. It is designed to help get the ‘lean Hollywood look’ which has become so desired. It is one of the few programs on the market designed specifically to achieve this type of ripped physique without leaving a guy looking bulky like a bodybuilder. It is an ebook which is available to start right after purchasing, so there is no waiting around for the mail man to show up and deliver your package. You can start immediately. I have reviewed this program here: Visual Impact Review. If you are interested in getting ripped for roughly 26 cents a day and having a whole plan laid out for you step by step, watch the free video linked below and read the customer testimonials under that below. Plus, it comes with a 60 day money back guarantee, which makes it easy to try out.
Here’s what other satisfied customers are saying about Visual Impact methods:
“After following Visual Impact for 6 months I had taken my body fat percentage from 15% all the way down to a chiseled 6.5%.”- Gregory O.
“I’ve finally achieved the ripped six pack and body I’ve always wanted and I couldn’t have achieved it if I didn’t know the technique of shrink wrapping the muscles in the bonus phase!”- Atif A.
“Rusty, 42 pounds later, and with the body type I wanted!! Thank You so much. I love your exercise program, because you can personalize it…add a little here, change a set there. It never gets boring. As well, when I get up to work out, I always feel it’s DOABLE.”-Ange
“VIMB for Men review: The book is PERFECT! The program will give you the look of Abercrombie Models which is hot! The information AWESOME! It’s all you need to know to achieve whatever kind of physique you want. The program allows you for customization to achieve the look you like. It is divided into three Phases. I did Phase 1 for 3 weeks and gained 10 pounds of muscle and looking and feeling great.. and maintained my bf%”- Paul W.