vegetarian advice

eat meat! Just joking of course. I have had this discussion on BFL forum which is more focused on weight training. Since carbs are needed more than protein for cardio, you should be fine. Just make sure you are getting a decent amount of protein to rebuild the muscles from the training. Can you have fish? Not sure what level you are. If so, grilled and baked fish (orange roughy, mahi, grouper, salmon, tuna, ...) Also try cottage cheese, soy or whey protein sources and the foods for protein you already eat. Sorry not a lot of help, but this blood type O person cannot survive the vegetarian lifestyle!

Tofu Tofu Tofu. I'm not currently a vegi but have been in the past and almost never cook meat for myself. I put tofu in just about everything I cook. good source of protein. Also variety in your diet will help.

I have been vegetarian for three years and have altered how I've eaten based on my activity and willingness to plan/prepare properly. I have done strict vegan, while training for a marathon but I wasn't putting enough effort into ensuring I was getting adequate protein/calories/iron. I then began eating fish and occasionaly eggs because it was easier for me. I assume that since you are already vegetarian that you know how to eat- all the products that exist etc. Probably the most important factor to consider is blood iron levels. Edurance training is a risk factor for low iron. As is being a woman of childbearing age, as is being a vegetarian.
There are many world class athletes that don't eat meat. It is not a necessary food group. You just have to do your homework, plan and prepare, and be consciouis that you are getting adequate calories, protein and iron.
If anyone knows of a good book related to vegetarian athletes and nutrition, I'd love to hear about it.

I'm a vegan. I just eat a very healthy, well balanced diet featuring plenty of soy, nuts, bean's etc. and make a home brewed recovery drink with soy protien suppliment in it. I don't feel like I'm putting myself at any sort of nutritional risk, and thus far, I couldn't be happier with my performance athletically. I start racing in a little over two weeks, and I feel ready.
-S

I was informed a vegetarian and a triathlete just has to eat a lot more of the soy or whey protein, peanuts, peanut butter, egg whites, beans, and there is something I am missing oh, soy patties in the freezer section. Add some garnishes and they are less like cardboard. I tried the vegetarian way and my mother asked why I wasn't eating meat and bla, blah blah the animals are killed in an inhumane manner and I cannot see the purpose of eating an animal that was killed for one purpose. Hence the activist in me against furs. Well, she asked me if I wore leather- dang it if I did and when it came to my reasons for being a vegetarien and the fact I still wore leather I just could not continue. I felt like a hypocrite. Any way tangent I know-

Also while training or racing monitor the amount of protein you have well, because you can eventually have too little iron. The green leafy veges have a good amount of iron or take a supplement as per the Dr. point in case is you can do it you'll just have to eat more things to get the same serving of protein and iron as if you were to eat a rib eye.

Go for it and if you come up with a way that works well let me know. [email protected] ;-)

It seems easier to stop wearing leather than to go back to eating animals. Buy a hemp wallet ($12), a hemp or bicycle tube belt like mine ($15) and don't wear leather shoes. WHo wears them anyways?

Some other good protein sources....look for red star nutritional yeast. a couple of tablespoons of this stuff has ~10g protein and it is a good source of vitamin B12. I sprinkle it on salads, use it to thicken sauces and in scrambled tofu with veggies. Meanwhile there are heaps of meat free products out there. I like Lightlife's stuff in particular. They make great deli slices and soy sausage and their products are very low in fat or even fat free. I find even regular supermarkets are carrying more of this stuff. As a vegan I eat a lot of raw veggies, complex carbs, fruit and tofu products. Eating well is a part of training. Once you introduce a few of these alternative protein sources to your diet and get used to cooking with them it takes no more effort than those who try (in vain in my personal opinion) to eat healthfully on a standard american diet. If you don't make the mistake of relying on simple carbs and masses of dairy you'll be leaner too.

Only eat animals that have been lobotomized first.

I think that the same advice applies for all athletes, vegetarian, vegan or omnivore -- make sure you're getting a balanced diet of non-junk-food and eat enough to fuel your body properly. If you're concerned, track your normal food intake for a couple of weeks and use a spreadsheet or something to chart out what percentage of calories you get from protein, what percentage from carbs, what percentage from fat, and other things you might be concerned about like how much of a given vitamin or mineral you get daily. Adjust accordingly if you find yourself lacking in an area.

I eat fish (no other meat) and only maybe once a month or less, and so figured that I was going to be lacking protein. I was surprised to find that I get plenty of protein in a given day, once I started tracking my food intake. It's a useful tactic, tho annoying to keep up with for more than a few weeks.

Good Luck