Can You Be Vegetarian and Still Work Out?

True or False? Can You Be Vegetarian and Still Work Out? Tara’s Tuesday Tips this week busts through all of the myths surrounding this question! There are so many things to think about if you are considering going meat-free. Let’s sort through the facts so you can decide.

Spoiler Alert

Yes, you can you be a vegetarian AND still work out. 

You know what else? You can even be vegetarian and lose weight 😲. Yep, you heard me, it is possible. This fact has been supported by numerous research studies and is also backed by several national associations AND I am living proof that it is possible. The more years I spend as a meat-free athlete, the better my athletic performance has gotten. It’s true!

True or False: I Won’t Have Enough Energy to Work Out If I Go Meat-Free?

False.  There aren’t a whole lot of vegan zombies walking around withering away to nothing because they can’t get enough nutritious calories from plants.  Sorry to break the news to you. You need carbs to fuel your muscles for workouts not meat. I know, most of you are surprised.  We have been conditioned to believe that carbohydrates are bad and following a low-carb diet is all we need to be trim and strong and lose weight and improve our athletic performance. Nope. Read this:  Tara’s Tips for Plant-Powered Athletes.

With better fuel, you get a better workout, hence, you burn more calories and fat. You will have enough energy to work out and you will lose weight as a meat-free athlete who eats mindfully and with intention.

True or False: I Can Only Build Muscle If I Eat Animal Protein?

False.  Very false actually.  Quite the opposite is true. Real scientific research has shown us that there is absolutely no reason that you can’t gain muscle and strength by eating a meat-free diet.  You may or may not know this little piece of information.  Arnold Schwarzenegger has recently become an advocate of a meatless diet, and Kendrick Farris, the American record-holding Olympic weightlifter, is a vegan. Food for thought, isn’t it?

True or False: Meat Free Athletes Can’t Get Enough Protein?

False! But this IS every vegan/vegetarian’s favorite question.

There is protein in all foods! So, if you are eating (which I know that you are), you are getting enough protein. For instance, a typical meat-free diet will include nuts, oats, seeds, greens, beans, and legumes.  Therefore, as a vegan or vegetarian you will certainly be getting enough protein from your meatless foods. Read this: The Vegetarian’s Guide To Protein.

Be Aware of Vegan Junk Food

If you choose to survive on a vegan “junk food” diet of only cookies, potato chips, French fries, and gummy bears then you won’t be getting enough protein.  Switch your focus to a diet full of a variety of whole plant-foods, then yes, you will get enough plant-based protein no matter how high your exercise demands reach. If you consume too many calories overall, plant or animal-based, you will gain weight and store fat. The key component to that is too many calories. If you give your body too much, it has no choice but to use what it needs and store the rest. 

True or False: Muscles Work Better with A High-Protein/Low-Carb Meat-Focused Diet?

False! In actuality, our muscles work primarily on glycogen stored in our livers.  Firstly, our muscles and our brains need the glucose from carbohydrates to function properly. Secondly, getting our calories from clean, plant-based sources is better for our brains and muscles than getting calories from meat because of the high fat content that comes along with animal products. Above all, fat just can’t give us the energy we need quick enough for peak athletic performance.

A Real Game Changer

According to the researchers from the Game Changers team of experts, diets such as the keto diet can actually inhibit our athletic performance due to the fatigue that people experience when eating the foods on that diet. They simply don’t have enough glucose and glycogen available to push their athletic abilities. 

These same researchers revealed that “a single animal-based meal can quickly thicken our blood, which slows down the flow of oxygen and the nutrients blood transports to the areas that need it most, including the muscles we use during exercise”. On the other hand, meat-free athletes have the opposite effect as plant-based food allows blood to flow quickly to where we need it.

If you have watched the documentary (Game Changers), you will surely remember one of the most impactful scenes with the NFL players and their vastly different vials of blood.  After seeing that, you will have a clear image on how animal-based meals prevent our arteries from fully opening to allow for increased blood flow.  When we eat plant-based meals, we avoid this “traffic jam” scenario and our blood can get to where it needs to go quickly.

Something to think about …

I don’t know about you, but I want my blood flowing as quickly and as easily as possible when I am trying to run faster or push harder in an athletic event.  There are times during a marathon where I know my fellow runners would have done anything at that moment to feel even a fraction better to reach their time goal. So, could cutting out animal products really give you an athletic advantage? According to the Game Changers research, that’s a resounding yes. 

True or False: A Meat-Free Diet Can Reduce Inflammation?

I’m not going to complicate this.  Eating plants decreases inflammation.  Eating animals increases inflammation.  MANY studies have shown that eating meat/animal products leads to cell damage and the formation of pro-inflammatory toxins in your body.  The Game Changers scientists discovered that a single hamburger could increase your inflammation markers in your body by 70 percent! WHAT?!?!  So, by just eating plants, I can reduce soreness and muscle damage thereby improving my athletic performance? YES! If you work out, this is a big deal.  Anything that can get you recovered from a workout as quickly as possible to get you out there again the next day is a magic pill to me!

True or False: You Can’t Lose Weight With A Meat-Free Diet?

How many times should I say false before you believe me? False + False + False. Plant-based foods are more nutritionally dense therefore, you will actually be eating more food but less calories if you are truly plant-based.  An added benefit of ditching the meat and dairy is that our protein sources are leaner and our hormones stay more regulated making it easier to stick to our eating plan without cravings and crazy roller coaster blood sugars. With all of this, yes, it is possible to lose weight on a meat-free diet!

True or False: If I am Meat-Free, I Will Never Lose Weight No Matter How Much I Work Out?

False. But could be true if you let it be true.  As I stated earlier.  Whether you eat meat or not you can fill your plate with “junk food” aka less nutritionally dense foods.   It is about choices, be mindful with your food choices.  Swap out the meat and instead eat tofu, chickpeas, black beans, or tempeh. As a result, you will lose weight, you will not go hungry, and you will be able to fuel your workouts. I do it!

So, What Should I Eat?

Start by not thinking of this way of eating as a “diet”.  Think of eating ‘whole foods’.  These include:

Fruits, Vegetables, Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes, Lentils, Chickpeas, Black Beans, Kidney Beans, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Whole Grain or Bean-Based Pastas, Whole Grain Breads, any Nuts & Seeds you love, Tofu, Tempeh, Coffee, Teas, Unsweetened Coconut or Almond Milk. Check out my article here which goes into more detail about at Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet.

Question: “I Want To Work Out and Be Meat-Free, How Do I Get Started?”

• Learn about food.  Begin by learning about what carbohydrates are, protein sources, and how to identify healthy whole foods. You are in the right place!
• Become a planner. Every athlete needs to plan their meals.  Being vegan/vegetarian is no different. Buy a cute cooler bag and a water bottle and pack your own snacks/meals. As a result, you will always be prepared to properly fuel your workouts/recoveries.
• Read labels and look for sneaky meat substances. For instance, gelatin, whey, milk proteins, honey, collagen.
• Learn to cook. 

Tara’s Favorite “Eat-Like-A-Vegetarian-Athlete Recipes”:

Steel Cut Oats (high in fiber + good for cholesterol)!

Chana Masala (perfect high protein flavorful meal especially because you can make in your instant pot!)

Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers (great protein source!)

Homemade Granola Bars (an especially perfect to-go snack!)

Lentil Curry (packed with leucine, great for recovery!)

Tofu Breakfast Scramble (no eggs? no problem!)

Cranberry Peanut Butter Energy Balls (great for pre or post-workout meal prep!)

All the best,

Tara ❤

⭐️Hope this helps! Still wondering if you can be vegetarian and still work out? Leave a comment below! We love comments!

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