Training Diary-Phase 1- Wk3.

So, my first week attempting to move toward vegetarian options has commenced, eep! It should be noted I actually started last week, and I started badly, I had McDonald's on the weekend and Maya Masala (Indian, a non-vegetarian thali).  So I havent' been altogether good. I'm essentially taking a semivegetarian to lactoovovegetarian/ovolactovegetarian stance, basically trying to cut out red meat, and over time, reduce my other animal products. Having said that though I didn't eat any other meat, from when I started (Thursday), so that's something, I guess. I'm going to try to look at meat as a special occasion kind of thing, perhaps as a reward for cutting down on my nachos. The most important thing, I haven't had any meat this week, have been relying on vegetarian sources, dairy and eggs for my protein and I gotta tell ya, I don't feel any different. People have said I'd struggle, and admittedly it is only Wednesday night (as I write this portion of the diary), so let's not count our chickens. But I feel good and confident about my decision.

Ok it's Friday morning as I write this, and I've noticed my emotions taking over a bit, have been reactionary, somewhat distant, a little aggressive, paranoid, I may be those things normally, but I feel I can control them, with reason. I brought a multivitamin supplement, and I feel somewhat more even, let's see how we go?

I've been butting heads, in the most respectful way possible of course, with a few people about this, mostly guys, and mostly guys who like meat. It seems to always come back to this "I want meat because I like it" tautology, that's fine, but that's not a good argument. I don't judge it, eat meat for whatever reason you choose, this is my personal choice, and I'm not a anti-meat warrior. But it does make me think about the faulty logic of such argument, and that's why I stopped eating it. When I realised I was causing, though my purchase of these products, suffering and pain to animals capable of both and contributing to the ruin of this planet, slowly but surely, all for my personal appeal toward meat? Well, let's say, when that clicked, it wasn't much of a choice at all.

It's also been pointed out to me that my vegetarian "moral argument" on suffering is based on a non-falsifiable principle, which is the kicker for me. It basically means my choice to be a vegetarian, is essentially, not very valid, or is rather simplistic (which I would agree with), and really can only act as a personal justification for me, not for you. I plan to do more research and see what other arguments I can find.

Program

Rob Build Up
Phase 1
Superset
Day 1
Upper Body	S	R	Wk3
BB Bench/ BB BO Row	3	12	70kg/70kg, 90kg/90kg, 90kg/90kg
DB Inc Bench/ Suppt T-bar	3	12	27.5kg/50kg, 30kg/60kg, 30kg/60kg
BB Military Press/ Pullup	3	12	45kg/BWx10, 45kg/BWx8,45kg/BWx8
Skullcrusher/ BB Curl	3	12	37.5kg/37.5kg, 37.5kg/37.5kg, 37.5kg/37.5kg
Dip/ DB Alt Curl	3	12	Skipped, due to time, but I had some caffeine, might start supplmenting with it, I felt I could go on, with less intensity.
Day 2
Lower Body/Abs	S	R	Wk3
Hex Bar Deadlift	3	12	100kg, 120kg, 140kg
DB Split Squat/SLDL	3	12	20kg/45kg, 27.5kg/45kg, 27.5kg/45kg
DB Step Up/ Lateral Lunge	3	12	15kg/15kg, 17.5kg/15kg-skipped last set.
Rollout/ Dynamic Plank	3	12	1/1, 1/1, 1/1.
Day 3	S	R	Wk3
Upper Body
BB Decline/ DB BO Row	3	12	70kg/27.5kg, 90kg/32.5kg, 100kg/35kg
DB Bench/ CG Seated Row	3	12	32.5kg/90kg, 32.5kg/90kg, 32.5kg/95kg
DB Military Press/ Chinup	3	12	20kg/BWx8, 20kg/BWx8, 22.5kg/BWx9
CG Bench/ Preacher Curl	3	12	60kg/30kg, 60kg/37.5kg, Skipped, due to fatigue
Rope Pulldown/ DB Curl	3	12	Ditto!
Day 4	S	R	Wk3
Lower Body
BB Back Squat	3	12	80kg, 100kg, 110kg
DB Walking Lnge/ Good Mrng	3	12	17.5kg/60kg, 20kg/60kg, 20kg/70kg
Hack Squat/ Lying Leg Curl	3	12	60kg/40kg, 60kg/40kg, 60kg/40kg
Bodysaw/ Hanging Leg Raise	3	12	1/1, 1/1- Skipped last set.

Feeling better actually, on the reduced meat diet. I have a lil more energy (sometimes), workouts feel good, the baked beans give me a more steady feel of energy. With the spaghetti I was feeling quite flat, though I admit that could have been the crappy food in the morning, and now thinking about, it was probably due to that. Reducing meat isn't too bad in daily life, it will hit when I socialise. It's also hard as so much of the plant food has carbs in the protein sources, so I'm gonna have to get drastic when I diet, but that's some time away, I have time to adjust to this thing. Who knows I may not stick to it...

I've been feeling strong on the gym floor, still objectively weak as the numbers suggest, but I'm getting stronger. I'm still huffing and puffing my butt off,  and have no endurance, but I'm getting there, if only because I'm conscious of my efforts and results from this blog. Many of my numbers are still climbing, I'm trying to be honest with myself about what to lift, I think about everyone reading this blog, and that helps to motivate me to push harder, as there are a few exercises I back off on, due to, well laziness (essentially).

Breakfast: 1/2 cup of oats with 1 scoop protein powder, hilo milk, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. 700mL of water.

Meal after morning shift:  Smoothy- 1 cup of berries, 1 cup of mixed veggies, 1 banana, 1 pear, 1/2 cup of walnuts, a touch of cinnamon, 750mL of water, 1 cup of yogurt, 150g cottage cheese, 3 broccoli stems, handful of cherry tomatoes, lentils, chick peas. I also forgot to note, this makes 2 shakes that I have over the course of the day, or I have the next day.

Meal before training and afternoon shift: 1 can of salt reduced baked beans, 1 glass of Hilo milk. 500mL water.

Post workout shake: x2  up n go "energize"'s, 30g of protein powder. 500mL water during training.

Dinner: Various egg options, I have a kg of chicken to cook up too, I'll make a korma curry with that (I still haven't cooked it up, but will this week).

One thing I forgot to add:

Supplements. 3-4 fish oil tabs with my morning smoothy, and I'm finishing off the probiotics I was taking (everything is in working order again, if anyone was wondering).

As you can see my diet looks a lot better, much cleaner. It's not so much to the wonders of a vegetarian diet at the moment, and more to do with being exited to do something new.