... Get your mind out of the gutter. We're a family & animal friendly site here.

None of those 'bunnies' here.

But if you wanna get your VPlates on Vegetarian style, read ahead...

So are you new to this thing Vegetarian thing?

Do you wanna up your game? Run faster? Lift more? Train harder? Get Smarter?
[insert your desired improvement here].

Then you will have to become a superhuman... (or join a cult).

How the hell (apologies for the language, maybe we're not that family friendly)
do I do that?!

Um.. I got no idea. Try Dave.

Step One: Nutrition.

Nutrition with a twist. No not a garlic bread twists or bacon twists. The twist is to become a real vegetarian.

On the quest to becoming the best you possible, nutrition is by far the most important step in the journey. You can have the most impressive set of abs but if they're covered with a layer of fat you won't see them!

There are many pudgy and overweight vegetarians. I've seen vegetarians who replace meat with sweets (they should have kept eating meat and would've remained healthier).

The trick is to engage your brain when you eat. Both should function at the same time. But many seem to operate with stomach ON, brain OFF. Most of us know deep fried chips are bad with us but still go ahead and ravage them like a bloody toe to a school or piranhas. Turn your brain ON when you eat and remember that these foods only make you bulge:

• white bread
• pasta
• soda
• candy
• dessert
• fast food
• hydrogenated oils
• sugars
• fructose corn syrup

Instead, eat some of these excellent foods:

• legumes
• fruits
• vegetables
• nuts
• If you're lacto-ovo, then eggs whites.
• Protein supplements
• More water, more green tea, more clear fuilds.

[showmyads]

Be realistic about your progress and goals. You'll surely slip up here and there, but just making a conscious effort to improve your eating habits will help you make boundless progress.

Remember that without good nutrition getting a body to envy will be impossible.

A few tips for good nutrition:

• Break up your day with 5 or 6 mini-meals. This jump starts your metabolism. Eat every couple of hours (around 200-250 calories, depending on your size of course). You won't feel hungry because eating every few hours will maintain your blood glucose levels, which helps you avoid cravings.
• Drink two glasses of water IMMEDIATELY upon awaking.
• The only way to see your muscles is to reduce the fat on your body. Slash between 300 to 500 calories from your regular diet. When burning fat you should feel just a little bit hungry most of the time.
• Find yourself some 'snack foods'. I like almonds as they contain protein and fibre and also help to reduce cravings, maintain muscle tissue and regulate blood sugar. Healthy snacks - in controlled portions - will help you take the edge off before your next meal.

Ok, that's Step One. What's the next step?

Train, sleep and look after your body. It's that simple. If you're a teenager, women, male, bodybuilder or beginner there are many articles on this site that can help you out.

Remember these are the basic steps. Do them everyday and you'll soon become an uberhuman... who just happens to be a meat-free machine.

P.S. If you think I'm missing something for the VPlaters, drop me a comment or an email at vegeout@vegebody.com to let me know. In the meantime, Vege-out!