I {18F, 5'7, 115 lbs} am starting to work out and count macros, how do I start?

[drummachine]

Title. Vegan for years, but I haven't worked out at all in 5 months, and I know this sounds terrible but upon checking my macros based on what I've been eating the past two months, found out I've been consuming less than 10 grams of protein a day. Now I just bought tempe and tofu and beans to up that, but calculating how much I realistically will eat can't bring this figure up higher than 40 ish, if that. How do I get this up? And lastly, I'm looking to get more muscle definition as my main goal - should I cut or bulk first? Thanks for any advice, very new to this!

 

[dreamylala]

@drummachine Definitely don't cut. Legume pasta such as lentil pasta, chickpea pasta is a really easy way to add protein. There are some lovely vegan protein bars in Tesco such as pulsin bars. Buy some vegan protein powder and add it to pancakes, shakes and porridge. Lastly there is protein vegan milk now that's ok for protein.

 

[drummachine]

@dreamylala Thank you! Seems like protein powder would be helpful as it’s pretty easy to drink instead of make a whole meal

 

[anonymous88]

@drummachine Your bodyweight is relatively low already - I'm not suggesting it's unhealthy (and you may have lighter bones than I do), but we're the same height and there's a big difference in our weight!

Which is to say, save the cutting for when you've put on a good amount of muscle mass and you're edging towards the higher end of a healthy BMI. Right now, there probably isn't much to cut (in terms of excess fat) and there may not be that much to reveal (in terms of muscle underneath). That might not sound good, but it's actually a great place to start

By adding more lean mass, you'll automatically get more muscle definition. In fact, depending on how your training and gaining goes (and your goal physique), you may not ever need to cut.

As for the daily protein intake, ouch!

Great work in buying some protein-rich whole foods, but I second the recommendation to get some protein powder and protein snacks - it will make everything so much easier.

Either way, it sounds like you don't eat a lot on a daily basis? (I'm making assumptions here, based on the 10g and 40g figures you mention.)

Adding muscle requires lots of energy, in addition to extra protein, so don't be afraid to eat more than you normally would (on both training days and rest days). This can feel uncomfortable initially, so start slowly and gradually increase your portion sizes over time

 

[drummachine]

@anonymous88 Thank you for your advice, seems like you have a lot of knowledge in regards to this! And thanks for the explanation on cutting v bulking, that makes lots of sense compared to some confusing things I’ve read

 

[shift]

@drummachine When you start working out more you will get hungry I guarantee it. It seems like you aren’t used to eating that much. You also probably got more protein than you thought (there’s some protein in everything), but if you really were getting 10g then you’re definitely gonna wanna bring that up. Just eat whenever you’re hungry and your body will be happy. As long as you eat relatively healthy and not a lot of fats (although it looks like fats might be a good idea at first, mainly nuts), you won’t put on much fat and will stay lean.

Ever since I started working out 5-6 times a weeks with a few intense days, I noticed I was eating all the time (I’m also 17M and have a quick metabolism). Plant foods don’t have a lot of calories (especially carb and protein rich foods) so if you are expending a lot of energy make sure you don’t get hungry.

You will need more protein as you’re working out. All the advice I’ve seen for protein options are great so go with those. The best way to track macros and nutrients is Cronometer.

1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is a good place to start.