Why (some) Vegans Fail

Why Vegans Fail

I was thinking about some of the reasons vegetarians and vegans fail to stick to the diet. Here's what I came up with:

• Become Vegan/Vegetarian due to health reasons
• There is SO much conflicting information out there on any health topic. Every quack diet can be backed up by research. One of the best pro vegan books, T Collin Campbell's The China Study, is an amazing read. However there is a bunch of articles online (and maybe even a book) that are direct shots at his work and how it is apparently wrong.
• Even as a vegan myself, I cannot with 100% confidence state any of the benefits of a vegan diet are 100% true. Of course there are benefits of eating more fruit and vegetables, that is well established. But the paleo diet has research backing up why eating meat is good, vegans have research stating the opposite. There is research showing the carcinogenous effects of animal protein, and there is research saying the opposite. If this is your basis for being a vegan/vegetarian you are either purposefully ignorant of the other side's research and/or are in for a very conflicted ride. If a person was swayed to veganism by it’s health promises, they may just as easily be swayed towards another wonder diet’s promise.
• This is another point about falling into the science and research too much, and it's the "are we evolved/built to eat meat or not to eat meat" argument. I have no idea. Go to a vegan website and read their reasoning. Go to a paleo/meat eating diet's website and read their points. Each of the points of view are backed with science, so I hesitate to say which one is correct.
• I just realized this as of writing this. This is actually quite thought provoking to me right now! I always see people say "I have so much more energy since going vegetarian/vegan" and I would have said "well your diet was probably more crappy before and is less crappy now." and not really have attributed it to the lack of animal flesh being consumed. However I believe that in the last few months since going mostly raw and very low grain I have had an increase in energy levels and mood. Over the last five years years the first four has been a vegetarian/vegan diet with about your SAD amount of grain. Lately I have dramatically increased my fruit and vegetable intake while nearly eliminating my grain. And let me tell you, I now honestly believe there is a difference.
• It's strange, if you would have asked me a year ago I would have said I was possibly at my peak energy/mood/whatever. But now, I am way past that! I suppose if you are sick and suddenly are less sick, you may think that it's a cure. However you are simply less sick. Surviving but not thriving.
• Health reasons may fail. 70% of people who become vegan experience this random health benefit. But what about the other 30%? Or what about people who already consider themselves "healthy"? They may see absolutely no reason to become a vegan.
• Not knowing how to cook
• One of the best benefits of a plant based diet is it almost forces you to learn how to cook. You cannot simply throw together the same old meat and potatoes with a side of some single veggie with butter on top of it. Today I made stir fry and I cooked using eight or nine different vegetables along with some curry, cumin, garlic, and cayenne pepper. It was amazing!
• Not making it a lifestyle
• As with most major changes, making it a part of your lifestyle is key to behavior modification. This includes going vegan, becoming a vegetarian, starting running or a new sport, adopting a healthier eating habit to lose weight, or any other habit such as even washing your hands more. Making it a part of your life will always help.
• Not making any of the above mentioned habits, or the huge list of other possible examples, part of your daily routine will likely result in failure, or you at least dreading/hating doing it.
• The next two bullets are not reasons why people fail at sticking with a vegan diet, but I do believe they make a vegan/vegetarian diet less beneficial.
• Eating too much grains or replacing fruit/vegetables with grains
• My issue with grains mainly lies with the standard inactive American who eats a grain product at possibly the majority of meals. Like I mention below, with athletes consuming grain is a good and cheap way to keep your body out of a negative energy balance. 
• I have seen this many times. When a person becomes a vegetarian they will often simply substitute grain in for the meat they were eating. In my opinion over consumption of grain is one of the main reasons for the weight issues in this country (along with lack of activity and added sugar). I would hesitate to say a vegetarian diet higher in grain is more healthy then their previous diet.
• Grains are a great source of carbs. But I look at them as a incredibly fast way too get way to many calories in a rather high energy dense and low nutrient form. They are also a source of fibre, but so are many many much more nutrient dense and lower calorie items.
• I do eat grains most days of the week. I however try to limit it to one meal, usually dinner. This helps me hit my energy intake for the day. When being an athlete, not being in a negative energy balance is important and grain is a way to get extra calories in. 
• I do agree with the stance that we are not meant/designed/evolved to eat grain (maybe more then I believe we are not meant to eat meat) for the many reasons often cited by Paleo diet practitioners. If you are unfamiliar:
• Gluten Intolerance
• Grains are inflammatory
• We have not been eating them for a long period of time
• Grains may inhibit mineral absorption
• etc

• Eating to much junk food
• The term for this is a junketarian. They are basically doing what the above example has done, except with a bunch of added sugar instead of grain (or maybe both).
  

Why Vegans Succeed

• Ethics
• I believe that to become a vegan it has to be for ethical reasons. This is because the ethical promise of veganism is always true. Eliminating animal based food sources from your diet is always the most compassionate choice you can make for your diet. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
• So I am indeed a vegan saying there is no direct health benefit from simply being a vegan. If you took my diet and added meat in three times a week there would be zero difference. I do believe that there is a huge spiritual vitality to eating vegan (and especially raw) that really goes far beyond simple nutrition. The avoidance of the suffering dead animal flesh has done wonders for my body and mind.

Food Guide Pyramid

Check this out. I found this Latin American Diet Pyramid last week. Fruit, veggies, and beans tubers and nuts make the base of the diet. This is about the exact opposite of what most Americans eat, and this is about exactly what most Americans should eat.




Brookings Marathon 2011

Due to it's date of May 14th I was not going to race this event since I would lose weeks of training leading up to the Deadwood Marathon. However this week I was discussing my training with a friend and I think during this talk I changed my mind. He asked me how long of a run I would have to go on to have to prepare for it. My answer was 20 miles. Anything less and I could likely do it just fine with little to no preparation with rest or food.

I want to go sub 3 hours at a 26.2 mile event this summer. Honestly I am worried that if I only do Deadwood I may not make it and then I have no backup plan since the 50 mile ultra is 3 weeks after. The race is weird since the first half is pretty much up hill and the second half is back down, it offers a unique challenge.

I don't do base training or periodize my year, I simply run. My goal is to be able to do an event whenever I want to. I may not be as fast at a single event if I were to periodize but I would be faster overall.

Plus the Deadwood Marathon is a bit expensive and would require 6 hours of driving to get there.

Training

Monday April 4
AM 5.25 miles in 52:30 with 1350' vertical
PM 8.15 miles in 1 hour
I did a nice easy hill run in the morning, and kept it at 5 since I planned on returning later in the afternoon for another run. I really like two-a-days. They are easier on the body since you are running for a shorter period of time, you can run at a faster over all pace over two short runs, and that second runs often gets you more mileage then you planned since if you only have to do 5, doing a couple extra is pretty easy. 
The second run was with Johney at another treadmill. We chatted for a while and it was nice to talk to him and it made the time cruz by.


Tuesday April 5
AM 17 miles in 2:02:00
This was sort of a half marathon practice. I ate two hours before the run, and had a banana immediately before hand. I never felt hungry and was good for the two hours. For a full marathon taking in some sort of fuel during the run would be ideal, but I am not sure what yet. Probably whatever is on the course. 

Wednesday April 6
AM 5 miles in 39 minutes with 300' vertical
This morning I slept in until 7 am! Crazy man, I know :) For this run I did a mile up and then a mile decline for a few in the morning.   
PM 5 miles in 38 minutes with 250' vertical
This was pretty much like the morning run except I spent an extra mile doing down hill for some speed work. 

Thursday April 7

AM 10 miles in 1:14:30
This was a bit of track work and some time on the treadmill. I took it a bit easier since I was planning on doing a larger/harder run on Friday. 

Friday April 8
AM 8.4 miles in 1 hour
I planned on only doing 5 but felt good so squeezed out a few more. I ran up 150 feet but then ran down 150 feet.

Totals
                   Week / Year
Time             7:25 / 05:12:30
Distance       59.8 / 831.8