I've tried going vegan but met my end with cheese.  I know it can be done and wish you all the best.  But without nonfat milk for my shakes and cottage cheese, I don't know where to get 6 meals!  Garden of Life makes some fantastic bars if you can afford them.  There are also lots of shakes that don't require milk.  Pick up a book called Thrive! about being a vegan athlete.  I admire your tenacity.  Please prove it can be done so veggie weaklings like me will be motivated to follow!

The best items i've found to replace Cheese and milk are rice milk and veggie slices.. or if you are looking for more calcium, silk is the better milk replacement.. it has a fairly strong flavor though so rice milk works better sometimes for some milk type uses. The veggie slices work great for cheese sandwiches. Haven't found a replacement for Cottage cheese though.  I welcome suggestions on that aspect.  I also am not full vegan.. but vegetarian. I'd say I eat vegan 90% but like you struggle with those side items.!  Butter is my downfall.. I found a soy replacement but unfortunately it is not as good. Good news though, with this eating style, I only consume butter on my free day so Im getting used to going with out. Maybe someday I wont even think about it !!

I went vegan last yr. for 3 months, not in challenge mode gained so much energy started staying up late and couldn't get up early enough to get to the gym. Did not miss the meat, slipped back to my meat eating roots. Seriously thinking of giving it another try. Go to Myvega.com & Veganbodybuildingandfitness.com. As mentioned Pick up a copy of the THRIVE DIET 12 weeks worth of recipes well worth it. Will try and check in once in a while. Also you should try soft tofu for your pudding.

Have a great day.

Claude

Hi Claude,

Thanks for the info. I've been veggie now for 4 years. I have all of Brendan books and most of his products. They are really good. Thanks for the support.

Did UBWO this morning. My meal plan was:

Breakfast:

Egg-cellent Enchiladas (modified to vegetarian) Recipe on my profile under files.

Calories: 263
Carbs: 19
Protein: 21
Fat: 10 grams 

Mid-morning snack: 1 apple and 1oz Almonds

Lunch: Vegetarian Turkey Sandwich

Calories: 165

Carbs: 24

Protien: 9

Fat: 4.8 grams

Mid-afternoon snack: Fresh fruit

Dinner:  1 cup Sprouted Mung Beans and 12 oz green smoothie

Dessert:  Vegan Banana Protein Pudding

Hey ArmyVegan,

You have all the tools in your tool box already then just use them. What's the recipe for that bananna pudding looks yummy. Are you eating alot of processed vegan food if so you may want to cut it back and start eating Whole foods much better for the body.

Have a great day.

Claude

Hey ArmyVegan, I'm also doing a challenge as a mostly vegan (I eat fish about once a week on my free day still). I've been vegan since January but started another BFL challenge about 2 weeks ago. I had great results last year when I did this with animal products so I'm curious to see how the vegan thing will go. I'm not obsessing about macro nutrient ratios because it is really tough to get a 40/40/20 ratio as a vegan...but I'm ok with that cause I think 40% protein (especially from animal sources) isn't very healthy anyway. There are some folks on here that will disagree with me on this one (some VERY strongly), but I've never felt better and finally found a way to keep my acne under control. Where are you relocating to? My hubby is retired Air Force and we live in a large military community.

Check out Vegan Bodybuilding and Fitness. It should help you on this challenge. I plan on going there sometime soon once I officialy make the switch. You don't need that much protien anyway.

Claude

Hi,

Thank you so much Claude L for your comments and support. I am happy to see someone who people that have a genuine concern for people like I do. I have been a member of Vegan Bodybuilding and Fitness for some time. I even have a signed autograph book from Robert Cheeke! I have been a vegan/raw foodist for 4 years now. However I had to have major surgery due to a tumor they thought was cancerous. It was, but I was laid up for months and gain a ton of weight. Then after that got a major injury "trying" to get my butt back in shape. Talk about stupid. I got very discourage and gain more weight.

The reason I started doing the BFL program was in part to see if I could make this program vegetarian and vegan friendly. So far I am doing a really good job on the recipes. Given myself I wouldn't do a lot of processed foods as the Eating for Life cookbook, but I realize people might now want to eat the things I eat or have access too. I am also a certified raw food chef and organic gardener. I had a friend that said I couldn't do this program vegetarian because people won't eat sprouted buckwheat cereal with hemp milk (what I am eating this morning) because it is foreign to most. I told her that I will make this work! Now that I see that I have alot of support on here, I think I will succeed. And yeah safely get back into shape.

Please keep looking at my post every now and then, I value help.

We are relocating to CA. I am excited. Even though I do speak German, a lot of the stuff I am use to buying are not here.

Tuesday: This was a so so temptation day. This is a two day holiday for the military and whenever my husband have the next day off, we usually sit down to movie and popcorn and some good ole German beer. Well it's TUESDAY for me, not a SUNDAY. I did not fall prey to my temptations and stay true to my eating plan. I got up early and did 20 min cardio. My meal plan was:

Breakfast:
I juiced 4 organges and 6 carrots, put the juice in the blender with frozen banana, spirulina, and ice.

Mid-morning snack:
Apple and 1 oz Almonds

Lunch:
Greek Pinwheels (modified to vegan) pg. 302 Eating for Life Cookbook

Mid-Meal Snack:
1cup sprouted mung beans

Dinner:
American Turkey Goulash (modified to vegan) pg. 105

Dinner turned out awesome. This is a keeper and hopefully my husband will like it. I give this recipe an A+. The noodles I got at the German Bio store and are eggless and dairy free. The store worker was a vegan and said give them a try. He was so right. 

It's 4th of July and the celebrations have started early over here in Germany! This day should be and has always been an interested one for me being vegetarian. People just can't understand how I could resist the smell of the ribs and BBQ chicken on the grills. Oh but I can, lol and have for years. However this year, we are riding our bikes to post (we live on the Germany economy about 10 miles from post). That means I have to pack my 4th of July meals. Am I up to that challenge, sure hell is!!!

Did LBWO this morning and added a new exercise in it for variety-tire flips with an old 5-ton military truck tire.  My breakfast:

Sprouted Buckwheat Cereal with 12oz fresh orange juice, black coffee and homemade hemp milk.

Cereal Nutritional Value 

Calories: 390
Carbs: 78 grams
Protein: 13.6 grams
Fat: 6.5 

Hey ArmyVegan,

Happy 4th of July to all who Serve,

Glad to see you back in the game after all youv'e been through. I will be keeping in touch and will want some of those raw food recipies. I worked in kitchens for the first 13 yrs. so know my way around and always looking for new recipies. If you have a good raw Nacho Chip send it my way please. I will be joining you just not sure when I will make the switch. I try and only eat one meat meal a day now. So shouldn't be too long. I have never made seitan before have you and is it worth doing. My wife is thinking of switching over so will need some good ones to totally get her on board with this life style. I'm eating cheese right now cause we went to the cheese factory and bought a pile once the cheese I bought for me cause no one else will eat it is gone the switch will be made.

Read my profile just posted new pic's too. Look fatter than I feel lots of work ahead.

You are going to succeed anbd look and feel great too.

Claude

Claude,

I think you are doing great and getting good results. I loooove the garden in the background!