[Marina Brasil]

Hi! I've currently lost 44 lbs but still have 48 to go. My weight loss is now much slower and i'm trying to change my exercis routine in order to boost it. Everybody has told me that if i gain muscle tissue i'll burn more calories which will help in this second half of my journey and also in maintenance. I'll start weight training on monday however i'm wondering how can i up my protein intake in order to give my body the nutrients it needs to build muscles. I am a vegetarian since i was 14, now i'm 30. I take b12 suplements and don't have iron anemia. I usually get iron from dark green leafs and beans, which i eat every day. I also eat quinoa. I am not vegan but i don't eat eggs. I'll have cheese and iogurt but only 1 to 2 portions a day due to my body not digesting it well (doctor told me to limit my portions). This leaves me wondering what can i do in order to ingest more protein. Any ideas?

[nelie]

What is your protein goal? There are lots of vegan body builders and weight lifters, some of them try for higher amounts of protein but even those amounts are not equivalent to meat eaters who eat high protein. If you are eating between 60-80g protein/day, you should be fine. If you aren't getting that much, I'd definitely look at concentrating on upping your protein.

[Marina Brasil]

I barely make it to 35....

[nelie]

Alrighty, then I think you are on the right track.

I'd concentrate on things like beans, whole grains, leafy greens and other veggies. Quinoa is good but even things like oatmeal can have a decent amount. Do you do soy milk? It is a good source of protein as would tofu and tempeh.

Another option would be to eat seitan. It is fairly easy to make but you can also buy it.