It's time to get ripped

And by getting ripped, I mean gaining roughly ten pounds (of pure muscle, of course). Why ten pounds? That's about how much I've lost in the 3 months I've been vegan. I have a unique issue when it comes to weight gain: I haven't been able to do it before. Even when I was an omnivore, I had the same problem. But now? Now, I'm new and improved.

I theorize this weight loss is a shedding of extra, unwanted matter in my digestive system and toxins stored in my cells. Good riddance, I say. My energy level is still very high, I recover quickly from workouts and I don't have any food cravings. My body is telling me everything is going great. So, the weight loss isn't attributed to any sort of lack of protein or vitamins. I eat a broad range of vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes.

As usual, I have a plan. Ready for it...Ready for it.............My plan is to eat more. I know. Shocking. I'm a loose cannon. But seriously, it's more nuanced. I'm going to eat more earlier in the day, and within 15 minutes of a workout. Also, I'm cutting down on my cardio workouts. I'm limiting my cardio workouts to Tae Kwon Do, 3-4 days a week. All other cardio will be for warm-up purposes only. And I'm going to focus on lifting at least 5 days a week. For example, a day could look like this:

8 am, Breakfast:
2 slices Ezekeil multi-grain toast with Earth Balance spread
20 oz. homemade fruity green juice (Fortified rice milk, spinach, kale, OJ, flax seed, lemon juice)

9 am, Arrive at work

11 am, Snack 1:
Hot oatmeal
1 apple

12:00 pm, Workout (5 minute cardio warm-up, 25 minutes lifting, 5-10 stretching)

12:45 pm, Post Workout Snack:
Hot oatmeal (or Larabar)

1:15 pm, Lunch:
Salad with mixed greens, spinach, various nuts and seeds, black beans, brown rice and raw broccoli

4:00 pm, Snack 2:
Hummus and 2 pita breads
1 Banana

6:00 pm, leave work, Snack 3:
Pack of mixed nuts, seeds, dried cranberries

7:30 pm, Dinner:
Sauteed mixed vegetables with various seeds over brown rice
Small lentil soup
Small raw salad

9:30 pm, Snack 4:
Leftovers from dinner

That's a lot of eating, right? Well, I've actually eaten this exact lineup before, and I love it. It's an all out eating extravaganza. Now, I just need to be sure I eat like this every day. Sometimes I'm rushed, or stuck in traffic, or don't have all the ingredients, or forget to eat. And sometimes, I just don't feel like eating what I've brought for a snack. Some days I workout after work and have even less time to prepare meals. Well, these guns ain't gonna get all huge by themselves. They need fuel. And rest. And training. The tripple-dog-Jones, as it were. Poundage, here I come.