Hello, everyone.
Thank you for following along with my month-long November project, documenting all of my meals and workouts for anyone to read. As a reminder, this is what the November Project is all about: For the entire month of November I will be documenting all of my meals and all of my workouts to reveal how a long-time vegan athlete eats and trains to maintain muscle mass and strength. This will reflect my personal approach and will not be considered as a representation of all vegan athletes. With this month-long documentation, I plan to send a weekly recap once per week for 4 weeks revealing all of my meals and workouts for the week. I will be not be suggesting, recommending, or advising anything. I will simply transparently share my daily meals and workouts that I really follow. I will be using Cronometer to track my caloric and nutrition intake as well as my caloric expenditure through tracking my basal metabolic rate combined with my activity level. The numbers will be estimations based on calculations and may not be 100% accurate, but will be as close to reality as possible, given the technology I am using, factoring lots of homemade meals which are tough to count exact calories.
My stats are the following:
Age: 36
Height: 5’11 ¾”
Weight: 202 pounds
Current exercise routine: Weight training 4-5 days per week for 60-90 minutes, occasional cardio for 30-45 minutes at a time
Vegan for 21 years
One thing that I was concerned about when I first got the idea for the November Project, and had thousands of people subscribe to follow along, was that perhaps I was biting off more than I could chew (pun intended). As someone who already works a lot, tours and travels, trains a lot, is active in the community, keeps late nights, and is fairly heavily addicted to the Internet, I wondered if I’d be able to keep up with regular, planned weekly updates. Sure enough, this week I fell behind. The third week of the November Project finished on November 21st, and I’m just now getting my weekly recap finalized on the 26th. I apologize for the delay. We just have one more weekly recap following this one, which will accumulate a total of about 100 pages of summary.
We’re on to our Week 3 Summary. Here’s my recap:
This week was an interesting one, perhaps the most different, or out of the ordinary, since I started the November Project. We hosted numerous friends for meet-ups, meals, hikes, etc. Not that we don’t usually have visitors, but since we moved to Arizona about 6 weeks ago we hadn’t had any visitors, but this week, we had multiple visitors spend significant amount of time with us at our house and in the community. All the while we also geared up to host our first overnight guests – family coming to town for the Thanksgiving holiday. In general, most days throughout the entire year, I work from home and spend the majority of the day at home, aside from trips to the gym, post office, and grocery store – errands I share with my fiancée, taking turns to shop or ship products – aside from the gym sessions which obviously I need to complete for myself. When I’m not traveling or on tour in any capacity, I tend to be at home where I have access to meals anytime I want, and I can plan out a schedule or routine as far as eating, training, working, sleeping, etc. I noticed that this week while entertaining guests I went slightly longer periods between eating meals, ate more processed foods, and missed a planned workout. None of this is that big of a deal, and all part of life, it’s just an observation I made when recalling the past 7 days of the November Project.
Tuesday November 15, 2016
Slept from 12:30AM – 9:30AM = 9 hours
10:10AM
6 ounces of water
10:28AM
Exercise: 31 minutes on the Stairmaster
14 ounces of water
11:20AM
5 mandarin oranges
11:57AM
Exercise: 32 minutes on the Stairmaster
20 ounces of water
20 minutes in the sauna
12:30PM
20 ounces of water
1:15PM
Apple
1:55PM
Bowl of green salad with dolmas
16 ounces of yerba mate tea
2:40PM
10 pieces of vegetable sushi
6:28PM
Bowl of mixed fruit: pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, red grapes
Handful of raspberries
8 ounces of water
7:44PM
Exercise: Weight Training from 7:44-9:20PM = 1 hour, 36 minutes
Warm-up
Hip raises: 20, 20, 25
Arm and leg raises (bird dog): 15, 15, 15
Push-ups: 20, 20, 20, 20
Back workout
Wide-grip machine rows: 70×20, 80×20, 90×15, 100×12
Narrow-grip machine rows: 70×20, 90×18, 110×14, 110×15
High-pulley cable rows: 70×20, 80×20, 90×15, 100×12
High Rows: 140×12, 160×12, 180×10, 180×8
Front Pull-downs: 90×15, 140×12, 160×8, 140×10
Reverse-grip lat pull-downs: 85×20, 105×12, 105×15, 105×12
9:14PM
Banana
17.5 ounces of coconut water
15 ounces of water
Mandarin orange
10:18PM
Bowl of homemade vegan mac n’ cheese
Bowl of potato and kale vegetable soup over brown rice
11:06PM
Homemade vegan burrito
3 small pickles
8 ounces of sparkling water
11:40PM
2 handfuls of almonds
2 small pickles
Handful of raspberries
1:43AM
Orange
Totals:
Calories consumed: 3,405
Carbohydrates: 646g (74%)
Protein: 76g (8%)
Fat: 71g (18%)
Water: 91 ounces
Calories burned: 3,348
Net: 57-calorie surplus
Weight training: 1 hour, 36 minutes
Cardio: 1 hour, 3 minutes
Total combined exercise = 2 hours, 39 minutes
Notes:
It felt great to start the day with about an hour on the Stairmaster. It was actually broken into two 30+ minute sections because I had to head home for a furniture delivery (those are finally done for now, and we’re fully moved into our house, minus a few small items like lamps). Ideally, I would start each morning with some fasted cardio, be it a 20-minute walk with the dog, or a morning hike, a session on the Stairmaster, or riding the stationary bike at home while I check my email shortly after waking. I guess the reason why we say “ideal” would be this way or that way, because it often isn’t. As someone who is heavily focused on work, entrepreneurial activities, and marketing and advertising, sometimes I have projects and deadlines I prioritize over morning cardio. Doing this November Project helps me identify what I am truly doing with my time, which puts me in a position to have more control over my outcomes, simply by being aware of what captivates my time and interests.
Overall, today was a pretty evenly matched day as far as my calorie consumption and expenditure. It was almost even, with a slight surplus. This helps me maintain my roughly 202 pounds I have maintained the full 3 weeks into this project thus far. Taking in 3,400 calories is higher than my daily average of 2,900 and 2,800 over the past couple of weeks, so it will be interesting to see what the numbers look like at the end of this week.
I’m also happy to report that after another back workout, my back is still feeling good, despite the ongoing recovery from a torn disc in my lower back. I have been feeling injury-free for something like 6-7 weeks at this point, which is a welcome breath of fresh air and makes all forms of exercise and rehab that much more enjoyable.
Wednesday November 16, 2016
Slept from 2:30AM – 10:30AM = 8 hours
10:40AM
8 ounces of water
8 ounces of yerba mate
12:00pm
Basket of raspberries
Basket of blueberries
Small bowl of oatmeal
12:40PM
10 pieces of vegetable sushi
1:46PM
Handful of mixed nuts
Bowl of brown rice, refried beans, romaine lettuce
3:08PM
Banana
4 ounces of yerba mate
5:40PM
Banana
6:18PM
Bowl of brown rice, refried beans, potato and kale vegetable soup, romaine lettuce
8 ounces of water
6:56PM
2 oranges
4 ounces of yerba mate
7:34PM
Exercise: Weight training workout from 7:34-8:42PM = 1 hour, 8 minutes
Warm-up
Hip raises: 20, 25, 25
Arm and leg raises (bird dog): 15, 15, 15
Push-ups: 20, 20, 20, 20
Biceps and triceps workout
Rope extensions: 85×20, 85×18, 95×17, 105×15
Low-pulley cable curls: 65×20, 75×15, 85×15, 95×10
Seated machine press downs: 150×20, 170×15, 190×10, 210×8
Machine biceps curls: 70×15, 80×12, 90×10, 100×10
Single arm high position machine curls: 30×10, 40×10, 50×8, 50×8
Dips: 12, 15, 12, 12
Seated dumbbell supinated curls: 25sx15, 30sx12, 30sx12, 35sx8
Standing cable concentration curls: 35×12, 45×10, 55×6, 55×8
Rope extensions: 105×15, 115×10, 125×8, 135×8
9:20PM
Plate of potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, salad greens, olives, homemade cashew cheese, beans, avocado
9:50PM
Plate of potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, salad greens, olives, homemade cashew cheese, beans, avocado, jalapenos
10:50PM
Small bowl of applesauce
2:10AM
Kiwi
2 oranges
Totals:
Calories consumed: 3,401
Carbohydrates: 659g (74%)
Protein: 97g (10%)
Fat: 66g (16%)
Water: 16 ounces
Calories burned: 2,472
Net: 929-calorie surplus
Weight training: 1 hour, 8 minutes
Cardio: 0 minutes
Total combined exercise = 1 hour, 8 minutes
Notes: I had a big calorie surplus today, consuming nearly 1,000 calories more than I burned through activity. I guess that’s what happens when you have multiple plates containing foods like homemade cashew cheese sauce, avocado and black olives and don’t partake in cardiovascular training. I didn’t total these daily figures up until a week after the fact, but I find it interesting that the past two days saw identical calorie intake, especially with the number being so high at 3,400, while enjoying fairly different foods from one day to the next. I also find it interesting that today’s example fit the 74/10/16 macronutrient breakdown that was the average for the entire week last week. I’m not even particularly aiming to hit specific targets, it just becomes second nature after a while, even while eating lots of different foods, maintaining some staples that are consumed regularly. One thing I’m not super impressed with is that I only consumed 16 ounces of water today, which is partly due to an increase in yerba mate consumption, and lack of cardiovascular training.
Thursday November 17, 2016
Slept from 3:45AM – 10:15AM = 6 hours, 30 minutes
10:45AM
8 ounces of water
11:25AM
8 ounces of yerba mate
3 bananas
1:08PM
Banana
Bowl of Japanese-style fried rice with edamame and tofu
1:40PM
Banana
Bowl of Japanese-style fried rice with edamame and tofu
8 ounces of yerba mate
5:12PM
10 pieces of vegetable sushi
6:18PM
Burrito with avocado, salsa, and lettuce
6:56PM
Exercise: Stationary bike for 1 hour, 7 minutes
8:10PM
Half basket of raspberries
9:03PM
2 handfuls of almonds
10:00PM
Bowl of vegetable lentil soup
2 boiled potatoes
Avocado
8 ounces of sparkling water
Orange
11:58PM
3 small bananas
12:15 AM
4 ounces of sparkling water
Totals:
Calories consumed: 3,808
Carbohydrates: 656g (65%)
Protein: 96g (10%)
Fat: 108g (25%)
Water: 20 ounces
Calories burned: 2,841
Net: 967-calorie surplus
Weight training: 0 minutes
Cardio: 1 hour, 7 minutes
Total combined exercise = 1 hour, 7 minutes
Notes:
Today was a big calorie day, and I have a feeling I might have a few more like this because some bags of fried rice came into our freezer. You may have noticed I have specific eating patterns. Since I work from home, and I spend a lot of time here, I tend to eat what is at home – especially foods that are quick and convenient, because I spend all day on the computer aside from the time I am training, hiking or on a dog walk. I like to be efficient and manage time well when I can, and sometimes a burrito or bag of fried rice is a go-to meal, and sometimes I have quantities that will last for days. Other days you’ll notice that I eat brown rice, beans, avocado, etc. (burrito bowl) nearly every day when we have bulk quantities of each food prepared at home at a given time. It’s also no secret that I am becoming a fairly large fan of the local vegetable sushi rolls 5 minutes down the street for $4.99 for 10 of them (500 calories). We’ll see how this week goes. I expect to see a rise in calorie consumption, and with a busier than usual schedule, in part due to the amount of time this November Project actually takes, I could see a drop in overall exercise, which would likely result in potential weight gain from calorie surplus, especially as some more processed foods creep their way into my diet.
Friday November 18, 2016
Slept from 1:15AM – 9:15AM = 8 hours
9:50AM
8 ounces of water
10:05 AM
Banana
11:50AM
2 apples
2 oranges
1:30PM
Banana
Basket of raspberries
2:00PM
Banana
2:15PM
Exercise: Hike for 45 minutes
3:40PM
Banana
17 ounces of water
5:00PM
Bowl of vegetable fried rice
5:30PM
Bowl of vegetable fried rice
7:12PM
Banana
7:56PM
Exercise: Shoulder workout from 7:56-9:02PM = 1 hour, 6 minutes
Warm-up
Hip raises: 20, 25, 25
Arm and leg raises (bird dog): 15, 15, 15
Shoulder workout
Cable overhead press: 40×25, 50×20, 60×15, 70×15, 80×12
Plate-loaded shoulder press: 90×12, 140×10, 160×8, 180×8, 160×10, 140×14, 140×14
Neutral grip machine press: 50×13, 70×13, 90×7, 100×5, 100×6
Machine shoulder press: 80×12, 90×8, 90×6, 100×3, 60×17
Dumbbell lateral raises: 15sx15, 22.5sx12, 22.5sx12, 25sx6, 25sx7
Dumbbell front raises: 15sx15, 22.5sx12, 22.5sx12, 25sx6, 25sx7
Machine rear deltoid flys: 75×10, 75×10, 75×12, 85×8, 100×6
9:04PM
2 bananas
10:26PM
10 piece vegetable sushi
Bowl of mango chunks
15 ounces of water
11:48 PM
Bowl of brown rice, refried beans, black olives
12:10 AM
Bowl of brown rice, refried beans, black olives, guacamole
8 ounces of sparkling water
12:34 AM
6 ounces of sparkling water
Half a basket of raspberries
Totals:
Calories consumed: 3,541
Carbohydrates: 688g (75%)
Protein: 84g (9%)
Fat: 64g (16%)
Water: 54 ounces
Calories burned: 2,755
Net: 786-calorie surplus
Weight training: 1 hour, 6 minutes
Cardio: 45 minutes
Total combined exercise = 1 hour, 51 minutes
Notes:
I am officially averaging more than 3,500 calories per day through these four days, but I’ve also been incorporating more processed foods into my diet. It’s not really that big of a deal, and of course our behaviors compound and factor in the previous days and weeks too, but trends can lead to momentum in positive or negative ways. It’s just something that I should be aware of since a reduction in my overall exercise has coincided with my increase in caloric intake. I saw the scale peak at 204 pounds this week after seeing it dip a little bit last week with all that time on the Stairmaster and a high fruit, low calorie approach. Everything balances out over time and when things slow down a bit with work on the computer, I’ll likely get back out there and hike a little more often, take more dog walks (we have a yard for dogs, but walking is always enjoyable for all parties involved), and spend more time on the Stairmaster, my #1 choice for fat-burning cardio at the moment.
Saturday November 19, 2016
Slept from 1:15AM – 11:15AM = 10 hours
11:52AM
8 ounces of water
12:15PM
8 ounces of water
12:30PM
10 ounces of yerba mate
Handful of almonds
12:50PM
Bowl of steel cut oats with strawberries and blueberries
1 ½ baskets of raspberries
2:25PM
15 pieces of vegetable sushi
16 ounces of water
4:00PM
Banana
4:02PM
Exercise: 40-minute dog walk
5:20PM
Banana
5:27PM
Exercise: Workout from 5:27-7:27PM = 2 hours
Warm-up:
Hip raises: 20, 25, 30
Arm and leg lifts (bird dog): 15, 15, 15
Push-ups: 20, 20, 20
Legs and back workout:
Leg extensions: 55×25, 70×25, 85×20, 100×20, 115×18, 130×20, 145×15, 160×16, 175×10, 145×17
Lat pull-downs: 85×20, 100×15, 100×15, 115×15, 130×10
Reverse-grip lat pull-downs: 130×12, 130×12, 145×12, 160×10, 160×8
Machine front pull-downs: 140×10, 140×10, 140×9, 140×10, 140×8
High Rows: 140×12, 140×15, 160×10, 160×10, 160×12
Plate-loaded calf raises: 45×45, 90×40, 115×30, 125×30, 140×25
Machine seated rows: 80×15, 90×15, 100×12, 115×8, 80×16
Wall sits: 71 seconds, 65 seconds, 85 seconds, 96 seconds, 81 seconds
6:58PM
2 bananas
7:36PM
Exercise: 22 minutes on the Stairmaster
8:30PM
Handful of cashews
Handful of almonds
Bowl of brown rice, refried beans, guacamole, black olives, jalepenos, pepperoncinis
17.5 ounces of coconut water
9:30PM
12 ounces of sparkling water
10:20PM
Spring roll with tofu and peanut sauce
11:00PM
Bowl of brown rice, refried beans, avocado, jalepenos
12 ounces of sparking water
12:05AM
12 ounces of sparkling water
Basket of raspberries
Totals:
Calories consumed: 3,769
Carbohydrates: 670g (70%)
Protein: 106g (10%)
Fat: 90g (20%)
Water: 68 ounces
Calories burned: 2,770
Net: 999-calorie surplus
Weight training: 2 hours
Cardio: 40 minutes
Total combined exercise = 2 hours, 40 minutes
Notes:
Today was my first day in about 7 months training legs. It felt great to be back in the game. As you may recall, I’m recovering from a torn disc in my lower back. Therefore, I only performed very basic machine exercises, such as leg extensions where my quads are isolated and I have a back pad to lean against, supporting my back, keeping me stable. I really wanted to ease into it, so that’s what I did. In fact, I mixed my leg workout with a back workout, to ensure I wouldn’t do too much, too soon. I kept my leg training focused on leg extensions for quads, seated calf raises (no strain on lower back) for calves, and some wall sits (where again my back is supported up against the wall) for quads, glutes and hamstrings. During the workout I met up with fellow champion vegan bodybuilder, Will Tucker, who goes to the same gym I do, and I was telling him that I felt like I probably could have started training legs again many weeks ago, but it was likely best that I took this long hiatus to rest my back and focus on recovery.
When I train legs again, I will continue to focus on isolated movements. I won’t be doing any squats or lunges or other weight bearing exercises that will compress my spine. Those days are behind me, especially since this is something like the 10th time over the past 20 years that I have damaged discs or nerves in my lower back. I really have to be careful these days, and I’m not getting any younger, turning 37 in a few months. I know from past experience, I can still make my legs one of my strongest, biggest, most well defined, and dominant muscle groups, even while limited to isolated movements – so long as I work hard. I’m not training for anything specific these days other than the fun of it, but I am pleased to be training legs again.
Sunday November 20, 2016
Slept from 2:15AM – 9:30AM = 7 hours, 15 minutes
10:00AM
8 ounces of water
4 ounces of yerba mate
11:26AM
Basket of raspberries
Handful of almonds
8 ounces of water
4 ounces of coconut water
Banana
12:20PM
Bowl of vegetable fried rice
8 ounces of yerba mate
1:00PM
Bowl of vegetable fried rice
2:20PM
Small bowl of vegetable fried rice
Basket of raspberries
4 ounces of yerba mate
3:15PM
5 pieces of vegetable sushi
6 ounces of sparking water
3:40PM
2 apples
4:20PM
Banana
4:28PM
Exercise: Workout from 4:28PM-6:01PM = 1 hour, 33 minutes
Warm-up:
Hip raises: 30, 30, 30
Arm and leg lifts (bird dog): 15, 15, 15
Push-ups: 20, 20, 20
Chest workout:
Decline barbell bench press: 45×50, 135×12, 135×12, 185×10, 225×5, 245×4, 265×3, 275×2, 225×10, 225×10
Incline barbell bench press: 135×8, 135×10, 135×8, 135×8, 135×12, 135×10, 135×8
Plate-loaded incline chest press: 90×12, 110×10, 110×12, 110×10
Plate loaded decline chest press: 140×12, 160×9, 160×9, 160×12
6:10PM
Exercise: 47 minutes on Stairmaster
7:00PM
17.5 ounces of coconut water
Banana
4 mandarin oranges
40 ounces of water
7:15PM
30 minutes in sauna
8:30PM
Can of Amy’s vegetable lentil soup over brown rice
Bowl of gnocchi with tomato sauce
11:00PM
Half a basket of raspberries
Apple
11:40PM
2 boiled potatoes with mustard
11:55PM
3 boiled potatoes with mustard
6 ounces of sparkling water
Totals:
Calories consumed: 4,290
Carbohydrates: 783g (70%)
Protein: 108g (9%)
Fat: 99g (21%)
Water: 68 ounces
Calories burned: 3,141
Net: 1,149-calorie surplus
Weight training: 1 hour, 33 minutes
Cardio: 47 minutes
Total combined exercise = 2 hours, 20 minutes
Notes:
Now things are starting to get interesting. Not only have I noticed that I am on day 6 for the week and I have consumed a surplus of calories every day this week, but I have consumed an average of more than 1,000 extra calories over the past couple of days despite exercising for a combined 5 hours. What’s going on here? What’s going on is truly one of the reasons why I wanted to do this November Project. What’s going on is that life got busier, more stressful, and I felt short on time and started craving convenient, processed foods – which happen to often be packed full of calories, higher fat, oil, and they play a major factor in our health and fitness outcomes. As you recall from the past couple of weeks, I was averaging under 3,000 calories per day, and I was working out a lot, especially hiking and using the Stairmaster regularly, burning a lot of calories. I was also focused on eating almost exclusively whole foods, and on some days, I ate only whole foods. Today is one of those days where I ended up eating 3 bowls of fried rice, 5 sushi rolls, a whole can of vegetable lentil soup, a large bowl of gnocchi, and 5 potatoes, among other foods. That adds up quickly. As I’ve said before many times, “it’s not that big of a deal” because I just adapt over time and can make some adjustments now that I am aware of my behavior.
One of the great benefits I hope you get as a reader is seeing what habits and patterns I develop and how they map on to reality, having a real impact on me – from fat gain, to late nights, to low energy, to the myriad positive benefits. Our food choices are always going to have some sort of positive, negative, or fairly neutral impact on us. Our bodies are extremely resilient and can handle a lot, and bounce back from years of poor eating, but they can also perform better for us if we fuel ourselves properly.
Despite a combined 5 hours of exercise the past couple of day I managed to eat a combined 2,100+ more calories than I expended, but I also consumed more than half a gallon of water each of the past two days, along with other fluids like coconut water, and I still managed to consume a healthy average of 70 percent of my calories from carbohydrates, 10 percent from protein, and 20 percent from fats over the past two days too, and those are great targets to be hitting, even while eating an increased amount of processed foods.
One area of improvement I’d like to see is a reduction of yerba mate consumption. This is a battle I have had for a couple of years – an addition for sure. One of my goals is to reduce my consumption of this caffeinated sugary beverage and drink more water instead. This week has been especially challenging because I have had higher stress, a higher work load, more late nights, and I have relied on the “sweet nectar” as I refer to it as to get myself going in the tired mornings and keep myself going all day long until passing out late at night after another long day at the computer. The life of a self-employed entrepreneur can be amazing but it can also be a bit rough at times – like this week and next week for sure.
Monday November 21, 2016
Slept from 1:15AM – 9:15AM = 8 hours
9:40AM
8 ounces of water
Banana
11:15AM
Apple slices
12:40PM
Chips, guacamole, hummus, black olives
Bowl of vegetable fried rice
Apple slices
4:40PM
10 pieces of vegetable sushi
5:45PM
Hummus, falafel, dolmas
Passion fruit, orange, guava, and banana smoothie with soymilk
8 ounces of water
Plate of brown rice, beans, tofu, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and zucchini
Pita bread
Potatoes with oil and garlic
9:00PM
Bowl of mixed fruit
½ bowl of mango chunks
10:00PM
Bowl of raspberries
10:20PM
Plate of brown rice, beans, tofu, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and zucchini
11:00PM
Banana
6 ounces of water
4 ounces of coconut water
Mandarin orange
Totals:
Calories consumed: 4,034
Carbohydrates: 703g (68%)
Protein: 102g (9%)
Fat: 106g (23%)
Water: 22 ounces
Calories burned: 2,229
Net: 1,805-calorie surplus
Weight training: 0 minutes
Cardio: 0 minutes
Total combined exercise = 0 minutes
Notes:
I’m tempted to say this is the first time I’ve had back-to-back 4,000+ calorie days in a while, but I don’t know that to be true – because I wasn’t keeping track of things before the November Project, and I was consuming quite a few processed foods some days – one other reason why I was inspired to start the November Project, to hold myself accountable. I could eat entire bags of Gardein Chicken Tenders at a time, sometimes a couple of those a day, and 4 or more Amy’s vegan burritos in a single day. In fact, I bet there were many days I consumed over 4,000 calories while only burning about half of that amount over the months that I was sidelined with my lower back injury, still trying to maintain a bodyweight of over 200 pounds. I peaked at 207 pounds during a time when I wasn’t doing a whole lot of training a few months ago, and my body fat visibly grew higher than it has ever been. Recording all of my meals during the past few weeks of the November Project has been very helpful to me, and I hope it has been interesting to you as well. I can already tell that this week was dramatically different and I haven’t even totaled up my numbers for the week yet. My macronutrient breakdown seems to be about the same, roughly 74% of calories coming from carbohydrates, 10% from protein, and 16% from fat – though I suspect my percentage of carbohydrates went down a bit while fat went up a bit this week. I’ll know in a few moments.
Today was a rest day from the gym and a day that my family came to visit from Colorado. We showed them around our new community and took them out to one of our new favorite vegan-friendly restaurants, the casual diner, Pita Jungle. I loaded up on potatoes with oil and garlic (one of my favorite foods), a big fruit smoothie and a massive plate of rice, beans, tofu, vegetables and pita bread, among other foods. Today was certainly more of a food day than a fitness day. It is great to have our first overnight guests in our new house, and we especially look forward to hanging out with my little 15-month old nephew. I’m sure my family will enjoy the 75-degree and sunny weather since they had snow in Colorado when they left. Time to hangout poolside in the sun, and get in the pool this week too. Bring on the fun in the sun, Arizona style.
Here is a summary of week 3 of the November Project:
Week 3 Totals: (Note: Some totals might be off by a tiny bit due to some estimations using my Cronometer system, and due to some slight rounding throughout the 7 days, but this is as accurate as I can make it):
Total calories consumed = 26,248
Average calories per day = 3,750
Total from carbohydrates = 4,805g
Average grams of carbohydrates per day = 686g
Average percentage of calories from carbohydrates = 70%
Total from protein = 669g
Average grams of protein per day = 95.5g
Average percentage of calories from protein = 10%
Total from fat = 604g
Average grams of fat per day = 86g
Average percentage of calories from fat = 20%
Total water intake = 339 ounces
Average water per day = 48 ounces
Total calories expended = 19,556
Average calories expended per day = 2,794
Net caloric intake/expenditure = 6,692-calorie surplus
Average net calorie intake/expenditure = 956-calorie surplus per day
Total time spent weight training (5 out of 7 days) = 7 hours, 23 minutes
Total time spent on cardio (5 out of 7 days) = 4 hours, 22 minutes
Total time spent exercising = 11 hours, 45 minutes
Average time spent weight training per day over 7 days = 1 hour, 3 minutes
Average time spent on cardio per day over 7 days = 37 minutes
Average time spent exercising per day over 7 days = 1 hour, 40 minutes
Total amount of sleep = 56 hours, 45 minutes
Average sleep per night = 8 hours, 6 minutes
Robert Cheeke 
Amazing work! Thank you so much for putting so much effort into this and for sharing with us. ((hugs))
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Hey Robert! These entries are inspiring and helping me come back from injury as well. Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I sometimes waver and drink chai tea which the coffee shop puts sweetened almond milk and probably just plain sugar into… if you don’t I won’t! What about plain black tea? Too gross?
Plus, Falafel!? Oh man oh man! I can’t eat falafel (I’m tiny and it blows my fat for the day). Skip it! You can doooo itttt! 🙂
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Robert, do you take your body fat percentage at least once a month? That would be an interesting number to see also. I am guessing at the end of this that your calorie surplus (according to the BMR) will not cause a huge increase in weight or body fat, if any, due to your increased thermogenesis, (metabolism), caused by eating a plant-based diet. Thanks for your diligence in putting all this together. It’s much appreciated!
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