True, but is minimizing calories really the point? I don't think it is. If I can get the nutrients I need in the optimal amounts AND maintain an appropriate weight, I don't care if I'm eating 1,400 calories a day or 14,000.


Right. Because you're eating an animal, an animal that itself had all of the required nutrients to make the muscle. And the majority of the animals that people eat are vegetarian (actually vegan) themselves.


I'm not sure what you mean by this. I'm getting the majority of my minerals from seeds and legumes (low carb and moderate carb) and I'm getting nearly all of my vitamins (except E) from greens and nutritional yeast, which together contribute a whopping 5 carbs. Add in some cauliflower or broccoli to cover my potassium and whatnot and I'm all covered, all for around 100 carbs. What I've found out is that I don't really need to eat much "carby" fruits and vegetables to get my V&M. And if I wanted to, I could cut my carb intake even further (tofu instead of beans), but I'm losing weight doing 100-113 carbs, so why bother?

And it's not that I "may be able to get" the RDA of V&M, I AM getting the RDA of V&M (with the caveats and exceptions already discussed).

I thought about posting all the math, totals, calculations etc. for each nutrient, but I figured no one would care for that kind of detail. But I've done it. This is not guesswork.


Yup. Like I said, I'm not suicidal, I'm not a martyr. I know that it's possible for most people to be perfectly healthy (even optimally healthy) on a vegan diet, but everyone is different - we don't all process and absorb nutrients as well as the next guy. If I find out that I'm harming my health by being vegan, I will reconsider my dietary choices. Until then, I'm trying to be healthy AND stick to my convictions. So far, so good.


Thank you.