Strong for a Cause: A Vegan Bikini Athlete’s Day of Eating

Veganism is the practice of abstaining from animal-products, particularly in diet, whether for health or ethical reasoning. Planning ahead and prepping your food is always a good idea, but when adopting a vegan diet as a bodybuilder, it’s absolutely necessary to ensure your plate is nutrient dense and that you’re taking in adequate amounts of protein for muscle-building.

We caught up with Ashley Marcum, a vegan bikini athlete and transformation specialist/head coach at The Vegan Gym— an online fitness and nutrition coaching business dedicated to transforming the lives of vegans all around the world. Ashley first adopted a plant based diet for health reasons, but later fell in love with the supportive community that encourages the ethical treatment of all living beings.

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She’s made some phenomenal progress, and she’s only getting started. “Education is power,” she notes. “I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without amazing mentors/teachers who taught me a lot.” Her hard work and dedication have clearly paid off! Just check out her impressive transformation:

Closely following a plant-based macro-focused diet, her training regimen dictates the amount of carbohydrates, fat and protein she consumes on a day-to-day basis. Although she’s not currently training for a competition, Ashley is enjoying her improvement season and getting ready to step on stage again next year.

So what exactly does she eat on a training day? Read on to find out!

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Morning

Usually hitting her workouts first thing in the morning, this bikini athlete kicks off her day with a healthy dose of carbs, greens and protein.

Pre-Workout

255g Jasmine Rice
200g Banana
30g True Nutrition Soy Protein Isolate
24g Nutrigen (Greens)

Macros: 37P/125C/4F

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Afternoon

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring— Ashley switches it up with exotic flavors and plenty of veggies.

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Evening

She finishes off her day with a variety of fresh vegetables and a sweet treat for dessert.

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Voila! A full day of delicious, nutritious vegan food. Are you considering adopting a plant-based diet? Ash has some tips. “Hire a credible vegan coach to help you with the transition,” she says. “Not only will their guidance help make the transition easier, but they can help educate you further to help make it sustainable for the long term.”

Yours in Health,

True Nutrition