Vegan Bikini Competitor

HOW I Won my Pro Card as a VEGAN!

I am a Pro NFF bikini competitor and NPC Nationally qualified athlete. I did it all while being vegan.

I'm not going to tell you that my diet is the best diet in the world and it might not be the best for everybody. I'm only going to share my experience with a healthy and compassionate lifestyle.

WHY VEGAN??

I am Vegan for everything. I choose to live compassionately for the animals, for the environment, and for my health. Veganism is much more than a diet. It is a philosophy, a system of values, and a way of life.

I fell in love with the sport of bodybuilding a few years ago and I wanted to compete to demonstrate what the body is capable of on a plant-based diet. I want to break the myths that vegans are weak and can't build muscle. I'm living proof that it is possible to be a successful bikini athlete while living a vegan lifestyle!

Before I went vegan, I suffered from hypoglycemia, severe acne, and extreme fatigue. Within a year of going vegan, I was thriving and free from all my illnesses! This life-altering event inspired me to show others the benefits of a healthy diet and lifestyle. I want to share everything I have learned because I believe in veganism and the positive impact my choices have on my health, the environment, and the welfare of animals.

Since January 2017 I have competed in three shows placing top 2 in all of them.
March: NFF Overall Bikini Novice winner and Second place Bikini Open
April: NPC Second place Bikini Open and Nationally Qualified
June: NFF Overall Bikini Open Winner and Pro card winner

All of these results have been in my first year of competing. I firmly believe that I did not succeed IN SPITE OF my vegan diet. I succeeded BECAUSE of my vegan diet.

I never felt that being vegan would hold me back from my dreams and aspirations. In fact, I fell that this lifestyle has given me a purpose and allowed me to help others and inspire change.

During prep I focused on eating a whole foods plant-based diet, except for condiments, protein powder, and a few packaged items.

Top benefits of a vegan prep:

1. Recovery and energy: When consuming a vegan diet, you will notice a difference because your body digests plant foods much easier than animal products. This means that the energy that was once spent digesting food is now spent on something else, like healing muscles. This helped me recover faster and make the best of my workouts. Prep is hard on the body no matter what type of diet you are on, but I noticed many people telling me that I always looked happy and energetic. I'm going to admit I did have my low days because I'm human, but in a six-month prep I can count the low days on one hand. I attribute my positive mood and energy to my plant-based diet.

2. Volume: You can eat a tremendous volume of food on a vegan diet!! Plant-based foods are much lower in calories so you can eat more of them. This helped immensely while getting closer to my shows. People are always amazed by the amount of food I eat. I already mentioned that plant foods digest easier so even though I'm eating a huge volume of food my tummy stays flat. I always feel my best, fuelled, and satisfied.

3. Micro Nutrients: A plant-based diet is very high in Micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are extremely important to keep our bodies healthy, especially in a caloric deficit.

Let's talk about protein!
The most frequent question I get asked is “Where do you get you protein?”
It is not as difficult as many people think because all plant foods have some protein in them. It takes a little bit of practice and creativity to meet your personal protein goals/macros, but it’s very easy once you get the hang of it.
Throughout my prep, I followed a higher carb, moderate protein, low-fat diet. I find this very effective with a vegan diet and it works the best for my body.

I focus on eating a variety of colorful fruits and veggies. Variety is very important to me because each color represents a different micronutrient. I want to make sure that while in being in a caloric deficit I get all the vitamins and minerals my body needs and thrives on.
My favorite protein sources are tofu, tempeh, peas, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, bean pasta, and dark leafy greens.

It was very easy for me to prepare foods during prep because I am also a chef. I take great pride in the foods I prepare because I am confident I can make a difference by showing the world how delicious and healthy vegan foods can be.

Here are some examples of what my meals look like:

Click here for Natalie's Easy Low Fat Energy Bites recipe. 

Click here for Natalie's Healthy Vegan Buffalo Tempeh recipe.

Click here for Natalie's Healthy Vegan Buffalo Tempeh recipe.

Hopefully after hearing my story you might consider something new. As physique athletes we are already used to having to plan meals and limit certain food groups, which would make it very easy to transition to a vegan diet. If you are tired of the way you have always dieted, try something new. I am confident that you will love it because you will feel better, recover faster, and be able to eat way more food!

If you ever need any food inspo or have questions you can go to my website FitVeganChef.com
where I post healthy and delicious vegan recipes.
You can also find me on Instagram @fitveganchef where I share what I eat in a day and tips to make meal prep quick, easy, and cheap.
In 3 weeks, I will start my fourth bikini prep for this year, and I will be sharing my journey along the way. Thanks for reading my story! Photography credit:

Richard G Martinez Photography and Absolutefotog