A few months ago I posted a video about vegan protein shakes.  As I expected, it got mixed reviews.  Some people can’t accept that it’s possible to be healthy, even athletic, without animal protein.

I noticed some comments on the video that made me worry for the health of the people who visit my website.  One viewer wrote, “I can see why you have the muscular build of a toothbrush.”  I have no problem being the butt of a joke, and internet trolls don’t bother me.  Nice observation!  I am 155 pounds!  Your comment inspired me to talk about the subject of fitness, and point out some misconceptions.

1. Bigger isn’t always better.  I used to be a 195 pound pro wrestler.  I also competed in semi-pro MMA.  I had larger muscles—I hated it.  It required an unnatural diet to maintain my former physique, which took a toll on my health.  My doctor was worried about my heart.  I ate 10-15,000 calories a day to grow and keep up with workouts.  My daily diet included 24 raw eggs, 4 whey protein shakes, and a ton of meat.  I looked like a Greek god, but felt like garbage.  I was always cramping, and had constant injuries.  Being big comes naturally to some people, but for me the price was too high.

2. There are different kinds of fitness.  Muscular build of a toothbrush?  Does a toothbrush have 6-pack abs and bench-press 164% of its body weight?  I do.  It’s unfortunate that some people assume the only way to be healthy or athletic is with big muscles.  This is mainly the result of media that shoves steroid pumped athletes down our throats.  Men think that they have to be Arnold Schwarzenegger, but when’s the last time Arnold crossed the finish line at an ultra marathon?  There are different kinds of athletic endeavors.  Having large muscles can be detrimental in some sports.

3. Striving to be healthy doesn’t mean subpar athletic performance.  Whatever the sport, vegans usually dominate:

Exhibit A: Avi R. Lehyani – Olympic Weightlifting

At 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, Lehyani is not a small man.  The 48 year old has been vegan for over 2 decades.  He benches 380 pounds, squats 422 pounds, dead lifts 528 pounds, and rack lifts 836 pounds.  He is a fucking monster.

Exhibit B: Mac Danzig – Ultimate Fighter

As the winner of UFC’s Ultimate Fighter 6, Danzig is a certifiable badass.  He’s won multiple world championships, and can probably kick your ass.  
On Twitter @macdanzigmma.

Exhibit C: Rich Roll – Ultra Triathlete

Most 45 year olds in Malibu, California buy a red sports car to feel younger, Roll decided to compete in ultra endurance sports.  He can swim for miles, rides his bike over 200 miles at a time, and has competed in the EPIC 5 (5 Ironman races in 5 days).  Rich is a machine.  
On Twitter @richroll.

Whatever your fitness goals, veganism can get you there without harming your body or hurting animals.  I encourage you to adopt a vegan lifestyle.  Feel free to send questions about veganism to askcrewspence@gmail.com, and don’t be embarrassed when ignorant people tell you that meat is necessary for athletic performance.  They are wrong.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted.  That’s because a lot has been going on.  Namely, I was in a high speed car accident.  Fortunately, I wasn’t injured, but it forced me to think about my mortality.  I could have easily lost my life that night.  Am I spending my time doing things that truly make me happy?

Despite concentrating much of my career on helping others improve their lives I realize that there are ways that I could be leading a more meaningful life.  There are so many things that I’ve been wanting to do, but I haven’t had the motivation to pull the trigger.  I’ve been more concerned with leading my ordinary life.  Today I have decided to “opt out of ordinary.”  Here are just a few ways that I will start this journey:

Live without a car.  This one’s easy since my car was totaled.  I was surprised by how many people assumed I would simply replace my car and bury myself in thousands of dollars in debt.  I am not replacing my car.  From this point on I will be using a bicycle, public transportation, car share systems, and my feet.  This will force me to take notice of how I travel, reduce my carbon footprint, and I will save a ton of money.  If you live in a city it’s not hard to change your lifestyle to run without a car.

Learn to say “no”.  I’m the kind of guy that tries to please people.  Do you tend to say “yes” way too much?  Contemplating mortality has reminded me that we don’t have infinite time.  I can’t afford to go to every party, or do every favor.  Neither do you.

Refocus your energy on your passions.  I love helping other people with their problems in dating and fitness.  It’s what makes me wake up in the morning.  We tend to get caught up in everyday life, and forget what’s really important to us (even when we have our dream job).  If you aren’t doing what you love, start.  If you don’t spend your life doing what you love you will regret it.

Get rid of the dead weight.  If you’ve read my blog before you know that I live a minimalist lifestyle.  I limit my possessions to what’s necessary.  Despite the fact that I own less than most Americans, there’s still a lot of fat to cut.  I love the carefree feeling of having few responsibilities.  Many possessions mean more things to worry about.  Unnecessary stressors slow us down.  They take our focus away from what really makes us happy.  That’s the last thing we need.

You don’t need to have a life-changing car accident to have a life-changing moment.  You can do it right now.  It takes a commitment to yourself to change things for the better.  It won’t happen overnight, but if you are patient and make small changes you will find that they will take you far.  Don’t hate yourself if you stumble from time to time, just keep going.