Tried a VEGAN DIET - amazing results 

NOT suggesting ANYONE should eat anything other than what THEY want to.....but this is what's working for me 👍 😁 Now to get myself one of those ear hole things and some incense sticks 😂

Thoroughly enjoyed this piece Mark, thought provoking and pertinent. 🙌🏻

Awesome video! I had this same experience when I first went vegan. Went vegan for ultra endurance events, and kept it because I was suddenly conscious of the environmental effects and general suffering caused by meat. I have tried a burger twice in the past couple years and yeah it was good, but I couldn't get past the knowledge of what had gone into that one burger. My 15 seconds of satisfaction wasn't worth it.

We went plant based 2 years ago and one unexpected positive result has been that the food we *do* eat just tastes so much better! I don’t know if meat dulls sensitivity to other flavours but we’re certainly enjoying the consequences of quitting. 😋

Brilliant logic and well delivered

Make sure you supplement with Vitamin B12 (or eat B12 fortified foods). That is the only "deficiency" of a 100% plant-based diet, but it is easily and cheaply remedied.

Nice, glad it's working for you. We went plant-based about 7 years ago, but then since re-introduced eggs when we started keeping our own chickens. Even in those 7 years it's become *way* more mainstream and easier to do, and is no longer the lentils-and-beans-cook-from-scratch affair it used to be. It's as healthy as you choose to make it - bourbon biscuits are vegan, but I wouldn't advise subsisting off them...

A lot less inflammation and better utilization of glycogen through digestion. I wish I knew this in my 20s

I really liked your comments about the health side. I went vegan for a month and ate cookies and chips, plus loads of white-bread, no surprise I put on a few kg.

First time on your channel love it ....don't stop telling the truth....keep it up, don't stop.

I was plant-based and vegan for about a year. I became pretty righteous about it. My vitality (brain fog, etc) did improve noticeably, but I fell off the wagon years ago. I still eat quite a bit less meat and dairy and part of me wants to start it again but I do enjoy a nice roast and bacon butties, etc. I know I'm free to choose. The cognitive dissonance doesn't really bother me too much as I'm not a copmuter demanding complete logical sense; I just don't really think about it and alls well. Thinking about all these things to their logical conclusion could (**for me**) lead to living like some kind of hair-shirted, miserable, self-righteous hermit and I don't want to inflict that on myself or anyone else;) I think it's enough (for me) to just reduce meat consumption and what I do eat I eat with intention, not just some shit factory produced rubbish "just to eat meat". Thanks for your video; food for thought. I am somewhat surprised you didn't notice measurable differences; I watched so much vegan/plant-based content (propaganda?), e.g. The Game Changers, Forks over Knives, etc espousing the benefits. I also read articles (China Study, Neal Bernard, Physicans Committee, etc) showing huge health improvements.

Great video Mark. It's really good to have this no-nonsense approach out there. I went plant-based to help protect the environment for my kids. It seems that however you get there, once you have no skin in the game, it's a short hop to noticing the ethical implications of animal ag and going vegan. It's funny how you responded so badly to Game Changers. At the time I saw it, the whole thing was fairly new to me so it actually had a positive effect because I wasn't going in with any real knowledge on the subject. But in hindsight I can see how it would annoy someone who actually knows a lot about nutrition already.

Ride on Mark! Great video - congratulation on your choice, thanks for saving the planet as a side effect.

I was on the fence about subscribing even though you have great content. I am semi-retired from endurance.4 years plant based here. Gave up for my hayfever. My hair has not grown back though! Subd.

Very interesting. I'm thinking of going mostly plant-based while still having salmon occasionally.

I have been subscribed and watching your videos for a few weeks now as love developing myself as a hybrid athlete, and just found this and seen you’re vegan. Cool 😎😎

Good work. Very good points made. 🌱

Good for you Mark, for me I just designate a few days a week to be plant based, But also i do notice I don't eat as much meat as I use to.

I assume you’re aware of Rich Roll? I think you’d really dig him if you aren’t already

Great video mate

Have to say im really impressed. my respect has grown. I want to do this but my bigest problem is protein poweders. I've tried pea and hemp and my god they were alwful. I use whey. And i eat eggs for protein. any suggestions?

Just come across your channel is great like your since of humour. . Recently got into trail running to aid weight loss . Since I've started to loose weight I don't feel like eating meat . Is there a reason for this ? Couldn't go vegan I like eggs and cheese lol. Keep up great work .

Great balanced video and always entertaining. Dont forget to have regular lab tests to check on your health. Exercise, sleep, nutrition and stress free moments are the key to an optimal lifestyle, but few monitor its progress with real data. I have more than 30 data points to make sure that my strategies are optimal.

Good balanced explanation. Thanks. Interesting on the area of any intelligent diet is better than stuffing rubbish food into your body. Good insight into your reasoning as well. Get back on your bike now so we can see you falling off it and more vids with Nixon 👍

Great channel mate, I'm glad I stumbled upon it by accident (searching wahoo reviews) I've been binging your video for last two days! Great content and presentation, love your sense of humor! You got yourself a subscriber from Croatia!

😂😂 Mark has clearly realised the recent lack of movie references and rectified this with this video 🤣🤣

How’s your gut health overall going vegan?

Check out Rich Rolls podcast - another vegan story and ultra athlete. Great content and inspiration story.

My favourite part ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8ui71WaTVeY.html

“They come for the health, they stay for the animals”. Nice work. I was similar to you, meat and dairy fiend for 41 years before I went down the Ultra Running rabbit hole and finding a common theme with endurance athletes being vegan That opened a curiosity. I read and watched everything I could get my hands on over about 6 months, including The China Study (which is a pretty big read). I could not believe I got to 41 years old without knowing what happens to male chicks or that cows milk isn’t made from just eating grass How’s that for marketing. The only thing left keeping me eating meat & dairy was taste, and by that point that alone is not enough so I “went vegan” overnight. That was almost 5 years ago, I have never looked back and wish I had done in sooner. In my case, my health improved immensely. I had high cholesterol for years, that normalised within the first year whilst free protein and calcium levels rose. The Director Kevin Smith and “magician” Penn Jillette both adopted plant based eating in recent years for health reasons, Smith as he survived a Widow Maker heart attack and Jillette to lose weight, both have said they had zero interest in the animal ethics side at the outset but that aspect became a huge part of it as Jillette now describes himself as an ethical vegan and Smith advocates for animal rights. The thing that gets me these days is people still assume eating plant based must be bland and bring, to the contrary, my dinner plates have never looked so colourful and never tasted so good.

You're going to "hurt a lot of feelings" in this video, people cling very hard to their habits and ingrained culture. I think you did a great job expressing the arguments for a plant-based diet without sounding too preachy or like an activist screaming in front of a McDonald's. I have gone a lot farther in convincing my own social and familial network to move more plant-based through leading by example and being patient enough to answer questions pragmatically rather than moral judgment. Many people start on their vegan "path" to pursue health and fitness, but ultimately, it's almost impossible not to stumble into the ethical component and realize the implications of our choices. Just because we HAVE used animals as a source of food for years, doesn't mean we SHOULD. Additionally, it's not about pure altruistic sacrifice, there are tangible benefits for the person as well. Does eating salads, sprouts and watermelon for every meal intrinsically increase performance. Nope. BUT the science does indicate improved recovery and reduced inflammation that *can* in turn, increase training capacity, and downstream of that performance. We need more people in the vegan community that understand that a brute force approach to proselytize the world to jump into veganism overnight simply doesn't work. The best you can do is model the way, be open to respectful disagreements, and understand what might not light a spark today could start a blaze in someone's life weeks, months, or years from now. You may never know the impact a simple video may have. 👏👏👏

Kudos for talking about this Mark, I've been fully plant based 3.5 years now but still don't really talk about the benefits for fear of the internet wombles :D

Cheers for that Mark. Interesting & informative viewpoint. It challenges my thoughts around meat eating, and what is putting me off a more plant based diet. Maybe I should try my own experiment!

Thanks Mark, great points week made. I’ve been vegan for nearly 4 years and, in short, every aspect of my life and health has improved. I didn’t do for health reasons, I did it for ethical and environmental reasons, the health and performance benefits are a happy side effect - in hindsight, I believe that when the change is made for the benefit of others it’s much easier to remember ‘why’.

As a long term vegan and also a long term viewer of your channel, this video is just perfect watching. Respect

Meat eater here... not a snowflake so I still follow your chanel. Thank you for introducing me to vegan cyclist that guy is a beast and his Not a pro series are great for motivation.

Went Vegan at almost a year ago. Having used Strava for 7 years the numbers showed new PBs in almost all my local routes. Even did a 185mile bike ride and probably finished the strongest in my group. Only did it as a trial and I'll never go back.

Also worth mentioning the amount of antibiotics fed to livestock, which is leading to problems with immunity.

Well done Mark. I went vegan over six years ago at 43 years old. Best decision I’ve ever made. 👍 Similar to you, I was slugging down all types of animal flesh and excretions, and as my dad was a butcher this was at every meal. My only regret is not doing it sooner. Love your videos 😁

5:40 which is actually hard in smaller towns or city. I have not yet found decent vegan choices at most of my local restaurants sadly

Mark this video could literally be about me. I'm 50 and haven't eaten any meat for over 5 years and no animal products for 4 years. I ran the Lakeland 50 in July and had zero issues with muscle pain in the following days. I did it in 12.5hours. 5 and a half years ago I couldn't care less about animals and the impact on what I did on the planet etc. I definitely feel different now. I'm 75kgs now I was the same in my 30's and 40's. Look forward to see how you get on over the weeks and months.

Mark, I am so proud of you. I just recently became aware of your RU-vid channel, and just a few minutes saw this video in your compilations. I adapted the Vegan lifestyle 6 years ago this month and have never looked back. At the same time, I started cycling and have ridden over 50000+ miles. I have watched a handful of your videos and am looking forward to learning more about you and your adventures. Becoming a Vegan was the best choice I ever made, my only regret is that I hadn't done it sooner.

Possibly one of the best channels on RU-vid.....

I went plant based for various Reasons but I'm glad I did because there's no negatives for me.

Mark, I love your attitude mate, fantastic, I've been 99% vegan (still have a thing for cheese around xmas) for over 20 years and it don;t effect my training what so ever, unlike some of my Vegan mates i don't care what others eat that is there choice and you put that forward in this video very well. Keep up the great content 😁 (still working my way through your back catalogue).

Excellent report! Perfect narrative! You truly are a constructive & thinking person!

💪💪💪 Vegan wag's! Is the sh*t! 👌 Well said Mark... I actually enjoy food more now since being vegan. Its tasty, colourful and no guilt. I dont even miss 'meat sweats'... wierd i know

Ah Mark I feel like you hinted at a good video there at the end "new foods to try to expand your horizons". Be curious what you got exposed to.

Seitan is aptly named. Vile stuff! :D Not keen on tempeh either. 🤮 But Beyond Burgers are 👌 Gotta dash - my avocado is ripe for the next 30 seconds 🥑🥑🥑

"I started off plant-based as a laugh, and it turned me vegan!" If I could do this with other things in my life...

Well done I turned WFPB IN around the time I turned 50 With in 2 months I was accused of being on drugs because I was riding faster than I was when I was 23 . Love being vegan and people thinking I'm on drugs..😁😁😁😁

Haha, Wagamama rules! We looove Wagamamas. Love these vegan videos of yours. So funny. In agreement with all you're saying.

Vegan runner here. 40 years old. 5 stone lighter and just bagged my first half marathon. Ultra marathon next. I feel better than ever. 😀

Even feed lot animals fair better than in the wild and no I'm not endorsing that . As a former vegan and still paying for it and there are many in the same position. Long term it's a bad option that leads to mitochondrial dysfunction. Shawn Baker, Saladino and Mercola have all the info. Just look at what happened to canelo alvarez.

Do you drink Alcohol Mark ?

Dude this is the third video i've watched from your Channel and you got a new sub for shure now. Such good vids, with a good bit of Humor, information and a cool guy to present them. Hang on pls 👍🤘

I must admit you do look better for it

A few years ago, while in the middle of some massive weight loss, over 120 pounds(54 kilos), I tried multiple different diets. I did try going Vegan, tried it for over a month. For me personally, after a couple of weeks, I just felt tired. I also got sick while on that diet. Not sure what I was missing, nutritionally speaking, I did go back over the diet to make sure I was getting in what I needed. It just didn't work for me. I have since then cut out diary. I also tried the carnivore diet for a month as well. I lost more weight and felt better on that diet than anything else I have tried. However, for me it was just not sustainable for a couple of reasons. The price of that diet is expensive. The weird thing was I started craving more and more cleaner foods like fruits and vegetables. Oh, and my blood pressure and cholesterol got too high. Now I feel like I have a more balanced diet. No more dairy, added in more vegetables, limited fruits, and eat mostly chicken. I try to stay away from red meats. It's what works for me.

Brilliant video Mark - one of your best - and from someone who turned to the vegan side this year (firstly for performance reasons, and then for ethical ones) I loved your take on this. Keep it up with the great content!

Had my best IM performances when I was vegan for a couple of years. Vegan != low energy. Thinking of going back to vegan precisely for the reasons you mentioned. Your argument makes perfect sense to me.

Step 1 to a vegan diet: stop eating Burger King. Step 2: Profit

I stumbled upon your channel a couple of weeks ago and just saw this. So happy to hear your conclusion! I went through a similar process ie. started plant based for health and environment. I went a bit deeper and now it just feels like the right thing to do.

Great video and information thanks for sharing it (and the GWT videos ;) ) We have varying levels of plant based eating in our house too and it is getting easier. I thought I'd mention the film/documentary 'Running for good' about Fiona oakes on Amazon Prime. Even if you've watched it already watch it again, what an amazing lady! Also, still waiting for your ear hole thing?!

Watched your 3 videos on your plant-based/vegan journey and I love it. I've had a similar story to you. My "gateway" into plant based was mostly about supporting my now wife who was vegan for over a decade, with some part of that thinking that it would be a better diet for me as a competitive cyclist/endurance athlete. I sat in that transition-y limbo for over 3 years. It was only a month ago I felt comfortable calling myself vegan and it was only last week I watched Dominion for the first time, and was truly on the verge of tears watching the practices of factory farming. If I watched that 3 years ago, I would not have had the same reaction - the box had been lifted and I didn't realize it until then. I truly went from being mostly plant-based as an amazing husband/cyclist, to now I can say I'm primarily vegan for ethical reasons. I don't see me going back.

I don't want to be an ass but I wonder how does being vegan and having mutliple dogs work.

It's amazing result

I honestly think if more vegans had your attitude there would be a lot more vegans. Great channel. --aspiring above average athlete.

Thanks very interesting 👍

Great video Mark. Very well put.

Tofu and legumes i like 👍

Love this Mark, surprised you didn't include a Matrix blue pill / red pill reference. I've been vegan for 2 years and its the easiest /non issue in my life. I'm more tempted by morris dancing than meat for all the reasons you mention. Vegan yes, nothing to see here....lets move on

Best video ever

YESSSSSS 👏👏👏

Love it

The pause at "thinking about adopting a vegan" cracked me up

Just binged watched about 6 of your videos all filmed after this before I even heard you mention being Vegan which then led me back to this 😆

Love this video!

Just found your channel, good stuff & a hoot too. As a keto, IF meat eater you've got me thinking. Thanks!

Your protein shake is pee-based? 🥴 Ok got it. 😅 Great content. I enjoy your channel 🙌

The lesson is everyone needs a vegan wife

I will totally agree e yes hat if you have the ability to eat a vegan meal that was just as tasty as the animal based meal, pick vegan. I’m not a vegan and not a great cook so I would have a hard time living that lifestyle (even when I turn a blind eye to animal suffering). We should just try to do a little better - even if that means getting our animal products from sources where you know the animal lived a better life and way more expensive prices. Round it out my reducing the amount you eat with other alternatives (even hunters didn’t eat meat every day).

I bloody love your videos. The first one I watched was the “I ate like a vegan for. year one” I was drawn to it because I am at the start of eating plant based. I’ve not eaten meat (except fish) for over 25 years, then at the end of last year stopped eating fish, and more recently wanted to get rid of the eggs and dairy too. Like you I am not telling others to eat like I do, I just prefer it for me. A bugbear is the making everything taste like meat though. Not having eaten meat for a long time I don’t want meaty tasting stuff. As you say it is getting better though, and I love eating fruit and veg so I don’t find it hard to have good tasting meals. Anyway one video led to lots more about health and fitness (I’m a big parkrun fan). Really looking forward to seeing how Jenna progresses too, amazing results already - I’m inspired! Thank you both

My experience was similar even though I don't eat vegan only but at least vegetarian. I started laying of the meat as a bet with my vegetarian college flat mate who told me I could never go through with it (The oldest trick in the book, I suppose). Long story short: Now, it's ten years later and I still don't eat meat. Mostly, because I realized that I don't actually miss it apart from very few occasions. And the longer I have been eating like this, the more I have allowed myself to consider things most people (past me included) simply suppress. First, there were ecologic aspects I'd bring up when people asked me about my reasons (no, I don't tell people about my vegetarianism for no reason). But somewhat later, I started wondering how it is possible that I used to dismiss concerns regarding animal well-being. After all, those creatures are not fundamentally different from us. They have senses, emotions and social behavior. I think, we are all more or less brought up to disregard this and it took me some time to reverse that.

Hi Mark great video I've recently went dairy free I'm mostly vegetarian could even go vegan I did a fitness challenge last year but found it tough with all the animal protein 🤢 so back to eating carbs my question is what do you eat to get your protein up? I'm finding it hard

I'm surprised I lasted to 12.57. . . . . I enjoy your vids but I will look for your new vids that are back to fitness and life. . . . . Soz u enjoy a tomahawk etc

Nothing wrong with vegan in my opinion. I like milk and a good T-bone steak but I might go weeks in between steaks and I would never touch a big mac. As a chemist, I find people’s focus on secret ingredients/elixirs/strict diets some what amusing.

Great video again. I went through the same process of thinking differently about the whole animal-ouch food supply. We're lucky to live in a nation where there just isn't a good reason to sacrifice animal life for flavour but my reasons were personal health and climate change initially. IM Italy in 2w. Maybe Frankfurt next year, why did you choose Hamburg @markLewis?

10-mins onwards especially brilliant. Great explanation!

My story too. Congrats in your choices, it will be good for you. And the planet.

Going platbased is only hard to the people around you. It really is so easy these days and people need to lower the macho mentality and try. Food is food and it is fuel. It doesnt matter if it contains meat or plantbased nutrients.

Good for you! I've been 100% animal foods for 3.5 years now and have never been in better shape.

Informative video...I might try a few changes over the coming months....

Great video, eloquently put! A recent subscriber and am really enjoying your clips

So my take on this being vegan is, that vegan is a lifestyle choice I won’t buy anything with animal products in. Plant based is an eating choice

Nice way to summarise it, I had almost an identical experience and for the same reasons. Thanks for sharing 👍

As always, interesting content peppered with entertainment. As a little related, has your weekly shopping costs changed?

So you haven't seen any benifits or improvements in your cycling since going vegan? Ps violife cheese is my fav

what protein powder do you use? I have tried a few pea protein based options but have yet to find one that tastes as good to me as whey, (dairy presents my biggest challenge to a vegan diet).

Well done mate. I like your attitude, not afraid of change and trying new things. Plus , healthy vegan diet focussing on whole foods, plenty of veggies and fruits rocks!👌

Genuinely interested why you chose Vegan over vegetarian?