Have you read Brendan Braziers "The Thrive Diet"? It describes how to be active on a vegan diet. It sounds like you're eating pretty healthy and getting enough protein. Meat/animal products (incl eggs) contain the complete amino acid profile, so then being a vegetarian you just need to work out how to eat all your amino acids each day. Complete protein combinations can be: brown rice and sunflower seeds, soybeans and rice, beans/legumes with corn or rice, peas and some form of wheat, etc (all spiced up with some real flavour of course!!). General theory is 1g protein/kg body weight, up it a bit during heavy training...hope that helps a bit.

If you are an endurance athlete you should aim for about 100 grams of lean protein if you are about 150 pounds.

I do eat meat but most of my protiem is thru non meat products such as skim milk, yogurt, beans, etc.

You can do it.

Not a pro or top age grouper, but vegetarian and have finished a few Ironmans. I think it (being veg) works great for endurance training because all I want to eat is carbs anyways.

I use garlic as a deterrent also......that and powerful BO. (jk)

I wouldn't say it's "a lot" of work, but it does take a little bit of planning.

However, since I eat a lot of foods raw (a big no no when it comes to animal protein), I save cooking/prep time.
Plus, I can eat almost anywhere, as my food tastes as good hot or cold. (most times, some soups and rice dishes are best hot for maximum flavor)

Also, I eat a much more diverse diet now. I've tried and eaten foods that I'd never even heard of, much less consumed.

For me at least, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. I got me out of my old, tired, familiar ways and on to something new. I feel better. I look better (skin and age, not that I'm old or anything), and I eat more nutrient rich foods more often. I'm never what you might call hungry. I tend to eat 4-8 times a day now.

I trained for 20 years as a total vegetarian, and the last 3 years as a non-veggie. I couldn't keep my iron stores up (esp. training for the HIM and IM distance as a vegetarian) and so I had to start eating meat finally. But when I was veggie I just made sure to really keep a close eye on my protein intake, shooting for about 100 grams a day during intense training. Also make sure you're getting enough B-12 and iron. If you do milk, yogurt, eggs, etc. it's easier - especially if you can get your milk and eggs from local grass-fed animals. You get a lot more of the essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, protein, Omega-3's, etc. that way.

I know that it works for some people to train as a veggie, but I would also keep an eye out for signs that it's not working for you. Some people are obligate carnivores (or more accuately obligate omnivores), and others are not, depending on their heritage. This is something I didn't know until I suffered through many years of poorer health as a vegetarian.

Some info:

Very-long-chain fatty acids have 20 to 24 carbon atoms. They tend to be highly unsaturated, with four, five or six double bonds. Some people can make these fatty acids from EFA's, but others, particularly those whose ancestors ate a lot of fish, lack enzymes to produce them. These "obligate carnivores" must obtain them from animal foods such as organ meats, egg yolks, butter and fish oils. The most important very-long-chain fatty acids are dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) with 20 carbons and three double bonds; arachidonic acid (AA) with 20 carbons and four double bonds; eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) with 20 carbons and five double bonds; and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with 22 carbons and six double bonds. All of these except DHA are used in the production of prostaglandins, localized tissue hormones that direct many processes in the cells. In addition, AA and DHA play important roles in the function of the nervous system.29

I discovered that my body particularly could not be healthy as a vegetarian, although obviously there are many people that it works well for. So I would make sure you're getting a good balance of proteins, lots of iron, and keep an eye out for any sign that your body is being depleted.

You know, just yesterday someone compared my training to the conditioning of a horse...

i am down with this genetic thing. look at all the populations in the world who, when they are denied access to their traditional foods, have problems with diet - usually diabetes. closest example to home is American Indians.

My coach is huge on protein intake and in terms of meat, I only eat fish. I weigh 132 and Im supposed to take about 150 grams of protein (because I've been trying to lose weight so have been on a deficit so I've increased my protein intake so as not to lose muscle). Anyway, I've found a number of good daily based protein sources including having 2 protein shakes a day. Try Fage Greek yogurt-in the 2% version you get 19 grams of protein per serving (and it's low in sugar unlike most yogurt). It's expensive but really good. Also, I go through cottage cheese like nobody's business. You can do it. Do you think you could eat wild caught fish?

S'ok Mom. For some it matters but not for others. If you're a veg head then soy (if you can take it) is good.

I was a vegetarian when I started this sport (although I did eat fish).

This year I started training for a HIM and I started eating meat and I lost 15 pounds.

Of course I have to deal with the grossness that is meat but oh well.

Anyhow - whey protein powder is your friend. I use Dymatize Iso-100 which blends well and tastes fine. I highly recommend supplementing your diet with protein powder (especially as a recovery drink) when you are training hard and when you are not!