Plant-based diets have become more popular in the fitness industry in recent years, and one of the biggest names has just joined that trend. David Laid, a popular bodybuilder with more than 1 million Instagram followers, recently announced he’s gone vegan — and that he likes it.
“About a month in on a vegan diet,” he wrote in a physique check post, in which he looks shredded to the bone. “Definitely lost some weight but I feel much better and have way more energy, planning on continuing.”
Naturally, one of the first questions he received was “You have any problems hitting your protein on a vegan diet?” (Although tired and overused, it’s a fair inquiry — most vegetable-based protein sources aren’t as digestible as their meat-based counterparts and, with the exception of soy, lack some essential amino acids needed to build muscle).
Laid responded that it’s definitely been harder to reach that macronutrient goal, but that he supplements with protein powder.
He was also asked how he’s getting his daily doses of DHA/EPA Omega 3s (two of the three essential fatty acids we need to obtain from our diet). Most plant-based foods only offer ALA (the third essential fatty acid), and DHA/EPA are typically only found in foods like fish. Laid said he uses hemp hearts in smoothies to get all his essential fatty acids.
Laid is, of course, far from the first bodybuilder or fitness influencer to go plant-based — Kai Greene played around with the diet for a while, but seems to have gone back to eating animal-based protein sources. Nimai Delgado boasts that he’s never eaten meat his entire life, and he’s done quite alright for himself.
Whether Laid finds success on this diet remains to be seen, but it’s certainly one of the bigger endorsements of the lifestyle within the fitness industry. Besides his 1.4 million Instagram followers, he also has 1 million YouTube subscribers. He’s already uploaded a “What I Eat in a Day” video highlighting his new plant-based diet.
