Vegan wins Miss Galaxy Universe European Championship!

A week after celebrating her 1 year vegan anniversary Deni Kirkova won first place in the 'Beach Body' category of the Miss Galaxy Universe European Champion 2016.

A little over one year ago Deni had an epiphany and realised she simply don't need to hurt and abuse animals for food, beauty products or clothes and switched to a fully vegan lifestyle.

Around the same time, Deni also started to work out and improve her physical fitness and ate a healthy 'clean' diet to lose excess bodyfat.

Initially Deni was unsure as to whether she could reach her fitness goals while maintaining a vegan diet but we were really happy to hear from Deni that in her first days of veganism the @veganbodybuilding Instagram account provided her with a lot of confidence to pursue her fitness goals!

Before and after the intensive training

A fitness competition seemed like the perfect way to stay motivated and keep training hard, so a few months after starting to work out she signed up for the fitness competition to keep her accountable - however she never dreamed she'd walk away with a 1st place trophy at the prestigious Miss Galaxy Universe European Championship at her first ever competition! Deni also wanted to prove that there is no limitation to a vegan diet, and show people they can train hard even while following a compassionate lifestyle that excludes meat and dairy products. 

Winning came as a shock!

Competitors are judged first and foremost on their figures, natural beauty and skin tone, as well as stage presence, body conditioning and overall package and presentation.

In order to lose fat and gain muscle Deni's diet plan had a strict calorie and macronutrient targets - with one 'cheat' meal a week. The diet put her in a calorie deficit but with a high protein intake - so tofu, beans and (vegan) protein shakes were a regular feature.

A typical day's menu looked like this:

Breakfast: Porridge oats, protein powder, raspberries and flax oil
Snack: Apple, corn cakes and peanut butter
Lunch: Tofu, quinoa, broccoli and avocado
Dinner: Beans or lentils with sweet potato and spinach
Before Bed: Porridge oats and protein powder

Deni wants her success to inspire others to find health and confidence while living a truly compassionate life, and says she's never felt better, mentally and physically since going vegan.