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New here and sick of looking weird!


Veganforchange
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I've been lurking a while and it's motivating to see how hard some of you have worked and the goals you've achieved. I've never been a bodybuilder and it's been years since I've been in a gym. I've been vegan for quite a while and I found that this is the first time I've been able to maintain my body weight without really trying. I think I'm ready for the next step which will be weight/cardio training and cleaning up my diet big time.

 

Here's the problem. I'm 6'1" and 255lbs. My legs are pretty lean and have potential to be strong.. My arms are pretty lean (with some extra skin up top from losing a bunch of weight) and small for my frame but I think they have potential as well. The bulk of my body fat is in my torso. I look like a Mr Potato Head, it's pretty tragic. I need help!.. Any advice, tips, links or programs would be great and more than I have now. Thanks a lot guys, I look forward to contributing around here.

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Welcome to VBBF!

 

To answer help your diet questions could you post:

How many calories/day you consume?

How many grams of fat/day?

How many grams of carbohydrates/day?

How many grams of protien/day?

 

You mention you've never been a bodybuilder. Are you interested in bodybuilding, powerlifting, or olympiclifting? I know of a ton of links to routines for all 2 of the 3 and cardio.

 

What weightlifting equipment do you have access to? Free weights, machines, barbells, dumbbells, an adjustable bench, power rack, etc...

 

I'm biased. Stay away from machines, only use free weights, and only do compound exercises, power or olympic lifts.

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Current goals:

- Lose mountain of fat around torso and lower body fat all around.

- Gain muscle mass and make a noticeable change to my appearance.

- Get my lungs/heart/mind healthy.

- Change the way I eat and think about eating.

 

I eat lots of carbs and probably take in lots of calories too, but I've never measured them (Maybe I should get on that.)

I can have access to any type of equipment as I'm prepared to get a gym pass and/or buy weights for home. Essentially I'm committed to making this change, so I can make whatever needs to happen happen. I have a feeling that cardio is going to play a big part in my life for a long time from now on. Also, lifting to build muscle mass is something pretty foreign to me.

 

I'm starting from scratch here, clearly.

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Good to have you aboard : ) Your commitment is impressive. My biggest piece of advice is this: The only good workout for you will be the one you'll actually do. If whatever plan/program/methods people advise you to try become a hassle and you dislike them then you'll have serious disincentive to do them. And that would be a bummer.

 

What's worked for me is eating more fresh fruits and veggies, and less processed food. Rice, beans, veggies, tofu, fruit, salads. There's lots of yummy stuff out there that's good for ya too. On the activities front I'm usually doing something active everyday or nearly everyday - even if it's just a 30 minute jog/walk. I also lift 2x a week using free weights. I've been impressed with the results.

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Unfortunately, there's no such thing as spot reduction (losing fat from a specific body part), unless you count liposuction. Exercise (cardio in particular) and spending more calories than you consume are the only way to lose fat...and your body will lose fat from the places it chooses! You can work on balancing out your proportions in certain ways, though. Weight training to gain mass on your arms and legs, with general weight loss to reduce the amount of fat your carry on your torso, will certainly help balance out those proportions. There are a lot of experienced people on this board so I'm sure you'll be able to find the advice you're looking for!

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Hello & welcome.

 

Great pic by the way.

 

I think what will work for you could be very simple & easy if you look at it the right way.

 

Find a load of healthy foods which you enjoy eating & eat them.Avoid the stuff you know is bad.Make sure you are eating no less than 1000 calories a day.You do not want to be under-nourished.

 

Then find some sports activities you enjoy.It could be swimming, running, rock climbing, weightlifting, the list goes on & on.Just do the stuff you enjoy & do it regularily every week.

 

You will lose weight, & will look & feel great.

 

For more specific advice go to the right place here on the forum, & post your question.You will get lots of advice.

 

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Hi Veganforchange!

 

I think you may be interested in my last two blog posts, which provides a short, but in depth overview of human metabolism and Maximum Nutrient Partitioning (gaining muscle, not fat, see my signature for the link). Understanding the way macronutrients are metabolized will help you in your quest for fat loss and muscle gain. Maximizing complex carb intake & limiting fat to 10% of kcal while performing regular muscle work is the key to reducing fat stores while gaining protein stores.

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