Embarrased, but proud...

First of all, I'm nowhere near my goal. That being said, here are 2 progress photos that start at a month and a half worth of exercising including weight training and cardio, and the beginning of a high protein/low carb diet. Each pic was taken exactly a month after the one before it, so I'm at 3.5 months since I began. I just used the "Paint" program that came with the computer to put them all together.

I actually began this 2 years ago, but I have really bad seasonal depression and just fall apart during winters. So, I am moving south this year so that I can keep up this pace and not have all of my hard work come undone for the 3rd year in a row. I know; t.m.i.

Anyway, I've been a vegan for about 4 years now and I was a vegetarian for years before that. My diet mostly consists of a small meals that I make using Morningstar Chicken Strips, brown rice, corn, ketchup, spicy brown mustard and taco sauce all together (it's really good- I literally eat the same thing EVERYDAY), 2 Notdogs, vegan cereal, and soy protein shakes (each one is a meal, not eaten all at once). I drink a cup of water with every meal and for every cup of water, I drink another cup right after and I eat 4-6 small meals a day. I lift weights 5 times a week and use creatine. I just started using l-glutimine and N.O. Explode 2 days ago.

I feel that I'm doing pretty good with the weight loss, but I have hit a plateau with building and maintaining muscle, so I'm trying l-glutimine. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open.

That's great progress so far!! Good work!

That's great progress so far!! Good work!

Thank you! I'm also really trying to work on my abs- I've been trying to do 150 crunches as soon as I wake up and right before bed, at least every other day (along with the ab exercises that I do with my regular workouts). And I'm hoping to be up to 500 each set by my next pics in a month. That, along with my continued body fat-loss should result in some pretty decent pics.

Man that's awesome!

Now just time to add some muscle!

Great work! You can see a LOT of progress, so you've got a lot to be proud of.

Thanks for the nice comments, everyone . I am actually working really hard on building muscle- I must have the body type that has the most difficulty building muscle. I have, however seen some good gains in strength since I started. I think I've just hit that "wall" and need to try some new techniques to shock my body.

One other thing that I'm happy about is that I couldn't do more than 1 chin-up and zero pull-ups six weeks ago, but now I can do at least 9 pull-ups and even more chin-ups. So, I know that I'm making progress and the more body fat that I burn off, the more the muscles will show- it just seems like I have to work harder than others at it. And that's fine because I love doing it!

You're doing great man, keep it up!

WOW! Fantastic work. Your face looks so much different too. Good move with the haircut

Nice results so far!

If we extrapolate what we've seen a few months into the future, you'll be ripped and have a shaved head.

Nice results so far!

 

If we extrapolate what we've seen a few months into the future, you'll be ripped and have a shaved head.

Hahaha! Yeah, I don't know about the shaved head part- I don't feel that I could pull that off. I want to agree with the ripped part, though!

My hair was long in the 1st pic because I always grow it out a little in the winters and that pic was taken right at the end of the cold season around here. But since I'll be moving south this year, I won't be growing it out anymore.

damn man, you should be proud..look at your new jaw!

..just make sure you get plenty of veggies in your diet too!

Wow!! You look great! Look at least 10 years younger in your after picture...I bet you feel 10 years younger, too! Great work, man, that's impressive progress.

Great progress dude!

As far as hitting a plateau regarding maintaining/building muscle... you need to up your calories then. L-glutamine won't do it for you. Energy in, energy out bro! You aren't gaining because you don't have a surplus of calories. Try upping 400 a day and see how that works for ya.

Great progress dude!

 

As far as hitting a plateau regarding maintaining/building muscle... you need to up your calories then. L-glutamine won't do it for you. Energy in, energy out bro! You aren't gaining because you don't have a surplus of calories. Try upping 400 a day and see how that works for ya.

Thanks for the advice! I am worried, though, that if I try to up my calorie intake, I'll put on unwanted weight because I'm still trying to burn off some fat. Do you think I need more protein or just calories? And as far as the l-glutamine, I only take it for the anti-catabolism properties.

You did really good man!

You look so different in your first and your last posts. And that haircut looks good on you.

You look so different in your first and your last posts. And that haircut looks good on you.

Yeah, I don't know if it's the haircut, the weight loss and muscle gain or all three, but I'm like a completely different person! I shaved my chest a few weeks before the 3rd pic, as well. I did that to be able to see results a little better.

So if I can make such a visible transformation in only 3 months, anyone should be able to. And if exercising and eating right isn't providing the same results for someone, try getting a hair cut and shaving your chest, too

Great work! You can see a LOT of progress, so you've got a lot to be proud of.

I too am very impressed by these photos!

You look so different in your first and your last posts. And that haircut looks good on you.

I was going to say exactly the same thing! Haircut = way better than before.

I think it's really wonderful to see huge results in just a few weeks! I can just wonder how your friends will react when they see you if they haven't seen you for a while! Well, that is if they even recognise you!

You look so different in your first and your last posts. And that haircut looks good on you.

I was going to say exactly the same thing! Haircut = way better than before.

 

I think it's really wonderful to see huge results in just a few weeks! I can just wonder how your friends will react when they see you if they haven't seen you for a while! Well, that is if they even recognise you!

As a matter of fact, I am sort of keeping myself "hidden" until I look the way I want. That way, when I do see people that I haven't seen since I started this, it will be that much more of a shock. I'm guessing that I should be pretty close to my goal in 2-3 more months; assuming I continue to see results at the same rate as the past 3 months.

AMAZING HAIR PROGRESS. THE SHORTER THE BETTER. The new haircut makes you look a lot thinner too.

Jeez, if I didn't know any better, I'd think that the only real progress that I've made is getting a hair cut, judging from all of the comments

Jeez, if I didn't know any better, I'd think that the only real progress that I've made is getting a hair cut, judging from all of the comments

Well, you also lost 1 x chin and 1 x beer keg from your belly. It's just that your hair style is so much better than before that it makes as large difference in the way you look people want to comment it as well.

It's very uncommon to get such huge amount of comments on progress pics so quickly after the first post. Believe me, people think your progress is fantastic!

edit: My 1000th post here!

Oh, I was joking about all of the hair comments- though I do appreciate them, as well. I appreciate all of the feedback from everyone! Everyone seems so friendly and supportive on this site, it really is a cool place for vegans.

Bro, I just replied to your other post. Don't be discouraged. I think you probably are closer to being on it than you realize. You may just need to change a few things. So far you have made some really good progress. It took me years to get ready for my first bodybuilding contest. The important thing for me was I got there, and continue to get there. I did a lot of trial and error, and failed a lot. I just kept at it. You will make your goals too.