Hi, I'm turning 53 this year and am in bad shape. I have been a vegetarian for 6 years but my diet has not been the best. I want to build muscle as well as lose 15 pounds. It seems that the majority of the in shape vegans I read about ate meat for many years and were already in good shape when they went vegan. Is it possible to start basically from scratch - with little muscle - and get in shape eating a healthy vegan diet? Everyone I know says you have to eat meat to build muscle. I really want to prove them wrong.