Diet tips or plans

I was wondering, does anyone have any diet tips/plans (for vegetarians) and easy home workout plans? I'm currently 5'11 and 150 pounds and I would like to bring it down a bit. Also wouldn't mind any good simple healthy recipes that don't take a long time preparing. I'm also hoping this will help me boost my moral up haha. Thanks!

5'11" and 150 pounds is actually pretty skinny, man. I am also 5'11" and I know if I was 150 pounds I would look like death. Why do you feel you are overweight?

Try sparkpeople.com

You can customize your own diet plan/excercise plan tailored to your specific needs, and they provide you with tons of recipes and workouts etc. I used it a few years ago with great results.

Dude, I'm 5'8" and 157, and I wear a size 29 waist. I can't see you needing to loose any weight if you're 150 at your height :confused:

Im 5'-11" and 240. If you stood behind me no one would be able to see you lol. If anything you mean you wanna bulk up a bit. :confused:

I hope you meant 250, because I'm 5'7", and if I were 150, I wouldn't be worried about losing weight, lol.

As for recipes, I'm no vegetarian, but grilling stuff is always good. Preheat the grill, brush veggies with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic salt (and maybe a bit of pepper if you like), and grill until tender. They're like candy.
This is especially awesome with asparagus.

The thing is, my stomach sticks out, quite a bit. And I think my thighs are a bit big also. I want to decrease both of those things and try to become physically fit. I've never been much of an active person in recent years. :/

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Originally Posted by theReptileGuy

The thing is, my stomach sticks out, quite a bit. And I think my thighs are a bit big also. I want to decrease both of those things and try to become physically fit. I've never been much of an active person in recent years. :/

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whats your thigh measurements and waist size?
My waist is like a 38 but i have to buy at least size 42 bc of my thighs which are like 34 inches. Theyre like friggin tree trunks, you have no idea lol.

I can basically only wear basketball shorts. I wish i could go on a diet to slim down a bit but my family literally buys/eats the most unhealthy food. And im not really willing to spend my own money on food so until i move out thats probably not changing.

I understand what you mean, coming from an Indian household, the food isn't exactly healthy (or good tasting lol) so it's hard to come up with a diet plan.

I really don't know haha. Most of my jeans either don't fit, or are tight. It's odd, I know. I'll get the measurements tmrw.

Dieting won't change the shape of your body. If you start adding on exercise and building muscle, you're going to weigh a lot more than 150, and you should.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Dieting won't change the shape of your body. If you start adding on exercise and building muscle, you're going to weigh a lot more than 150, and you should.

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Yea exactly. Instead of trying to cut weight to look different just bulk up and put on muscle.

For any questions regarding that i would ask Rob. He's about the size of a gorilla and im pretty sure he lifts competetively so he could give you some pointers for gaining muscle mass and bulking up.:gj:

On a side note ive been to an Indian resturant near my house before and the food there is absolutely amazing. I wouldnt mind drowning in Chicken Tika Masala personally...

I can run, do push ups, sit ups, etc. only though :/

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Yea exactly. Instead of trying to cut weight to look different just bulk up and put on muscle.

For any questions regarding that i would ask Rob. He's about the size of a gorilla and im pretty sure he lifts competetively so he could give you some pointers for gaining muscle mass and bulking up.:gj:

On a side note ive been to an Indian resturant near my house before and the food there is absolutely amazing. I wouldnt mind drowning in Chicken Tika Masala personally...

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Problem is, I can't lift. Medical problems. :/

Running, push ups, sit ups and such I can do, no free weights sadly.

I love Chicken Tika is good! But, my family is Hindu and they don't eat meat or let me bring it in the house :/

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Originally Posted by theReptileGuy

The thing is, my stomach sticks out, quite a bit. And I think my thighs are a bit big also. I want to decrease both of those things and try to become physically fit. I've never been much of an active person in recent years. :/

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Sounds to me like your best course of action would be focusing on those areas. Sit ups, leg squats and other similar work outs. This will help get rid of any excess fat and tone them up. Also make sure you eat plenty of protein (especially after a workout) otherwise your body will compensate by eating up your muscle mass, making you potentially more misshapen and weaker, which I doubt you want. I don't think a simple diet isn't what you need by the sound of it.

The incredible, edible egg sounds like the right solution. Shouldn't cause any religious issues, as the eggs we eat are infertile, and therefore were never alive--they're just bundles of nutrients meant for a chick that never existed. (I realize some sects consider them 'impure').

So, eat bunches of eggs for the protein, if you start working out intensively. If eggs are out, how about cheese and yogurt? Peanut butter, almond butter, and other nuts, would also be great.


Consider swimming--it's fantastic low-impact exercise.

Crossfit is pretty intensive but still low-impact. It utilizes moves and/or the muscle groups you already mentioned (abs, sit ups, pushups, burpees, etc.), plus it can burn more calories in a single session than what weight lifting or cardio alone can. Like WingedWolfPsion said, swimming is about the best exercise you can get, bar none. After I broke my femur and ribs last year, I was in the pool daily and it made a huge difference in my recovery and also with the physical therapy hurting less. Swimming is low impact and add to it that it's fun, you can't beat it for working out as far as cardio and lean muscle development go.

Your problem is your core. Your abs aren't in shape enough to hold your stomach up. As others have suggested you just need a good exercise plan. One that has a healthy set of core in it.

I am 5'10" and weigh 210. I would look like an anorexic is I weighed 150.

Because you cant do the weights i would try the insanity program. I have not lost any wight but my ads are looking better and i feel more fit. And just watch what you eat.

You need to bulk up a little. I'm 5'7" and weigh in at 145 lbs and close to getting a six pack. (Hopefully by the end of summer I will be there.)

You need to build muscle and actually as you build muscle you will have to increase calorie intake. Right now your body is probably striping down muscle to just to keep your body supplied with energy. To build muscle you have to move and you can get a very good work out from just body weight movements. Also you need protein. Lots of protein suppliments are available, but the one I like the best is the "Body by Vi" shake mix. You get to use fresh fruit or tons of other things to make a wide variety of different flavored shakes and they are so good I use them as my evening snack instead of reaching for ice cream or the like. Don't use it as a meal replacement though, use it as a post work out.

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

Your problem is your core. Your abs aren't in shape enough to hold your stomach up. As others have suggested you just need a good exercise plan. One that has a healthy set of core in it.

I am 5'10" and weigh 210. I would look like an anorexic is I weighed 150.

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The OP is in shape. Round is a shape... :rolleye2:

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Dieting won't change the shape of your body. If you start adding on exercise and building muscle, you're going to weigh a lot more than 150, and you should.

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Diet mattered very little, activity mattered quite a lot. People who take exercise are more active than those who don’t and it made a significant difference in how much they weighed.

Several things you can do to help lose some weight is,

1. Dont drink, or keep it minimal (if you even drink)

2. Watch what you eat and when. Start your mornings with a high protein/carb breakfast (Oatmeal and eggs is a great breakfast) eat a small meal around 10 (something mainly protein I.E. greek yogurt) eat lunch at 12 (again protein and also carbs) eat another snack around 2:30 (maybe carrots or grapes or something) and then dinner around 5:30 (keep it mainly protein, try to avoid to many carbs unless you are working out after dinner, otherwise you dont need many carbs) then eat one or small meal around 730 (or better yet, buy some casein protein and drink a shake, its slow digesting so it keeps your metabolism running while you sleep and helps keep your muscles filled with protein)

3. Count calories.

4. try to keep your diet around a 40/40/20 percentage 40% of you calories come from protein, 40% come from carbs 40%come from healthy fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat - NOT saturated fats). to help break it down better remember

1gram of carbs = 4 calories
1gram of protein = 4 calories
1gram of fat = 9 calories

to figure out your ideal calorie intake, multiply your weight by 15 (150*15=2250) that is the amount of calories you want to eat to maintain your current weight. subract 500 from 2250 (2250-500 = 1750 calories) thats the lowest amount of calories you want to consume to lose 2-3 pounds a week in a healthy manor (givin your weight expect to see .5 to 1 pound a week loss, gotta have it to lose it) also if you want to bulk add 500 to 2250 to gain 2-3 pounds a week in a healthy manor.

to break it down further, 1750*.40 = 700 calories divided by 4 = 175. you want 175 grams of protein and carbs and 39 (1750*.20 = 350/9 = 38.88) grams of fat. so

175g of protein a day
175g of carbs a day
39 grams of fat a day

Id recommend going to GNC and buying WHEY (fast absorbing good for pre and post workout protein) and CASEIN (slow absorbing protein, good for meal replacements and before bed meals) expecially because your trying to maintain a vegetarian diet and protein is highest in meats so you will most likely need a supplement to meet your goals.

5. do cardio and pushups situps ect (as you said you do) and as someone else said swim, swimming is great for people who cant do heavy lifting ect.

weight/fat loss is about 75% diet 25% exercise.

hope this helps and isnt too confusing. also check out www.bodybuilding.com they have a great forum section as well as other informational sections, and you can learn ALOTTT.

P.S. your probably better off not trying to lose weight but just increase your workout routine and eat better (cut out the junk) because your a healthy weight its just concentrated in one area.)

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Originally Posted by ak907

sounds to me like your best course of action would be focusing on those areas. Sit ups, leg squats and other similar work outs. This will help get rid of any excess fat and tone them up. Also make sure you eat plenty of protein (especially after a workout) otherwise your body will compensate by eating up your muscle mass, making you potentially more misshapen and weaker, which i doubt you want. I don't think a simple diet isn't what you need by the sound of it.

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x2

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Originally Posted by ronie

Diet mattered very little, activity mattered quite a lot. People who take exercise are more active than those who don’t and it made a significant difference in how much they weighed.

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This could not be more wrong. While yes becoming more active will help, ultimately diet is what matters most. A good healthy balance of both is optimal.
Now for the op, I would like to know why your a vegetarian or more importantly how attached to he idea of being one you are. IMO contrary to popular belief a vegetarian live style is not a healthy one. Most vegetarians I see are flabby and weak. This being their diet is mostly carbs with little protein, that is a recipe for disaster. If you are set in your ways there are plenty of protein supplements available as said above. A casein protein would be great right before bed as it would digest slowly through out the night. Also there are plenty of plyo/ bodyweight workouts that don't Involve free weights that can build a decent body. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask.

Ps. I personally would avoid GNC, and go to vitamin shop. GNC pays commission, they will try to sell you a million things that don't do a thing but give you a good placebo affect. The only supplements that you should take are those you can not get or get enough from your diet. IE, creatine yes it occurs naturally in meat, but no where near the 5g a day you should take in. A whey/casein protein I only use it for a post workout/bedtime meal. You may have to have a few more shakes a day being a vegetarian. I also take a Pre workout. There are a lot of good ones out there. Jacked 3d, super charge, no explode to name a few. But hey that's what I recommend, it's just advice......you can do whatever you wanna do!

Rob- Its about time you showed up to this thread lol...
The OP is a vegetarian but not a full vegetatrian. He grew up in India and was raised on a vegetarian diet. He now resides in Illinois though and said he does eat some meat.

So after measuring myself, I'm around 5'7-5'9 (Can't believe I thought I was 5'11) and I lost about 7-8 pounds just by running so now I'm around 142-143 pounds. My stomach is still sticking out and I dislike it. And I know that some of the posts say that losing weight doesn't change your shape, so now I'll start exercising more. So I'll take a chance at running more. I'll start watching what I eat after I get back from vacation though haha.

Anybody have any tips on how many pushups, sit ups, crunches, etc. to do a day? I don't have any weights in my house other than 5 pound ones ahah. I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!

Your 140 lbs the last thing you should be doing is trying to lose weight. You need to work out, I'm guessing your looking at your stomach and wanting to see abs. It sounds like you don't have enough muscle on your frame to have a six pack. Diet is king as I said before, ideal situation go get a gym membership, or I see your a high school student to work out at your high school. If your interested in doing that I'll be happy to set you up with a base workout routine.

I'll be able to do that. Just need to ask my parents. There's an LA Fitness about 5 min. away from my house.

I'd appreciate a base workout routine! Thanks!

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And yeah, my stomach does stick out. Quite a bit. And my thighs aren't small either. I'd love to work on those areas as well as other areas on my body.

147 is tiny for a 5'11 guy! I definitely wouldn't be trying to lose weight ...

If you don't currently pursue an exercise regime, you might be what my MMA instructor affectionately calls "skinny-fat." This just means that your body composition lacks muscle tone, giving you a "soft" appearance even when you're not carrying any extra weight. I second (third?) the swimming idea as its a very low impact exercise that works almost every muscle in your body.

At your height / weight, you'll probably see the biggest positive change in your appearance if you work out and eat more. Muscle weighs more than fat and it takes protein/fat to grow it. I would start watching the types of food you eat (fish, spinach, nuts are all powerhouses) and working out 5-6 days a week.

http://img.tapatalk.com/46bcafec-e187-670e.jpg
Just so you know I'm not talking out my butt! Thats a pic of me this morning. I know how to make gains in the gym. I been lifting for about 15 years now, I love to see kids getting into lifting. You can either pm me or just let me know on this thread about you getting into a routine/meal plan.

I am 5"9 and 145, I have gained 15 pounds since my fiance moved back home (In about a year). Last year I had gone from 5"9 160 to 135... Just running/walking every day (except Saturday). I also have dietary restrictions so I cant eat wheat, dairy, or preservatives. I honestly have a love hate relationship running, its not easy but I felt great at a size two! :P

I saw someone suggest Crossfit and I'd like to x2 that suggestion. I ususally go on the site and pick a Crossfit workout that doesn't require weights. I started in the second week in April at 6'1" and 218, the heaviest I've ever been. I retired from the Army in '06 and have gained steady since then and woke up one day and told my wife I can't stay at this weight any more. Back was hurting, cholesterol was bad, blood pressure was going up, etc., etc. So I started increasing my protein intake and decreasing my carbs significantly. Lots of grilled chicken, egg whites, tuna stuff like that. Very few noodles, bread, potatoes, etc. If I have noodles or bread they are whole wheat. Go look for something called "Flatouts"...HERE's THE SITE. I get them from Wal-mart and they are very good and have less carbs and stuff than bread. I also eat a sandwich using whole wheat pita pockets or spinach wraps. Instead of just lettuce, I add more spinach leaves to my sandwiches since it has more nutrients than lettuce.

Another thing I have done is greatly increase my cardio. I run a minimum of two miles every morning and then do another workout at lunch whether it's another run or some type of curuit training that I have done before/found on the internet. I do Crossfit on Fridays because Crossfit will help with core stuff too. I HATE doing situps so I was trying to rely on cardio for my belly to go down but it wasn't working so I do some sort of situp everyday, at least three sets in the morning, and that has made a huge difference.

I was wearing a 36-38 waist pant when I started, bad back, sore knees, aching shoulder, and I got migraines all the time. Now I can wear a 32 waist pant, I weigh 188 as of this morning, I have more energy, and have only had one migraine since I started. I am in no way an expert but these are the types of things that have worked for me. Stick with it and good luck.

Here's a pushup routine to get you started:

With a continuous running clock do 10 pushups every minute on the minute for 15 minutes. So start the clock and do 10 pushups, when the clock gets to the second minute do 10 pushups, when the clock gets to the third minute do 10 pushups, and so on. So basically you are doing 10 pushups and resting within each minute for 15 minutes. Once you get good at that do elevated pushups. That is a good workout to get you started.

One of the Crossfit workouts I like to do is 400 meter run, 50 situps, and 50 back extensions and do that for 5 rounds.

Crossfit is a good option for some people. I would just suggest people do their research on them before you jump in. A lot of the movements that crossfitters do are extremely high risk. I have friends that crossfit at cross fit new England and they will be pretty upfront about the fact that it is a fitness cult. It works great for some people just not this guy I'm not drinking the cool aid.

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Originally Posted by Rob

Crossfit is a good option for some people. I would just suggest people do their research on them before you jump in. A lot of the movements that crossfitters do are extremely high risk. I have friends that crossfit at cross fit new England and they will be pretty upfront about the fact that it is a fitness cult. It works great for some people just not this guy I'm not drinking the cool aid.

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I agree and that's why I basically pick and choose the workouts I like instead of just jumping right in and doing something silly like overhead squats and killing myself. Crossfit is a good anarobic type workout to do IF YOU DO IT RIGHT. Watch THIS VIDEO of IFBB Physique Pro Dana Linn Bailey doing some of it.

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Originally Posted by RetiredJedi

I agree and that's why I basically pick and choose the workouts I like instead of just jumping right in and doing something silly like overhead squats and killing myself. Crossfit is a good anarobic type workout to do IF YOU DO IT RIGHT. Watch THIS VIDEO of IFBB Physique Pro Dana Linn Bailey doing some of it.

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Good call, train smart! I do follow them on YouTube though. You always have to have a open mind about fitness, I have thrown in a moment or two I like from them.

Hey reptileguy, we did a great workout today that you might enjoy. Check the Crossfit web site for demos of these exercises:

1 minute of kettlebell swings - if you don't have a kettlebell use a dumbbell or something that has weight to it

1 minute of burpees - site has a good demo of these and trust me they suck but it's only a minute

1 minute of wall balls - or you can do air squats. start from the standing position and squat down and then stand back up. pay attention to your form and don't arch your back

1 minute of lunges

1 minute of box jumps - if you don't have a box use a chair

rest 1 minute

do that cycle three times

Thanks guys!

I'll check out the video!

I decided that I won't sign up for a gym membership until I get my abs toned a bit, so I make sure I stay motivated and because I heard you don't really need machines to do so, you could just do it at home. I'll buy all the shakes and vitamins and start eating right soon, then I'll work on my abs. After I get pretty good abs, I'll work on my arms.

If you want to build muscle, you need to stick to compound movements. Worrying about abs and arms is just the icing on the cake.

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Originally Posted by Rob

If you want to build muscle, you need to stick to compound movements. Worrying about abs and arms is just the icing on the cake.

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Is there a way to do this without going to a gym? Like doing one of those workouts mentioned above?

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Originally Posted by theReptileGuy

Is there a way to do this without going to a gym? Like doing one of those workouts mentioned above?

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The workouts I mentioned will be more for toning and shaping and not so much adding muscle. If you don't have any muscle tone now you will initially notice some muscle growth and better stamina. I have more shape or definition than I ever did but I'm not getting larger per se. That was my goal was to cut up and lose weight...no gym required.

I currently want to just start getting tone and better in shape first. Then I'd like to move on to adding muscle, so I'll stick with the videos, menu plan and protein/vitamin shakes (if those help when toning that is). Thanks!

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Originally Posted by theReptileGuy

I currently want to just start getting tone and better in shape first. Then I'd like to move on to adding muscle, so I'll stick with the videos, menu plan and protein/vitamin shakes (if those help when toning that is). Thanks!

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I understand you want to look toned. I get the idea of what you want to look like. But at your age and size, there is nothing there to tone. The best way for you to get a toned look is my adding muscle. The best way to do that is with the equipment at a gym or your school, of your afraid of people watching you work out....screw anyone that would judge you for trying, it just means they are insecure about themselves. Now it that's completely out of the question you can get creative and build muscle. Do push ups with something on your back, do pushups with your feet elevated on your bed. Get two gallon jugs of water, you can do squats holding them, curls, tricep extensions, dead lifts, shoulder presses. Basically everything. You are starting at ground zero, so you will see gains fast. Just eat good and train hard.

Try THIS GUYS workout.

I'll start all the workouts the day I get back from vacation! Haha.

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I understand you want to look toned. I get the idea of what you want to look like. But at your age and size, there is nothing there to tone. The best way for you to get a toned look is my adding muscle. The best way to do that is with the equipment at a gym or your school, of your afraid of people watching you work out....screw anyone that would judge you for trying, it just means they are insecure about themselves. Now it that's completely out of the question you can get creative and build muscle. Do push ups with something on your back, do pushups with your feet elevated on your bed. Get two gallon jugs of water, you can do squats holding them, curls, tricep extensions, dead lifts, shoulder presses. Basically everything. You are starting at ground zero, so you will see gains fast. Just eat good and train hard.

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It's not about that, it's just because of the money part for the gym. I'd love to go, but, for the time being, I'd like to start at home and build my way up. I'll try with my five pound weights at first, then move up to gallons and then when I see some improvement, I'll ask for a membership for the gym! Thanks for the examples of the exercise!

Thanks for the input guys, you don't know how much I appreciate it!

Okay, I'm back from my lousy trip, and I've gained 3 pounds. :/

Not too happy about that, but, I'll start running. After talking to my mom about the protein diet thing, she says she'll allow me to bring chicken and cook it in the house, so that's a plus. I'm a pretty good cook, so I'm not worried, but, I have no idea what to cook. Is the pre sliced chicken for sandwiches healthy?

And one of my family friends gave me an Insanity workout dvd and told him it helps a lot. I'll switch back and forth from the exercises mentioned by all of you guys and the Insanity dvd everyday to give a little variety.

I wouldnt buy pre sliced chicken. Buy boneless skinless chcken breasts and just cook them yourself then slice them. I can think of about a million different ways to cook a chicken breast so you should be able to keep it creative!

Aside from diet, one of the best way is at least try to do a Jogging 3x a week. Also, try to control your food intake at night. As much as possible, just eat light foods and less carbs..

Just wondering how the exercise is going. Hope your sicking with it.