Im not skinny!

[Pathgen]

I have recently just started to work out way more seriously. I have a gym membership and I have been doing benchpress, running, basketball, stomach curl machine thing, and some free weights. I hae gone 6 times a week for the last two weeks.

I have also been eating much better than i have. I moved out to college and gained the freshman 15.

I have been feeling a lot better and I feel myself getting a lot stronger. However, all my life i have been borderline chubby and never did i feel like a small guy. I ate a **** load of food and did some karate in my younger years that helped.

What i am trying to accomplish is i need to lose about 15-20 pounds and at the same time i want to build muscle up. However, most of the advice that i am reading are for thin guys that need to bulk up. I feel like i need to go the opposite way and replace fat with muscle. However, I work out and I desire protein, but i feel like if i eat protein i will gain weight which is counter productive lol.

Am I on the right track exercising the way I am? What should my diet be like? Any threads that you know of that can help me?

:box:

Also, forgot to mention i got these bad stretch marks that appeared when i gained weight when i moved out. I had them before but they faded and now they are back. Anyone have any tips to make them fade quicker

 

[Kuroro]

The vault is an excellent source of information and will most likely answer most, if not all of your questions: http://www.sosuave.net/forum/showthread.php?t=126233

You say you want to build muscle, but lose fat at the same time. Sure, you can do that, or you could get a lot more progress with focusing on one at a time. Eating protein will not make you fat, if anything, carbs will.

About your stretch marks, go to a pharmacy or drug-store and get a lotion pregnant women use. I'm not making any promises regarding its efficiency, however.

 

[kickureface]

If you're really heavy, you definitely can lose fat and gain muscle significantly. Just lift heavy as hell and eat clean.

 

[Pathgen]

I see... so what im reading is that the process would be faster if I lost weight, then gained muscle. Or if i was fatter lol. I guess I am feeling results already so ill just keep doing what I am doing. My body is getting a lot firmer all over and less pudgy. Thanks now that i know to cut carbs I should gain a lot better!

 

[MetalFortress]

To clarify on carbs:

There are certain GOOD carby foods. Fruits and vegetables, etc. They will assist weight loss, not weight gain.

Avoid bad carby foods, stick with good ones.