Greetings!  This is my first post and I hope to find a lot of good information here :)

I'll get right to the point - In about 2 or 3 years I've lost nearly 80lbs from simply changing my diet, going from 210 down to about 130 where I am now.  I also dropped my cholesterol 100 points and lost 8 inches in my waist :)

The problem now is that very little exercise has been involved.  I lost a lot of body fat but gained no muscle and it's especially apparent in my belly area and waist.  Even though I'm much thinner I still feel fat simply because my belly is like playdoh!  I don't want to be a muscle man and body builder but I do want to feel good and look good with my shirt off.  My question then being, is there is any advice on how I should begin a regimen, and what type of exercise or weight training I should consider?  Everything I've accomplished up to this point has involved no research and I feel kind of lost.

Also, I know Tom Venturo is well known to the forums and found his e-book tonight online.  From anyone who has read it, I was wondering if it would benefit me and my situation to purchase it.

Thank You!

Hey "login" welcome man and great job with losing 80lbs, great job.

1.So you want to gain muscle, the first thing you'll have to do is find out how many calories you need to intake a day here (if you don't want to read it all, just go to the bottom and download the excel version of it to find it out fast. You can also find out how much protein you'll need a day from that excel calculator. When you find out how many calories you need a day, your going to have to start eating 5-6 small meals a day so take that number you get and divide it by 5 or 6 this also includes the protein number.

2. You'll want to take all your measurements now, including weight, waist, etc... to keep for future motivation and to see how much you have progressed in muscle mass.

3. Choose what supplementation your going to do, but stick to the basics: fishoil, multivitamin, Whey protein(2 scoops a day), Drink LOTs Off water, find out how much you need here (scroll down a bit there is a calculator)

4. Choose a short-term and long-term goal. Make sure you WRITE it down on paper.

5. You'll need a good routine, a simple routine would be like this: Remember rest=growth. Do cardio after each workout, start 6 mins then add 2 mins each day after wise, and go back to 6 mins again once you reach 26 mins of cardio.
Monday - Chest (6 mins cardio)

Tuesday - Back (8 mins cardio)
Wednesday - Off

Thursday - Shoulders (10 mins cardio)

Friday - Bi's, Tri's (12 mins cardio)

Saturday - Legs (14 mins cardio)

Sunday - Off


5.  Track what you eat, check here for a variety of healthy foods, http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Master_Grocery_List_Stick__the_top/m_120408/tm.htm


6. Monitor all of your progress, keep a training journal, each day you workout write down your excercises, reps, weight, sets, etc...



Good Luck and get on track, you will see improvements if you are determined. The more muscle you have the less fat you'll have. Thats why we incorporate weight training into our workout.