New here....Hello Everyone!

[lookingforbetterbod]

Hello
I am new to this site and need your help as I have many years of bad habits to correct I am currently 210 lbs at 5’ 11” I need and want to build muscle.
I Want to learn more about getting fit and I'm hoping to learn about adding a bit of mass and toning up, in addition to maintaining a healthy diet.

Thanks
lookingforbetterbod

[cabezon]

Welcome. I saw your other post, and I think that slow and steady will be a good mantra. Little by little. What kinds of surgeries?

what activities do you enjoy? what is your current state of athleticism?

[lookingforbetterbod]

I have degenerative disk disease and spinal stenosis and have had herniated discs at L5 S1 1st Decompressive laminectomy Disc removal surgery in 1990 and again in 2000 at the L3 L4 level herniated disc that left me with gross nerve root damage that caused numbness and muscle spasms to my legs more so in my r leg. And in 2001 herniated disc at the C 6 C 7 level and again had a Decompressive laminectomy and had a cerebrospinal fluid leak at this level. In 2005 I fractured the vertebras at T 11 and T 12 To make a long story short I have lost some movement in my arms and neck and a lot of movement in my lower back and legs. I know that year after year I have less movement and have lost muscle tone and have developed muscle atrophy. The good news is this type of atrophy can be reversible with vigorous exercise.
At this time I walk for an hour a 4 days a week and have just started shoulder press, bench press, squats calf raise. Will start leg extensions, lat pulldown, arm curls, tricep press and ab crunch in a week or two as they are the ones I find the hardest to do and put pressure on my back.
I just purchased a Powertec workbench multi leverage system and 400 lbs plates.

[Sportsmedjosh]

Welcome, wow lot of previous injuries. This is what I would suggest though I though you might have already followed these steps. First I would get physcian approval for exercise which it seems like you already have and cleared. Depending on how familiar you are with exercises and their proper form I would look into hiring a NSCA CSCS, ACSM RCEP, or a PT just to make sure you got the correct form down.

[bellavus]

welcome to the forums, first of all. what is your diet looking like?

[lookingforbetterbod]

Originally Posted by bellavus

welcome to the forums, first of all. what is your diet looking like?

I only eat 1 meal a day and have eaten this way for the past 25 years after loosing 75 lbs. I have been afraid of putting the weight back on I know this is not healthy and want to correct this but at the same time I do not want to gain any more of the weight back, muscle would be fine but not the fat. I know my diet is all garbage and junk food but this is the only way I know and don’t understand things like calories, carbs, proteins, fats or how to plan a healthy balanced diet. I think that if I have oatmeal cookies twice a week I am eating healthy on those two days I am very ignorant when it comes to nutrition. This is my typical daily intake.
Breakfast nothing to eat 2 cups decaf. coffee
Lunch nothing to eat
Dinner what ever hot dogs, mac & cheese, hamburger or
I may just have a salad, and I have about 4 or 5 glasses of decaf. mountain dew or root beer a day.
Suggestions anyone please

[cabezon]

eat a bowl of oatmeal or Kashi high protien cereal in the morning. get some healthy snacks in the house and the rest will fall into place.

that salad? it swims in dressing? and of course soda is a no go.

[Sportsmedjosh]

lookingforbetterbod the down fall with eating one meal a day is that your metabolism has slown down. What you need to do is work on increasing that. While an increase in lean muscle mass will help it's hard to develope that without proper nutrition to faciliate growth. Even though it may be difficult eating several small meals throughout the day is the best method to prevent this. However without really looking in depth regarding your nutrion profile this is only speculation. By reducing your caloric intake levels extremely low and not eating properly your body is put into a semi-starvation phase in which your body uses and breaks down lean body mass as an energy source.