Vegetarian wanting to lose fat/gain muscle

[jazzcrime]

Okay, so I was just looking for some advice for somebody just starting gymming (weights and cardio stuff).
A lot of my friends have been going for a while so they can show me how to do everything but the main reason I wanted to start going was that I am about 5'10-5'11ish and about 240lbs. I have always been pretty big but admittedly I don't eat real great, I do eat a lot and I'm not really active because I've been so busy in the past few years - so I'm not really helping the cause. I play sport (lacrosse) and when season comes around and I do the twice a week trainings I quickly lose about 15lbs no problems - so I know I can lose weight relatively easily if I work and I'm motivated to keep working out. I guess I don't want to look cut, just want to be healthier and even though I am relatively strong I want to get some visible upper body strength. (Guys, slow me down here if I'm talking total nonsense and you don't know what I'm trying to say - I'm a total newbie.) I only just started doing weights last week - started off with some chest and shoulders and tris and today I did some biceps and back which I found pretty easy to lift reasonable weight - but I don't know how I'm meant to structure it all]. I am also pretty aware that I'll have to do a good amount of cardio - I've been doing about 30 minutes every second day heart rate between 160 - 175 - but how much should I ideally be doing? Now I know diet is also a very important which is where I would also like some advice - I'm guessing I'm endomorphic/mesoendomorphic kinda body type and in addition to that I'm vegetarian (though I will eat dairy/eggs if needed). Would any of you guys know any good ways to go about eating with those limitations? Any help at all would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

[Sohan]

I'm a vegetarian and need a diet to loose abit of weight (10lbs maybe) but I dont know what to eat :\

[grapemaster]

whole grains (brown rice/quinoa/buckwheat/millet/oats) not junk sugary cereal masquerading as whole grains or floury breads, nuts (almonds/walnuts<--best ratios), legumes (they are all pretty similar, but red and black beans have very high antioxidant contents), seeds (also all pretty similar, might wnat some flax to help with your omegas), vegetables (all colores/lots of greens), tubers (sweet potatos/potatos/squash/pumpkin/anything else u like), fruits (bananas are pretty nutrient dense and cheap, as well as berries), eggs (supplemental egg whites can help) and milk (if it doesn't mess with your stomach)...
If you are a vegetarian eating out... watch the indian and chinese places they tend to overload you on oils...
i'd eat about 50/30/20...instead of what a lot of veggies do and end up eating like 70%+ carbs. and watch your cals. up the protein if you don't feel like you are recovering properly up the protein a bit... I'd keep a lot of it coming from the egg whites/milk though if possible as it has a better amino acid profile per gram protein.

[csarin]

to loose weight as a vegetarian is try to stay away a little bit of carbs like pasta,bred,rice etc now are you ovo-lacto (likeme) or strict vegetarian?
if you are ovo-lacto get a lot of egg-whites,soy protein and whey protein,bean etc all with protein all of them gettin the exact grams of protein will going to help you to create muscle do not forget to eat every 3 hrs in small porcions to boots your meatbolism good look

[Fallen_Horse]

1. Limit saturated fats (low-fat milk and dairy)
2. Limit simple sugars from non-fruit sources (candy, soda, etc.)

Eat lots of the good foods (veggies, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, etc.) and you will be fine...

[krazyfk]

cardio

[Sohan]

I eat eggs etc, no fish though. Do alot of cardio.

Are potatoes a good food or bad?

[Fallen_Horse]

Potatoes not fried or adding with fat (chips, french fries) and with the skin on are pretty good for you, just don't go crazy...

[scdinosaur]

i would recommend not being a veg head while bodybuilding .
i was a vegetarian for 5 years got into body building had no gains for the looongest time , sure my muscle became toned but thats it personally i think its stupid no matter who claimed to gain this or that on a veg diet.
obviously im not a vegetarian any more since i switch back to meat about a year ago but i have had tremendous gains in this time im a normal person again haha i just cant believe i wasted so much time and muscle being a vegetarian.
just putting in
my two cents