Designing diet for dad who wants to lose weight help

[Aftershock]

Well my dad's around 50 and wants me to help come up with a diet for him to lose weight. I was a little lost when I started to think about it though because I figuered this may be a little different from a bodybuilder's cutting diet. With protein intake and factors like that, he might not have to really worry about. Also due to a knee injury he really can't do cardio rite now, i'm not to sure how long intill he can.

So I need 6 meals a day that comes out to pretty low calories, clean foods etc.

Also no need to point out the obvious i'm not at all new to nutrition and losing weight, I just keep thinking there should be some differences than someone whose working out and is concerned with conserving muscle mass and is doing cardio with no problems etc.


Thanks for any help, reps for advice.

-Aftershock

[iCY]

about the cardio: cardio is any activitiy that can raise your pulse for an extended period of time. Cardio does not have to be all leg work. There are other forms of cardio avalible such as swiming, rowing, shadow boxing, punching bag; basically anything which uses more of your upper body.
As for the diet, the only difference i believe is that their protein intake would be much lower then a BBer, they should be alot more focused on their caloric intake rather then their macronutrient ratios.

[rockstarsar]

Also no need to point out the obvious i'm not at all new to nutrition and losing weight, I just keep thinking there should be some differences than someone whose working out and is concerned with conserving muscle mass and is doing cardio with no problems etc.

Until he can work out, I'd eat very slightly below maintenance or else you are starving the muscle. Sedentary should be just as concerned as bodybuilders with maintaining muscle mass. Check his body fat percentage and figure out his total pounds of fat and muscle, and focus on bringing down the fat numbers while maintaining the muscle. A drop in body fat doesn't mean no muscle was lost ..depending on how much total weight was dropped, muscle could definitely have been making up that loss.

[grndmstrflsch]

i think designing a diet for someone of that age is a lot different than those who are looking to build some nice gains. i think the key to creating a diet for him is one that he likes. a good start is doing one that he will still be able to eat the foods he likes, but jsut make slight changes. here are some examples

eggs: do 3 egg whites and 1 yolk

pancakes: make it with whole wheat flour and flaxseed. add vanilla extract and fruit to make up for the lighter taste of normal pancakes. instead of going sugar free, have him get light syrup. half the cal's and sugar of regular.

breads:whole wheat only

sugars: use splenda instead

cereal:get some healthier, yet good tasting cereals like kashi golean crunch, granola cereals, etc.

general: eat organic. even if there are unhealthy, fatty foods that are organic, atleast its real food. organic foods dont use any chemicals to alter foods, no hydrogenated oils, or HFCS. atleast they use real sugar, real butter, etc.

fats: eat NO FOODS that have hydrogenated oils on the ingredients list. no margarine either

these are jsut ideas. if you could give me an outline of what foods he eats now that are his favorite (unhealthy ones) i would be happy to make some revisements of the foods, recipes, etc.