Diet and workout.

[Drewie79]

Hello everyone.

I am not sure where to start or if this is the right forum but I really need your help in any way you can give it.

So here is the story. I am 39 year old and overweight. 1.65cm and around 90kg maybe more. So I reached to a point where I had enough with this unhealthy life and I am looking to change it. A week ago I stopped smoking and start eating healthier.

Now the thing is I have no clue what I am doing. I did some research mostly about diet and the best thing I could think of was to search about the people who train Hollywood actors and some other sources like diets plans and stuff.

Basically I am on a 2000 calories diet give or take, which consists for 400-500 calories per meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and maybe some healthy snacks between the meals.

My breakfast consists of 2 boiled eggs, 1 cup (approx. 40grams) of mini weetabix with low fat milk and 1 whole wheat toast with turkey and cheese. Launch consists of a salad with ~200 grams of chicken or fish and same for dinner. Snack can be a peanut butter slice of whole wheat bread or a fruit or yogurt but might change snacks to salmon or dunno shrimp or whatever else you can suggest.

And here is my daily exercise routine which is kinda non existent. I wake up at 7-8am eat the breakfast and then around 12pm I go for 45-60min swim at the sea of moderate pace. Then I come back at 14:00 eat my lunch and maybe go for 30-45min walk around 6-7pm and come back.

But I am not sure if that diet is good for losing weight or I need to cut a meal or add something or whatever. Also about the exercise plan I really want to push it to the next level and start going to the gym, maybe do some cardio and whatever else can help me lose weight in a healthy way and exercise my body properly.

My problem is that I dont know how to manage and organize the meals and the exercise because If I eat the 500 calories breakfast then I need to wait at least 4 hours before I can do some exercise, right? But I really wanna change that and go for a swim early then come back eat breakfast maybe after 4 hours go to the gym. And its stuff like that I dont understand.

So any help with basically anything is really appreciated. thanks!

Edit: I also apologize if similar conversations already exist, I just wanted to ask this in advance but I am also going to search the forums for any useful information I can find.

Edit2: Right, just noticed there is a beginner guide in this forum for people like me, I go read that then.

[d2mini]

Read the stickies in the Nutrition and Losing Fat forums.
Here's a good one to get you started...
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=136691851

And get on a proper newbie lifting program.
Look in the Workout Programs forum.
Fierce Five, Starting Strength, Bigger Leaner Stronger, etc. (these last two have great books you can find on Amazon, definitely required reading IMO).

Good luck!

[Drewie79]

Thank you very much d2mini. I spend all afternoon reading nutrition and losing fat forums and already feeling much more confident on how to regulate my diet i'll give it some time for all the information to sink in and move to the workout programs forum. Good stuff!

[EjnarKolinkar]

A week ago I stopped smoking

^Smart move.

Have you access to weights or joined a gym yet?

[MCDougalthe3rd]

I think you're worrying too much about eating times etc Just eat enough to give you the fuel to go exercise . I don't see why you need to wait 4 hours ? And if so then just have a smaller breakfast
This morning I had a wholewheat roll with jam and then walked to the beach . Maybe 45 mins after I ate the roll I was swimming for 45 mins and then I went for a 30min run straight after , then walked a couple of miles and got some lunch... I've lost about 12lb in 6 weeks just doing regular exercise and not overeating and avoiding high sugar drinks and substituting wholewheat bread for white bread etc just basic stuff . I don't think you need to be super disciplined and methodical about it , maybe when you are trying to get that last few % bodyfat off but not at the beginning anyway

[Drewie79]

^Smart move.

Have you access to weights or joined a gym yet?

Hey guys and thank you for your support. Really sorry I didn't reply earlier but I literally spend the last 10 days researching about diets, nutrition and going to the gym. So yes I Have access to weights and a gym! And it feels great. I asked my trainer which is really not my personal trainer but the guy who manages the department with all the weights and told me that we will find a workout for weight loss and muscle gain although he said that doing both at the same time is really hard. I showed him the Fierce 5 workout but he said that right now it will be, erm, too fierce for me. So we gonna take it a bit slower.

I think you're worrying too much about eating times etc Just eat enough to give you the fuel to go exercise . I don't see why you need to wait 4 hours ? And if so then just have a smaller breakfast
This morning I had a wholewheat roll with jam and then walked to the beach . Maybe 45 mins after I ate the roll I was swimming for 45 mins and then I went for a 30min run straight after , then walked a couple of miles and got some lunch... I've lost about 12lb in 6 weeks just doing regular exercise and not overeating and avoiding high sugar drinks and substituting wholewheat bread for white bread etc just basic stuff . I don't think you need to be super disciplined and methodical about it , maybe when you are trying to get that last few % bodyfat off but not at the beginning anyway

Congrats on you losing 12lbs in 6weeks that is actually amazing. I think you are right that I maybe overthinking it. I mean I went from eating fried foods, french fries, burgers, cakes and icecream, drinking two lattes and two cans of coke and sitting all day in the computer every day to fish and chicken and boiled veggies and working out. I'll be damned if that doesn't make me lose weight.

Still I am bit worried on the amount of fat and sugar I am taking in everyday although its the good kind and it comes mostly from fish, chicken, eggs, brown bread and pasta. Should I monitor this? I estimate that my daily fat intake is like 50-60g.

I dont know really, dieting and proper nutrition is chaotic, what do you guys think? Any advice really appreciated.

[tblodg15]

Still I am bit worried on the amount of fat and sugar I am taking in everyday although its the good kind and it comes mostly from fish, chicken, eggs, brown bread and pasta. Should I monitor this?

Yes you should monitor and track all your macros and calories if you are serious about losing fat and gaining muscle.

[Drewie79]

Yes you should monitor and track all your macros and calories if you are serious about losing fat and gaining muscle.

Yeah you are right and I did monitor my calories the first week. I was like 150g protein 100-150g carbs and 40-60g fat on deficit of 500+ calories according to the bodybuilding.com calories deficit calculator. All good foods no fried or sodas or sugar except from the natural ones, etc.. and since I kept that routine I kinda thought I stop monitoring.

but its also so complicated and chaotic that I am really lost. Some people say go big on protein and good fats because that way you burn more fats, other people say get the proper nutrition like a balanced 40% protein, 40% carb and 20% fat diet. Still others say go big on carbs or go for fasting. Which is why I agreed with MCDougal that I might be overthinking it at least at this starting phase that I am in?

So..

[OldFartTom]

Read the stickies in the Nutrition and Losing Fat forums.
Here's a good one to get you started...
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=136691851

And get on a proper newbie lifting program.
Look in the Workout Programs forum.
Fierce Five, Starting Strength, Bigger Leaner Stronger, etc. (these last two have great books you can find on Amazon, definitely required reading IMO).

Good luck!

Good advice ^^^^^^
Also take a look at this "sticky" https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=168581133. Also very useful starting point

Don't try to change everything in your life at the same time, or make any extreme changes. Extreme changing everything does sometimes work for some people, but most often people fail and relapse after a while when they try that tactic.

Pace yourself for the long haul...make slow progress that you won't relapse from. Better to go slow and never stop improving, than rush to fail. "Rome wasn't built in a day" etc etc.

Enjoy...

[Jp2slow]

Good advice ^^^^^^
Also take a look at this "sticky" Also very useful starting point

Don't try to change everything in your life at the same time, or make any extreme changes. Extreme changing everything does sometimes work for some people, but most often people fail and relapse after a while when they try that tactic.

Pace yourself for the long haul...make slow progress that you won't relapse from. Better to go slow and never stop improving, than rush to fail. "Rome wasn't built in a day" etc etc.

Enjoy...

great advice !!! I went extereme for a couple months then went bad for while.... does not help my wife does not want me back in Marine shape she likes me pudgy

[Drewie79]

Thanks for the advice guys. I really try to be conscious of this and aim for the long run, and change to a lifestyle that will follow me for the rest of my life. Also just so you know I am not trying to build Rome. Maybe just a really good Temple!

[Drewie79]

OK first months results (more like 3 weeks), I went from 88kg (194lbs) to 84.5kg (186lbs). I think its a good start. Next months goal will be to get at least to 80kg. I just hope I am not losing a lot of muscle in the process. I'll try and post the workout I am doing soon for critique and see what you guys think.