Hi everybody,
I’m new to the board. I’m a 39-year-old male I’d like to consider myself an active husband and father of 2. I work out on average 3-5 times a week. As with most people time is a factor. I go before work; I’m able to get about 50 to 55 minutes in. Going after work is not really an option with all the activities we have. I get about 4am to make this all happen. I start work at 6:00am. I enjoy doing mostly cardio. I’ll hit the weights a bit. I’m pretty comfortable with working out. The problem I have is all this eating stuff. After doing some reading on how many times a day, carbs, protein, more calories, less calories my head begins to spin!
. I’m about 6’2” and weigh 278. I’d “LOVE” to get down to about 230.

I guess the meat and potatoes of this post are to say hello and where can I go and read more about what is the proper things and ways to eat or any opinions are welcome. Thanks for any input.

As an older male you may want to consult your doctor about any specific dietary needs, and I suggest a physical to find out if you have problems like high cholesterol, etc, but I'll talk to you about it in general terms.

A point of fat is about 3500 Calories (kcal). To lose a pound a week you'll need to cut your diet by 250 calories and burn 250 calories through exercise/activity every day, 500 each for two pounds a week. If you're actively gaining weight you may need to cut your diet further although doctors recommend not going below around 1400 calories a day.

Now when you reduce the amount of food in your diet, you want to maximize it's impact on your body. Up the amount of vegetables you're eating and look for lean sources of protein like skinless chicken and fish. Switch to eating whole grains such as bran, oatmeal, whole grain bread, and popcorn for example. Not only are whole grain products packed with more nutrients, the fiber they contain will make you feel fuller for longer. MyPyramid.gov - United States Department of Agriculture - Home is a great site and you can even sign up there and enter a food diary that will break down the nutrients and calories in each of the foods you eat so you can get a much better idea of your diet habits and adjust accordingly. There's also information on portion sizes as well.

Eating more slowly and drinking water will also curb your hunger. For a person your size, it wouldn't be crazy to suggest at least 12 to 15 8-oz cups of water throughout the day, and more so on the days you exercise. Proper water intake will also facilitate the metabolism of body fat.

I hope thats enough info to point you in the right direction, good luck!

Thanks for the welcome Kissmyhuman. What re you trying to say I'm old and fat........ just kidding...... I will continue to read and try to learn. As stated I just get very confused with all the differnet ways to do things. I hear people talk about needing to change a work out routine to help. If you're doing the same thing all the time why does the process slow down.Sometimes I wish there was a list of meals to eat for the week. I do realize that it's a life style change and not a diet that will work.

Welcome to the boards!!!

Dieting really is about 80% of weight loss; a healthy diet with exercise is all it takes to lose weight. Keep a journal of what you eat... set a caloric goal and aim for that on a daily basis. Try to keep it balanced... you NEED fats, carbs and protein in a diet; calories are important too, if you go too low your body will protect you and go into starvation mode! Thats a bad thing.

Start a journal on the site!!!
and keep track of your daily things on a site like
FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal
Free Diet Plans at SparkPeople

Good Journey!!!

Some people find that starting with a good high fibre cleanse to give themselves that needed boost into weight loss, can be very helpful. It also helps to bring the glycemic index back to normal before you begin so that you break those cravings for sugar. Kind of like beginning a weight loss program with a fresh slate. There is a good 5-day cleanse called "Reset" on the website below. I use the meal replacement bars and shakes and a friend of mine did the Reset. It gave him the boost to go on and lose 35 lbs. He's 40 now and hasn't been his current weight since high school!