Jon A.

Hi,

Everyone here was very helpful on my first post (New-Clyde - Hilly Area Suggestions) so I thought I would seek your input on my meal plan (a/k/a diet) and over-all weight loss/get in shape plan. Sorry for the long post.

First a little background... I am 45, have an office job, a wife and two 3 year old twins. I have been overweight most of my adult life (beer and nachos in college and graduate school plus more sedentary jobs were probably the biggest factors in my weight gain). I have been as much as 265 but started my current effort to get in shape at about 247. At only 5'9" that is pretty heavy. I have asthma and hate to exercise so the couch has been my friend (as evidenced by the large crater in "my spot"). I really want to be healthier so I can keep up with my kiddos and enjoy my family. About 18 months ago I started counting my calories and tried to limit myself to 2000 calories/day. I tracked it on a scorecard that I printed out (think golf score card). I tracked each meal like a hole in golf... 500 calories = 5 "strokes". I allotted myself 20 strokes/day (i.e. 2000 cal/day) with one "Mulligan" (i.e. cheat meal) per week. It worked, I got down to 239 from 265 but it was hard to sustain. I tried to keep breakfast and lunch to 5 strokes each (i.e. 500 cal) and dinner to 7. A few almonds in the morning, an afternoon snack and a post-dinner desert (usually a 100 cal bag of Cheez-Its or pretzels) accounted for the remaining 300 calories. I weighed myself each morning and tracked the loss on an Excel spreadsheet. Diet soda is one of my Kryptonites... I have 1 Diet Coke can at lunch and 2-3 Diet Sprite/Triple Berry Seltzers (mixed 50/50) at night. I can generally say no to beer and alcohol these days unless I am out being social (rare with 3 year olds). An occasional margarita in the summer or martini. I can also say no to sweets.

My goal is to get to 220-230 lbs this year and below 200 by the end of 2019. As has been said here, the weight went on slowly so it should (will) come off slowly.

My new plan is to use My Fitness Pal to track food intake, the Health app on my iPhone to track weight, Strava to track my rides/calories burned and to get a Garmin fitness watch (probably the Vivoactive 3) to assist with tracking efforts (steps, HR, etc). I bought a Cannondale Quick 4 and have a basic cycle-computer and iPhone mount for Strava.

Here is my basic meal plan:

Breakfast: (~500 cals)
1-2 Cups of Coffee with half & half and one Splenda each;
(2) Large Hard-Boiled Eggs with a bit of salt; and
(1) 16 oz. Strawberry/Banana/Soy Milk/Yogurt/Flax&Chia Seeds with a touch of maple syrup Smoothie.
If I don't make a Smoothie I have two slices of wheat toast with peanut butter (the wheat bread is 40 calories/slice)

Mid-Morning Snack: (~100 cals)
(2) Tbsps of Almonds
20 oz. water

Lunch: (~500-600 cals)
Homemade Chicken Caesar Salad with Bacon Bits, Parmesan cheese, carats and 2-3 Tbsps of dressing
(1) Diet Coke can

Mid-Afternoon Snack: (~100 cals)
(2) pickle spears (high in sodium... my other Kryptonite) OR
Some of my kids' Baked Goldfish or Saltines crackers
20 oz. water

Dinner: (Goal = 700 cals but probably exceeding that)
Dinners are tough because my wife is a REALLY good cook and we like to grill/smoke meat 3 seasons a year. I have portion control issues at dinner both because the food is so good and because by that point I am usually hungry. Dinners vary but can consist of the following:
Pizza (homeade dough, usually only mozzarella cheese, roaster garlic, tomato, brocolli, pesto)
Chicken on the grill or baked in the oven, occasionally chicken wings on the grill
Pasta with seafood (shrimp or scallops)
Steak (1x/week maximum)
Turkey Burgers on the grill;
Salmon or Swordfish
Pork loin
We try to reduce or eliminate carbs by grilling, baking or steaming veggies like broccoli, green beans, brussel sprouts, etc.but sometimes we'll have rice, couscous, pasta, etc.

Desert:
100 cal Cheez-It or Pretzel bag

Exercise:
2-3 nights/week = take a 4.8 - 5.5 mile bike ride on hilly loops (~375-400' elevation gains) (hopefully increase if/when time and fitness level allow)
Weekend = take a 14-20 mile bike ride on a relatively flat rail trail (hopefully increase if/when time and fitness level allow)
Track steps on fitness watch
Take the stairs
Chase after my kiddos/go to playgrounds
Go for walks with the family (also hilly)

I know that more dramatic changes in my lifestyle would probably result in the weight coming off more effectively but this time I am really trying to find something that I can sustain over the long-haul. That is always the hard part.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions and (hopefully constructive) criticism of my plan.

-Jon A.