Diet

I'm wondering where that target weight came from. If you're 48 and 5'8", I'd guess a healthy weight would be around 150. I'm 5'11" and my weight is 165-170. As for diet, I think you have to find a plan that works for you. You can buy all the broccoli in the world, but if you won't eat it (unless it is slathered in cheese sauce), then it does you no good. I try to be mostly sensible with my diet. I swim (or run) mornings too, and I don't eat prior. I'll eat a protein bar shortly after, then a low-fat breakfast sandwich after I get to the office. I generally snack much of the morning, granola, pretzels, etc. Have a decent lunch (usually leftovers from a dinner),some snacks in the afternoon. Then I usually do my 2nd workout (gym, etc) after work. After I get home some days I just have a big salad for dinner. Sometimes a smaller salad with a small portion of a pasta-type dish. I've been doing this for about 4-5 years. I was flirting with 200# before I began, dropped to 150-155 for a while (people asked if I was ok), and mostly hover 165-170 now (lower when I'm peaking for a marathon, higher in the 1-2 weeks after).

A dessert plate has about half the surface area of a dinner plate, an easy way to cut your portions. That's a great suggestion! I just started using smaller plates a few months ago, and it really helps. For some reason, if I have a big plate, I'll fill it. Then once I have it at the table, I feel compelled to eat everything. Another thought... Not that I condone eating chips, but if you do want some, put some on a paper towel or napkin. Close up the bag. Take your napkin-full to the couch. That's usually enough to satisfy me, especially when I see all the grease on the napkin afterward.

If it's stupid/impossible to eat 1,000 kcal per day (which it is) then why would you try to do it? You need to be about 1,000 times smarter about this, every day. I think my point is that the number I provided is not accurate. I have not been counting calories. I've been eating a couple of scrambled eggs for breakfast. About a cup-full of protein (fish or chicken) for lunch, sometimes with a cup-full of beans for lunch. And, whatever my wife decided to make for dinner (which is usually heavier than breakfast/lunch. Then weekends are usually heavier for all meals. My guess now, given the calculation and the fact that I have not really lost any weight in six months, is that I've been consuming an average of 2000 calories per day. let's start from that point. The 1000 calorie number isn't supported by any evidence at all.

I think my point is that the number I provided is not accurate. I have not been counting calories. I've been eating a couple of scrambled eggs for breakfast. About a cup-full of protein (fish or chicken) for lunch, sometimes with a cup-full of beans for lunch. And, whatever my wife decided to make for dinner (which is usually heavier than breakfast/lunch. Then weekends are usually heavier for all meals. I am afraid you need to continue to eat at dinner and the weekends like you do during breakfast and lunch. If that is not an option, find yourself a small plate and measure you dinner servings/weekend servings like you do for breakfast and lunch. 4 oz of mashed potatoes made with cream and butter are not as good as a salad, but 4 oz is a lot less calories than 12 oz which I would guess is a normally ends up on a plate. A dessert plate has about half the surface area of a dinner plate, an easy way to cut your portions.

I'm wondering where that target weight came from. If you're 48 and 5'8", I'd guess a healthy weight would be around 150. I'm 5'11" and my weight is 165-170. I know that at 185 I feel great. That's where I was when reasonably active in martial arts. I have not been there in a while. I want to shoot for somewhere in that vicinity as a first step. Yes, 150 to 170 would probably be a better sustained level. As for diet, I think you have to find a plan that works for you. You can buy all the broccoli in the world, but if you won't eat it (unless it is slathered in cheese sauce), then it does you no good. I'll have to experiment. I am not used to early AM workouts, when I was in martial arts it was always late afternoon to early evenings so you'd run on what you had for lunch. I need to find out what works for me with the new schedule.

I'm wondering where that target weight came from. If you're 48 and 5'8", I'd guess a healthy weight would be around 150. I'm 5'11" and my weight is 165-170. Depends on body type. I'm 5'9" and my balance point seems to be about 180 when swimming (I just seem to hold onto a little more fat). I am going to try to be 175 for spring, but I just can't be lower than that. There'll be nothing left to lose. The key is to find your own balance point. Clearly it's not your current weight or you wouldn't be asking about this stuff. I went through this a few years ago. I decided to figure out how to lose the weight before getting back into swimming, though. I found that, for me, counting calories was the way to go. But if you are going to count them, you need to accurately count them -- weigh food and get a reliable source for the calories. (I used the CalorieCount web site). You also need to accurately determine how much you burn in an average day. Lots of sources are out there. It took me a lot of trial and error to figure it out -- when you're not 'hungry' and you don't put on weight at that calorie level, your at your breakeven point. Once this is determined, you can make a plan to shed the weight. I also try to maximize my nutrition per calorie. I was a nut about it while losing weight, and now I just wing it. But I used World's Healthiest Foods to figure this out. It also helped me get a variety of foods into my diet instead of the same old 'healthy' things which I got tired of. I was about 225 at my heaviest, btw, so I know what you've got ahead of you. It will be worth it. Good luck.

I like morning swims. I usually skip breakfast till after I swim, but may eat something light (a piece of fruit, maybe some almonds, etc). I believe in quality over quantity ("empty" calories just don't cut it). If you only eat high quality foods as close to their natural state as possible (i.e. minimal processing), you will eventually get to your optimum weight (but hey, I like my cookies and ice-cream too!). When I stick to quality only, and swim 4-5x/wk, I can eat as much as I want, and maintain (or reach) an optimal weight very easily. king corn film - Google Search The documentary "King Corn" is one of the more profound one's I've seen (plus it is fun and entertaining) that helped me truly understand the food situation we face today. I highly recommend it. :)

I am looking for dietary advice in order to maximize my results. Prior to getting into swimming I was consuming about 1,000 calories per day and trying to favor protein. Considering that I was sitting in front of a computer most of the day even 1,000 calories may have been too much. My weight pretty much stayed around the same 220lbs (lean weight target being somewhere around 185lbs)... 1000 calories is way way way too little intake! making a few assumptions (and sooo sorry if i'm way off on them :) )- that you're a 45 YO male who is 6ft tall and weighs 220lbs, you need in the neighborhood of 2000 calories just to keep your body going (this is called your basal metabolic rate). by consistantly only eating 1000 calories, you're essentially tricking your body into thinking it's starving, so no matter how hard you tried to lose the weight, your body will be working against you. and now that you've added in swimming, you definitely need to add calories. i'll leave your other questions to folks who are more versed in the nutritional aspects, rather than the physical aspects :)

I just started using smaller plates a few months ago, and it really helps. For some reason, if I have a big plate, I'll fill it. Then once I have it at the table, I feel compelled to eat everything. I have the opposite experience that lead to the same conclusion. Our normal dinner plate have the 1.5" of dead space along the edge of the plate, but my in-laws have plates that are the same size, but do not have this dead zone (kinda like really shallow bowls). Given the same type meal, say roast and mashed potatoes, at our house a plate full is fine, at their house it is gut busting meal. Visually it looks like the same amount on the plate. Plate size matters.

It's easy to lose BUT hard to maintain !! Cut back on the not good stuff & work out lots.