Hi everyone. This is first time posting so apologies if I'm posting in the wrong area or if this has been covered before. I've recently decided to change lifestyle and get back to being healthy.
So, a little about me to start. The "Cliffs notes" version is that I'm 34 years old, a full time college student, 6'8" and as of last week weighed 325 pounds. I was recently put on blood pressure medicine, I also take 1000 mg of fish oil 2-3 times daily (I tend to forget now and then to take it), and glucosamine chondroitin twice a day. I stopped playing sports several years ago. I've never bothered watching what I eat. And of course I'm miserable now.
So last week I decided to start trying to watch what I eat and a low impact work out. I'm no stranger to working out. In three weeks I plan to switch routine to cardio in the morning and weights in the afternoon. The trouble I have is with the diet, and calories, and nutrients, and anything related to food.
I've got the grasp of less calories. And I've been keeping track this week and trying to keep it around 1800-2000 calories a day spread across 5-6 meals. I'm also doing best to keep eating healthy foods. I just don't know if the combinations are good, if I'm getting too much of one thing and not enough of another, things like that. I've tried to learn all this stuff and it just doesn't take. Plus I have a full time schedule of learning for school so there's not much space left after all that. And I'm basic. I don't need 8 million different choices. In fact the fewer the better. I figure the easiest thing to do would be to write out some of what I've eaten, and see if someone here could give some advice for me.
Breakfast: 2 large egg whites, 1 large egg, diced some tomato to throw in (probably 1/4 of a whole tomato) and a tsp of parmesan cheese.
or
2 whole grain waffles, 1 tsp of natural peanut butter, 1oz sugar free syrup.
or
1 packet of oatmeal made with skim milk, 8oz glass of skim milk.
Lunch: 4oz turkey breast sandwich, whole grain bread, less than 1 tsp mayo, mustard, 1 cup of fruit or vegetable.
or
4oz tuna, less than 1 tsp mayo, and 6 whole wheat crackers, Some fruit or vegetable.
or
4oz chicken breast, 1 cup of either brown rice or whole grain penne pasta, some fruit or vegetable.
Dinner: 4-6oz of lean meat, a cup or two of cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, corn, or some other vegetable. And usually a small portion of pasta salad, baked beans, baked potato, stuff like that.
All snacks consist of things like peanut butter and fruit, 6oz lowfat yogurt, hard boiled egg whites or just a piece of fruit. Basically all basic and simple.
Starting next week I'm back in class so I have to pre cook and have everything ready. I'm good with that, but I don't want to have to go to the store and buy things for those 8 million choices if I can dial it in to just a few. Remember, college student=college student budget.
I know that this isn't a lot to go on, but I like to keep life simple and that means food too. Stuff I can grab and go, or throw on the stove or in the oven and pull it out and eat. So thanks in advance for any advice.
Side note: I can't eat fish at all. Shrimp I'm ok with, but I hate the taste of all fish.
Diet advice,
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
Re: Diet advice,
Polite question 
. If you don't like fish at all, why eat Tuna?
There's plenty of quick and easy things you can eat like microwave baked beans, soup and rice dishes, peanuts, nuts, low fat cheese, carrot sticks, celery sticks, oat granolas, yoghurt pots, fruit, including tomato and cucumber, sandwiches, packet beef, turkey, ham or beef, cereal, preprepared boiled eggs, bread, etc.
The amount of calories might be a little low considering what you were eating and may promote rapid weight loss as opposed to gradual weight loss.
What you could do is eat around 3,000 a day, then, reduce the calories by 100 a day for every 10lbs you lose, until you get down ot 2,000, then stabilise it, which would mean you were 225lbs when you stabilised.
The choices I've given work well as potential meals or as full aor part snacks, but because of your lifestyle, they should fit in better that certain other options, that take longer to make; things you already consume, so these other options could be incorporated.
I think this higher level of calories you can scale back, will make for a potentially smoother transition on the weight loss with a reduced chance of additional loose skin in the end, because you will almost certainly get some if you have damaged some of the elastin in your skin, which given the weight level you got to is more than likely.
. If you don't like fish at all, why eat Tuna?There's plenty of quick and easy things you can eat like microwave baked beans, soup and rice dishes, peanuts, nuts, low fat cheese, carrot sticks, celery sticks, oat granolas, yoghurt pots, fruit, including tomato and cucumber, sandwiches, packet beef, turkey, ham or beef, cereal, preprepared boiled eggs, bread, etc.
The amount of calories might be a little low considering what you were eating and may promote rapid weight loss as opposed to gradual weight loss.
What you could do is eat around 3,000 a day, then, reduce the calories by 100 a day for every 10lbs you lose, until you get down ot 2,000, then stabilise it, which would mean you were 225lbs when you stabilised.
The choices I've given work well as potential meals or as full aor part snacks, but because of your lifestyle, they should fit in better that certain other options, that take longer to make; things you already consume, so these other options could be incorporated.
I think this higher level of calories you can scale back, will make for a potentially smoother transition on the weight loss with a reduced chance of additional loose skin in the end, because you will almost certainly get some if you have damaged some of the elastin in your skin, which given the weight level you got to is more than likely.