Looking for a helping hand :)

Hey guys. I decided to join this forum in hopes that it could help keep me motivated and lend some help. I've been reading on the web site for a little bit and trying to come up with some plans. I know some of you are very knowlegable by now and I'd really like some help.

I'm 20 years old, male, 6'1, and weigh ~230lbs. I've never thought I was "fat" or anything, but I want to get my body healthier. Not only to look better, but to feel better and have more energy. I used to play some sports casually in high school, but in all honesty I don't do crap now. I'm asking you to help me with some meal plan for a day-to-day basis. Because I'm 20 years old I work about 25 hours a week at my job and go to college 2 days a week this semester from about 8:45am to 9:30pm. If I'm not at work, school, or out with some friends, I'm at home sitting on the computer or watching TV.

I'm 100% willing to buy foods I'll need and a few other things. I've been thinking about buying a used bicycle from someone, but I don't know how effective that would be in aiding me, or what exactly to do. I saw the list of exercises available on the website and I like how they are categorized in to your level of ability. Since I haven't worked out in a long time, where should I start? How many days a week, what to do, eat, etc? I'm really looking for some tips here. :)

By the way, I don't have any conditions that would prevent me from doing things, etc.

im willing to help! we can trade ideas!

hey! i feel like im in the same boat with you. im 21 and just trying to live a healthier lifestyle. i blog what i eat so if you want to check them out it might give you some ideas of what to have for meals and snacks. :) I'm naturally helpful so if you have questions just send me a message!

I just graduated from college and I tried 100,000 things that never worked.  Don't mean to say that to discourage you but I know how hard it is to make the right kind of changes.  I bought a bike fully meaning to ride it to class and never did.  I didn't really take traffic and safety into account with that plan.  I did live near a river walk that had the miles posted and it was a nice ride I would do with my roommates every once in a while.  Plus the cafeteria food was awful, student union food was SO fattening (think Pizza Hut and Coldstone Creamery).   I got hooked on fast food for the convenience.  I didn't eat healthy then but maybe I can help now.  One great purchase I made was a book called "Eat this, not that".  It's like $10 on Amazon and it's a great reference for good choices to make when eating out.  Plus just seeing the calories in your favorite foods is eye opening.  Food was always a major social event for me in college (along with drinking, so watch those alcohol calories too).  

At my university though I did take some PE type classes that were really fun and kept me more active than I would otherwise have been.  Plus I got a friend to take them with me so I was more likely to be motivated to go.  It's harder to skip a workout when it's for a grade.  I loved my kayaking class and I always meant to try the Karate class.  I also took some more traditional routes with jogging and weight training classes.  The great thing about being in school is having free access to a gym.  I don't know if this is the case where you are but it was a plus for me.

Oh but back to food...  the key is just to plan plan plan.  For me at least it is.  The minute I'm hungry with nothing planned to cook I start making BAD choices. Big changes are harder to keep than little ones. Start slow, replacing white bread with whole grains (double check the sugar and calorie content though- it always tastes good for a reason).  Try adding a vegetable to one meal a day for a week, then two, etc.  Replace regular sodas with diet ones or water would be even better.  Experiment a little too.  If your favorite thing to eat is a bacon cheeseburger then eat it.  Just try replacing the regular ground beef with the 95% lean version or a leaner meat like turkey, use turkey bacon, low-fat or fat-free cheese.  Every little change you can make counts.  I don't really enjoy mayo enough to make it a must have condiment and by skipping it I save almost 100 calories.  Ditto for ketchup.  It has a high sugar content so unless it really adds something to what I'm eating I leave it off too.  Try baking things you might normally eat fried (think chicken wings, fries, etc.)  Hope these things help... let me know if I can give you some more specific ideas.

I totally think you should buy a bike, every little bit helps.  Since you're still young and you don't have a ton of weight to lose, I would suggest weight training.  Do you have a gym at school?  I used to go to the gym for a quick workout on breaks between classes.  There are also lots of things you can do without a gym:  Sit ups, push ups, chin ups, lunges.  I find jogging is the best way for me to lose fat, but really any cardio activity will burn fat. 

If you want to gain strength and muscle mass, you will need to eat as much, if not slightly more, than you burn.  It is possible to burn fat while gaining muscle, but it won't happen quickly and you need to really watch your diet.  Eat clean, eat the least amount of processed foods possible, and get lots of protein.   Eat lots of fresh vegetables, lean proteins (like chicken, fish, lean cuts of beef), comples carbs (like whole wheat pasta, brown rice and beans) and good fats (like avocado, nuts and sunflower oil). 

30-40% of your calories should come from protein, 20-30% from good fat and 30-40% from complex carbs; carbs and protein have 4 calories per gram and fat has 9, so take you total calorie goal and figure out what you should be aiming for (ie if your eating 2500 calories a day, you want about 190-250g of both protein and carbs and 55-80g of fat).

And do research, I have found the best way to cater my own diet was to read up on nutrition and meal planning.  The American Dietetic Association's Complete Food and Nutrition Guide has been a great resource for me, as are the loads of healthy recipes on the net.  Message me if you want to chat more.