Sorry to bump an aging thread, but this is on point and timely for me.
I'm going on 50 this year and I'd say that I'm half-way through my big lifestyle turnaround. Mr Mojo's comments above are fantastic - gotta change the environment first. I also took notes on the weight routine he described.
For me, I tried the weights when I first started but I was in too shitty shape for it to help. I first had to get the diet under control. I'm 5'6" and went from 230 to 190 in about 4-5 months. Nothing crazy fast. Eating healthy is definitely the key. But what also helped more for me was intermittent fasting - lots of small meals did NOT work for me. Instead, it was two bigger meals between noon and 8pm and nothing else. I did depend on this weird but tasty iced tea concoction I found online and modified - brewed green tea, lemon juice, honey, and Siracha. Puckered my lips and belly and kept the hunger pangs to a minimum.
For meals it was no dairy and very limited carbs. Heavy on protein and veggies - usually a nice hunk of grilled meat and steamed veggies for dinner. I'd slip in a potato or rice now and then as a treat. I've never been a junk food guy and so dropping any processed food, snacks, dessert, sugar, etc. was easy. Like I said weights didn't add much for me at the beginning but I did do the "Couch-to-5k" program to get my fat ass off the couch and do some Cardio. That worked for me as well.
I'm happy with where I've gotten to so far - it's nice to lose the belly, not be sucking air, and also see my dick for a change when I'm plowing the 20 somethings from this site.
But I'm not done yet and the advice in this thread is helpful. My goal has always been to get to 170 or so, but I've been stuck at 190 for several months now. Time to change strategy and add in the weights for real. I've been looking for routines and advice for older gents and this has been helpful.
Originally Posted by SammyGold
Sounds to me like you're doing pretty good. The only thing I would object to is, if you're grilling meat over charcoal cut it out and use a gas grill. I live in Louisiana and just like Texas we're grill freaks here too. I've read so many negatives about grilling meat over charcoal especially fatty meats like sausages. You mentioned you steam veggies definitely keep doing that. Stay away from refined sugar and processed meats for ever. Incorporate unfiltered raw honey into your diet as a sweetener, I even put it into my coffee. We are getting older and we have to change our diet we can't eat like teenagers anymore. In the gym, experiment with different combinations of weights, reps and sets. Just remember we are all different. What works for one guy may not work for you. Don't be afraid to try supplements just do them in moderation to learn how your body reacts to them. Above all else have a good time.
Jim