Hi, this is my first time posting on this site. I am male, 5'11" and weigh about 230 lbs. I have not been taking very good care of myself and now I want to take care of myself. I am not following a specific diet plan but I am looking for something that is healthy. My goal is to lose about 50 lbs.

For breakfast, I eat cold cereal, namely Cheerios. I am thinking of eating Special K. For lunch I usually eat 2 turkey and cheese sandwiches on split-top wheat bread. For dinner, I eat oven-baked chicken with vegetables. My favorite meal to make for myself is fettucine alfredo with chicken and broccoli. I always try to use the alfredo sauce with the lowest amount of fat. I buy a generic brand in which lists the sauce as 4 grams of fat per serving.

I alternate between eating fruit and yogurt. I buy the Yoplait light, fat free yogurt. My job requires me to be constantly moving at about 10 hrs. per day. On my days off I always exercise at the gym. I walk the treadmill for 2 hrs. I am able to walk 1 hr without stopping. I alternate between increasing and decreasing the treadmill speed. When I finish 1 hr I sit and rest for about 10 minutes, stretch, and then walk for another 1 hr without stopping.

I tried implement tofu in my diet but I could not eat tofu. I probably should not be eating 2 turkey & cheese sandwiches for lunch as I probably should be eating more vegetables. I do not know if using Shake 'N Bake is ideal for a diet.

Hi and welcome to the forums. I know what you mean about tofu

Hi, I would HIGHLY suggest low carb. Men lose weight FAST on this diet. Anywhere from 15-20 lbs in 2 weeks is very typical. It is high fat, low carb. Meaning - no pasta! No Bread! No Chips! No Sugar! No Potatoes, etc! You eat 20 carbs per day for the first 2 weeks (the first 2 weeks is called "Induction") - those carbs 'should' be "good" carbs. By good carbs I mean veggies etc. They dont recommend peanuts etc, during the first 2 weeks, but I always eat them anyway during Induction and still lose weight. Check the Atkins Low Carb website for a list of foods you can eat. Let me know what you decide to go with. I know A LOT about the low carb diet and have been doing it on and off for years. I am back to doing it and am losing. Also, the hardest part for me is giving up sugar - and things like Oreos, Tasty Cakes...ugh. But once you get past the first week, those cravings disappear. AND, if you cheat and eat sugary foods, it isnt as enjoyable as you would think! There are also tons of sugar free candy bars and such. My favorites are the Atkins Endulge Caramel Nut Chew Bar (tastes like a Snickers)...and let me tell you, after years of doing low carb, I have tested every sugar free item out there! They do have a laxative effect on some people, but that goes away for most people once you build a tolerance. I also like the Ross Chocolate Bars...so yummy! There are also many low carb breads on the market which are also great, but should not be re-introduced into your diet until after the 2 week Induction phase. Once you get past the two weeks on low carb, ANY substitute tastes great! Hope that helps.

Also, if you are walking an hour a day and implement LOW CARB dieting, you will lose a ton of weight fast. I am anxious to see if you will try this. You said fettucine is your favorite, so you would have to cut that out. However, like I said, get thru the first week or 2 and your cravings for carbs will be eliminated. You will also notice you eat less and will not suffer hunger panngs from eating less. You can eat steak, burgers (without bun), hotdogs (without bun), bacon, sausage, cheese, butter, mayo, sour cream, etc. One of my favorite things to make are salads - made with either spinach leaves or standard leaves - with fresh cooked bacon (or cooked Bob Evans sausage patties cut up), tomatoes and homemade Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. So good!! And you can add as much bacon and dressing as you want and still lose a ton of weight. ALSO, a great low carb meal I often eat are burritos - YES they make low carb tortilla wraps. I add cheese tomates, salsa, sour cream, guacamole...whatever. I still use the regular taco seasoning despite the carb content because the impact is too small over all for one or two burritos a day. Most grocery stores carry the low carb wraps. Safeway carries a large selection. You can also use the wraps for bread substitute. I make tuna fish and put it on a wrap. You can make so much with the wraps. Sometimes I put olive oil in a pan and fry both sides, add a little salt while cooking, until it is crisp and much on those either plain or with dips. Hummus occasionally or any other dip that is low carb. Egg and cheese wraps are good too. I usually cook the wrap in oil until crisp, take out of pan, then add scrambled eggs and sliced avacado.