Training & Nutrition - New here and some old questions

I have surfed around and looked at a lot of the threads in here, and have decided to finally just come out and ask for advise. I see a lot of threads about people wanting to lose weight with cycling, i too am one of those. However, i see a lot of people on here seem to have a good understanding of neutrition, and how it differs from person to person. A little about me. I am 6'1" and weigh 260 naked (nice thought eh??). I have always had an issue/complex with weight. I do not eat that badly, however my one weakness is the love of beer. I love sitting down at night with the wife and enjoying a nice cold beer as we catch up on the day, or we watch a movie.

Ok a little about how/what i eat. I usually have a slimfast, or a 2 egg 1piece of cheese burrito (9 time out of 10 its the slim fast). I like the taste of slimfast, and it's FASt and usually holds me to lunch. For lunch i will usually have a ham, turkey, and cheese sandwich, with a little mayo and lettuce as well as a few low fat chips, or a half can of chicken noodle soup(no crackers). For dinner i actually do very well. My wife and i both really enjoy chicken breasts grilled. Usually some green beans, or maybe a little corn with our chicken. We don't use bbq sauce, just some dale's or some worstecheir (sp?) type soak. On the weekends we let our hair down so to speak, but never really just go nuts. I do not get much exercise (read none). I have gained weight pretty steadily at a rate of 5-10 lbs a year for the last 4-5 years. I am 31, and recently went back to school full time. Money is an issue for us, so i can't go out and buy an entire new fridge full of health foods that cost a fortune.

Now onto what brought me here. Back in 97 when i was in school, i was very active. Gym 3x a week, and road my bike to school daily (about 2-3 miles one way) This was probably my most healthy time. I still had/have that bicycle, and decided to put it to some use. I went out and road 3 miles today, but stopped there as i didn't want to fatigue my leggs to the point of not being able to go again tomorow.

So now that i have written a novel, does anyone see a HUGE error in my way of life? I don't think i eat horribly for the weight that i am gaining yearly. I don't want to run, as the shin splints kill me. Is there anyting i should know/change with my lifestyle for cycling? I hopped on here about a week ago, and saw the story by mikabike, and said "if he can get up at 560 and do this, then my lazy butt at 260 can!" Again i want to stress very very little exercise for the last few years. Thanks for reading my long drawn out tail, but i really want to drop some weight and get healthy, and you guys/gals seem to be very knowledgeable. I wanted to consult a neutritionalist, but my insurance doesn't cover it, and at $125 a visit, it's just not in our budget.

A couple years ago I was at 240, pushing up toward 250. I'm now under 200. I only made small changes in my diet, which was worse than what you've listed. I cut fried foods (burgers, fries, etc), watched fat (no more pop-tarts for breakfast!), and ate more veggies (salads with lite dressing, or at least oil and vinegar).

You might want to cut down on cheese and mayo. Do you take the skin off the chicken when you eat it? That's where the fat is on chicken (but it's also one of my vices). More fruit and vegetables might be nutritionally better for you, but I'm no nutritionist...

A little excercise might go a long way for you. I started just biking 1/2 hour maybe 5 or 6 days a week. Last year I really got hooked, and started riding a lot more. Getting a little excercise is supposed to rev your metabolism in general, so that you burn more calories sitting still as well.

Hope this helps, and good luck!
Dan

Thanks for the reply. We eat skinless breasts, as we buy those big bags from sams of chicken breasts. They are boneless and skinless. I think if i cut back just abit on the beer, and maybe swap brands that would be a big factor.

Yeah, beer can be a lot of empty calories. I was a big fan of dark, thick bears - lots of carbohydrates on top of the alcohol. I also switched to diet sodas and unsweetened iced tea from sugary stuff. More and more plain old water as time goes on.

I drink mainly lighter beers, as i know the "good" ones are horrible for the gut. I don't drink anything except water during the day however. I don't do well with caffein, and the non caffein drinks i don't care for.

Here's my take on how to inexpensivly improve the diet...

Beer is expensive, cut your consumption in half, and not only will you loose weight, you'll have a little extra cash to spend on healthier foods! Also, slimfast aint cheap-there are a lot more filling/better breakfasts to be had.

Breakfast ideas: Oatmeal-not instant! It only takes a couple minutes, add fresh seasonal fruit, or
frozen blueberries etc.
Kashi cereals-go lean crunch has a ton of fiber and protien. On sale it's 2.50 a box
Cottage cheese with fruit and whole wheat toast (100% whole grain, not so called
wheat)

Also, portion control is huge! Buy a kitchen scale and start paying attention to what labels say. Your lunch could be over 1000 calories depending on the size of the sandwich. Use fitday to find out how many calories you need, and stick to 500 less, and you'll drop a pound a week. It takes some time and effort to manage food intake, but you'll get used to it.

I'm with everyone else on more fruits and veggies. They are less calorie dense, and way more filling than chips, crackers or any other snack food. It looks like you might get 2 servings a day now? Aim for 9-11 servings and you may drop pounds from that alone...

Read Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.
I lost 45lbs in 5 months.
A friend of mine has been eating according to the book for exactly four weeks and has lost 17lbs. Read it and try it for six weeks. You will lose 20 - 25lbs if you do it. If you stick to it for the rest of your life you will be thin and your risk of many diseases including heart disease, diabetes and many cancers will be drastically reduced. I have maintained an even 165lbs for nearly 3 years (I'm 5'9") even though my amount of exercise has waivered.