Jetta, I asked my bride to weigh in (pun intended ) and she suggested you check out this site as a good starting point. This is just a basic launching pad, find out how many calories you should be eating a day to maintain, or burn fat, as needed. The link is to a simple calorie calculator.

http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/20...orie_needs.php

This is now my better half speaking, er, I mean typing...

Hi Jetta - Go with the higher end of the fat loss to start with. If you aren't already doing this next one, it may be the most challenging. Record EVERYTHING you eat during the day, and figure out how many calories you are consuming.

Love the frequency with which you are eating! Great Job! That will keep the metabolism fire going. Stacking more calories in the beginning of your day would be help you even more. Drinking water is no joke. Proven to help with weight loss. You've heard it before 6 to 8 8oz Glasses are a good place to start. Low fat milk, another good addition, plus the calcium will aid your muscles for training. When you are cutting the calories it becomes even more important to eat as much nutritious food as possible. You will undercut your training otherwise.

Looking over your eating plan as listed, here are a few comments:

Breakfast: Needs to be bigger in calories, balanced between carbs and protein (not enough protein in Fiber One bar, but not enough carbs with just boiled eggs). You should probably eat both together. Another idea make some real oatmeal with milk and some berries.

Snack: Depending on your calorie needs, 16 oz is probably too much of a good thing. A serving size of nuts is typically 1- 1 1/2 ounces or 1/4 Cup. A basic serving usually has around 200 calories. While nuts are excellent source of healthy fats and protein, they have a big calorie punch and should be enjoyed in small quantities. Adding the whole fruit is a great idea. Good to balance carb and protein.

Lunch: Sounds basically good depending on your calorie goals. Don't forget to measure that peanut butter - 2 T has close to 200 calories. Add some vegetables if possible and or fruit and maybe a glass of milk.

Dinner: Variety is the spice of life. Just remember balance between lean proteins, Carbohydrates (whole grain as much as possible), and as many nutritious Vegetables as you can muster (try adding a salad to most dinners - just watch the dressing). Hamburger is fine, just use the very lean ground beef. Beef has good points like Iron and Zinc etc to help rebuild muscle while you are in training, leaner cuts can help balance out the saturated fat concern. Chicken great, lean pork like pork tenderloin great, make sure to include fish in the line up for health concerns.

Eating out - Try to pick your restaurant early enough that you can do a little research before going. Once you know your caloric intake goals you can go online and find nutrition information for most restaurants and make healthy choices before ever stepping in the door.

Try playing some mind games with your self - give your self one meal a week to eat what you want until you no longer need to. That might cut back on some of the binging. Write your goals down and remember - you will be faster the leaner you are!!