Hi, I'm new. Help me reach my goals.

[goad4you]

 

Hi, I’m new here.

I have been lurking about for a few months and finally
decided to join because I need some advice on diet and exercise but first, a
little about me.

 

I’m a 28 year old male, happily married with a two year old
daughter.  I’m not quite sure that I
would pass the nerd entrance exam as I am not a gamer(unless you count spending
hours playing Command and Conquer back in elementary school) and I only really
started reading heavily about 7 years ago. 
However, I do love fantasy novels (halfway through A Memory Of Light,
right now) and I am a big Doctor Who fan. 
Also, my wife would definitely pass the nerd exam so I maybe I can slid
through with a nerd green card. 

I am 5’10†and currently around 187 lbs.  I have been dabbling in paleo/primal eating
for around a year but finally committed in September of 2012 (biggest loser
type contest at my job).  Since September,
I have lost about 55lbs (starting weight 242 lbs) and around 7 inches around my
stomach.   From September through November,
the only exercise I performed was walking during my lunch break. 

In January, my wife decided she would like to lose a few
pounds so we both joined My Fitness Pal to track our exercise and food intake.  Around the same time, I started the Simplefit
body weight program and recently completed L5D3. Since starting to track my
calorie intake, I have averaged around 1600 calories and 130 g of protein per
day. I just started Starting Strength, in lieu of Simplefit, this week.   

Everything I have read about BMR and TDEE says I should be
eating more but I’m currently just eating when I’m hungry.

Sample menu:

Breakfast:

4 hard boiled eggs

½ avocado

2 cups spinach

Lunch:

2 cups romaine

Various veg (cucumbers, radishes, pepper, etc.)

6 oz chicken or can of tuna

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Snack:

Protein shake

Apple or orange or banana

Dinner:

Lots of variation but generally just meat and veg

My goals:

Get to a respectable mid-teen body fat percentage(15%)

Increase my Lifts(200 bench, 300 deadlift)

Run 5k in under 20 min(would like to beat a friend in a race
in September ’13)

So what do you guys think?  Should I eat more? Should I keep doing what I’m
doing?

 

[dudemanrod]

I just joined this site as well.  You are the same height and started at the same wait I currently am.  This is more motivation I need to get started on it.  Good luck to you and your journey.   

[goad4you]

Rod - people don't people how easy it was for me to lose the first 35 lbs.  All I did was switch to a primal/paleo diet.  A little dairy, light on the nuts and fruit.  And I walked during my lunch break.   No tracking calories. No hours of running on the treadmill.