Losing 25 pounds is a good goal and will contribute to better health and quality of life. Just think how much you'll reduce the wear and tear on your heart and your joints!
At your height, 175 is probably a good number depending on your muscle composition. I would rather shoot for a percentage fat. 14-15% is good for a 50+ male.
Quiting smoking is much harder than losing 25 pounds from what people tell me. The things your crave when you stop smoking are carbs and booze (if you drink). This is a natural thing as your body adapts to the loss of nicotine. It's no wonder you gained the weight! Your brain was telling you to eat more CARBS! The trick is to eat good carbs not the sweets and processed crap kind!
Cutting the weight depends on how badly you eat now. Just so no to fast food, fried foods, and sweets cold turkey. Cut way back on the alcohol consumption. It stimulate your appetite. I lost 30 pounds in a year doing just these things!
Here's a list:
1. Eat 5-6 small meals per day.
2. Eat protein with EVERY meal.
3. Eat good fat (flaxseed oil, fish oil, walnuts, pecans, almonds) with every meal.
4. Don't eat processed WHITE food....white flour, white pasta, white sugar.
5. Eat food with as little outside processing as possible.
6. Eat lots of veggies and 3-4 servings of fruit per day.
7. Find some protein bars or slimfast bars to help you with snacks if you're busy.
8. Weigh yourself NO more than once every week. Do it at the same time, better late in the day.
9. AVOID foods high in saturated fats.
10. Hydrate...drink 100 ounces of WATER per day..1/2 oz. for every pound of bodyweight is a good rule of thumb. Drink MORE if you are very active or with higher temperatures.
Determine the amount of calories you need to maintain your weight then subtract 500 calories per day. You should lose about 1 pound per week. Here's a web site to help you calculate the amount of calories.
view linkReading includes Michael Colgan's The New Nutrition: Medicine for the Millennium. Study the chapters on "Why diets fail." Don't get hung up on Supplements, they do little to help in weight control. This book has lots on supplements!
