Dude the decision to eat healthy and lose weight is approached the wrong fashion almost every time. If you choose to lose weight and turn your diet around it is a life long commitment, losing 50 pounds this next 4 months means nothing if your just going to get it back 2 months later. I admire your choice to lose weight and eat healthy but anyone can do it, the trick is sticking to it. I didnt become health conscious till about 2 years ago when i started working out. The thing is in order to REALLY get in shape and stay that way doesnt mean getting a diet plan and doing a bilion situps for the next month it means completely changing your life and the way you treat your body.
You will have to balance from this day forward until you die pretty much your eating, exercise, daily activity, and knowledge.
Eating nothing but soy and protein wont mean shit if you sit on the couch and doing a billion pushups wont do anything if your just chugging stuff packed w/ high fructose corn syrup. I get flak from people for being so health conscious sometimes but iv'e become so used to it that it has become a part of my life and i dont even notice it or crave greasy high calorie foods.
I started working out weighing 137lbs 5'7'' and benching like 130 x 5 reps max. I thought i knew what i was doing and just started training and ended up weighing 160lbs and benching 220lbs x 5 reps after like 5 months of work. Problem, 2 months later i could barely lift 180 cus i stopped working out 6 days a week 1.5 hours a day. To stay fit you dont have to strain your self to see results it has to be a gentle progression. Eat whatever you want, burgers, cakes, pop you name it just with self discipline that is all. I drink pop, but maybe 1 can per week at most if not 1 per month. I eat jack in the box at least once a week, and i eat other really really fatty foods from time to time but i also maintain a high metabolism by eating lots of fruit juice (real juice like Dole w/ less high fructose corn syrup the stuff that is turned into fat almost immediately), i balance my carb/protein intake, white meats, lots of water, tuna, fish, beef, vegetables, and just enough fiber.
I maintain a very active life, i run at the track, i swim, i lift (do both for strength one day, and endurance the next, less weight more reps), I do lots of walking, if i have time to walk somewhere instead of driving, i walk. I dont have cable so i dont sit around the house much. And its not like i have a set schedule pasted on the wall, after a while it becomes a subconscious choice to do whats healthy as you learn how your body works and responds to what you eat and your daily activities.
If you want to lose weight, dont starve yourself, by all means eat, and eat a lot to boost your metabolism but as you kick up your carb/calorie intake you have to maintain your activity level. The more you eat and maintain active the faster your metabolism will work. I try to consume 2-3000 calories a day, and thats A LOT. But i have trained my body to metabolize all of that to where my body fat is in the 11.5% range if not lower at times.
Take a good look at your fridge, i put he mayo on my sandwiches sparingly, i read the labels now, i take a close look at the carb/protein ratio's, the level of sugar content both natural and high fructose corn syrup. Rule of thumb on the ingredients label, they are listed in order from highest in content to least so if you see the stuff your avoiding up top avoid it or use it sparingly. Switch to olive oil, drink water instead of coke, or better orange or cran juice. Eat the white meat, dont over due it on the dressing, LITTLE things that go a long way and GET EDUCATED. Being in shape does more than help you live longer it gives you more motivation, self confidence, energy and overall content. Literally, your brain works better releasing pleasure hormones.
The best way to lose weight and stay healthy in my opinion is to get educated. Any health plan or workout will work, its commitment that they don't mention. Talk to a nutritionist, walk into a gym and spark a conversation with a personal trainer, what you learn can help you change your life and give you tons more energy in day to day life.
P.S. Learn to enjoy it, go w/ friends, make it as social as going out for the night. The people i encountered in the gym that got the best results and stuck to their workouts for years on end were the ones who made it a social thing, and overall something to look forward to.
good luck though! 20-30lbs should be easy to lose.
