Hi my name is Dave and I must get fit

Hi

I have struggled with "being fat" since I was a boy. By the time I was 30 I weighed 240lbs. I dieted (but did not exercise much) and got down to 175lbs albeit for a brief period. Since then I have never been more than 219 and stuck in the range of 190-210 most of the time (better but still not healthy). I am now 44. I have only ever dieted, never really been an exerciser (although I ski like a mofo) and found I have been able to lose 20-30 lbs doing just calorie counting within about 3 months at a time. However, in the last year I got up to 219 and decided I need to get serious for permanent this time - no more screwing about or yoyoing. I had a few false starts since but am trying so hard right now.

This time around, I have been at it 4 weeks and lost between 7 - 9lbs. I am not exactly sure because I started in the middle of a cruise - I was repulsed by all the feeding going on and decided I wouldn't be that guy. A few "fatty" looking pics also was good motivation. I now weigh 209lbs and oh btw I am 5'11 tall. So my BMI is probably upper 20s.

When I started my fitness journey I set out to lose weight - maybe 30-40lbs.

Now my first goal is to be healthy as possible. I don't want to gain weight related illnesses.
My second goal is to lose excess fat around my stomach, chest, face and wherever else it doesn't belong.
My third goal is to build visibly better muscles.
My fourth goal is to be able to compete and complete a marathon, even if I come in dead last, as long as I finish it.

I know I am still new to this so hoping I can stick to it this time.

Much of this is improvement is probably water I suspect but my pants are fitting substantially better. In the past when I have eaten this well I might have lost 15lbs by now. But I have never weight lifted before. The cool part, I can fit now into pants 2 inches smaller quite comfortably. I also feel better, have more energy, shirts are fitting better, more active. Something is working well here I think. I am no longer sure that losing weight is the right goal, but more losing fat and toning up and gaining muscles.

What I have done is eaten no more than 1500 calories every day and stuck to healthier foods. Each day I either do cardio or weights for about 35-45 mins. I alternate days between weights and cardio. I am now running 5ks and that's a big step for me - albeit a bit slow at about 5MPH.

My weights or muscle exercises I do are...
Leg extension 90lbs 3 sets of 15 reps
Row/Rear - 70lbs - 4 sets of 12 reps
Shoulder Press 40lbs -3 sets of 12 reps
Seated Leg Curl 90lbs 4 sets of 15 reps
LaT Pulldown 85lbs 4 sets of 12 reps
Chest Press 60lbs x 6 sets of 12 reps
Triceps pushdown 50 lb - 3 sets of 12 reps
Back extension 180lbs 3 sets of 15 reps
S. leg press 210lbs 4 sets of 15 reps
Ab Crunch 3 reps of 15 crunches

Also looking for more friends on here so hit me up.

My diary is completely open and I would love any advice on my routine or approach relative to my goals.

Also in a previous post I talked about my Top 10 mistakes.

1. Giving in after 1 bad day
2. Self defeating voice "well I am off the band wagon so I will just eat anything I want"
3. Accepting "this special occasion" as an excuse to eat badly (we are lucky enough to have special occasions almost every week in many parts of the western world)
4. Giving into peer pressure - "one slice of cake won't kill you"
5. Not writing everything down
6. Not treating sleep seriously as part of the equation
7. Drinking away my calories
8. Feeling defeat because of the plateau and giving in
9. Losing lots of weight and bouncing right back up based on the false premise that I can just magically regain control after a week of doing what I want
10. Getting over confident about my level of self control

Thanks!
Dave