bit of advice needed re: training

Hi,
I posted this on the "new members" section a few days ago, but have had no replies. I would really appreciate some advice from those more experienced in training and nutrition. Thanks.

Hi all,
I decided several weeks ago that I needed to lose weight and regain some fitness after several years of letting myself go. I have started to eat more healthily and ease myself into some regular exercise. I'm six feet tall and used to have a fairly good physique, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, but now I'm 48" chest and 38" waist and I reckon I need to lose about two stones. I have been looking at some of these programmes where you are supposed to be able to burn fat fairly quickly, but they all seem to be aimed more at body sculpture than losing weight and being generally fitter. As a man who celebrated(?) his 56th birthday last week, I'm not sure that trying to achieve pumped biceps and six packs is really appropriate for me. I want to lose the flab, increase my fitness, firm up my muscle tone and have a reasonably flat stomach - to achieve that goal, if I'm eating sensibly, do I really need to worry about BCAA capsules, protein shakes etc. in order to avoid losing muscle rather than fat when I'm exercising, with a combination of cardio, HIIT and moderate weight training ? I'd be grateful for some impartial advice from those more experienced in this field.

I think cardio, HIIT, and weights sound like just the right plan for you. I would also suggest throwing in some yoga for flexibility. www.yoga.com has been a huge help to me with different yoga poses. This is something you may want to consider looking into because, as most of us know, your flexibility will decrease with age.

I don't think you need to worry about any kind of protein shakes or supplements outside of a good multivitamin. You've got the right idea for what your goals are.

Congrats on making a decision to live healthier. You are well ahead of most people. But before jumping on the treadmill, everything starts with a great nutrition program. Even those who don't want to lose weight, will benefit from more healthy foods. There is little to no point in building muscle and strength training if you are going to eat anything you want. 80% of your Health and Fitness is directly corelated to your nutrition.
Try incorporating lean meats, chicken, fish and turkey(without salt or sauce) in your meal plan in order to get adequate protein. Whole grain breads and pasta, brown rice, nuts, fruits and veggies also play an important role in your nutrition. Slowly incorporate healthier choices of food. You must avoid sugar, empty calories and fried foods. The key is consistency. Make small changes, stick to them, then make more changes. Because it's much more than losing weight, or getting fit. Its about a lifestyle change, and about feeling better about yourself.

If you would like, I can send you a link to something that would definately kick start your new healthy lifestyle.

That's good input, Vi-King. I saw it said somewhere that weight loss begins in the kitchen, and I think that is absolutely true. As I said, I don't think protein shakes are necessary, but the occasional all natural meal replacement bar would be okay. Eat clean is what I always say.