Looking for some input on diet and routine

[Chipper]

I recently started paying attention to diet and picked up exercising after a large number of years of basically having no activity and a lot of bad habits (tobacco, liquor, bad eating habits). I started out around 210 lbs, 5'10", , mid-30's.

I have been tobacco free for 1 1/2 years now, have been eating 'healthier' for about five months, and performing resistance training and cardio for about four months. I still have the alcohol problem some evenings, but I'm working on that too.

I wanted to share with you fitness and diet routine to get some input. Obviously, long term I would like a large improvement but I am hoping for some input to start working towards better nutrition and exercise. goal is reducing body fat percentage while adding muscle, in addition, to having a healthy heart (poor family history in this respect). I first dropped weight down to 183 or so using a low carb diet, and have held on to this weight for the past couple of months with a standard diet and more exercise. I hate this flabby , but even when I was a skinny kid, I could never see muscle in abdomen.

typical diet each day that I have been doing now for about 2 months:
Breakfast: Multi-vitamin and 1 slice of wheat toast with natural peanut butter sprinkled with milled flax seed
Lunch and Dinner: Usually brown rice or whole wheat pasta. Some Broccoli and Chicken (sometimes sausage or meatballs which I know I shouldn't have as much of).
Snacks: Usually 2 or 3 times between meals I will have a handful of trailmix. Usually about 30 min to 1 hour before I workout I will have some. Typically it is sunflower, peanuts, raisons, although I would eat it with anything else in there except crackers or the M&M's.

On weekends I usually eat pretty bad one day and get in all the stuff I missed.
I have a whey protein shake too, but do not mix it up that often.

Alcohol: This is bain. I am unfortunately a boozer. It is a struggle for me every day to avoid liquor but recently I have been able to do it… and I expect to only improve from here on out. I already understand this is counterproductive to building muscle in addition to annihilating liver.

Sleep: I probably don't sleep enough. I get about 6 hours per night on weekdays and 7-8 hours a night on weekends.

Water: I'm a fish


Exercise:
Monday - Chest and Tri's (Usually 3-5 exercises that are different each week)
Tuesday - Cardio (30-45min on eliptical on the 'weight loss' setting) and abs/lower back
Wednesday - Back and Bi's (Usually 3-5 exercises that are different each week)
Thursday - Cardio (30-45min on eliptical on the 'weight loss' setting) and abs/lower back
Friday or Saturday - I get in there and do legs

exercises started out using machines, but more and more I have been moving to free-weights. Again though, I mix it up.


Recently results are an increase in strength of all muscles (except Bi's for some reason), but I have not really noticed a change in body structure. Also weight is staying the same so I am not sure if routine is enough. I think biggest problem is the booze which simply needs to go, but I think there may be some other advice you folks might provide. current short-term goal is to lose some flab in the since I am heading to a tropical area in two weeks.

Thanks,
Chipper

[SarahPT]

Congrats on being tobacco free! You already seem to know that the alcohol has to go. Alcohol makes fat loss much mkore difficult and is just counterproductive to your goals.

I would encourage you to have a more structured pre and post workout meal plan instead of just some trail mix. A solid meal of protein and carbs an hour before your workout, and a meal of whey protein and a simple carb such as dextrose (gatorade works) asap after your workout. This will give you good fuel for the workout and help your body begin the recovery process with the best nutrients right after.

Hope that helps