Not a problem -- I had others that provided me some advice when I made some big changes last year so pay it forward I guess.MikeAU Perfect Cell Thanks guys, appreciate the support. :D
So far I've been feeling pretty good with going out once a day, though seeing as I'm not running the whole way just yet I suppose that'll change pretty soon. I've been making some efforts to improve my diet, like going to Subway over Pizza Pizza when I eat out and eating until I'm full instead of until I hate myself, lol.
Sounds like you're taking the right approach managing portion size and understanding the caloric value of food and how nutritiously dense food is. I'd strongly recommend using something like Myfitnesspal (an IOS/Android/Web based app) that will really provide an insight to what you're eating. I personally, only use the calorie screen to get an understanding of how much a food is worth, what % of my recommended daily intake it consumes, etc. Nowadays I have a good handle on what it's all worth from a calorie/kilojoule aspect and also, your macro-nutrient requirements.
Some pointers around food -- everything in moderation and always ensure that you don't starve yourself. Over the past 6 months I have progressively cut out all bad fats/oils, breads, processed sugars, soft drinks, etc. from all of my meals. It is impossible to always control what you eat/have access to so when eating out I try and compromise. At first it was a challenge but now its an involuntary action. Over the past year I've progressively approached 14% body fat and a lot of what I have achieved has been since I took a very disciplined and measured approach to my eating.
Some foods definitely worth trying out and incorporating (that actually taste alright): Quinoa (white is nice, red/black is a bit earthy but my favourite), Amaranth, lean meats, fish (steamed), cruciferous greens (kale, broccoli, etc). If you use oil in any of your cooking try healther alternatives: Macadamia oil, coconut oil, almond are quite cook -- each with a bit of a different taste.
But yeah, there is not a one-size-fits-all diet or approach to eating. Just know what you are eating, whats inside it, how much of your RDI it represents, etc.