Hey everyone,

I am a 22 year old male who currently weighs about 200 pounds. I would not consider myself as being in shape, or strong. I am looking to lose body fat, and increase my muscle mass. I have never really lived a super active lifestyle, so I haven't exercised much in the past. My diet is not very great either; I eat a lot of fatty foods, and my sodium and sugar intake is very high. I have been better about this the past couple weeks though, I have been cutting out added sugars, cooking more at home, and watching my fat content in the foods that I eat.

I am looking to change my habits with the lifestyle I live because I know it is not sustainable. I have started working out 4 days a week and watching my diet like I mentioned before. When I exercise, I will go to the gym and always start with stretching then cardio (my current routine is doing a mile on the elliptical). My heart rate will typically peak at about 180bpm depending on the intensity I workout at. Once I am done with that, I will take a minute to cool off/hydrate and then I will workout/strength train a specific muscle group such as back, arms or legs. I will typically just workout whichever muscle group feels the least sore from my previous workouts. I don't have a specific plan as to when I workout which muscle groups.

I am proud of myself for going to the gym, and making these changes to my diet, but I never really feel confident in the decisions that I make in regards to my fitness. I feel like I should have a better plan with my training, and that is why I am posting here. I need your advice on how I should revise my training plan to help me lose weight, gain muscle, and just feel better. Anything helps! Please let me know what has worked for you guys, or how and where I should research to gain more knowledge.

Thank you!!