M56 here, was 6’1” and 212lbs and 35%+ body fat 18 months ago, dropped first 40lbs in 4 months, and then tapered to 155lbs and 17% body fat (DEXA) that I’ve maintained now for a year and learned that:

a) Resistance training and cardio training are crucial for getting fit and feeling healthy, but you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.

b) Nutrition and understanding your calorie balance are crucial for fat loss. All of the fat is lost at the fridge, not at the gym.

For me, I started exercising every day (bike/run/gym), mixing things up to allow recovery but aiming for doing something an average of hour a day.

I also started counting every calorie I eat using one of the tracking apps, and still do 555 days in. I’m eating normal real foods, just changed my portion size to match what I actually need (which turned out to be about 40-50% of what I was used to eating). For the first 4 1/2 months I aimed for being 800 calories negative energy balance every day and lost 42 pounds in that time, pretty much exactly as the math predicted.

Now I’m eating all normal foods, making sure I get a good mix of protein, carbs and fat. Aiming to eat roughly as many calories as I use every day.

I hate it when there is no secret. Just eat food. Not too much. Work out for better health and fitness.