I need weight-loss advice (M22, 5'7, 73kg)

I (M22) am 5'7 and weigh 73kg.

I don't do any exercise (yet), although I want to lose weight and get into shape. I need some advice on how to do this.

Sorry for the long post in advance, but I want to do things properly this time and stick to losing weight. I've broken my post into 7 sections.

Stats:

  • Gender: Male
  • Ethnicity: South-Asian, Indian
  • Location: London, UK
  • Age: 22
  • Height: 5'7
  • Weight: 73kg
  • Ideal weight: 58-60kg
  • TDEE BMR: 1,700 calories
  • TDEE maintenance calories (sedentary): 2,000 calories

Backstory:

I've always been an overweight, fat guy. As a kid, I was the fattest in my family and other family members kept saying I needed to lose weight. Looking back at photos, I feel disgusted with myself for being so chubby. At around 12 years old, I was obese. In my teenage years, I didn't lose weight, but as I got taller, my body evened out a bit and made it seem like I was in better shape and lost weight. Last year, I weighed 84kg, but with minor tweaks to my diet and calorie tracking, I'm now at 73kg (although some of that loss is probably muscle).

During my teen years, I was active. I went to a sports club every weekend, rode my bike and often played football in my garden. However, over the past 3-4 years I've done nothing. I've tried to get into running, but I hate it and stopped after 2 runs. I've tried to exercise, but I get sore the next day and need 4 days to recover - then I give up.

I don't want this time to be the same. I will take 1 month to do light exercise movements and stretches (daily, at home) to wake my body up. I will also do daily 1-minute planks, stick to a calorie deficit, go on start-stop light jogging sessions 2-3 times a week and try to hit 5,000 steps a day. Hopefully, after a month, I'll be in a better position to start getting in shape.

Why I want to lose weight:

Now is the time for me to actually get into shape.

I should've started over 7 months ago but kept putting it off. Looking back I could've been in shape right now if I started then. I can't look back though, only forward.

I've looked at a load of YouTube videos, articles and other Reddit posts to get better informed about diets, protein and exercise.

I want to fit better into my clothes and look good in them. I want to be more self-confident and have more energy. I want to be stronger, faster and fitter with more endurance. I want to improve my health.

If have a job that requires me to wear a suit, I want to look good in it, not fat. I want to have more pictures of myself and when I look back in 10 years, I don't want to see a chubby guy, I want to see a guy who got into shape and took care of himself.

I need to get stronger to help my parents when they get older. My dad is almost 60, losing strength and energy and he's still stronger than me. Also, in case there's a situation where I need to defend myself, I need to be fast and strong.

Finally, I want to look good for others. I want to start putting myself out there and not shy away from dating. The first step for me is losing weight, and getting into shape and then I'll have more confidence in myself. After that, hopefully, my skin will be clear and I can work on improving my fashion game and pick a hairstyle that looks good on me.

Problem areas:

I know you can't target certain areas of fat and some areas are more difficult to lose fat.

But, the main area that makes me look chubby is my love handles. They stick out so much and make it difficult to find new t-shirts to buy.

Also, my belly, thighs, rear-end and moobs are issues that need addressing.

Finally, not physical, although another issue is that I often have low energy and my body is tight and sore because I just sit all day. (I mentioned a way to overcome this in my 'backstory' section).

Guidance:

I'm looking for a weight loss plan where I exercise 3-4 times a week and stick to a calorie deficit (I'm thinking of 1,700 calories each day and burning 2,500 calories 3-4 times a week).

I need an exercise plan of each day what to target (e.g arms, shoulders + chest, legs) and how many reps and sets I should do.

I'm a vegetarian (and live in the UK). I don't like mushrooms, aubergines, cheese, vegan cheese, peas, sweet potato, tofu, tempeh or hummus. Anything else, I'll try. If anyone can provide some low-calorie, high-protein meals I can try that'll be great or any shop-bought foods I can try (I'll happily eat plant-based "meat" products).

I don't overeat, and I do have some fruit and veg, but I also don't eat healthily.

Dream outcome:

My dream is to get to 58-60kg, put on a lot of muscle, and have strong arms and a slim belly. I'd like to do this within 4 months, but if it takes longer, then I don't mind.

Questions:

  1. Can you help me with a 4-day exercise plan and weekly diet plan?
  2. How do you balance going to the gym and working?
  3. What vegetarian/vegan foods can you recommend I make or buy (without the ingredients listed in the 'guidance' section)?
  4. How can I hit over 100g of protein every day as a vegetarian?
  5. What are some low-calorie sweet treats you can recommend?
  6. How should I track my progress?
  7. How do I know how many calories I've burned?
  8. How should I pick my calorie deficit amount and max calories consumed every day?
  9. What are your thoughts on fitness-tracking watches? Should I get one?

Thank you in advance to anyone who reads this and/or offers any advice.