General weightloss/getting into shape question

Question
Hullo, so before I get into my question I must apologize because I don't know even the most basic concepts behind nutrition science. Anyway, so I'm a 21 year old male about 5'7, 160lbs. I figure that these are the best years of my life healthwise, and the shape I'm in now will influence my health in years to come. I'm reasonably active, but I feel like I could stand to loose a few pounds and to just generally get in shape.

Now, my question to you is basically how do I best proceed? I understand that weight loss is essentially a matter of burning more calories than you take in. Now, let's say I run 5 miles a day and burn 500 calories in so doing. Does that mean that for that day do have a negative calorie aggregate I can only eat 500 calories? I know that can't be right in any way, could you just clear up for me how that works?

Also, I'm not out to souly loose weight. Is there any sort of dietary/exercise routine that can promote weight loss AND muscle gain (again, I'm not out to body-build or anything like that. I just want to strive towards a better general health and body.)

Right now I try to eat a lot of fruit & vegetables, whole grain products, and naturally occurring foodstuffs.  Right now, I run maybe 20 miles a week and bike maybe 40-70 miles. Is this a good place to start? Is it possible to overeat on things like fruits? Lastly, is it at all possible to go about this sort of thing without any in-depth knowledge of carbs/proteins/fats/sugar/etc? I have two majors and a minor and I would rather not having to start mastering another field.

Also, I read that you have enjoyed some success in your similar plight. Congratulations and such, and is there a good simple online guide or literature that you would recommend to me?

Again, sorry if I appear ignorant in any way. This is something I'm just getting into. Thanks!

Answer
These questions are all answered in detail on my web site, but in a nutshell:

1. Yes, you need to burn more calories than you take in to lose weight. It takes 3500 calories to burn off a pound. Count up the calories you eat, then subtract what you burn. THEN subtract your BMR calories (Google it). If that number is negative, you'll lose weight.

2. It's VERY difficult to both burn fat AND build muscle. It's much easier to do one thing at a time. Weight lifting and cardio are both important for losing weight however.

3. Sounds like you're getting a good amount of exercise, so YES it's a good place to start.

4. Yes, it's possible to overeat on ANY food. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, etc. are all GOOD for you (and much better than pizza and chips) but they still have calories in them. Nuts, in fact, are VERY calorie dense. So YES, eat them... but everything in moderation.

Again, read through my web site. All of this is talked about in much more detail.

Richard Rost
http://www.RicksWeightLoss.com

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