Ok. Currently I'm 36 yo, 5'10" and 248 (about 27-32% bodyfat). My regular diet consited of an average of 3000 cal per day with 100-200 grams of fat and no exercise. Mostly fast food shit. I recently started training MMA. Starting off with 1-2 traing sessions per week and trying to run another 1-2 times a week. I would think the exercise increase alone would prompt some weight loss. In addition, I drastically cut my diet. Whole grain cerial or oatmeal with skim milk for breakfast, bannanas for between meal snacks, various chicken meals for lunches and dinners. The occasional granola bars between meals, etc. Also, some of my lunches and dinners woule be a tuna sub from Subway with nothing added (I know it is made with mayo though). Now once again, while I don't have any hard numbers, I know this diet had to cut my calorie intake by at least 30-40% and my fat intake by 60-75%. Once again, I think the diet alone would be enough to prompt a weight loss. The diet combined with my beginning MMA, I would think would cause the weight to just fall off me. After two weeks, I had virtually no weight loss. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong, or what I can improve on???
Diet/Weight Loss Problem
- Thread starter Flounder
- Start date
One thing could be that you dropped your calories so much that your body thinks it is starving and has gone into survival mode and is storing fat. Another thing could be that you are losing fat, but gaining muscle at the same time and muscle weighs more than fat. Don't use a scale to measure your progress, see how your clothes are fitting you, that will tell you more than the scale.
You might want to add a few things to your diet to get your metabolism moving a little better. Maybe try some green tea or caffiene. And be sure you get the good fats that you need. Things like fish oil and flaxseed oil. They will help you burn more fat.
You might want to add a few things to your diet to get your metabolism moving a little better. Maybe try some green tea or caffiene. And be sure you get the good fats that you need. Things like fish oil and flaxseed oil. They will help you burn more fat.
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2005
- Messages
- 1,065
- Reaction score
- 0
You could also "jumpstart" the process by doing a cycle of ECA. I use it religiously and have had no ill effects. Also, I'd lay off the tuna subs. Just buy the tuna, open the can, sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper. It's awesome. Make sure your getting plenty of protein too. Possibly, add a protein shake to your diet about an hour and a half before bed.
I was throwing in the occasional EAS whey shake once per day. I'm sure not the best product I could use, but its what I can afford. I thought about the gaining muscle thing, but I doubt I would gain muscle at the same rate as I should have been losing fat (even though its heavier)
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2005
- Messages
- 1,065
- Reaction score
- 0
Well, it's just about discipline. I am not being rude by any means, just trying to help. But, by "occasionally" doing this or that it will be very hard to meet your goals.
If you just say"I AM going to get my protein I need per day and lay off the bad fat" you will really do well. You need some support. Example would be a training partner, or a friend to have a diet contest with or so on. That little bit of support and influence will help you. I am nearly the same build as you and I will always be a big guy. But I am not fat by any means. it took a lot of self-convincing and work. But, man, it's worth it.
Good luck and i wish you well. Please keep us updated!
If you just say"I AM going to get my protein I need per day and lay off the bad fat" you will really do well. You need some support. Example would be a training partner, or a friend to have a diet contest with or so on. That little bit of support and influence will help you. I am nearly the same build as you and I will always be a big guy. But I am not fat by any means. it took a lot of self-convincing and work. But, man, it's worth it.
Good luck and i wish you well. Please keep us updated!
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2005
- Messages
- 61,626
- Reaction score
- 25,718
You just might be in a lean gain- the holiest of grails.
You're dropping fat and gaining muscle. Have your BF% checked.
Keep doing what your'e doing for another week and post again.
Or be specific to the letter with your diet.
You're dropping fat and gaining muscle. Have your BF% checked.
Keep doing what your'e doing for another week and post again.
Or be specific to the letter with your diet.
Flounder said:well I became discouraged and bailed on it.Starting back up though. Will keep a meal journal, etc. Hopefully it will go better this time.
One thing you will notice: if you stick with the diet and exercise for more than six months, you will begin to really enjoy it and you won't miss the bad foods. Its tough to stay with it that long, but once you do, it will be a habit.
And when you start dropping fat and gaining muscle, the positive feedback from that alone is very motivating.
Madmick said:
Hey mick, what's your BF% (if you don't mind sharing)?
I weigh about 200 (57 pound loss) and I'm needing to go get my BF% checked. I am wondering what a healthy % is for me if I'm 16. I'd think somewhere around 15% would be fine and I bet I'm around 20%.
Reakt
Green Belt
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2003
- Messages
- 1,045
- Reaction score
- 0
Flounder said:well I became discouraged and bailed on it.
what did you expect in 2 weeks? my advise: stop watching the scales and have some patience, if you focus on eating right, having a good weight routine and training MMA + a little bit of extra cardio, in six months you'll definantly notice the difference. Live a healthy lifestyle and have fun training and more than likely your body will start looking more fit and athletic. Oh and scrap the tuna in the sub, don't eat mayo.
Reakt said:
In all honesty, with that kind of reduction in diet, as well as an increase in exercise, I expected at least SOME weight loss. Ideally I was hopeing for at least 10lb over the 2 weeks. But I had virtually no weight loss. While I know the diet still wasn't ideal, it was a drastic reduction in how I used to eat (both in calories as well as fat).
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2005
- Messages
- 61,626
- Reaction score
- 25,718
LCDforMe said:
For guys your age, it's recommended to be between 7%-20%.
For athletes, I'd definitely want to be in the 5%-15% range.
The last time I had mine measured was several months ago, I posted quite dramatically on it (in one of my weaker, more metrosexual moments).
I was just over 10% at 248 lbs at the time.
I haven't weighed myself this last month. I got down to a stable 241-243 within a month of the reading, and held that for a couple months. I've been a worhtless piece of shit the last two months, so I'm pretty sure I've gained 2-3 pounds of fat
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2005
- Messages
- 61,626
- Reaction score
- 25,718
Flounder said:
There's a lot of factors at hand. Your BF% and hydration levels must be known to really know what's going on with your body.
I have the Tanita Ironman 554. It records my bone weight, water weight, fat weight, and lean mass every time I step on it. But the little bitch has been scared to come out from under the bed this last month- I've been so Carnalesque.
I recently purchased a scale that records body weight, fat percent, and water percent. Im not sure the BF measurements are real reliable though. The main reason I like this scale, is the weight is VERY consistent. I had an old piece of shit scale that wasn't consistant at all. It would swing +/- 5-8 lb depending just on how you stood on it. My new scale reads identically 3-4 times in a row if I get on/off of it.
Madmick, how do you like your scale?? I know most electronic Body Fat analyzers say not recommended for body builders and athletes. Does this scale have multiple settings? Weight and Body fat seem pretty reliable??
Madmick, how do you like your scale?? I know most electronic Body Fat analyzers say not recommended for body builders and athletes. Does this scale have multiple settings? Weight and Body fat seem pretty reliable??
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2006
- Messages
- 615
- Reaction score
- 0
Your body does not shift in and out of starvation mode that quickly so we can pretty much rule that out!
You could very well be in a lean gain scenario!
Nowhere in your posts however do you mention vegetables...it's been said a thousand times and I'm sorry to sound like a broken record but VEGGIES VEGGIES VEGGIES!!
Broccolli, Kale, asparagus, spinach, bell peppers, sweet potatos, squashes, cucumber, cabbage, tomatos, onions, carrots...eat real good quantities of these, they'll keep you satisfied, full of nutrients and your body uses a lot of calories just digesting them!!
Did you know that you can eat about half a kilo of Broccolli for only 200 calories?? That's a fu*king load of broccolli for not many cals!
Also Strawberries are fantastic! You can eat loads of em for not many calories and once again, your body will burn 25% of those calories just digesting them!
You could very well be in a lean gain scenario!
Nowhere in your posts however do you mention vegetables...it's been said a thousand times and I'm sorry to sound like a broken record but VEGGIES VEGGIES VEGGIES!!
Broccolli, Kale, asparagus, spinach, bell peppers, sweet potatos, squashes, cucumber, cabbage, tomatos, onions, carrots...eat real good quantities of these, they'll keep you satisfied, full of nutrients and your body uses a lot of calories just digesting them!!
Did you know that you can eat about half a kilo of Broccolli for only 200 calories?? That's a fu*king load of broccolli for not many cals!
Also Strawberries are fantastic! You can eat loads of em for not many calories and once again, your body will burn 25% of those calories just digesting them!
Clint07
You like blood? Violence? Freaks of nature?
- Joined
- May 13, 2005
- Messages
- 2,229
- Reaction score
- 0
I'm surprised noone has posted this already:
http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/7habits.htm
Check out these 7 rules and follow them to a T. if you do that everything will fall into place.
http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/7habits.htm
Check out these 7 rules and follow them to a T. if you do that everything will fall into place.
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
- Messages
- 1,665
- Reaction score
- 0
if you normally eat 3000 calories a day though and then just drop it by 30-40% even if there isnt a physical body starvation effect that is going to be tough mentally(hell, dopamine levels probly come into the picture physically)
I think people fail on diets because people seem to try to go from eating like shit, to eating like your training for the olympics. Then you come to boards like this and ask what to eat to people who have been eating perfect for years and are told to eat things that compared to normal food if your not use to it taste like utter shit, making it even harder to stick with mentally. then when nothing happens after a week everything gets ditched.
Just count your calories for a normal day and strip out a 100 calories a week. After 2 months you will see the difference in the mirror with little notice to how your eating less and less. You didnt gain the weight over night, your not going to lose it either. Then after 2 months start tweaking to eat more "perfect". Subway tuna sub isnt perfect, but it sure will be better than mcdonalds.
I think people fail on diets because people seem to try to go from eating like shit, to eating like your training for the olympics. Then you come to boards like this and ask what to eat to people who have been eating perfect for years and are told to eat things that compared to normal food if your not use to it taste like utter shit, making it even harder to stick with mentally. then when nothing happens after a week everything gets ditched.
Just count your calories for a normal day and strip out a 100 calories a week. After 2 months you will see the difference in the mirror with little notice to how your eating less and less. You didnt gain the weight over night, your not going to lose it either. Then after 2 months start tweaking to eat more "perfect". Subway tuna sub isnt perfect, but it sure will be better than mcdonalds.
