Fatloss.....I give up!

[STR8UP]

I either don't have the discipline to stick to a 1700 calorie a day diet, or my genetics lean too much toward the Endo-Mesomorph (probably a little of both!), but I'm offically ditching the fatloss diet and starting up a bulking program.

Last time I did this I got great results. Once I started loading up on the protein I put on a good amount of muscle and actually even lost some bodyfat. So instead of trying to drop 15 pounds in a few months, I'm gonna eat, eat, eat and lift, lift, lift. Should be seeing some results by the time I head to London in a few months.

Matter of fact i think I'm gonna get a few "before" pics before I hit the shower in a few. I'll try to post 'em up when I get a chance.....

 

[Black suit]

Didn't read. Run, Forest, run!

 

[Quiksilver]

Why not boost your intake to 2700 cals a day and add in 1000 cals worth of exercise?

 

[STR8UP]

Why not boost your intake to 2700 cals a day and add in 1000 cals worth of exercise?

Well for one I don't have the 2-3 hours a day it would take to burn that many calories. That's insane!

The 1700 was based upon about 2500 maintenance with 45 minutes of cardio added in a few days a week.

I weigh about 187 right now. I'm about 5'8' which sounds like I should be pretty fat, but I have a large frame, wide shoulders, and some decent muscle mass so it isn't as bad as it sounds.

I was about the same weight (190ish) before I upped my calories and hit the weights hard back in the day, and I don't think I ever got below 180lbs, but i somehow managed to drop some bodyfat and replace it with a decent amount of muscle.

You know, they say you can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, but thinking back a friend of mine went into the marines completely out of shape and came out of boot camp ripped. Most of it was probably fatloss, but I could tell he had also put on some muscle.

I figure I might as well go with what worked for me in the past. Everyone's body responds differently, and mine seems to respond the best to a higher calorie diet with consistent workouts.

A side benefit is that I have been sleeping like a baby and feel great during the day. Definitely better than I feel when I try to drop calories and concentrate on cardio.

 

[PeeGee]

Title is a misnomer. You're not the type of guy to ever give up :box:

I recently managed to lose 15 lbs by switching my diet, and now I'm keeping it off by doing cardio (finally). It's all about experimenting and seeing what your body responds to.

 

[STR8UP]

You know, a lot of it has to do with the fact that I can put on weight easily, whether it be fat or muscle, and I tend to retain that weight.

My body is just better at putting on than taking off. Even though I haven't seriously worked out in, oh, like 8 years, I still have a good amount of the muscle I put on back then. I'd say I still have 75% of the muscle mass I put on back then. Not bad for slacking on maintaining.....

So for me I think it's in my best interest to put on some bulk which makes me at least appear to be thinner, then I can spend a few months trying to get my bodyfat down if I'm not satisfied with how I look after bulking.

My business partner on the other hand, is exactly the opposite. He could probably eat all he wants and gain very little weight. He can put on a decent amount of muscle, but as soon as he stops working out it's gone in no time.

 

[Jitterbug]

Well for one I don't have the 2-3 hours a day it would take to burn that many calories. That's insane!

I burned 1200 calories (if the meters in the gym are correct) on the tread mill and the cross trainer yesterday in just over an hour (30mins x2 plus a few mins rest inbetween). Not that insane. I didn't even run that fast on the tread mill (only 11~12km/h) and only used the medium-high setting on the cross trainer at 83kg bodyweight (my actual bodyweight is 77kg, I'm also 5'8").

Not sure how much I burn in a weight training session though.

 

[j0n024]

187 doesnt seem that big....

I weight 198 and I dont look that big....and that's because I have big shoulders and a big frame but I am starting to see my lines of definition on my abs which I am SOOOOOO proud of...lol.

I have started to eat extremely alot mostly protein having a bad habit of skipping out of the veggies and trying to fix that before it becomes to big of a problem but other then that I am looking better then I have before and I am looking more filled out in my clothes.

Plus putting 5lbs every traning session is sooo awesome! I cant wait to pass 200lb on my squat , 160 on my bench and 240 on my dead!!!!

But hopefully you can figure something out , wouldnt want you to get depressed and stop working out .

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

I burned 1200 calories (if the meters in the gym are correct) on the tread mill and the cross trainer yesterday in just over an hour (30mins x2 plus a few mins rest inbetween). Not that insane. I didn't even run that fast on the tread mill (only 11~12km/h) and only used the medium-high setting on the cross trainer at 83kg bodyweight (my actual bodyweight is 77kg, I'm also 5'8").

Not sure how much I burn in a weight training session though.

By cross trainer do you mean elliptical machine?

FWIW, those have notoriously inaccurate calorie readouts.
Not only due to the mechanics of the movements but also because the body becomes very efficient at using them.

I'm not saying that you can't burn 1200 cals an hour doing what you did but that it is highly unlikely.

Burning 1200 cal/hr means 20 cal/min. This is a high level of intensisty and unless you are in very good shape it is very hard to maintain for 10 minutes let alone 60 minutes.

 

[STR8UP]

I can't believe how much better I am sleeping now that my calories are up and I am lifting again. That's the other thing I remember about my bulking routine....I felt better than I had even felt in my life! I'm sure that is due to a number of things such as increased "T" production, higher levels of dopamine/seratonin/etc, better digestion with six meals per day, getting more amino acids and vitamins through diet, and on and on....

By cross trainer do you mean elliptical machine?

FWIW, those have notoriously inaccurate calorie readouts.
Not only due to the mechanics of the movements but also because the body becomes very efficient at using them.

I'm not saying that you can't burn 1200 cals an hour doing what you did but that it is highly unlikely.

Burning 1200 cal/hr means 20 cal/min. This is a high level of intensisty and unless you are in very good shape it is very hard to maintain for 10 minutes let alone 60 minutes.

Yea, google a calorie burning chart and you will see that even the most strenuous exercises will only burn 7-800 cals per hour. That means that if you are in your target heartrate zone where you will maximize fatloss, you are probably only burning a few hundred per hour, 500 max.

 

[Aenigma]

Really Str8up? You're giving up?

Come on, this entire thread is nothing but rationalizations for giving up a goal that you know is important to you and that you set for yourself. Don't give up just because its hard. As Rollo says, if it were easy everyone would have them.

 

[Rollo Tomassi]

STR8, have you tried Body For Life yet? This is a great program that'll teach you how to eat, and balances cardio with weight training. Seriously get the book. A lot of guys I know throw in the towel because they think they can just go hardcore body builder out the gate and never learn the real principles that they can stick to. I've seen you in person STR8, you're not gonna win the Mr. O in this lifetime - neither am I and you know how in shape I am. I'm up at 5am every morning, because bodybuilding has become a habit for me in my lifestyle - it's my health insurance program.

Try BFL for the 12 week program and stick to it. Also, stop drinking for that 12 months. People are fat because they drink too much, you'll be surprised how fast you drop weight just by laying off drinking for a month.

 

[STR8UP]

STR8, have you tried Body For Life yet? This is a great program that'll teach you how to eat, and balances cardio with weight training. Seriously get the book. A lot of guys I know throw in the towel because they think they can just go hardcore body builder out the gate and never learn the real principles that they can stick to. I've seen you in person STR8, you're not gonna win the Mr. O in this lifetime - neither am I and you know how in shape I am. I'm up at 5am every morning, because bodybuilding has become a habit for me in my lifestyle - it's my health insurance program.

Try BFL for the 12 week program and stick to it. Also, stop drinking for that 12 months. People are fat because they drink too much, you'll be surprised how fast you drop weight just by laying off drinking for a month.

I read the book a long time ago and it looked good.....

Seriously though, you make some good points, especially about the drinking. Even a couple of drinks is a bunch of useless calories.

That said, I'm going to continue on my bulking routine until I pack on a decent amount of muscle. I know from last time how my body responds to a calorie/protein boost spread out over six meals per day with a weight training regimen.

I've tried both in the past so I'm not shooting in the wind here, and although I have enough muscle already that i would look great by simply cutting bodyfat, so I'm not going to waste my time making the same mistake I did in that past. I'm gonna pack on a decent amount of muscle THEN worry about cutting up.

 

[Captain Harlock]

why would you go on a 1700 kcal per day diet anyway? I'd die before lunch.

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

why would you go on a 1700 kcal per day diet anyway? I'd die before lunch.

I'm doing 1700 right now. I love it.
I've been a clean eater (most of the month) for years but never at this level.

Since the majority of my diet is fruits and veggies I can eat ALOT all day and not really get hungry.

The only time I get hungry is around 10 am and right before my last dinner (both times scheduling makes it hard to grab an apple or carrot.)

Did you know in 1955 the average adult ate 1800 calories a day?

I used to eat 3000-4000 a day when I lifted hard. But I never felt as good as I do now.

 

[STR8UP]

I'm doing 1700 right now. I love it.
I've been a clean eater (most of the month) for years but never at this level.

Since the majority of my diet is fruits and veggies I can eat ALOT all day and not really get hungry.

The only time I get hungry is around 10 am and right before my last dinner (both times scheduling makes it hard to grab an apple or carrot.)

Did you know in 1955 the average adult ate 1800 calories a day?

I used to eat 3000-4000 a day when I lifted hard. But I never felt as good as I do now.

That's interesting how the average caloric intake has changed....

Just goes to show how all of our bodies function differently. And I think this difference is huge between a hard gainer and someone who is prone to storing weight.

Holy sh!t, I lifted yesterday, been eating a lot, and I feel like a shiny new penny. I sleep like a log and feel energized and alert during the day, not lethargic like I used to.

Trick is to try out different things and find out what works for you, and I'm definitely in my groove here!

 

[Bible_Belt]

Did you know in 1955 the average adult ate 1800 calories a day?

No, but that does explain why no one was fat. If you look at pictures of any large group of people from that time, there are almost no fat people. Virtually everyone is thin. Obviously, being thin is not the pinnacle of fitness, but it is a hundred times better than being obese.

 

[mrRuckus]

Well for one I don't have the 2-3 hours a day it would take to burn that many calories. That's insane!

The 1700 was based upon about 2500 maintenance with 45 minutes of cardio added in a few days a week.

I wouldn't eat that low if your calories are 2500. I start out 500 below and adjust from there. If you go too low, fat loss will cease eventually. This is why people give up on diets often when at first they're like "it's working!" Low calories for too long kills off your metabolism. You can check this. Seriously sleep with a thermometer and the moment you wake up take your temperature. You shouldn't be much below 98.7. The lower it is, the more you've killed your metabolism. You don't want your calories too low to offset this as much as possible.

I'm taking fat off right now at a clip of 1-2 lbs a week. I'm 210 right now. I started at 219 5 weeks ago. Definition is returning to arms and my weekly saturday caliper measurements are definitely showing the number creeping downwards. I haven't even started cardio yet. It's cold

I just lift and eat 2300-2400 calories a day. I was bulking before at about 3400-3700 for over a year... and i think my maintenance is 2700-2800. Mostly all i've done is cut back my carbs to only around workouts and occassionally every few days.

You really shouldn't diet for longer than 12-16 weeks because of that metabolism thing. Even if it's just a few week break of eating back at normal calories before trying to cut fat again.

And i'd *never* diet while not lifting. Give your body a reason to horde that muscle since it's using it.

If i were you i'd lift, bump up the calories to over 2000, and just go walking 3-6 times a week 30-45 min at a time and maybe one HIIT session. Depends on whether the fat is coming off how much to do. If you're not going to lift then i'd do more HIIT sessions since you don't have to worry about tanking your lifting sessions by too much high intensity cardio.

I've lost 30 lb chunks twice in my life. One when i knew about nothing about diet and i had a ton of cereal and went running nearly every day. And the other when i was lifting and was low carb. The low carb was easier. It was more of a timed carb diet where you could plan cheats easier (have pizza and such)...

Yea, google a calorie burning chart and you will see that even the most strenuous exercises will only burn 7-800 cals per hour. That means that if you are in your target heartrate zone where you will maximize fatloss, you are probably only burning a few hundred per hour, 500 max.

That "zone" stuff means little. If you were doing HIIT you'd burn more calories overall even though you'd burn more calories WHILE EXERCISING from a 40 min walk. The HIIT would boost the metabolism for hours afterwards and in the long run burn more calories.