Cutting is much harder this time around..

R

realworksuks

2
I gained approximately 8 pounds during the summer and the body fat test showed about 2 pounds fat and 6 pounds muscle. I was trying to build muscle this summer.. I was at 10.4 % body fat (which I don't quite believe.. I think it's higher) using the pincher test on about 10 different spots on my body. Most of my fat was sitting on my abdomen and thighs. I want to cut up so that all my muscles will show up, because they aren't showing up much at all (which is why I think my body fat is higher than 10.4%).

I am 5 8 and 1/2 feet tall and 154 pounds.. and want to cut.

I was cutting last year and I was seeing solid results.. usually 1 pound per week would come off.

This year I am doing more weight training and eating WAY better, and I can't lose a damn pound after 2 weeks.

I do a full body workout on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays, and do some light-intermediate cardio for about 30 minutes each day on average.. slow jogging etc..

I have been keeping a calorie journal as well... here is a few days of my diet..
all bread that I list is 100% whole wheat, and the tortillas are as well.

August 31, 2007 full body workout and cardio
Oats and flakes cereal 370
Flax seed 70
Nectarine 100
Milk 100
640
protein shake 120
sugar 40
buns 280
buffalo burger 600
condiments 100
salad 100
banana 100
nectarine 100
apple 100
yogurt 60
2240 for the day

September 1, 2007 30 minutes light cardio
Go lean and uncle sam’s cereal
370
flax seed 75
milk 150
nectarine 100
tortilla 80
beef 300
rice 250
small apple with yogurt 50
1375
bread 100
tuna 60
banana 100
200
140
350
50
100

September 4, 2007 light cardio
GoLean Crunch 400
Flax seed 75
Milk 100
Nectarine 100
Bread 70
Turkey 140
Banana 100
Veggies 150
Tortilla (whole wheat) 80
Eggs 160
Onions 50
Rice 150
Nectarine 100
1675

September 5, 2007 full body workout and cardio
Fiber and oats cereal 370
Milk 100
Flax 100
Protein shake 120
Sugar 30
Nectarine 100
Steak 300
Rice 150
Nectarine pear 120
Eggs 170
Tortilla 80
Nectarine 100
1590
plum 90
rice 60
1890

September 6 2007 light cardio
Golean crunch cereal 300
Milk 100
Flax seed 100
Nectarine 100
Bread 70
Turkey 120
Banana 100
Bread 210
steak 300

today: full body workout and light cardio
oats and fiber cereal 350
milk 100
flax seed 100
peach 100
protein shake 120
sugar 30

Those are some of my days this year. I think I am eating pretty healthy. All of the cereal I listed has 9-13 grams of protein in it per serving (and I have at least one full serving if not 2) and lots of fiber.

Some of my entries in my calorie journal last year looked like this:

Monday Feb. 5 2007 maint 2070
pop tarts 400 calories
Cereal and milk 400 calories
Pasta roni 650 calories
Peanuts 100 calories
Bread with spinach dip 300 calories
Yogurt 60
Total for the day 1920
Loss for the day 150

Tuesday Feb. 6 2007 Maint 2216
Toast and one toaster strudel 440 calories
Hot dog 350 calories
Corn 240 calories
Cookie 170
Chili steak soup 400
1600 so far
crackers 150
apple 90
yogurt 100
total for the day 1940
loss 276

so as you can see I changed it around a lot! I don't eat really any processed food anymore hardly.

My full body workout covers all the muscle groups, so I don't think there is anything wrong there.

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to be thorough.. can someone give me some advice as to why i'm not losing weight this time around?
 
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you're taking in a lot of sugars, from the nasty pop tarts to all the fruit and yoghurt.

try more veg, less fruit, you'll still get the nutrients but with less insulin spiking sugars.
 
you guys didn't read my post well enough. The two entries on the bottom where how I was cutting last year with success. That's where I was eating pop tarts and other garbage processed food.

Just look at the recent entries.

Guess I made the post too long and people didn't read it all.

About the sugar though, I read that after a workout you need insulin spiking sugars. So I just put some sugar in my protein drink. Is this a waste of time?
 
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1- Its only been two weeks, that isn't nearly enough time to determine anything. when it comes to weight. You should focus on mirror and body fat measurements overall.

2-Last time you were a newbie, this time you have experiance, you may need to bump things up or settle down based on your body. Maybe your are pushing to hard with not enough cals, maybe you are pushing to easy and need more activity. Point is the more fresh you are, the easier it is. As the years of training go by and the more conditioned you are you lose the luxury of newbie gains AND losses.

My advice, keep it up and see if you make some changes, give it at least a few more weeks. Water transfer alone hasn't even had a chance to run its course.

If after that time nothing happens, re-evaluate your activity level.

I can say the answer doesn't lie in your pop tarts.
 
thanks for your reply leip, that would explain things. You think my diet is just fine then? no suggestions there?

remember when I told you about my crappy diet last year? lol
 
Karky said:
even though fruit contains sugars, it doesn't mean you should drop them! Fruit is every important
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never said drop them, just make up your 5 a day with more veg, especially with having things like pop tarts. and keep in post workout sugar for that spike, but keep it clean as possible and control it to the absolute T

and as for not reading the post fully - not true. the success you had last time around may be due to a number of factors, newbieism, training etc. also, the less you have to lose the harder it becomes to shift it. Cutting diets dont generally include pop tarts and buns.
 
benelson101 said:
never said drop them, just make up your 5 a day with more veg, especially with having things like pop tarts. and keep in post workout sugar for that spike, but keep it clean as possible and control it to the absolute T

and as for not reading the post fully - not true. the success you had last time around may be due to a number of factors, newbieism, training etc. also, the less you have to lose the harder it becomes to shift it. Cutting diets dont generally include pop tarts and buns.
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I don't eat pop tarts anymore damnit! That was my diet back in 2006-early 2007
 
any changes that will help me with my diet? Any supplements or anything?

I am thinking of buying fish oil supplements for more omega 3's.

Suggestions?
 
I would advise that you completely cut out all bread, tortillas, and rice. I don't care if they are whole wheat. In my experience, if you let yourself have a little here and there, it adds up more than you are willing to admit, and ends up being a problem. I think raw oats are one of, if not the best source of complex carbs. Next, eat lots and lots of veggies, with every single meal if you can. Don't be afraid of some fats, I see you have flax, that's great, how bout nuts and olive oil. Maybe you need to work out your macros better, are you sure you are getting enough fats, proteins, and carbs, and in the right amounts?
 
realworksuks said:
I gained approximately 8 pounds during the summer and the body fat test showed about 2 pounds fat and 6 pounds muscle. I was trying to build muscle this summer.. I was at 10.4 % body fat (which I don't quite believe.. I think it's higher) using the pincher test on about 10 different spots on my body. Most of my fat was sitting on my abdomen and thighs. I want to cut up so that all my muscles will show up, because they aren't showing up much at all (which is why I think my body fat is higher than 10.4%).
Click to expand...

Did you wieght train during the summer? And, when you gained this weight during the summer, what was your diet in calories like? And, where did these figures come from, and how did you determine these figures based on activities? What was your composition like before the gain, and was body fat percentage higher or lower then the end result of the weight gain in the summer?

realworksuks said:
I am 5 8 and 1/2 feet tall and 154 pounds.. and want to cut.
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Im 5'7" and before August 1, was 154 lbs, at 8.5%, I am now at 158lbs at the same fat percentage. Your weight, hgt, and fat percentage bothers me just a tad, and the want to cut---so im curious as to your body composition for this reason. Do you have current pics?

realworksuks said:
I was cutting last year and I was seeing solid results.. usually 1 pound per week would come off.
Click to expand...

What was the diet (caloric is what I am most interested in), and the exercise routine like at this time period, and how long was this time period? Do you have a diet journal or training journal for this period?

realworksuks said:
This year I am doing more weight training and eating WAY better, and I can't lose a damn pound after 2 weeks.
Click to expand...


In the end of the 24 hour day, all that calorically matters is the law of energy balance: Whether you Maintained an approximate balance, surplus, or deficit. When we are talking Gain or Loss of Tissue weight.

The Diet is the first place one looks if there not losing good weight, and the first issue is the amount of calories (applicable and associated to the activity stimulus), and "nutrients" to a degree are "secondary" to the importance of the almighty calorie v. activity ratio.

Adjust this very thing (activity v calorie ratio), correctly, you will lose weight. There are some adjustments in the big three: Carbs, Protein, and good fats, that can tweak additional water/tissue loss (example: adjusting carbs lower v the other nutrients), but at the moment, I think its a different matter for you.

If your not losing weight, and this is your goal, then the body is telling you something is "Amuck", and needs changed: Remember the body knows "didly crap", it only operates through its design intention, and through what "YOU", and your "Mind" allows. To be blunt, the weight loss isnt occuring, its strictly your fault (when we are speaking of healthy persons with no medical type condition that could hamper fat loss--and this is unknown, etc): Find the reason, I think you know what this is.

Based upon the FEEDBACK your body is giving you, ask yourself how faithful you were on the diet. (like I said, I am more concerned in the caloric sense--(at the moment), (this would effect weight loss no?)

Ask yourself how faithful in training you have been. (whether you kept the training schedule (if you didn't, this would effect the caloric equation, no?!).


realworksuks said:
I do a full body workout on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays, and do some light-intermediate cardio for about 30 minutes each day on average.. slow jogging etc..
Click to expand...

Each day cardio 30 minutes. 3 days of FB. hmmm.... with your caloric totals listed, this is most interesting that it hasnt lead to weight loss. (considering I am near your wgt and hgt.....this is interesting). And, alot older at 46 yoa. Have you had a physical lately? To be honest the circumference, isnt settling well with me, for what its worth to you.


realworksuks said:
I have been keeping a calorie journal as well... here is a few days of my diet..
Click to expand...


What is your confgured MT line for each day, and do you keep a training journal?


realworksuks said:
all bread that I list is 100% whole wheat, and the tortillas are as well.
Click to expand...

This IS NOT a major issue in your problem. One does NOT have to eat 100% clean to lose weight: Repeat, one does not have to eat 100% clean to lose good tissue weight.

One should definately strive to eat clean no doubt. You dont have to be overly concerned with Simple carbs and complex carbs: these two DO play crucial roles when deficit dieting, no? I mean lets look at what a deficit diet is: A calorie is a unit of energy, correct? Therefore, in a deficit diet you are lowering the units of energy, correct? Thus, have a good ratio of carbs IS important to attempt to keep energy up as feasibly possible--in the context I am putting this.


realworksuks said:
2240
1675
1890
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Without looking at the benedict for exact amounts, I would guess your BASE to be somewhere around 1700 (no activity), and MT around 2700. (Im guessing, I could be more exact if you want).

Like I said before, this is MOST INTERESTING when I absorb your activity level in conjunction with what you SAY your consuming in the caloric sense.

You were not on a deficit diet BEFORE for a length of period, so this isnt a issue. In what I understand, you just come off of a weight gain so your body would be used to a higher calorie limit (what were these, by the way?), and this too is most interesting. What was your weight before?

With what I know at the moment, you should be losing some tissue weight. If your calorie specifiction is accurate along with activities you specified. To be honest, I have questions on BOTH..........because I am near your same weight, and understand these sets of calorie v activity figures we are speaking.

Unless there is some unknown biological reason (health, etc), something is not right, and doesnt settle with me well--with respect to you.

Just some thoughts.
 
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First of all, thanks for the excellent reply.

Chillen said:
Did you wieght train during the summer? And, when you gained this weight during the summer, what was your diet in calories like? And, where did these figures come from, and how did you determine these figures based on activities? What was your composition like before the gain, and was body fat percentage higher or lower then the end result of the weight gain in the summer?
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Yes I weight trained during this summer. I didn't keep track of my diet in calories this summer, I just ate whenever I wanted, and ate a lot of healthy foods, quite a lot of foods..

Before the summer I was 145.5 pounds at 9.9% body fat. At the end of the summer I was 155 pounds at 10.4 percent body fat.



Chillen said:
Im 5'7" and before August 1, was 154 lbs, at 8.5%, I am now at 158lbs at the same fat percentage. Your weight, hgt, and fat percentage bothers me just a tad, and the want to cut---so im curious as to your body composition for this reason. Do you have current pics?
Click to expand...

Why does my weight and height and fat percentage bother you? Do you think the body fat test is not showing enough fat or something? That's kinda what I think.

Chillen said:
What was the diet (caloric is what I am most interested in), and the exercise routine like at this time period, and how long was this time period? Do you have a diet journal or training journal for this period?
Click to expand...

I never kept a training journal or a calorie journal over the summer. Just tried to do a pure bulk. I did a full body workout 3 times a week.

Chillen said:
In the end of the 24 hour day, all that calorically matters is the law of energy balance: Whether you Maintained an approximate balance, surplus, or deficit. When we are talking Gain or Loss of Tissue weight.

The Diet is the first place one looks if there not losing good weight, and the first issue is the amount of calories (applicable and associated to the activity stimulus), and "nutrients" to a degree are "secondary" to the importance of the almighty calorie v. activity ratio.

Adjust this very thing (activity v calorie ratio), correctly, you will lose weight. There are some adjustments in the big three: Carbs, Protein, and good fats, that can tweak additional water/tissue loss (example: adjusting carbs lower v the other nutrients), but at the moment, I think its a different matter for you.

If your not losing weight, and this is your goal, then the body is telling you something is "Amuck", and needs changed: Remember the body knows "didly crap", it only operates through its design intention, and through what "YOU", and your "Mind" allows. To be blunt, the weight loss isnt occuring, its strictly your fault (when we are speaking of healthy persons with no medical type condition that could hamper fat loss--and this is unknown, etc): Find the reason, I think you know what this is.

Based upon the FEEDBACK your body is giving you, ask yourself how faithful you were on the diet. (like I said, I am more concerned in the caloric sense--(at the moment), (this would effect weight loss no?)

Ask yourself how faithful in training you have been. (whether you kept the training schedule (if you didn't, this would effect the caloric equation, no?!).
Click to expand...

Yeah, I am thinking I will have to get some more activity in there. I would imagine my maintance calories for a day is around 2100 if I just sit on my ass and study or whatever all day. And I have been going under 2100 each day. So that's why i'm kinda confused about this.

Chillen said:
Without looking at the benedict for exact amounts, I would guess your BASE to be somewhere around 1700 (no activity), and MT around 2700. (Im guessing, I could be more exact if you want).

Like I said before, this is MOST INTERESTING when I absorb your activity level in conjunction with what you SAY your consuming in the caloric sense.

You were not on a deficit diet BEFORE for a length of period, so this isnt a issue. In what I understand, you just come off of a weight gain so your body would be used to a higher calorie limit (what were these, by the way?), and this too is most interesting. What was your weight before?

With what I know at the moment, you should be losing some tissue weight. If your calorie specifiction is accurate along with activities you specified. To be honest, I have questions on BOTH..........because I am near your same weight, and understand these sets of calorie v activity figures we are speaking.

Unless there is some unknown biological reason (health, etc), something is not right, and doesnt settle with me well--with respect to you.

Just some thoughts.
Click to expand...

Yeah I went in for a body fat test just yesterday because I thought maybe I was just losing fat and gaining muscle therefore maintaining my weight.

apparently I lost one pound of fat and one pound of muscle.

the 2 pounds that I apparently lost don't show up on my scale though. I am still 155 I just weighed myself right now, and in the mornings i'm at 150-152. So meh.. At one point I was down to 148 in the morning, but the very next day I was at 150. I remember last year when my scale showed I had lost a pound in the morning that pound would stay off the next day.

So I dunno.. I spose i'll give it some more time to see some real results. Only been about 3 weeks I guess.

oh.. and I think the reason why you are so confused about our similarities and stuff is because you have far more muscle than me. I don't have any pics to show this but if I had a stomach like that I surely wouldn't need to cut :p
 
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I've made some good progress finally!

I dropped the 2 pounds of fat that I gained over the summer and I retained 4.7 pounds of lean body mass.

So I am down to 9.5 percent body fat, I am trying to get to 7% by thanksgiving.
 
realworksuks said:
I've made some good progress finally!

I dropped the 2 pounds of fat that I gained over the summer and I retained 4.7 pounds of lean body mass.

So I am down to 9.5 percent body fat, I am trying to get to 7% by thanksgiving.
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GREAT! GOOD JOB! Rock on! Brotha!

I think Phil was congratulating you in his own way.
 
realworksuks said:
You lost me.. sounded like you were mocking me though

What did you mean?
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Sorry RW, I wasn't mocking you. I didn't mean anything really. But I'm glad you're over your weightloss stump, keeping kicking it.

Chillen said:
I am sure he wasnt mocking you. Phil isnt that way...he is a good guy.
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Thanks for vouching for me Chillen. You know how you know certain people and think: hmmm If I was in a war and making an advance on the enemy, this is the kind of guy I'd covering me? You're one of those guys!
 
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