I was once in shape, and then after having a baby, left me at 5'2" and 140 lbs. After the baby, I started my plan to get my (pre-baby) buff body back. Now I am down to 108 lbs, and most of my fat is gone, except for some that is holding on for dear life around my abs. It just won't go. I can continue to follow the same plan I have been on to lose what I have so far, and I will continue to lose, but the problem is I'm losing my butt as well. It's almost a flat soggy pancake now. I understand you cannot spot lose, I have to lose all over in order to lose fat from my stomach. But the more I lose, the flatter my butt seems to get. I'd like to build my glutes but understand that is a bulking process and to get rid of my ab fat stores is a cutting process. I can continue to get that number on the scale even lower, but in doing so it seems that my ab fat is holding on for dear life and all I'm losing is muscle.
My question is, if I continue to cut, and lose weight overall, how can I keep my butt (along with my other muscles) from absolutely disappearing during this process. I do incorporate weight training, but am under the understanding that cutting requires a caloric deficit, while bulking requires a caloric surplus, so there is no possible way to decrease caloric intake and burn that remaining fat around my abs and at the same time build my glutes. So what to do? But if I don't continue to lose weight overall, how will that ab fat be obliterated??
Here is my workout regimen and nutrition breakdown:
NUTRITION: I eat 5-6 small meals per day, consisting of no more than 200 calories each, on a CLEAN diet (chicken breast, ground turkey breast, turkey bacon, egg whites, protein shakes, oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, veggies, salads, and almonds)
WORKOUT: 30 minutes of cardio 6 days per week, elliptical, jumping rope, or kick boxing, done after at least 20 minutes of weight training (free weights). I alternate upper body and lower body every other day.
I do my cardio after my weight training, so the entire time I spend doing cardio is pulling from my fat stores. Another question is, I do this first thing in the morning to jump start my metabolism, but can't do weight training followed by cardio on an empty stomach- would oatmeal pre-workout be good and then a protein shake post-workout?
Thank you for your help in trying to get this last bit of remaining fat off of me!!!
My question is, if I continue to cut, and lose weight overall, how can I keep my butt (along with my other muscles) from absolutely disappearing during this process. I do incorporate weight training, but am under the understanding that cutting requires a caloric deficit, while bulking requires a caloric surplus, so there is no possible way to decrease caloric intake and burn that remaining fat around my abs and at the same time build my glutes. So what to do? But if I don't continue to lose weight overall, how will that ab fat be obliterated??
Here is my workout regimen and nutrition breakdown:
NUTRITION: I eat 5-6 small meals per day, consisting of no more than 200 calories each, on a CLEAN diet (chicken breast, ground turkey breast, turkey bacon, egg whites, protein shakes, oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, veggies, salads, and almonds)
WORKOUT: 30 minutes of cardio 6 days per week, elliptical, jumping rope, or kick boxing, done after at least 20 minutes of weight training (free weights). I alternate upper body and lower body every other day.
I do my cardio after my weight training, so the entire time I spend doing cardio is pulling from my fat stores. Another question is, I do this first thing in the morning to jump start my metabolism, but can't do weight training followed by cardio on an empty stomach- would oatmeal pre-workout be good and then a protein shake post-workout?
Thank you for your help in trying to get this last bit of remaining fat off of me!!!