Complicated Situation

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goexplodex4

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I ponder what I should do all the time.

First of all, I weighed about 255 starting June of last year (not a muscle man let me tell u) I did something about it and I dropped to 165lbs in 8 months, healthfully for the most part, sometimes i went a little lower calorie than I should have but I was usually by the book (its all that works) When I got there, my goal was alwas 159lbs and then Id build up from there. I have no desire whatsoever to be huge I just want to be lean. At 165, I had family members begin to give me negative compliments, and I had my own mother cry when she saw me. I mentally could not lose weight anymore after seein that. The problem as most people who drop a lot of weight can tell u, is u have a lot of abdominal skin/fat leftover. The loose skin combined with any fat at all makes it look like u have a tiny version of what u once had, just gross and well....it looks aweful. Supposedly if I get to single digit body fat that goes away. I built up for a few months ( ihave a sedentary job in the summer so gaining is quite easy) but WHen I saw my weight go past 170 (im 174 today) something freaked out inside me. I felt like i was failing. Id been losing for so long, I cant see weight gain as forward progress. My ultimate goal in life was always 173 (I weighed 273 2 years before that) but I went above that recently and freaked out.

My question is can I build in small spurts, and cut in small spurts, keeping my weight below 180. I just want to not have scrawny arms and a gut, looking developed.

I know I need to just get over it, but the skin is just depressing. Im healthy now, I can run and lift more than I ever could. I can do pullups, at least 10 in a row, but this skin and these "battlescar" marks on me hold me back. I want to lose stomach fat but i dont want to get skinnier.

Id say if i was ok with my shirt off, id be 100% ok with my fitness life

Any suggestions.
 
My friend had a very similar situation to you, he dropped almost 100 lbs and is still trying to reach his goals of removing the excess skin but hes tightened and lost 50% of the skin. He did it but cleaning up his diet, he maintained his calorie intake so he wouldnt lose anymore weight and hit the gym 4 times a week to tone everything up, nothing to intense. He dropped a lot of bf while doing this, so you should start by telling us your diet, and weight training routine.
 
i know kinda how your feeling man, i went from 230 to 170 and now im going steadly up (but with muscle). my own docter thought i had surgery because he saw a huge stretch mark on me. but if you keep at it it can only get better.
 
Wow im so happy that someone out there actually mildly understands.

But I maintained my weight for like 3 months now and if I look at pictures of myself I cant tell any difference.

My diet during the summer isnt nearly as clean. Im home and I eat what my mom makes for dinner. I appreciate it all too much to not do that. College i eat like a saint. If someone has a better idea of what to eat fo rme, id happily due it durring the school year (be back there Sept 17, and schoolwork allowing I gotta really get in shape for las vegas in December)

Usually for breakfast I have a whole grain english muffin with Polaner All fruit, as well as some strawberries sometimes. Basically whatever fruit is in season.

Pink lady apples...those things are awesome. I usually have 3 servings of fruit that arent even part of my meals.

Turkey sandwich on 100% whole wheat with spinach and a big salad for lunch. Sometimes its some cambells chunky soup.

also I snack on wasa crispbread (100% whole grain) with salsa

Dinner is usually Chicken breast and a big bag of veggies. (the microwaveable birds eye is awesome)

Fridays I eat out once, no worries about anything and have a couple drinks, but its once a week thats it, and I never cheat otherwise

I feel stronger and am indeed stronger, but I just wanna be lean and healthy, but I dont think its a lot to ask after doing all that to look decent in a bathing suit. Not great, not hey look at that sexy guy over there, just ok. I owe it to myself (not to mention my girlfriend) to look good, but I will not have surgery.

Dinner during the summer is my big problem Its always prepared for me and its summer foods and I cant pass up great food if its there, plus I do great during the work day, but then I get home and I can barely control myself. Being away I gave up sweets for so long, if they are there I cant pass them up (my fam is huge on ice cream, Noones fat, my dads got a gut but anyway) I want to go back to losing a big at home but when im around my mom I just cant do it. I feel like im psychologically screwed.

I know things will get better when I go back to school, but what kind of excersizes should I do. Should I do straight out cardio or should I keep doing weights as well? Keep in mind ill be on a relatively low calorie diet.
 
I'm not seeing very much protein in your diet, so I think you lost muscle mass with the fat, and that's affecting how you look as you get slimmer...you need to get the lean mass up, while keeping the fat from coming back.

How are you exercising? get specific in your reply. weights and cardio are both important, but HOW you do both (exercises, rep ranges, frequency) matters a lot.

Since you are getting down around your ideal weight, we should focus more on body composition...trading the fat in for muscle. its slower fat loss, and slower muscle gain, but it might be just what you need at this point.
eat 170g of protein a day, and about 70-80g of fat a day, an even split between saturated, poly and mono unsaturated fats. then the remaining calories come from carbs, which you only wanna have before and after your workout..
 
malkore said:
I'm not seeing very much protein in your diet, so I think you lost muscle mass with the fat, and that's affecting how you look as you get slimmer...you need to get the lean mass up, while keeping the fat from coming back.

How are you exercising? get specific in your reply. weights and cardio are both important, but HOW you do both (exercises, rep ranges, frequency) matters a lot.

Since you are getting down around your ideal weight, we should focus more on body composition...trading the fat in for muscle. its slower fat loss, and slower muscle gain, but it might be just what you need at this point.
eat 170g of protein a day, and about 70-80g of fat a day, an even split between saturated, poly and mono unsaturated fats. then the remaining calories come from carbs, which you only wanna have before and after your workout..
Click to expand...


I agree completely but I have been told just getting lean mass up with fat loss at the same time is impossible.

Usually my training goes as follows, im open to any suggestions.

MWF

All machines
Bench Press 3x8-10 100lbs
chest press 3x8-10 90lbs
chest curl 3x8-10 130lbs
bicep curl (freeweights) jsut 25lb 20 on each arm
shoulder press 2x8-10 75lbs
ab crunch 3x15 90lbs
leg press 2x10 (my legs are actually quite large on top, i wish they werent so i keep this down) 190lbs-220lbs
10 pullups twice (i weigh about 170) *i cant do pullups using my back and shoulder, my palms have to be facings me whatever those are called
calf raise 2x25 220lbs (usually pretty quick)
assisted dips (only ten lbs assist) 2x10

Then 3 times a week, usually on off days I will run for half an hour-1hr depending on time constraints steady pace or use the eliptical. I tried HIIT running but it tore my legs up so bad i was sore or 3 days.

So edit as you see fit!
 
Its not so much that losing fat and gaining muscle is impossible, is that to do both at the same time is a slow process. you can keep muscle and shed fat faster, or you can gain muscle and not lose fat faster.
but to do both, its a slow process that most people don't have the patience for, because the results are slow and steady instead of quick and obvious.

your workout: lose the machines. freeweights are the foundation for a fit body that looks good nekkid.

your weight seems low on a lot of those lifts. if you don't wanna trigger much muscle growth in your thighs, do heavy weight for fewer reps...4-6 reps. my wife was doing 290lbs on the leg press sunday, so I bet if you actually push yourself, you can do a lot more weight on all your lifts.

do fewer isolation moves (curls) and mostly compound exercises on non-machine stations.
 
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