Hi,
Im what I think is a classic Ectomorph..6ft 2in and a naturally skinny frame...for years untiil I hit 25 I was around 80 kilos but ever since then I always seem to hover between 92-97 kilos - I have some love handles but am happier with my overall size, id rather be bigger than skinny. (im 35 now)
However every time I train (im in the military so have to do cardio for regular fitness tests) I end up losing too much weight, even while doing weights, and end up skinny again - exactly where I dont want to be.
Am I just going to have to except that as an Ectomorph im always going to be skinny if I lose the fat? or is there a way to bulk up my size whilst still doing cardio?
I have to do a minimum of about 2 hrs circuit training a week for my job, no way round that.
Any responses gratefully received.
Welcome to the forum, young man. I sincerely hope your are well, and happy in life.
You can do anything your heart desires.
It appears with the relatively limited personal information we were given, you simply have a young and fast metabolism to effectively deal with. Even at 35 years old, and with a natural decline in metabolism, it appears (from the information you had given) you have a rather healthy and thriving metabolism.
The answer is rather basic:
Just eat more, but sometimes this can be problematic with some people with a very fast metabolism to figure out just how much to eat, when the basic calorie approximators can be inaccurate in calculating the calories for these individual persons.
Just advising you to eat more is far too bland (and doesn't solve the problem).
For some this is the simplistic answer, because once the diet is thoroughly examined, it is determined the person wasn't eating as much as he or she thought.
For others, it can be they are eating a lot, and haven't found the "sweet spot", that calorie approximators can't necessarily give these types of people, and one has to struggle to learn their personal needs to progress in their goals in a positive manner.
What is important: Is learning
how much to eat, in "this eating more advice, that most people give". This "fine line" is important, because the diet is the ultimate master to bring the goals you so immensely desire.
However, it does begin in understanding basic and personal calorie needs, and tweaking this base information, and adjusting the parameters on-the-fly as you receive feedback from your body.
As you adjust and refine the calorie (and macro nutrients) content from the base, you will learn (in time) what your approximate "actual base calorie need" and approximate "calorie needs with activities considered" approximately are.
And, this is where some miss the boat:
It's in the refinement process.
I have always been interested in my body's ability (in speed and efficiency) in putting on fat and muscle. I have always been interested in my "personal efficiency in each": Attempting to limit one and maximize the other, as much as I feasibly can.
Some can go into a bulk and gain far too much "unnecessary" fat, because:
Their body's ability to put on fat exceeded its ability to put on muscle in its current diet to activity ratio (or trend). For most its far too easy to put on fat tissue than muscle, and to have an open-ended book in calories, simply isn't wise.
Putting on some fat tissue while being anabolic while bulking is normal, but to me exceeding your personal "capacities" and "capabilities" isn't to bright, and you work with your personal attributes within the numbers (from the diet journal and your fitness journal), and control it as much as "feasibly" possible. You learn to master your body through it, over time and mistakes made.
I am always hammering these personal numbers, and is the reason I have been successful, with my "personal" goals. Manipulating solid dietary numbers (and macro nutrient ratios). Manipulating training (the energy expended, intensity, duration, volume, frequency, sets/reps, rest periods, and rest "between" exercises, etc, etc), but.......sticking with it long enough to determine if it works.
IMO, you simply have to have "something" to make educated personal "judgments" from.
IMO, you have to sit yourself down, and self analyze the things you are doing (such as eating and activity), and compare it to a base that is generally accepted (to the "average" and healthy public) as being fairly accurate.
And, this is learning your base calorie need, and then calories needed in performing different activities during the week, and then compare this data, with "what you have done" (such as your current eating habits, etc, etc), and see if any small or striking differences stick out, etc. If you see what I am getting at.
From this data, you could see whether you are (for example) eating at the level (you should be) with your current activities considered, or eating less than you should be.
If its more (and the activities you are judging from are "near" the same), then you may consider tweaking calories UP (reasonably) for a "trend" period, and see what happens, and you would keep "tweaking" dependent on your responses. Along the way, your will find your "sweet spot" personally for you.
There are always answers, and you can find the correct, answer, for you.
Within the Nutrition 101 thread you will find some valuable information. Or you can use the ready made input web page in the 2nd link, to determine your calorie needs, or in your case a base to make some judgments from:
Go here and read on some basic and fundamental information:
Nutrition 101
Delaware Consumer Health Information Services (Originally Posted by Wrangell)
Peace and much happiness to you,
Chillen
