So, I am currently 5'3, 123 lbs. I used to be 165 lbs. I lost this weight steadily for about 9 months. Its gone down about a lb a week but now it seems to have tapered off in the 123-124 range and doesn't change much.
I know you would think that I am 123 lbs so I shouldn't try to lose more but I still have a lot of flab around my belly and I hate it. My face is fine, my arms have pretty low body fat, and even my legs show a ton of improvement. But my stomach has the most.
Up until about a month ago I was just doing cardio. 45 mins 6 days a week, upping intensities after every few weeks or so.
I've been incorporating weight training now for a month.
So my new routine I have been doing:
MWTh Weight Training
Cardio 3 times a week on off days (45 mins ~ 4 miles)
1 day a week is a rest day and I just do 30 mins walking on treadmill.
Weight Trianing:
Alternating:
A
Dumbell Squats 3 sets
Military Press 3 sets
Row 3 sets
Step Ups 3 sets
Push Ups 3 sets
Crunches 3 sets
B
Deadlift 3 sets
Bench Press 3 sets
Pull Up 3 sets
Lunges 3 sets
Barbell Curls 3 sets
Crunches 3 sets
I am pretty weak so just to give you an example, my bench press I would do 3 sets of 50 lbs x 9.
Deadlift I would do so 3 sets 56 lbs x 10.
How bad is this? How weak is this for someone who is starting out after a month?
I do reps in the 6-12 range, I chose a weight that is really hard to do 6, then I try to increase the reps every workout until about 12, then choose a higher weight that I can only do a max of around 6.
I feel like I have gained some strength but I haven't been eating like I am trying to gain weight, just kind of eating normally and see how my body responds. I feel like maybe I gained some strength and it feels like I'm leaner but its hard to tell.
I'm torn between losing this gut first and then bulking up (which I would prefer but I think it will probably be harder) or bulk up first and then lose the fat. (but I'm really afraid of messing this up and gaining even more fat)
I know the things I eat are not that bad but not nearly as good as most of you guys diets, I don't eat any junk food or candy or anything like that.
I only eat vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter, chicken breast, eggs, oatmeal, baked fish, brown rice, baked potatoes, lean beef.
I only drink water
I eat 3 "meals" a day and 3 "snacks" a day, since 6 meals for me is just not really feasable.
Typical days eating:
Breakfast: 250 cals
bowl of oatmeal
strawberries or blueberries
Lunch: 350 cals
Chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, on wheat
Dinner: 350-400 cals (make it a little more since my workout is an hour after)
Brown rice
Salad or other vegetables
Meat (baked fish, grilled chicken, sirloin etc)
I have 3 150 calorie snacks throughout the day. So I am eating every 2.5-3 hours:
Nuts (dry roasted) and fruit
Peanut butter on a slice of toast
etc
So this adds up to about 1400-1500 calorie a day. I didn't want to go crazy eating until I knew what my body would do with 1500 calories a day. I figured since I was taking out 3 cardio sessions week and replacing them with weight training I wouldn't really need to change my intake. I think I have a really naturally slow metabolism and I could probably gain like 5 lbs a week easily if I just ate all I could a week.
So I am not really gaining any muscle weight it seems (unless I am losing fat and gaining muscle at same time, this possible?)
Should I keep doing this or what? If not what should I go about changing?
If I feel like I am getting stronger is that good? Does this mean I am gaining muscle?
My goals are to just become more muscular and have less fat, I don't need a six pack or anything, I'll probably never have that, my body holds on to fat for dear life.
Sorry for the really long post, thanks for reading.
I know you would think that I am 123 lbs so I shouldn't try to lose more but I still have a lot of flab around my belly and I hate it. My face is fine, my arms have pretty low body fat, and even my legs show a ton of improvement. But my stomach has the most.
Up until about a month ago I was just doing cardio. 45 mins 6 days a week, upping intensities after every few weeks or so.
I've been incorporating weight training now for a month.
So my new routine I have been doing:
MWTh Weight Training
Cardio 3 times a week on off days (45 mins ~ 4 miles)
1 day a week is a rest day and I just do 30 mins walking on treadmill.
Weight Trianing:
Alternating:
A
Dumbell Squats 3 sets
Military Press 3 sets
Row 3 sets
Step Ups 3 sets
Push Ups 3 sets
Crunches 3 sets
B
Deadlift 3 sets
Bench Press 3 sets
Pull Up 3 sets
Lunges 3 sets
Barbell Curls 3 sets
Crunches 3 sets
I am pretty weak so just to give you an example, my bench press I would do 3 sets of 50 lbs x 9.
Deadlift I would do so 3 sets 56 lbs x 10.
How bad is this? How weak is this for someone who is starting out after a month?
I do reps in the 6-12 range, I chose a weight that is really hard to do 6, then I try to increase the reps every workout until about 12, then choose a higher weight that I can only do a max of around 6.
I feel like I have gained some strength but I haven't been eating like I am trying to gain weight, just kind of eating normally and see how my body responds. I feel like maybe I gained some strength and it feels like I'm leaner but its hard to tell.
I'm torn between losing this gut first and then bulking up (which I would prefer but I think it will probably be harder) or bulk up first and then lose the fat. (but I'm really afraid of messing this up and gaining even more fat)
I know the things I eat are not that bad but not nearly as good as most of you guys diets, I don't eat any junk food or candy or anything like that.
I only eat vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter, chicken breast, eggs, oatmeal, baked fish, brown rice, baked potatoes, lean beef.
I only drink water
I eat 3 "meals" a day and 3 "snacks" a day, since 6 meals for me is just not really feasable.
Typical days eating:
Breakfast: 250 cals
bowl of oatmeal
strawberries or blueberries
Lunch: 350 cals
Chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, on wheat
Dinner: 350-400 cals (make it a little more since my workout is an hour after)
Brown rice
Salad or other vegetables
Meat (baked fish, grilled chicken, sirloin etc)
I have 3 150 calorie snacks throughout the day. So I am eating every 2.5-3 hours:
Nuts (dry roasted) and fruit
Peanut butter on a slice of toast
etc
So this adds up to about 1400-1500 calorie a day. I didn't want to go crazy eating until I knew what my body would do with 1500 calories a day. I figured since I was taking out 3 cardio sessions week and replacing them with weight training I wouldn't really need to change my intake. I think I have a really naturally slow metabolism and I could probably gain like 5 lbs a week easily if I just ate all I could a week.
So I am not really gaining any muscle weight it seems (unless I am losing fat and gaining muscle at same time, this possible?)
Should I keep doing this or what? If not what should I go about changing?
If I feel like I am getting stronger is that good? Does this mean I am gaining muscle?
My goals are to just become more muscular and have less fat, I don't need a six pack or anything, I'll probably never have that, my body holds on to fat for dear life.
Sorry for the really long post, thanks for reading.
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