Help me get off the plateau & get the last couple pounds off

[Quatsch]

Hey gang I did some searching, but I didn't really feel like any topics I read were very helpful. I'm 22, 5'9, & ~152 lbs by the scale in the university fitness center. I'm in pretty good shape and rather active. Like many vain young men, however, I'm not happy with what I've got; I don't pack an ounce of superfluous flesh on my body except for the abs & a little on the lower back. This bothers me; the spare tire is small, but its there. I don't want to say I'm going for omg6pak, but I want a very flat stomach. I'm working pretty hard though, and any suggestions you all could give for my routine, diet, etc that can help me achieve my final goal will be very welcome. So as far as my fitness & activities go, I'm currently working out for an hour to ninety minutes MWF, doing all upper body muscle groups. I'm pretty happy with where I'm getting in terms of musculature & definition. Following that, I do HIIT, usually with sprints, on Monday & Friday. On Wednesday nights I play 90 mins to two hours of soccer, so I do no HIIT Wednesday mornings. On Tuesday & Thursday, I work as a mechanic, which is rather physically demanding. I realize doing HIIT & workout on the same day isn't optimal, but due to the early hours & physical expenditure of my job, the other two days of the week aren't really open for training. In addition to this I do some other physical activity throughout the week, like recreational swimming or more soccer. In regards to nutrition, I've been trying to consistently keep my calories low for the past month, but I don't have a real plan for diet, and I've been good but not perfect on eating clean. I drink a lot of water, & try to stick to lean proteins, eat plenty of fruits, veggies & unprocessed foods. No white bread, pasta, etc. I currently don't use any protein powder/shakes or the like. A question I have in regards to caloric intake - I use the daily plate to keep track. The caloric recommendation it gives me is something like 2900 calories. I have a really hard time eating even 2500 "clean" calories. According to the daily plate, I usually take in about 1600-1800 calories daily. Am I not eating enough, though I feel like I am? I've been around 150-155 for the last year or so, so my weight hasn't fluctuated much, but lately (read: over the past six weeks when I've been making a concerted effort) I've lost some body fat & gained a bit in muscle. I'm just having trouble with this last mile here. I feel like it should be much easier for someone of my age & activity level. What advice or recommendations for diets, programs/books, etc can you give me?

 

[dimshum]

I feel you. Those last couple pounds are the hardest to get rid of. The best thing you could probably do from here is to find out what your maintenance cals are. There are a couple of equations out there that could help you out immensely; use the ones that take into account BF%. If you don't know your bf level, use calipers - it's important. I've personally found that sites like the daily plate often overestimate your caloric expenditure.

Once you discover your maintenace cals, eat at that for the next two weeks to restore whatever hormonal imbalances your dieting has caused. The reason for this is that your body has metabolically adapted to eating at lower calorie levels. As such, those last few pounds won't come off nearly as easily. However, if you go back to your maintenance levels, the hormones that come into play, namely leptin, will be restored and then you can begin dieting down again.

The idea of incorporating refeeds and having maintenace periods comes from Lyle McDonald's books. It's been proven to work pretty effectively. Just remember that the leaner you become, the more often you'll have to eat at maintenace or do periodic "refeeds." As you approach lower levels of body fat, your body begins reacting against you quickly.

Good luck!

 

[Taxler]

1600 calories isn't nearly enough for the level of activity you describe, and dishum has some good pointers. You don't have much to stress over, so experiment with different caloric levels and diets to see what happens. Keeping a good journal helps greatly if you want valid data.

 

[Big A]

I figured out a way, but you probably won't like it. I'll admit that it is hard, and I'm not even doing it right. However in the last 10 days I've gone down a belt loop (I've actually stayed at the same weight)

Basically, I started a 20 Squat program, a program built around doing your 10 rep max 20 times. You do this 3 times per week

Ideally the workout goes like this:

# Squat: 1x20 (this is your 10 rep max done 20 times. How does that work? You stop at the top and breathe / rest

# Pullovers: 1x20

# Stiff-legged deadlift: 1x15

# Pullovers: 1x20

# Bench press: 2-3 x 10

# Bent row: 2-3x15

# Military press: 2-3 x 12

I've indicated in another thread that I work out in a ****** euro gym with hardly any free weight equipment, but I'm making due with a Smith machine, the bench press bar, and dumbbells. Anyway, it seems to be working for me, but it is brutal and I imagine it's worse if you are doing it according to Hoyle.

By the end I'm panting like I've run a 10k, and I can't walk down the stairs to leave for a few minutes.

You are also supposed to drink a shitload of milk on this program - I'm not doing that - just following the same diet as always, plus some beer, minus some waffles.

I've mentioned here before that I think counting calories is stupid as hell. Change your workout and really work. Don't eat a lot of stupid stuff (i.e., stay away from "processed" carbs, junk food, etc.) The rest should take care of itself.

 

[dimshum]

I think the above advice might be more suited if you were trying to bulk, but not lose weight...