wraith
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- Dec 4, 2007
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So I've been on a diet for about a year now. Clean eating and lifting, mainly, though recently I've added quite a bit of cardio. I've lost about 80 pounds, putting me at about 165 pounds on a rather large 5'10 frame. When I have a shirt on, I look pretty decent. My problem is when the shirt comes off. Flab... everywhere. Not just moderate amounts of flab, we're talking grab a handful wherever you go. No idea on actual body fat %. My BIA scale(I know, I know, unreliable) puts me at a low of ~22% if I measure late in the day. Measured in the morning immediately after waking up, it puts me at ~32%. I'm beginning to believe that the latter number may be closer to accurate than the former, which quite frankly scares the hell out of me after all of the work I've put into this.
Now, I have two options. I can continue to cut for another 15 pounds. If every one of those pounds is fat(basically impossible, I believe), then I will have cut 9% body fat. If I'm actually around 27%*(averaging the unreliable low and high from above because that's what I have to work with), that puts me at 18% fat... still not exactly fantastic, but better. I'll be at a measly 150 pounds, though, which seems... uh... low. And I'll still be a bit chubby at 18%, from what I understand. I'd still need to bulk, probably to 170 or so, and then cut again to 160ish.
On the other hand, I can attempt to gain... what? 15 pounds or so? 25 tops, heading all the way up to 190? Assuming I put on pure muscle, that would put me at 25% or 23.5% BF respectively. Then I can settle back into the cutting routine and see where it leads. This option is far more attractive than the continued cutting which is getting quite old. The idea of going from 1800-2000 clean calories a day to 3000-3200 clean calories a day is making my mouth water just sitting here.
What do you guys think? I'm getting mildly to very frustrated at this point, as the weight loss each week is quite difficult and, thanks to a daily workout, I'm constantly hungry despite the fact that I should be eating more than enough to maintain a respectable weight loss at 1800-2000 calories... Way hungrier than I was when I was(stupidly) eating less and exercising less.
If the answer is gaining, how much do I need to brace myself? I don't mind the scale increasing, but it's going to be truly heartbreaking if I need to watch my clothes get too small on me all over again. I haven't had a waist this small EVER in my teen or adult life. I've worked HARD to get to this point. Anyway, thanks for any guidance you can provide.
*Again, I'm fairly certain the BIA **** is a pile of crap. If it helps, I'm 35.5-36" at my absolute widest point on my midsection, compared to ~33.5-34" measured above my pelvis. I can take other measurements if necessary. I'm pinching about 2 inches on my thigh and an ungodly amount on my belly. I don't even want to talk about my chest.
Now, I have two options. I can continue to cut for another 15 pounds. If every one of those pounds is fat(basically impossible, I believe), then I will have cut 9% body fat. If I'm actually around 27%*(averaging the unreliable low and high from above because that's what I have to work with), that puts me at 18% fat... still not exactly fantastic, but better. I'll be at a measly 150 pounds, though, which seems... uh... low. And I'll still be a bit chubby at 18%, from what I understand. I'd still need to bulk, probably to 170 or so, and then cut again to 160ish.
On the other hand, I can attempt to gain... what? 15 pounds or so? 25 tops, heading all the way up to 190? Assuming I put on pure muscle, that would put me at 25% or 23.5% BF respectively. Then I can settle back into the cutting routine and see where it leads. This option is far more attractive than the continued cutting which is getting quite old. The idea of going from 1800-2000 clean calories a day to 3000-3200 clean calories a day is making my mouth water just sitting here.
What do you guys think? I'm getting mildly to very frustrated at this point, as the weight loss each week is quite difficult and, thanks to a daily workout, I'm constantly hungry despite the fact that I should be eating more than enough to maintain a respectable weight loss at 1800-2000 calories... Way hungrier than I was when I was(stupidly) eating less and exercising less.
If the answer is gaining, how much do I need to brace myself? I don't mind the scale increasing, but it's going to be truly heartbreaking if I need to watch my clothes get too small on me all over again. I haven't had a waist this small EVER in my teen or adult life. I've worked HARD to get to this point. Anyway, thanks for any guidance you can provide.
*Again, I'm fairly certain the BIA **** is a pile of crap. If it helps, I'm 35.5-36" at my absolute widest point on my midsection, compared to ~33.5-34" measured above my pelvis. I can take other measurements if necessary. I'm pinching about 2 inches on my thigh and an ungodly amount on my belly. I don't even want to talk about my chest.