Lost Weight ... Now What

[RubberSoul]

Hey guys,

heres is a link to my last post that kind of describes where I am training wise.

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=99337

Stats:
Weight:202 down from 230 ish
Height- 6ft 5in
Age: 19

I've lost about 25 lbs in a month through a diet consisting of mainly eggs, egg whites, chicken breasts, grass fed ground beef (93/7), nonfat cottage cheese, nat pb, and nonfat milk. My only major source of carbs was fruit. My training consisted of all major compunds, bench, dead, squat, dips, press etc etc. I feel that I have definetley lost strength on this cut. No sure if I am rapidly losing muscle, or have no energy due to a lack of carbs.

I am unsure of where to go from this point.
1) Although i have lost a lot of fat. I still have not attained a tight midsection. Lower belly fat and love handles still exsists.

2) ******* Love Handles. I know that it is not possible to target fat loss. But how low do i have to cut to get rid of these. Anything i can do???

3) Should I start to implement cardio into my cut? I am very interested in strength training ( car pushes, stones, sled pulls, etc). Any ideas on how to begin this type of training. I have np prior experience in it.

4) I expected more lean body mass and definition at 6ft 5 200 lbs. Is my lack of tightness due to a lack of muscle, or due I need to cut more fat??? Basically should i continue my cut or increase my calorie intake by 700 or so ( my cutting intake is 1700 a day) and slow bulk.???

5) Being tall i find that my flexibility is lacking. I am interested in implementing yoga 2-3 times a month into my routine. Any reccomendations in that direction??

I am open to any advice as to where I should go from here. Thank you very much.

 

[why]

Post your training routine because it probably sucks.

 

[robertorex]

you probably aren't eating enough fat or EFA's.

Since your diet is primarily protein and heavily so, that's probably what your body is metabolizing for energy instead of fat. Therefore, under stress your body will go to its protein stores to burn when it needs energy Where does your body store protein? Your muscles. If you eat more of your calories in fat, your protein will be spared.

That, and your training routine probably needs improvement as why pointed out. There is no way you are doing the compound lifts right and losing strength and muscle.

 

[why]

Originally Posted by robertorex

Since your diet is primarily protein and heavily so, that's probably what your body is metabolizing for energy instead of fat. Therefore, under stress your body will go to its protein stores to burn when it needs energy Where does your body store protein? Your muscles. If you eat more of your calories in fat, your protein will be spared.

It doesn't really work like that.

 

[wiscogooner]

Honestly man, **** takes time. Maybe change your routine slightly but the classics (bench, squat, deads, dips, overhead press, pullups) are pretty foolproof. Add some cardio, eat at a deficit, and you'll continue to see the weight come off.

I went from 210-170 in about 4 months and I'm 5'9", but scale weight isn't always the best gauge. Don't get me wrong, very few people are even able to pack on muscle at a rate that would defy the scale's evidence of your diet. I still don't have a flat stomach and have slight love handles but they've gotten smaller over time and will continue to.

Be patient, keep working. Change things up every 6-8 weeks or so to give yourself some variation. And don't forget to recalibrate your diet as your weight changes. Calorie deficit = Weight loss.

 

[turbozed]

Keep track of what you eat using fitday.com.

Maintain a caloric deficit (but make sure you have enough protein!) and train consistently. With these two guidelines, the large majority of people will lose weight and gain lean muscle mass.

 

[robertorex]

Originally Posted by why

It doesn't really work like that.

I guess I was being simplistic there - either way, I admit that we don't know enough about his diet, lifestyle or workout to deduce what's going on here. Besides the fact that he's doing something very wrong.

 

[why]

Originally Posted by robertorex

I guess I was being simplistic there - either way, I admit that we don't know enough about his diet, lifestyle or workout to deduce what's going on here. Besides the fact that he's doing something very wrong.

Probably replacing intensity with volume like most people.

 

[Jthaeler]

Originally Posted by why

Post your training routine because it probably sucks.

Agree with Why. You will need to post your workout schedule. My guess is that you are probably not eating ENOUGH protein and neglecting the intensity. You don't need to camp out in the gym to see results; in fact the less time you spend and the higher your intensity the better it will serve you.

I would also suggest with eating 5-6 smaller meals per day as this will normalize your insulin. Also, not eating carbs is probably the DUMBEST thing anyone can ever recommend. If you aren't eating carbs you are limiting the intensity and therefore the effectiveness of your workout. What you can do is control the amount and types of carbs that you eat. I think it's obvious that eating a potato is better than eating a handfull of skittles...

The stomach area is naturally where men store weight. It is our genetic curse as this is where we have been programmed to store excess calories in the event we can't find food. I know people who are in incredible shape with statuesque arms and legs but a little gut. Half of the battle is diet and exercise, but half is genetic. Can't do much about the latter.

 

[Howard Englewood]

You can't just east protein. You NEED carbs for your muscles to recover properly.


Also 25 pounds in a month is in no way healthy. I'm sure most of it was water weight, but still. Unless you were like 500 pounds thats kind of scary.

 

[thekunk07]

not true. i recover just fine with a diet of 48% protein, 48% fat and 4% carbs. i use mcts and glycerine to give the muscles a fuller apearance when dieting down.

Originally Posted by Howard Englewood

You can't just east protein. You NEED carbs for your muscles to recover properly. Also 25 pounds in a month is in no way healthy. I'm sure most of it was water weight, but still. Unless you were like 500 pounds thats kind of scary.

 

[Xiaogou]

Originally Posted by Howard Englewood

You can't just east protein. You NEED carbs for your muscles to recover properly.


Also 25 pounds in a month is in no way healthy. I'm sure most of it was water weight, but still. Unless you were like 500 pounds thats kind of scary.


Yes you need carbs, but not a lot of carbs. 30g of carbs per day is good. During undergrad when I was 60 pounds overweight, I went on a medically supervised diet. 600 calories per day, 105g of protein and 30g of carbs. Lost all of the weight in 6 weeks and have kept it off since.

I also lost muscle in the process. After regular working out, I am confident I have gained the muscle back without the fat.

 

[Howard Englewood]

I didnt say he needed to eat bowls of pasta, mainly that a moderate amount of carbs are usefull for helping muscles properly recover.