Help to tweek what I am doing wrong please. :)

run2bfree

Long time reader- first time asking for help. Here’s the deal. I am working my butt off. Eating cleaner than ever and taking supps. I am not physically making any great changes – I started out @ 128; now I am hovering steady at 118-120 which is fine. I don’t care about the scale anymore. I take measurements frequently and have lost lots of inches – but the belly is killing me!!! I know everyone says it is the last thing to go, but I am concerned about the lack of definition in what is going on 17 weeks….

Normal day: 1473 cals total
Protein 128g
Carbs 198g
Fat 17g
Sodium 1771mg
Sugar 56g
Fiber 31g
Water 12+cups

Exercise: 1200-1300 cals

I track my calories here to from exercise, I know they are not totally right but they are in good measure for now. Tomorrow I should get my HRM and nail down how much I am actually burning...

I finished the Jamie Eason 14 weeks live trainer and now I am on week three of the Shortcut to Shred (both on Bodybuilding.com.) I am lifting heavy weights and not cheating. On-top of my lifting short cut to shred routine at 4am at the gym, I am running at lunch for 35-45 mins on the coast 2 or 3 times a week.

Supplements – CLA, L-Carnitine, Fish Oil, Digestal (helps with gas), MuscleTech Phase 8 (one or two shakes a day) and Amino1 after lifting.

I bumped up my cals from 1300 to 1500 and well, I see nothing yet.

Any advise?

ladynocturne

Wait, you're burning 1200-1300 calories in exercise a day and eating around 1500 calories?

So 1500-1300=200 net calories? Or did you mean you're netting 1500 calories a day?

Bekahmardis

Best advice I can give you is to honestly start eating more - yes, more than 1500 calories even. If you are truly *burning* 1200 - 1300 calories per day in exercise alone, you are only netting 100 - 200 calories intake....you're not feeding your body enough to live on, much less take care of your exercise stuffs.

To begin with, try to get your NET to equal out to your BMR when you include your exercise calories. You should end up netting MORE than that, but it's a start?

So. Start with your BMR, and try eating back half of those exercise calories. My guess is it's going to be at LEAST 2000 calories a day. Heck, I'm a 42 year old petite woman topping the scales at 109 pounds and *I* eat 1500 calories or more per day with a sedentary job!

WhoButME28

Basically what ladynocturtne said: if you're burning that much calories every time you exercise that's a problem based on the number of calories you're consuming daily.

There are more variables though:

1 - How many times a week are you working out?

2. Do you use free weights (nothing better for toning) or is just cardio/calisthenics?

3. - How's your water intake?

Espressocycle

If you are losing inches, you are doing fine. The belly is, in fact, the last to go. And sometimes it just never does.

run2bfree

yeah I am eating 1500 calories, working out 6 x a week in the morning and 3 x week run at lunch. when I lift, I only use free weights (except for the smith machine for squats) and I drink 1 gal a day.

I need to learn the net of calories. Not sure I understand that.

Thank you so much for your time to answer... I really appreciate it.

Kettle_Belle14

If your profile picture is you, you already have a defined belly. I don't see where the improvement is needed, you look great! And what do you do to burn 1200 a day? I usually burn around 400-500 and feel like I'm about to pass out!

Kettle_Belle14

If your profile picture is you, you already have a defined belly. I don't see where the improvement is needed, you look great! And what do you do to burn 1200 a day? I usually burn around 400-500 and feel like I'm about to pass out!

Oops, nevermind you just posted what you do.

operation_cute

yeah I am eating 1500 calories, working out 6 x a week in the morning and 3 x week run at lunch. when I lift, I only use free weights (except for the smith machine for squats) and I drink 1 gal a day.

I need to learn the net of calories. Not sure I understand that.

Thank you so much for your time to answer... I really appreciate it.

Thats where your going wrong eat back your exercise calories, so eat that 1500 + all the calories you burned during exercise, your body is fighting you to keep weight on...

ladynocturne

yeah I am eating 1500 calories, working out 6 x a week in the morning and 3 x week run at lunch. when I lift, I only use free weights (except for the smith machine for squats) and I drink 1 gal a day.

I need to learn the net of calories. Not sure I understand that.

Thank you so much for your time to answer... I really appreciate it.

Okay so, net would be eating 1500 calories + your workout calories. This will allow you to keep a healthy deficit to lose weight, otherwise you're just not fueling your body and you'll end up losing a lot of your lean muscle mass.

So my goal is 1450 calories, if I burn 300 calories at the gym, I need to eat 1450+300=1750 calories.

That way 1750-300=1450 NET which is my goal. This gives me a 500 calorie deficit for 1lb a week loss.

run2bfree

yeah I am eating 1500 calories, working out 6 x a week in the morning and 3 x week run at lunch. when I lift, I only use free weights (except for the smith machine for squats) and I drink 1 gal a day.

I need to learn the net of calories. Not sure I understand that.

Thank you so much for your time to answer... I really appreciate it.

Okay so, net would be eating 1500 calories + your workout calories. This will allow you to keep a healthy deficit to lose weight, otherwise you're just not fueling your body and you'll end up losing a lot of your lean muscle mass.

So my goal is 1450 calories, if I burn 300 calories at the gym, I need to eat 1450+300=1750 calories.

That way 1750-300=1450 NET which is my goal. This gives me a 500 calorie deficit for 1lb a week loss.

You're an angel thank you! I will certainly add more to my meals. I am starvin' like Marvin' anyways!!

ladynocturne

yeah I am eating 1500 calories, working out 6 x a week in the morning and 3 x week run at lunch. when I lift, I only use free weights (except for the smith machine for squats) and I drink 1 gal a day.

I need to learn the net of calories. Not sure I understand that.

Thank you so much for your time to answer... I really appreciate it.

Okay so, net would be eating 1500 calories + your workout calories. This will allow you to keep a healthy deficit to lose weight, otherwise you're just not fueling your body and you'll end up losing a lot of your lean muscle mass.

So my goal is 1450 calories, if I burn 300 calories at the gym, I need to eat 1450+300=1750 calories.

That way 1750-300=1450 NET which is my goal. This gives me a 500 calorie deficit for 1lb a week loss.

You're an angel thank you! I will certainly add more to my meals. I am starvin' like Marvin' anyways!!

No worries lol. Enjoy your food, you work hard.

run2bfree

If your profile picture is you, you already have a defined belly. I don't see where the improvement is needed, you look great! And what do you do to burn 1200 a day? I usually burn around 400-500 and feel like I'm about to pass out!

thanks sister. you know some days its on and somedays its not. I try not to obsess but at the same time, I have a goal in my head and I am trying hard to get to it. working out for a couple of hours in the morning and then lunch ramps up those cals fast!