Q and A Thread for all you awesome MFPeople.

psuLemon

stac3wa wrote: »

How often do you weigh yourself? And how many calories are you consuming? Do you still do cardio?

Its quite possible between your carby week and the fact that you recently started lifting, you ciuld be seeing extra glycogen and water storage, which could mask fat loss. It would be exaggerated if you are near a cycle.

Since you just started getting carbs under control, id probably consider monitoring for another 2 weeks to see if you have things under control.

How are your clothes fitting?

@psuLemon I don’t weigh myself every week. Kind of as and when. I did weigh myself 10 days ago, as I felt smaller but no move. Then i spoofed the gym scales and just jumped on them (not literally, I’d end up downstairs!) and same weight. I used to weigh every week but because of my PCOS that just seemed pointless. As if I am surprised by a cycle, my body can over night put me in morbid obesity lol!
I consume 1650 cals a day. I don’t eat back any calories if I work out. I leave them be. I do still do cardio. On some days I warm up with cardio, so 15-20 mins on X-Trainer at level 10 then increase and decrease to push harder. I don’t do the bike as I just become complacent and as my belly is still rather large, my knees hit my belly which makes me feel sick. Treadmill isn’t too bad. I do a lot of LISS on there as when I run if feels like my shins are going to split open. I’ve just started using a Jacobs Ladder a minute on, 39 sec rest for around 10 mins. I usually burn around 100-150 cals.
Some of my clothes feel loose. More so upper body, like sports tops, bras etc. Bottom half still the same. I can sometimes spot leg bulges/muscle in my thigh which makes me happy! Then the next hour it’s all flab. I suffer a lot for the inside of my thighs. I know you can’t choose where fat leaves but there is a struggle. So I do ‘frog squats’ a lot. In the hope that I can tone it up as it loses the fat.
I’ve done a food shop. I am going to put my all into having low-zero carbs from pasta, rice etc for the next 2 weeks.
Thank you heaps for the replies!

I think part of the problem is very little measurements consistency. It seems you rarely weigh and when you do, its at different times and on different machines. That is ok, if you have issues with the scale. You can certainly use other methods like pictures and/or tape measurements. Personally, i am a numbers guy so the more data, the better. I weigh daily on the same scale and use Libra to trend my weight.

What I'd probably suggest is controlling your carbs a bit, and then weighing a few times a week and trend your weight. This will allow you to see the daily and/or weekly adjustments that occur. This will allow you to make a more informed decision of if your calories are appropriate for you activity level.

SideSteel

lev_k wrote: »

SideSteel wrote: »

lev_k wrote: »

Hi,

I'm a beginner who recently gotten into compound lifting (squats, bench, OHP, deadlifts). I progressed linearly for about 2 months, but now I'm plateauing pretty noticeably for bench, OHP, and rows, even after de-loading a few times and trying to progress with micro-plates. I've had my form checked by a professionally certified trainer, and they didn't see anything wrong.

If I had to pin point a weak area, I'd say my arms are the common denominator, since they're always the first muscle group for me to fatigue. So I was wondering if I should add some extra accessory lifts for the arms (right now I only do compounds).

Some stats:

Male, 24
Weight: 185 lbs
BF: Dunno, ~30%+?

Currently maintaining my body weight.

(Numbers: 3 sets, 5 reps)
Squats: 95 lbs
Bench: 130 lbs
OHP: 95 lbs
Deadlifts: 210 lbs

I really don't think I should be plateauing this early, unless I'm doing something seriously wrong. Any thoughts?

Can you clarify what happens when you plateau by listing what your sets/reps do when you reach the top end weight, and can you clarify whether this has increased at all each time you deload (are you able to get "closer to" 3x5).

Wow, that was a quick reply.

So basically for my lifts (specifically bench and OHP), usually as I approach the above weights I can't go to 5 reps anymore, I have to stop at 3-4, especially on the last set, due to too much stress on the elbows, and just plain fatigue in my biceps/triceps. And every time I deload (I've done it twice now, by around 20%), the same thing happens, at the same weight, it just kind of feels like a hard limit.

I also wouldn't expect recovery to be the issue, since I lift every other day, and rest for 2-3 minutes between sets.

Do your elbows hurt?

kshama2001

geminigemz90 wrote: »

I have reached my first mini weight loss goal at 288 lbs. My next mini goal is 283lbs. Ultimately my weight loss goal is 112lbs. I eat 2490 calories, do I need to change that number or keep it, when do I know if I have to decrease my calories & my biggest obstacle is how do I prevent from relapse.

I think every time you lose 10 #, MFP will prompt you to update your calorie goal.

Preventing relapse is a much more complicated issue

saraonly9913

SideSteel wrote: »

Hey!

This is intended as a Q and A thread. Every so often I do one of these and they usually turn out really well.

I'm a long time MFP user and I'm now a full time fitness professional and I really got my start here on MFP. This is my way of giving back to the community since it really was my activity here that lead me to pursue online coaching and personal training which I now enjoy.

Also, I totally get that when someone comes on here and they are like "hey everyone, ask me questions!" it can come across quite arrogant. Anyway that's not what this is about, but you are welcome to troll me about that.

Anyway, if you have diet and training related questions please feel free to fire away and I'll do what I can.

-Patrick

Am I crazy? I started working out my abs. (Weight machines.) (Same time I had a period of binging/restricting). I am since back on track and in eating in a deficit. My stomach seems so much more distended??? I actually lost about 7 pounds? Help? Thanks

lev_k

SideSteel wrote: »

lev_k wrote: »

SideSteel wrote: »

lev_k wrote: »

Hi,

I'm a beginner who recently gotten into compound lifting (squats, bench, OHP, deadlifts). I progressed linearly for about 2 months, but now I'm plateauing pretty noticeably for bench, OHP, and rows, even after de-loading a few times and trying to progress with micro-plates. I've had my form checked by a professionally certified trainer, and they didn't see anything wrong.

If I had to pin point a weak area, I'd say my arms are the common denominator, since they're always the first muscle group for me to fatigue. So I was wondering if I should add some extra accessory lifts for the arms (right now I only do compounds).

Some stats:

Male, 24
Weight: 185 lbs
BF: Dunno, ~30%+?

Currently maintaining my body weight.

(Numbers: 3 sets, 5 reps)
Squats: 95 lbs
Bench: 130 lbs
OHP: 95 lbs
Deadlifts: 210 lbs

I really don't think I should be plateauing this early, unless I'm doing something seriously wrong. Any thoughts?

Can you clarify what happens when you plateau by listing what your sets/reps do when you reach the top end weight, and can you clarify whether this has increased at all each time you deload (are you able to get "closer to" 3x5).

Wow, that was a quick reply.

So basically for my lifts (specifically bench and OHP), usually as I approach the above weights I can't go to 5 reps anymore, I have to stop at 3-4, especially on the last set, due to too much stress on the elbows, and just plain fatigue in my biceps/triceps. And every time I deload (I've done it twice now, by around 20%), the same thing happens, at the same weight, it just kind of feels like a hard limit.

I also wouldn't expect recovery to be the issue, since I lift every other day, and rest for 2-3 minutes between sets.

Do your elbows hurt?

In general, during the day? No. And even during the workout, I wouldn't describe it as pain really, but it just feels like my arms are doing a lot more than they should be, which puts my elbows under a significant amount of stress. Do you think I might be compensating with my arms for the lack of strength elsewhere?