So you want a nice stomach
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blankiefinder wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »Trying to figure out when to stop losing and work on a recomposition (maintain weight or add a bit, add muscle, drop inches). I'm getting close to goal, and using the simple spreadsheet done by one of the users here and all of my measurements, my current body fat is at ~28% (mostly the mommy tummy
) Any thoughts?
Current stats 5' 7.5, 136 lbs
@blankiefinder I can't tell you if the spreadsheet is going to help you or not because I have no idea what it is telling you. Recomposition takes a long time. It's combining a bulk cycle and a cut cycle, which each take a while to accomplish any meaningful gains and retain them as you lose fat.
Based on the stats you gave me I can tell that you have low lean mass. Continuing to just lose weight is not appropriate for you at this point because it could negatively impact your health. Bulking is not appropriate for you at this point because your body fat is too high. Recomposition is perfect for you. If I was to set yours up I would find your approximate TDEE then add 300 calories to 3 days (must be on days you lift) and subtract 200 calories from 4 days. That's how recomposition works in theory. Your average intake at the end of the week should be about your TDEE.
Great, thanks. That's pretty much how I was feeling about my body, that my weight is okay but too much fat. Would it still be okay to do cardio like Zumba or something slower like walking, on non-lifting days?
The cardio activity on the lower calorie days could aid in fat loss, just don't over do it. If you start losing weight then you'll need to increase calories on lifting days. The goal is basically to keep your weight about the same.
What would you recommend for someone with similar stats (add 5 pounds) to blankiefinder, but who couldn't lift heavy? (but could do bodyweight and light high rep resistance)
@tomatoey Look into You Are Your Own Gym. There are ways to add resistance to body weight exercises. To recomposition you have to add lean mass and that requires progressive overload. You have to eventually use harder exercises or more weight. You have to challenge the muscles. Higher reps don't quite do it. Once you hit a certain point you are working on muscular endurance and it's less effective for hypertrophy.
Thank you, usmcmp
Right now I'm working around a couple of injuries, so I'm pretty limited in what I can do. Should I cut my calories, then, or wait to get better? 0 -
I only lose weight when I do cardio on most days, but that is just me. I prefer to be able to eat a bit more, and have room for dessert, or a couple beers if I feel like it. If not, I have more wiggle room for the week, or I just lose a bit more quickly.
@fatcity66 You're missing the point of my method though. We don't care about losing weight, we care about losing fat. There is a difference. As we diet we lose lean mass and fat mass. We lift or do some sort of resistance training to minimize lean mass loss. You will lose weight slower, but you'll lose more of it from fat. Meaning better body composition in the end. Body composition is the key to a flat stomach.0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »Trying to figure out when to stop losing and work on a recomposition (maintain weight or add a bit, add muscle, drop inches). I'm getting close to goal, and using the simple spreadsheet done by one of the users here and all of my measurements, my current body fat is at ~28% (mostly the mommy tummy ) Any thoughts?
Current stats 5' 7.5, 136 lbs
@blankiefinder I can't tell you if the spreadsheet is going to help you or not because I have no idea what it is telling you. Recomposition takes a long time. It's combining a bulk cycle and a cut cycle, which each take a while to accomplish any meaningful gains and retain them as you lose fat.
Based on the stats you gave me I can tell that you have low lean mass. Continuing to just lose weight is not appropriate for you at this point because it could negatively impact your health. Bulking is not appropriate for you at this point because your body fat is too high. Recomposition is perfect for you. If I was to set yours up I would find your approximate TDEE then add 300 calories to 3 days (must be on days you lift) and subtract 200 calories from 4 days. That's how recomposition works in theory. Your average intake at the end of the week should be about your TDEE.
Great, thanks. That's pretty much how I was feeling about my body, that my weight is okay but too much fat. Would it still be okay to do cardio like Zumba or something slower like walking, on non-lifting days?
The cardio activity on the lower calorie days could aid in fat loss, just don't over do it. If you start losing weight then you'll need to increase calories on lifting days. The goal is basically to keep your weight about the same.
What would you recommend for someone with similar stats (add 5 pounds) to blankiefinder, but who couldn't lift heavy? (but could do bodyweight and light high rep resistance)
@tomatoey Look into You Are Your Own Gym. There are ways to add resistance to body weight exercises. To recomposition you have to add lean mass and that requires progressive overload. You have to eventually use harder exercises or more weight. You have to challenge the muscles. Higher reps don't quite do it. Once you hit a certain point you are working on muscular endurance and it's less effective for hypertrophy.
Thank you, usmcmp Right now I'm working around a couple of injuries, so I'm pretty limited in what I can do. Should I cut my calories, then, or wait to get better?
@tomatoey I wouldn't cut calories more. Focus on healing. You'll want the resistance training to help you retain the lean mass.0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »Trying to figure out when to stop losing and work on a recomposition (maintain weight or add a bit, add muscle, drop inches). I'm getting close to goal, and using the simple spreadsheet done by one of the users here and all of my measurements, my current body fat is at ~28% (mostly the mommy tummy ) Any thoughts?
Current stats 5' 7.5, 136 lbs
@blankiefinder I can't tell you if the spreadsheet is going to help you or not because I have no idea what it is telling you. Recomposition takes a long time. It's combining a bulk cycle and a cut cycle, which each take a while to accomplish any meaningful gains and retain them as you lose fat.
Based on the stats you gave me I can tell that you have low lean mass. Continuing to just lose weight is not appropriate for you at this point because it could negatively impact your health. Bulking is not appropriate for you at this point because your body fat is too high. Recomposition is perfect for you. If I was to set yours up I would find your approximate TDEE then add 300 calories to 3 days (must be on days you lift) and subtract 200 calories from 4 days. That's how recomposition works in theory. Your average intake at the end of the week should be about your TDEE.
Great, thanks. That's pretty much how I was feeling about my body, that my weight is okay but too much fat. Would it still be okay to do cardio like Zumba or something slower like walking, on non-lifting days?
The cardio activity on the lower calorie days could aid in fat loss, just don't over do it. If you start losing weight then you'll need to increase calories on lifting days. The goal is basically to keep your weight about the same.
What would you recommend for someone with similar stats (add 5 pounds) to blankiefinder, but who couldn't lift heavy? (but could do bodyweight and light high rep resistance)
@tomatoey Look into You Are Your Own Gym. There are ways to add resistance to body weight exercises. To recomposition you have to add lean mass and that requires progressive overload. You have to eventually use harder exercises or more weight. You have to challenge the muscles. Higher reps don't quite do it. Once you hit a certain point you are working on muscular endurance and it's less effective for hypertrophy.
Thank you, usmcmp Right now I'm working around a couple of injuries, so I'm pretty limited in what I can do. Should I cut my calories, then, or wait to get better?
@tomatoey I wouldn't cut calories more. Focus on healing. You'll want the resistance training to help you retain the lean mass.
So stay at maintenance or a little below? Got it. Thank you so much! I've been trying to figure this out for ages!0 -
I only lose weight when I do cardio on most days, but that is just me. I prefer to be able to eat a bit more, and have room for dessert, or a couple beers if I feel like it. If not, I have more wiggle room for the week, or I just lose a bit more quickly.
@fatcity66 You're missing the point of my method though. We don't care about losing weight, we care about losing fat. There is a difference. As we diet we lose lean mass and fat mass. We lift or do some sort of resistance training to minimize lean mass loss. You will lose weight slower, but you'll lose more of it from fat. Meaning better body composition in the end. Body composition is the key to a flat stomach.
Maybe so, but if I don't see results, I won't be motivated to stick with it. I have 40+ lbs left to lose and losing a pound a month is not going to cut it for me.
This is the method I used before, and got down to about 21% body fat from being in the 40s.0 -
I only lose weight when I do cardio on most days, but that is just me. I prefer to be able to eat a bit more, and have room for dessert, or a couple beers if I feel like it. If not, I have more wiggle room for the week, or I just lose a bit more quickly.
@fatcity66 You're missing the point of my method though. We don't care about losing weight, we care about losing fat. There is a difference. As we diet we lose lean mass and fat mass. We lift or do some sort of resistance training to minimize lean mass loss. You will lose weight slower, but you'll lose more of it from fat. Meaning better body composition in the end. Body composition is the key to a flat stomach.
Maybe so, but if I don't see results, I won't be motivated to stick with it. I have 40+ lbs left to lose and losing a pound a month is not going to cut it for me.
This is the method I used before, and got down to about 21% body fat from being in the 40s.
Just to reiterate: the point of the OP is that if you want great (looking) abs, the key is to cut body fat. If you aren't motivated by anything except the number on the scale, then that is a perspective that you'll need to change in order to achieve this goal.
If having great abs is not a priority for you, then this post doesn't meet your goals and you should seek out other advice that is in line with your goals.1 -
Some_Watery_Tart wrote: »I only lose weight when I do cardio on most days, but that is just me. I prefer to be able to eat a bit more, and have room for dessert, or a couple beers if I feel like it. If not, I have more wiggle room for the week, or I just lose a bit more quickly.
@fatcity66 You're missing the point of my method though. We don't care about losing weight, we care about losing fat. There is a difference. As we diet we lose lean mass and fat mass. We lift or do some sort of resistance training to minimize lean mass loss. You will lose weight slower, but you'll lose more of it from fat. Meaning better body composition in the end. Body composition is the key to a flat stomach.
Maybe so, but if I don't see results, I won't be motivated to stick with it. I have 40+ lbs left to lose and losing a pound a month is not going to cut it for me.
This is the method I used before, and got down to about 21% body fat from being in the 40s.
Just to reiterate: the point of the OP is that if you want great (looking) abs, the key is to cut body fat. If you aren't motivated by anything except the number on the scale, then that is a perspective that you'll need to change in order to achieve this goal.
If having great abs is not a priority for you, then this post doesn't meet your goals and you should seek out other advice that is in line with your goals.
But I will still need to cut at least 40 lbs of body fat before I can even get to a point where seeing my abs is possible. I could build muscle at this point, but if I don't lose the fat on top of it, I will never see it.0 -
Some_Watery_Tart wrote: »I only lose weight when I do cardio on most days, but that is just me. I prefer to be able to eat a bit more, and have room for dessert, or a couple beers if I feel like it. If not, I have more wiggle room for the week, or I just lose a bit more quickly.
@fatcity66 You're missing the point of my method though. We don't care about losing weight, we care about losing fat. There is a difference. As we diet we lose lean mass and fat mass. We lift or do some sort of resistance training to minimize lean mass loss. You will lose weight slower, but you'll lose more of it from fat. Meaning better body composition in the end. Body composition is the key to a flat stomach.
Maybe so, but if I don't see results, I won't be motivated to stick with it. I have 40+ lbs left to lose and losing a pound a month is not going to cut it for me.
This is the method I used before, and got down to about 21% body fat from being in the 40s.
Just to reiterate: the point of the OP is that if you want great (looking) abs, the key is to cut body fat. If you aren't motivated by anything except the number on the scale, then that is a perspective that you'll need to change in order to achieve this goal.
If having great abs is not a priority for you, then this post doesn't meet your goals and you should seek out other advice that is in line with your goals.
But I will still need to cut at least 40 lbs of body fat before I can even get to a point where seeing my abs is possible. I could build muscle at this point, but if I don't lose the fat on top of it, I will never see it.
I'm not telling you to try to build muscle. I'm telling you that if you diet and do cardio you will lose muscle and fat. If you do diet, cardio and at least a couple of days of resistance training you'll lose mostly fat.
Your choices are:
-Cardio plus diet for fast results and when you reach where you think you'll see abs you'll need to cut even more fat (this is often referred to as skinny fat).
OR
-Some cardio, diet and resistance training for slower results, but you'll have less weight to lose in the long run because you keep your muscle and lose mostly fat.
By all means do it your way and come back at your goal weight wondering why your body fat is still higher than you thought it should be. Pro-tip: It's easier to keep muscle than it is to build it.0 -
Some_Watery_Tart wrote: »I only lose weight when I do cardio on most days, but that is just me. I prefer to be able to eat a bit more, and have room for dessert, or a couple beers if I feel like it. If not, I have more wiggle room for the week, or I just lose a bit more quickly.
@fatcity66 You're missing the point of my method though. We don't care about losing weight, we care about losing fat. There is a difference. As we diet we lose lean mass and fat mass. We lift or do some sort of resistance training to minimize lean mass loss. You will lose weight slower, but you'll lose more of it from fat. Meaning better body composition in the end. Body composition is the key to a flat stomach.
Maybe so, but if I don't see results, I won't be motivated to stick with it. I have 40+ lbs left to lose and losing a pound a month is not going to cut it for me.
This is the method I used before, and got down to about 21% body fat from being in the 40s.
Just to reiterate: the point of the OP is that if you want great (looking) abs, the key is to cut body fat. If you aren't motivated by anything except the number on the scale, then that is a perspective that you'll need to change in order to achieve this goal.
If having great abs is not a priority for you, then this post doesn't meet your goals and you should seek out other advice that is in line with your goals.
But I will still need to cut at least 40 lbs of body fat before I can even get to a point where seeing my abs is possible. I could build muscle at this point, but if I don't lose the fat on top of it, I will never see it.
I'm not telling you to try to build muscle. I'm telling you that if you diet and do cardio you will lose muscle and fat. If you do diet, cardio and at least a couple of days of resistance training you'll lose mostly fat.
Your choices are:
-Cardio plus diet for fast results and when you reach where you think you'll see abs you'll need to cut even more fat (this is often referred to as skinny fat).
OR
-Some cardio, diet and resistance training for slower results, but you'll have less weight to lose in the long run because you keep your muscle and lose mostly fat.
By all means do it your way and come back at your goal weight wondering why your body fat is still higher than you thought it should be. Pro-tip: It's easier to keep muscle than it is to build it.
Pro-tip: I never said I didn't do any resistance training, I said I do cardio on most days. I also do resistance training a few days a week. You and your silly assumptions. LOLZ :disagree:
20% is my goal body fat, which is pretty close to where I was before, so....I would be totally happy with that situation!0 -
Some_Watery_Tart wrote: »I only lose weight when I do cardio on most days, but that is just me. I prefer to be able to eat a bit more, and have room for dessert, or a couple beers if I feel like it. If not, I have more wiggle room for the week, or I just lose a bit more quickly.
@fatcity66 You're missing the point of my method though. We don't care about losing weight, we care about losing fat. There is a difference. As we diet we lose lean mass and fat mass. We lift or do some sort of resistance training to minimize lean mass loss. You will lose weight slower, but you'll lose more of it from fat. Meaning better body composition in the end. Body composition is the key to a flat stomach.
Maybe so, but if I don't see results, I won't be motivated to stick with it. I have 40+ lbs left to lose and losing a pound a month is not going to cut it for me.
This is the method I used before, and got down to about 21% body fat from being in the 40s.
Just to reiterate: the point of the OP is that if you want great (looking) abs, the key is to cut body fat. If you aren't motivated by anything except the number on the scale, then that is a perspective that you'll need to change in order to achieve this goal.
If having great abs is not a priority for you, then this post doesn't meet your goals and you should seek out other advice that is in line with your goals.
But I will still need to cut at least 40 lbs of body fat before I can even get to a point where seeing my abs is possible. I could build muscle at this point, but if I don't lose the fat on top of it, I will never see it.
I'm not telling you to try to build muscle. I'm telling you that if you diet and do cardio you will lose muscle and fat. If you do diet, cardio and at least a couple of days of resistance training you'll lose mostly fat.
Your choices are:
-Cardio plus diet for fast results and when you reach where you think you'll see abs you'll need to cut even more fat (this is often referred to as skinny fat).
OR
-Some cardio, diet and resistance training for slower results, but you'll have less weight to lose in the long run because you keep your muscle and lose mostly fat.
By all means do it your way and come back at your goal weight wondering why your body fat is still higher than you thought it should be. Pro-tip: It's easier to keep muscle than it is to build it.
Pro-tip: I never said I didn't do any resistance training. I do both. You and your silly assumptions. LOLZ :disagree:
20% is my goal body fat, which is pretty close to where I was before, so....I would be totally happy with that situation!
It's pretty easy to assume when you are placing so much emphasis on cardio and don't even mention strength training. That was my entire point. In our conversation I never said to do less cardio. I said to make sure you are doing strength training and you just kept saying that you have to lose fat fast or you'll get discouraged. I'm not sure why you keep trying to argue.
As I stated before, the point of my OP was to encourage people to lift (and not under eat). This has nothing to do with how much cardio you want to do (me saying I personally do less than an hour is to show that hours of cardio every week is not necessary for visible abs). It's about retaining lean mass through an appropriate deficit and resistance training to make sure you have good body composition in the end.1 -
Some_Watery_Tart wrote: »I only lose weight when I do cardio on most days, but that is just me. I prefer to be able to eat a bit more, and have room for dessert, or a couple beers if I feel like it. If not, I have more wiggle room for the week, or I just lose a bit more quickly.
@fatcity66 You're missing the point of my method though. We don't care about losing weight, we care about losing fat. There is a difference. As we diet we lose lean mass and fat mass. We lift or do some sort of resistance training to minimize lean mass loss. You will lose weight slower, but you'll lose more of it from fat. Meaning better body composition in the end. Body composition is the key to a flat stomach.
Maybe so, but if I don't see results, I won't be motivated to stick with it. I have 40+ lbs left to lose and losing a pound a month is not going to cut it for me.
This is the method I used before, and got down to about 21% body fat from being in the 40s.
Just to reiterate: the point of the OP is that if you want great (looking) abs, the key is to cut body fat. If you aren't motivated by anything except the number on the scale, then that is a perspective that you'll need to change in order to achieve this goal.
If having great abs is not a priority for you, then this post doesn't meet your goals and you should seek out other advice that is in line with your goals.
But I will still need to cut at least 40 lbs of body fat before I can even get to a point where seeing my abs is possible. I could build muscle at this point, but if I don't lose the fat on top of it, I will never see it.
I'm not telling you to try to build muscle. I'm telling you that if you diet and do cardio you will lose muscle and fat. If you do diet, cardio and at least a couple of days of resistance training you'll lose mostly fat.
Your choices are:
-Cardio plus diet for fast results and when you reach where you think you'll see abs you'll need to cut even more fat (this is often referred to as skinny fat).
OR
-Some cardio, diet and resistance training for slower results, but you'll have less weight to lose in the long run because you keep your muscle and lose mostly fat.
By all means do it your way and come back at your goal weight wondering why your body fat is still higher than you thought it should be. Pro-tip: It's easier to keep muscle than it is to build it.
Pro-tip: I never said I didn't do any resistance training. I do both. You and your silly assumptions. LOLZ :disagree:
20% is my goal body fat, which is pretty close to where I was before, so....I would be totally happy with that situation!
It's pretty easy to assume when you are placing so much emphasis on cardio and don't even mention strength training. That was my entire point. In our conversation I never said to do less cardio. I said to make sure you are doing strength training and you just kept saying that you have to lose fat fast or you'll get discouraged. I'm not sure why you keep trying to argue.
As I stated before, the point of my OP was to encourage people to lift (and not under eat). This has nothing to do with how much cardio you want to do (me saying I personally do less than an hour is to show that hours of cardio every week is not necessary for visible abs). It's about retaining lean mass through an appropriate deficit and resistance training to make sure you have good body composition in the end.
I think you need to go back and read my OP. If you had no problem with me doing more cardio, I'm not sure why you responded to it like what I said was a bad thing. Because all I said was that I do more cardio to lose weight at a decent rate (1-2 lbs/week) and be able to eat more food. That was it. Anyway, goodnight!0 -
Some_Watery_Tart wrote: »I only lose weight when I do cardio on most days, but that is just me. I prefer to be able to eat a bit more, and have room for dessert, or a couple beers if I feel like it. If not, I have more wiggle room for the week, or I just lose a bit more quickly.
@fatcity66 You're missing the point of my method though. We don't care about losing weight, we care about losing fat. There is a difference. As we diet we lose lean mass and fat mass. We lift or do some sort of resistance training to minimize lean mass loss. You will lose weight slower, but you'll lose more of it from fat. Meaning better body composition in the end. Body composition is the key to a flat stomach.
Maybe so, but if I don't see results, I won't be motivated to stick with it. I have 40+ lbs left to lose and losing a pound a month is not going to cut it for me.
This is the method I used before, and got down to about 21% body fat from being in the 40s.
Just to reiterate: the point of the OP is that if you want great (looking) abs, the key is to cut body fat. If you aren't motivated by anything except the number on the scale, then that is a perspective that you'll need to change in order to achieve this goal.
If having great abs is not a priority for you, then this post doesn't meet your goals and you should seek out other advice that is in line with your goals.
But I will still need to cut at least 40 lbs of body fat before I can even get to a point where seeing my abs is possible. I could build muscle at this point, but if I don't lose the fat on top of it, I will never see it.
I'm not telling you to try to build muscle. I'm telling you that if you diet and do cardio you will lose muscle and fat. If you do diet, cardio and at least a couple of days of resistance training you'll lose mostly fat.
Your choices are:
-Cardio plus diet for fast results and when you reach where you think you'll see abs you'll need to cut even more fat (this is often referred to as skinny fat).
OR
-Some cardio, diet and resistance training for slower results, but you'll have less weight to lose in the long run because you keep your muscle and lose mostly fat.
By all means do it your way and come back at your goal weight wondering why your body fat is still higher than you thought it should be. Pro-tip: It's easier to keep muscle than it is to build it.
Pro-tip: I never said I didn't do any resistance training. I do both. You and your silly assumptions. LOLZ :disagree:
20% is my goal body fat, which is pretty close to where I was before, so....I would be totally happy with that situation!
It's pretty easy to assume when you are placing so much emphasis on cardio and don't even mention strength training. That was my entire point. In our conversation I never said to do less cardio. I said to make sure you are doing strength training and you just kept saying that you have to lose fat fast or you'll get discouraged. I'm not sure why you keep trying to argue.
As I stated before, the point of my OP was to encourage people to lift (and not under eat). This has nothing to do with how much cardio you want to do (me saying I personally do less than an hour is to show that hours of cardio every week is not necessary for visible abs). It's about retaining lean mass through an appropriate deficit and resistance training to make sure you have good body composition in the end.
I think you need to go back and read my OP. If you had no problem with me doing more cardio, I'm not sure why you responded to it like what I said was a bad thing. Because all I said was that I do more cardio to lose weight at a decent rate (1-2 lbs/week) and be able to eat more food. That was it. Anyway, goodnight!
I'm not really sure why you responded to the thread or what you want from me. You just wanted to say that you do cardio every day? If that's what you like, do it. My response was simply to point out what my thread was really about. You lift? Great. That's it. That is all that my comments to you have been about. Focusing on fat loss, not weight loss. It sucks that you struggle with commitment when the scale doesn't move and you aren't alone in that. All I was trying to say to you from the beginning was to make sure you do some sort of resistance training.1 -
Some_Watery_Tart wrote: »I only lose weight when I do cardio on most days, but that is just me. I prefer to be able to eat a bit more, and have room for dessert, or a couple beers if I feel like it. If not, I have more wiggle room for the week, or I just lose a bit more quickly.
@fatcity66 You're missing the point of my method though. We don't care about losing weight, we care about losing fat. There is a difference. As we diet we lose lean mass and fat mass. We lift or do some sort of resistance training to minimize lean mass loss. You will lose weight slower, but you'll lose more of it from fat. Meaning better body composition in the end. Body composition is the key to a flat stomach.
Maybe so, but if I don't see results, I won't be motivated to stick with it. I have 40+ lbs left to lose and losing a pound a month is not going to cut it for me.
This is the method I used before, and got down to about 21% body fat from being in the 40s.
Just to reiterate: the point of the OP is that if you want great (looking) abs, the key is to cut body fat. If you aren't motivated by anything except the number on the scale, then that is a perspective that you'll need to change in order to achieve this goal.
If having great abs is not a priority for you, then this post doesn't meet your goals and you should seek out other advice that is in line with your goals.
But I will still need to cut at least 40 lbs of body fat before I can even get to a point where seeing my abs is possible. I could build muscle at this point, but if I don't lose the fat on top of it, I will never see it.
I'm not telling you to try to build muscle. I'm telling you that if you diet and do cardio you will lose muscle and fat. If you do diet, cardio and at least a couple of days of resistance training you'll lose mostly fat.
Your choices are:
-Cardio plus diet for fast results and when you reach where you think you'll see abs you'll need to cut even more fat (this is often referred to as skinny fat).
OR
-Some cardio, diet and resistance training for slower results, but you'll have less weight to lose in the long run because you keep your muscle and lose mostly fat.
By all means do it your way and come back at your goal weight wondering why your body fat is still higher than you thought it should be. Pro-tip: It's easier to keep muscle than it is to build it.
Pro-tip: I never said I didn't do any resistance training. I do both. You and your silly assumptions. LOLZ :disagree:
20% is my goal body fat, which is pretty close to where I was before, so....I would be totally happy with that situation!
It's pretty easy to assume when you are placing so much emphasis on cardio and don't even mention strength training. That was my entire point. In our conversation I never said to do less cardio. I said to make sure you are doing strength training and you just kept saying that you have to lose fat fast or you'll get discouraged. I'm not sure why you keep trying to argue.
As I stated before, the point of my OP was to encourage people to lift (and not under eat). This has nothing to do with how much cardio you want to do (me saying I personally do less than an hour is to show that hours of cardio every week is not necessary for visible abs). It's about retaining lean mass through an appropriate deficit and resistance training to make sure you have good body composition in the end.
I think you need to go back and read my OP. If you had no problem with me doing more cardio, I'm not sure why you responded to it like what I said was a bad thing. Because all I said was that I do more cardio to lose weight at a decent rate (1-2 lbs/week) and be able to eat more food. That was it. Anyway, goodnight!
I'm not really sure why you responded to the thread or what you want from me. You just wanted to say that you do cardio every day? If that's what you like, do it. My response was simply to point out what my thread was really about. You lift? Great. That's it. That is all that my comments to you have been about. Focusing on fat loss, not weight loss. It sucks that you struggle with commitment when the scale doesn't move and you aren't alone in that. All I was trying to say to you from the beginning was to make sure you do some sort of resistance training.
I was making a statement about cardio. I never said I wanted anything from YOU personally, did I? Anyway, go ahead and reply to this post and I will let you have the last word, as I can tell you really want it. LOLZ0 -
Some_Watery_Tart wrote: »I only lose weight when I do cardio on most days, but that is just me. I prefer to be able to eat a bit more, and have room for dessert, or a couple beers if I feel like it. If not, I have more wiggle room for the week, or I just lose a bit more quickly.
@fatcity66 You're missing the point of my method though. We don't care about losing weight, we care about losing fat. There is a difference. As we diet we lose lean mass and fat mass. We lift or do some sort of resistance training to minimize lean mass loss. You will lose weight slower, but you'll lose more of it from fat. Meaning better body composition in the end. Body composition is the key to a flat stomach.
Maybe so, but if I don't see results, I won't be motivated to stick with it. I have 40+ lbs left to lose and losing a pound a month is not going to cut it for me.
This is the method I used before, and got down to about 21% body fat from being in the 40s.
Just to reiterate: the point of the OP is that if you want great (looking) abs, the key is to cut body fat. If you aren't motivated by anything except the number on the scale, then that is a perspective that you'll need to change in order to achieve this goal.
If having great abs is not a priority for you, then this post doesn't meet your goals and you should seek out other advice that is in line with your goals.
But I will still need to cut at least 40 lbs of body fat before I can even get to a point where seeing my abs is possible. I could build muscle at this point, but if I don't lose the fat on top of it, I will never see it.
I'm not telling you to try to build muscle. I'm telling you that if you diet and do cardio you will lose muscle and fat. If you do diet, cardio and at least a couple of days of resistance training you'll lose mostly fat.
Your choices are:
-Cardio plus diet for fast results and when you reach where you think you'll see abs you'll need to cut even more fat (this is often referred to as skinny fat).
OR
-Some cardio, diet and resistance training for slower results, but you'll have less weight to lose in the long run because you keep your muscle and lose mostly fat.
By all means do it your way and come back at your goal weight wondering why your body fat is still higher than you thought it should be. Pro-tip: It's easier to keep muscle than it is to build it.
Pro-tip: I never said I didn't do any resistance training. I do both. You and your silly assumptions. LOLZ :disagree:
20% is my goal body fat, which is pretty close to where I was before, so....I would be totally happy with that situation!
It's pretty easy to assume when you are placing so much emphasis on cardio and don't even mention strength training. That was my entire point. In our conversation I never said to do less cardio. I said to make sure you are doing strength training and you just kept saying that you have to lose fat fast or you'll get discouraged. I'm not sure why you keep trying to argue.
As I stated before, the point of my OP was to encourage people to lift (and not under eat). This has nothing to do with how much cardio you want to do (me saying I personally do less than an hour is to show that hours of cardio every week is not necessary for visible abs). It's about retaining lean mass through an appropriate deficit and resistance training to make sure you have good body composition in the end.
I think you need to go back and read my OP. If you had no problem with me doing more cardio, I'm not sure why you responded to it like what I said was a bad thing. Because all I said was that I do more cardio to lose weight at a decent rate (1-2 lbs/week) and be able to eat more food. That was it. Anyway, goodnight!
I'm not really sure why you responded to the thread or what you want from me. You just wanted to say that you do cardio every day? If that's what you like, do it. My response was simply to point out what my thread was really about. You lift? Great. That's it. That is all that my comments to you have been about. Focusing on fat loss, not weight loss. It sucks that you struggle with commitment when the scale doesn't move and you aren't alone in that. All I was trying to say to you from the beginning was to make sure you do some sort of resistance training.
I was making a statement about cardio. I never said I wanted anything from YOU personally, did I? Anyway, go ahead and reply to this post and I will let you have the last word, as I can tell you really want it. LOLZ
It really has nothing to do with me having the last word. I was the one who created this thread to help others. I check on it frequently. Usually when people post they're looking for help, but sometimes people respond to this thread with serious misconceptions about fat loss. Either way I try to help them. Your post sounded like one of the many posts through the last 34 pages that think you have to do lots of cardio to lose weight. I was simply trying to help you. Apparently you don't need it and just wanted to share that you do lots of cardio. Good luck on your future goals.0 -
It feels like a full moon on MFP this week. To bring it back to a more positive note, thanks again for the help, usmcmp! (*)1
-
blankiefinder wrote: »It feels like a full moon on MFP this week. To bring it back to a more positive note, thanks again for the help, usmcmp! (*)
You're welcome! Feel free to send a PM if you do have more questions or would like more specifics on a plan.0 -
Bump0
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Based on the stats you gave me I can tell that you have low lean mass. Continuing to just lose weight is not appropriate for you at this point because it could negatively impact your health. Bulking is not appropriate for you at this point because your body fat is too high. Recomposition is perfect for you. If I was to set yours up I would find your approximate TDEE then add 300 calories to 3 days (must be on days you lift) and subtract 200 calories from 4 days. That's how recomposition works in theory. Your average intake at the end of the week should be about your TDEE.
I think this would work for me...131 lbs, TDEE is 1530 and ALL bf located on my lower half.
@usmcmp, Thanks for all your help (and patience) on this thread.0 -
Based on the stats you gave me I can tell that you have low lean mass. Continuing to just lose weight is not appropriate for you at this point because it could negatively impact your health. Bulking is not appropriate for you at this point because your body fat is too high. Recomposition is perfect for you. If I was to set yours up I would find your approximate TDEE then add 300 calories to 3 days (must be on days you lift) and subtract 200 calories from 4 days. That's how recomposition works in theory. Your average intake at the end of the week should be about your TDEE.
I think this would work for me...131 lbs, TDEE is 1530 and ALL bf located on my lower half.
@usmcmp, Thanks for all your help (and patience) on this thread.
Always happy to help! It's great seeing others make progress and accomplish their goals!0 -
Some_Watery_Tart wrote: »I only lose weight when I do cardio on most days, but that is just me. I prefer to be able to eat a bit more, and have room for dessert, or a couple beers if I feel like it. If not, I have more wiggle room for the week, or I just lose a bit more quickly.
@fatcity66 You're missing the point of my method though. We don't care about losing weight, we care about losing fat. There is a difference. As we diet we lose lean mass and fat mass. We lift or do some sort of resistance training to minimize lean mass loss. You will lose weight slower, but you'll lose more of it from fat. Meaning better body composition in the end. Body composition is the key to a flat stomach.
Maybe so, but if I don't see results, I won't be motivated to stick with it. I have 40+ lbs left to lose and losing a pound a month is not going to cut it for me.
This is the method I used before, and got down to about 21% body fat from being in the 40s.
Just to reiterate: the point of the OP is that if you want great (looking) abs, the key is to cut body fat. If you aren't motivated by anything except the number on the scale, then that is a perspective that you'll need to change in order to achieve this goal.
If having great abs is not a priority for you, then this post doesn't meet your goals and you should seek out other advice that is in line with your goals.
But I will still need to cut at least 40 lbs of body fat before I can even get to a point where seeing my abs is possible. I could build muscle at this point, but if I don't lose the fat on top of it, I will never see it.
I'm not telling you to try to build muscle. I'm telling you that if you diet and do cardio you will lose muscle and fat. If you do diet, cardio and at least a couple of days of resistance training you'll lose mostly fat.
Your choices are:
-Cardio plus diet for fast results and when you reach where you think you'll see abs you'll need to cut even more fat (this is often referred to as skinny fat).
OR
-Some cardio, diet and resistance training for slower results, but you'll have less weight to lose in the long run because you keep your muscle and lose mostly fat.
By all means do it your way and come back at your goal weight wondering why your body fat is still higher than you thought it should be. Pro-tip: It's easier to keep muscle than it is to build it.
Pro-tip: I never said I didn't do any resistance training. I do both. You and your silly assumptions. LOLZ :disagree:
20% is my goal body fat, which is pretty close to where I was before, so....I would be totally happy with that situation!
It's pretty easy to assume when you are placing so much emphasis on cardio and don't even mention strength training. That was my entire point. In our conversation I never said to do less cardio. I said to make sure you are doing strength training and you just kept saying that you have to lose fat fast or you'll get discouraged. I'm not sure why you keep trying to argue.
As I stated before, the point of my OP was to encourage people to lift (and not under eat). This has nothing to do with how much cardio you want to do (me saying I personally do less than an hour is to show that hours of cardio every week is not necessary for visible abs). It's about retaining lean mass through an appropriate deficit and resistance training to make sure you have good body composition in the end.
I think you need to go back and read my OP. If you had no problem with me doing more cardio, I'm not sure why you responded to it like what I said was a bad thing. Because all I said was that I do more cardio to lose weight at a decent rate (1-2 lbs/week) and be able to eat more food. That was it. Anyway, goodnight!
I'm not really sure why you responded to the thread or what you want from me. You just wanted to say that you do cardio every day? If that's what you like, do it. My response was simply to point out what my thread was really about. You lift? Great. That's it. That is all that my comments to you have been about. Focusing on fat loss, not weight loss. It sucks that you struggle with commitment when the scale doesn't move and you aren't alone in that. All I was trying to say to you from the beginning was to make sure you do some sort of resistance training.
I was making a statement about cardio. I never said I wanted anything from YOU personally, did I? Anyway, go ahead and reply to this post and I will let you have the last word, as I can tell you really want it. LOLZ
It really has nothing to do with me having the last word. I was the one who created this thread to help others. I check on it frequently. Usually when people post they're looking for help, but sometimes people respond to this thread with serious misconceptions about fat loss. Either way I try to help them. Your post sounded like one of the many posts through the last 34 pages that think you have to do lots of cardio to lose weight. I was simply trying to help you. Apparently you don't need it and just wanted to share that you do lots of cardio. Good luck on your future goals.
Maybe I got a little snarky. I apologize. You have offered some solid advice, thank you.
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