Before Shots...need feedback to continue on

rob_spitzer

Hey friends and those I'm not friends with yet (send an invite if you wanna be friends)

I'm looking for brutal, honest feedback...I see this body everyday and have been struggling with my weight in the Army for 18 years. I know from research that I have an endomorph body type and it's tough for us big guys to lose weight. In order for me to continue in my goal I would like feedback from friends and strangers whom I do not know and I consider a neutral so you don't have to worry about making me feel bad or anything like that....strickly constructive criticism....all I ask is I don't want smart *kitten* to post which I know none of us are because we all share a common goal...so I will accept comments, questions, ideas and advice, thanks in advance from the Republic of Korea....fire away

CynthiaT60

Is there a special problem right now you need help with? I see you've lost 11 pounds.

iMikky

You look fit. I can imagine your bf% would be lower, maybe 30%. Keep up the good work!

1LoveChips

Well that’s a very open question; or not even much of a question… unsure as to what sort of feedback you are after, but it is obvious you carry a few extra pounds. What are your goals, and how are you going about achieving them? Are you focusing on diet or exercise, or both? I’m a very similar body shape at the moment, having lost nearly 10Kgs I really relaxed and weight is creeping back on.

Are you still in the army? I would like to think they try to keep you guys pretty fit. Not sure what the nutrition is like, but one saying I keep seeing branded around here is “abs are made in the kitchen”.

Look forward to your progress, and mine!

TavistockToad

whats the actual question?

IMO you could stand to lose a few pounds, if thats what you want to know?

rob_spitzer

I'm sorry all, your right, I posted rather quickly and hastily without pausing to re-read what I wrote. I guess my question is how would you classify my current body comp status.....poor, fair, good etc....of course my intention is to burn fat and gain muscle but I was really just looking for feedback on what other people see when they view my before shots for the first time....I'm so tired of looking at myself in the mirror and being overweight that I feel like I get even more depressed every time I do, but I thought some feedback from others might help me stay on track and stay motivated

rob_spitzer

Yes I am still in the Army...have been for 17+ years....yes staying fit is a requirement in the Army, of course they have standards for how the military wants us to look and perform in uniform but a lot comes down to personal discipline and they don't take genetics into account that some people are just born to be large....

TavistockToad

I'm sorry all, your right, I posted rather quickly and hastily without pausing to re-read what I wrote. I guess my question is how would you classify my current body comp status.....poor, fair, good etc....of course my intention is to burn fat and gain muscle but I was really just looking for feedback on what other people see when they view my before shots for the first time....I'm so tired of looking at myself in the mirror and being overweight that I feel like I get even more depressed every time I do, but I thought some feedback from others might help me stay on track and stay motivated

unfortunately though, all that really matters is how you feel about yourself... if you're depressed then you may want to speak to a doctor, as losing a few pounds wont magically make you feel better. you need to love yourself REGARDLESS of your weight. not because of it.

Hell_Flower

I'm married, so this is said in an entirely objective way.

I think if you lost maybe up to 20lbs or so...but I like your body type, IMHO it's very masculine.

You don't look overweight per se - carrying a bit extra yes, but you certainly don't look unfit. You look like I'd want you on my side in any sort of fight!

Joannesmith2818

Maybe try lower the body fat. You have very strong good legs btw!!

JoLMahan

You have a very similar body type to my husband - You may look "bigger" to some people, but a lot of that is pure muscle and bulk. I would focus on getting some extra cardio in where you can rather than looking to build your muscle so much. I agree with the person above that said you have strong legs!

qtmonica

Your legs look fantastic, I agree with the cardio comment and also the comment of accepting your self for who you are. Iam 44 years old no matter how hard I work at this I will never ever look 24 again and guess what Iam ok with that, I just want to be the best 44 year old that I can be....love yourself

golferd

You need to cut and sculpt.

Cut: lose weight, hard I know, because you can't spot reduce.

Sculpt: work on exercises that help shape. Example in your shoulders.

I am working on the same goals myself. Trying Body Beast for the same reasons.

You might even explore sodium intake.

Anniebotnen

I see no reason for you to be depressed about how you look! You look very strong and muscular, and as others have said, your legs look great! But you do also carry some extra fat around your middle, which is typical for a male. My recommendation would be to weight train to maintain your current muscle mass ( and burn calories), plus some cardio and eating at a small deficit aimed at losing about 1/2 pound a week.

basiabroker

My honest feedback is get a tan.

rob_spitzer

I laughed out loud on that...I wish I could tan naturally which is why I am so white....I guess I would need to try a salon

rob_spitzer

I'm on board with you...I have cut back on my sodium and sugar intake....I will continue to post progress

rsbromley

Looking at your frame you have the build of a potential powerlifter. I don't know how much you workout but I'd say carry on with the cardio but go to the gym and try doing some heavy compound lifts.

Things like deadlifts, barbell squats, bench press and overhead press will burn calories and fire all of your big muscles and raise your metabolism in the process. These are also very functional exercises so should help with your work in the military.

Google Stronglifts 5 X 5 for a good beginner programme and google 'exrx strength standards' for some goals to hit. Lifting heavy weights, combined with cardio, will help you shed those final pounds.

Good luck!

stevee290

Keep cutting man you're going to be ripped.

iandroid989

Your a little stockier than I but somewhat similar take a look at the body fat %
http://cdn.builtlean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/body-fat-percentage-men.jpg

you look like a 30% and would look awesome at a 20% or even better

leadslinger17

Well first of all thank you for your service.

You look like a strong guy... do you lift a lot? I'd imagine you have a lot of time and professional incentive to work out so that is good. If you're trying to cut and typical cardio isn't your thing, maybe you can find a sport or something to blow of some steam and still get your heart going. The hard thing is the eating, and I feel your pain because I have trouble with that part of it the most.

smokinkudzu

you look better than i ever got to be when i was in the Army from 2000-2011. spent most of that time being a nonpromotable SPC, managing to meet the tape test for 2 reeniistments.

i was almost always on the 1SG's special population PT group (typically lumped in with profile PT) to do more PT as the mission allowed in the workday (and more weekends than i'd wanted).

in the end, i could pass the APFT (averaging 80 points each event) but always be borderline with the BMI measurements. i could never grow my neck nor get my waistline skinny despite numerous NCOs coaching me through special pop sessions

ninerbuff

Don't believe in somatotyping (endo, meso, ecto morphs). It's an idea developed by a psychiatrist and was based on peoples behaviors more than physiology.

No way to really assess your fitness unless a fitness test is done. If you want my professional opinion, you could stand to lose about 10% body fat.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

seltzermint555

Maybe try lower the body fat. You have very strong good legs btw!!

+1

Jeffy67

Hey Rob,

We are the same body type, Endomorph, which as you know gives us a husky soft build. I've been where you are now and have had to work hard to shed some fat and it's still ongoing.

I love to eat but i've had to watch my diet ( I still eat everything, just not as much ) plus I do cardio 6 time per week and also do circuits 3-4 times per week. We Endo's gain mucle easy but also fat. I've lost 57 lbs and still have a bit more to go. Its a marathon not a sprint.

Hang in there my friend and feel free to message me anytime.

Jeff

stevesilk

Here's my comments. Thanks for your commitment and your service. Have a son just starting out and my prayer is that he lasts 17+ years!

1. Good underlying musculature. Looks like you have a good base built and while I'm not sure if you are currently lifting, you definitely should consider a good basic (read: compound movement program) going forward.

2. You are carrying a lot of fat. Because of your frame, you carry it reasonably well, but you need to look at your diet. The bottom line is that as we get older, it's tougher to maintain a reasonable weight and we have to work harder at it. Believe me, at 58 it's much more difficult than at 28! Here's the kicker...little changes can make significant long term changes. A slice of bread extra per day adds up to about 10 lbs a year! The reverse is also true. So being intentional about your intake, and paying attention to your calories in vs. calories out can make a huge difference in a little time. I lost a significant amount for me last year after deciding I needed to make my food intake something I paid attention to!!!

3. Running in your program is probably critical since the military includes your 2 mile time in your fitness evaluation. Guess you are pretty "up" on that already, but incorporating that regularly can also have an impact.

By the way, I think we can overdo appearance. Six pack abs and low body fat is fine, but being comfortable with how you look is much more important. Getting active and being able to exercise appropriately is a big part of feeling good about ourselves, and I hope you find the tools you need to assist you. Good luck.

reneeot

Rob, 1st i understand it is disappointing to work at losing weight and see very little results. Yet do not let that be the excuse used to quit eating healthy and having an exercise routine. Knowing you are doing your best should be your motivation. Keep growing in your knowledge of your body and searching for what will work for you!

2nd, i love my body as it is now! Whatever imperfections i see...i dont let those define how i see myself. Look at the whole you! Noone absolutely noone when they use a magnifying glass likes what they see, because a magnifying glass exaggerates and enlarges imperfections. And what u may not like about self, someone else finds appealing. So act like you are a nice looking guy and you will feel it! You will see what others like in you and continue to do the right things for yourself!

Shaun hadsall on you tube has alot of good videos about how the body processes food and how to make sure body is burning fat. He answers questions like: should i exercise on empty stomach? He will give you reasons why you may want to AND why you may not want to. Because each answer depends on your intent or purpose. I myself have struggled to lose weight the past 3 years. Nothing seems to bring results. I started implementing things i learned from him and in 30 days have finally had results that make me feel ive found my key to.successful weight loss! Let see what happens in july!

:-)

Stopin_da_yoyo

Thanks for serving! Thats where my dad met my mother! Anyways, I agree that u look like youve already got a very solid underlying musculature. Im pretty much built the same as you ...frame wise ( basically short and stocky).

Overall you look good. Obviously there are some areas to improve on, isnt that why we are all here? To better ourselves.
looks like you have maybe 25# of fat you could stand to lose. Lowerbody looks good.....probably from humpin it all day with a full pack. I see some lovehandles only barely....and also abdominal area (all of it)....looks loke u have a 6pack starting.

Im guessing u workout regularly. If not ...start it.

I would start watching food intake. I know bases arent the most convenient places to try and put together a nutritional plan.
MREs are generally high in carbs.