Can you lose weight without losing fat?

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Rodneymc4
Rodneymc4 Posts: 62
in Health and Weight Loss
I set a goal while at 257lbs that 210lbs would show my six pack. I'm currently at 202lbs and I have now set a new goal of 190lbs to get the ab look I desire.

I am losing weight and fat all over my body but not around my waist. I use the P90X ab ripper routine, three different ab machines at the gym and my own designed ab workout. I bench, squat and do a full body free weight resistance training routine, I do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous level cardio 5-6 times a week. I'm eating less than 1700 calories a day.

I just started adding more carbs to my diet. Should I go back to a high protein low carb diet? And is it possible to lose muscle weight without losing fat?

As much resistance training and cardio work I'm doing I should be cut like a Greek statue.

HELP

Replies

  • gameovergt
    gameovergt Posts: 502
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    no! cardio/diet is the only thing that will bring out your abs(genetics).
  • mlemonroe2
    mlemonroe2 Posts: 603
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    You probably have ripped abs under your fat- thats what I tell myself!!! My sister-in-law is a nutritionist and she once told me one of the best ways to get rid of belly fat is to walk moderately for 5 min. then sprint for 1 min. and repeat over and over for however long you do cardio for. She says the speeding up and slowing down of your heart rate burns the fat around your mid section. Good luck!!
  • YeaILift
    YeaILift Posts: 580 Member
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    no! cardio/diet is the only thing that will bring out your abs(genetics).
  • alpha2omega
    alpha2omega Posts: 229 Member
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    I'm not sure how big your are but as active as you are and for how much you weigh, it seems 1700 calories a day is not enough. You could be in starvation mode which means your body is holding on to whatever fat you have left for dear life. Are the 1700 calories net or gross? Also, to see a six pack is merely the result of low bodyfat. Once you reach a certain level, your six pack will show. It differs for each person but typically 10-14% bodyfat for men is a good measure. Lastly, you could be losing muscle mass, as well as fat, however, this is not the weightloss you want. You want to retain as much muscle as possible while you shed fat and to do that means you have to take the weight off slowly, typically no more than 2 pounds per week. You also must keep up with protein intake to try and ward off muscle loss.
  • MissKMN
    MissKMN Posts: 119
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    You probably are cut like a greek statue, but it's hidden by a layer of lingering fat. Sucks, right? The muscles are there I am sure, but they need to be revealed. Which takes time. The way you lose fat on your body is largely genetics - there's no way to really target certain areas for just fat loss. Just keep with the cardio and it will come off! Also, if all that muscle is underneath and wasn't there before, it might be toned but appearing a little bigger than it is since it has padding ;)
  • SpookyBlue
    SpookyBlue Posts: 1
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    Totally agree with kfarmer57.

    1. You have GOT to eat more. If you're doing high intensity cardio 5-6 times per week in addition to weight training you should be taking in probably around 3000 calories. That's a ballpark number, but seriously, 1700 calories is a joke if you are training that hard.

    2. Your body is probably in survival mode. Better put, it doesn't know when it's going to eat again so it's relying on stored muscle protein for energy and storing the carbs/fat as an emergency reserve. You should be eating ever 90-120 minutes if you are working out that much. With this frequency, your body will be eating what you put in it. I'm training a girl right now who eats NOTHING and she dropped weight but she lost all of her lean muscle.

    I say stay on the high protein diet with moderate amount of carbs. Don't go low carb or else you will have no energy in your workouts. Happy burning, partner!
  • AlexTCasas
    AlexTCasas Posts: 20
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    Yes, you have to build muscle, and it can be achieved by following the kind of routine that bodybuilders follow;You should allow a lot of protein to your diet, sugars not from fruits at the minimum and keep the carbs up only for the days where you do high intensity exercise. Also, is better to have smaller meals, avoid 1000 cal meals at once. In a nutshell, this is what you will find in any fitness book. Still, it becomes very difficult when your body fat gets around 13-14%.
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
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    no! cardio/diet is the only thing that will bring out your abs(genetics).
    I have to disagree, a combo program is more effective and burns more calories, I started at 198 and should (by some calculations) been showing abs at 170, (currently 171) I am not there by any means so I have set the new goal to 160. Yes cardio is important but we can not be selective over where we shed the fat, so more work back to the grind and you will get there it may just be a very different weight than what you thought. Also make sure you are getting enough protein. At 202 1700 a day is not enough for effective fat loss at that low a cal intake you are shedding muscle as well. Check out my blog for some very useful info on fat loss, and feeding your body right to achieve your goals.
  • Rodneymc4
    Rodneymc4 Posts: 62
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    Thanks everyone, I appreciate the input and I will take the advice given.

    I will increase my protein and calorie intake. I will be patient like my wife says I should be because she loves the way I look. I'm just working so hard and I want my results right now!

    I know, patience is a virtue.

    Thanks again to everyone.
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
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    no problem, feel free to contact me anytime for advice, us men need guidance as well bud.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,238 Member
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    Is it that you tend to store fat in your belly? If so I would suggest Metabolic Resistance Training or HIIT. I would suggest getting away from long duration, steady state cardio and go to either or both of those.

    I don't see anywhere how tall you are. I am 5'10" and don't expect to see my abs until I am probably down in the mid to low 160's. Having a visible 6 pack is one of my goals, but I am not expecting it to be there all the time, at least not completely ripped, as that would be staying at a very low body fat %.

    As to the calories, that is all dependent on how much lean mass you have, and whether you eat your exercise calories back.

    The other thing that might be the case is that you many be over training. One of the side effects of that is water retention that can blur or completely eliminate any definition.

    In short you have to keep losing fat to eventually get your 6 pack visible.

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