No physical change = frustration

MissMollieD

So I have been lifting heavy since January 6. Current weight 137lbs, BF 29%, 5'4", Goal Weight 127lbs.

I have always been active with cardio (running, boxing, bootcamps, cycling, etc) and would go fits and spurts at lifting (sometimes on my own, sometimes in a class). Summer of 2011, I gained 5lbs from having far too much going on my life to be able to focus on eating right and exercising. In Sept, I was able to slow down and refocus on my fitness and weight. After two months of no progress, I tried low-carb dieting in November on my doctor's recommendation. I had my weight and body fat recorded by a trainer at my gym - 132lbs, 27% BF. I gained another 2-3 lbs from sticking to religiously low-carb diet. Decided to join MFP to start tracking calories in November.

In January, after seeing no progress, I did some research on here, BB.com, and other sites and decided to start heavy lifting. This is the program I decided to follow: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi12.htm

I did this for all 8 weeks, took measurements, did that whole thing. No physical appearance change and I gained another 2-3 lbs. I lift heavy too:

Squats - 5rep max 165lbs
Incline chest - 5rep max 110lbs
Deadlifts - 5rep max 135lbs
(As examples)

Meanwhile, I kept up with some HIIT on the days I wasn't lifting. I still do heavy lifting, I did my own program for 4 weeks, and now I have been following this non-linear periodization lifting program hoping that breaks the dam. I just started, so the verdict is still out:

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/nonlinear_periodization_for_size_and_strength

I've also moved my calories/macros all over the board. I have had my calories higher and eating exercise calories, lower without eating exercise calories, lower with eating exercise calories, etc. I finally arrived at the one thing I kept constant was relatively low carbs (50-100g), I decided to increase carbs and eat whole grains as well.

I'm currently using this logic for my calories/macros: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981

So I am curious to know if anyone has ever had this problem or known someone and what they have done to break it?

OvOv

What is your exact goal? I can see that you want to lose weight from your post, but is this while maintaining/building muscle mass?

In terms of losing weight I'm a strong believer of calories in vs calories out. You need to make sure that you are eating at deficit every day.

Can you state explicitly what your current calories/macros are?

MissMollieD

My daily goals are 1420calories, 107carbs, 71fat, 89protein. My dairy is open, if you want peruse.

My goal is appearance more than the scale. I understand someone could weigh more, but look better or be more fit. But that's not working for me. I'm convinced from the gains I have made in strength that I have muscle underneath the fat (maybe?) but how do I shed the fat to show the muscle?

I have seen many other posts from people who started lifting heavy and saw some results within a couple weeks... I'm going on a few months with nothing.

delmc1

My daily goals are 1420calories, 107carbs, 71fat, 89protein. My dairy is open, if you want peruse.

My goal is appearance more than the scale. I understand someone could weigh more, but look better or be more fit. But that's not working for me. I'm convinced from the gains I have made in strength that I have muscle underneath the fat (maybe?) but how do I shed the fat to show the muscle?

I have seen many other posts from people who started lifting heavy and saw some results within a couple weeks... I'm going on a few months with nothing.

i agree with ov on the cals in V cals out ,just looking at your protein intake should be around 1gram per pound body weight .i could not check your diary to see what u can drop,sent u on request feel free to add

FoxyMcDeadlift

You're changing everything all the time. How can you expect linear progress without linear training?

Pick one of Starting Strenght or Stronglifts, run it until you no longer make linear progress

Caclulate your TDEE, add or subtract 20% dependent on goals, run this calorie amount for AT LEAST 1 month.

See if you then make progress.

Its a marathon, not a sprint

MissMollieD

You're changing everything all the time. How can you expect linear progress without linear training?

Pick one of Starting Strenght or Stronglifts, run it until you no longer make linear progress

Caclulate your TDEE, add or subtract 20% dependent on goals, run this calorie amount for AT LEAST 1 month.

See if you then make progress.

Its a marathon, not a sprint

I'm not sure what your basis is here. I'm not changing everything all the time, in fact, I have been carefully only changing one thing at time (i.e. if I change my work out, I keep the same nutrition method for at least 3-4 weeks, if I change my nutrition, I keep my work out methodology the same for 3-4 weeks). If I don't see any changes, then it's obviously not working and I need to adjust. This isn't a weekly change, as I said I have been doing this for months.

I have calculated my TDEE (1775 calories), I have used a lower activity level since I have desk job. And I have decreased by 20% (not the arbitrary 500 calories).

OvOv

OK so you say you want to shed fat and retain muscle.

You need to up the protein by a lot, as others have said, you want to be eating AT LEAST 1-1.5g of protein per body weight in lbs. This will help you retain your muscle. At the moment you're eating around half of the protein you should be.

You then need to keep your daily caloric deficit, so if the extra protein adds too much cals, then cut the fat/carb. In terms of fats/carbs that you eat, make sure it's complex, wholegrain carbs such as brown rice and essential fats such as fish oil (so not doughnuts and stuff lol).

Try this for around 4-6 weeks and see if there's any difference. I also strongly recommend you read this:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/catcommand2.htm

Hope that helps Also feel free to add me coz I can't see your diary.

MissMollieD

OvOv, I've added you, you can review my dairy. I have gone up to at least 1g of protein per body weight. Though most of what I have read and understood is 1-1.5g for lean body mass. My lean body mass is current about 95lbs, so at 89g I'm not too far.

If you go back to January, time frame, that was when I spent the most time in low carb, high protein.

questionablemethods

This is an honest question because maybe I'm missing something. Most everyone jumped on the protein bit, but the OP stated that she has gained a couple pounds since starting to track her calories. So regardless of whether those pounds were muscle or fat, isn't the problem still that the calories are too high? How would upping the protein without lowering the total calories help? OvOv, you say that she needs to maintain her daily deficit, but if she's gaining, she doesn't have one, right?

MissMollieD

I should add that my diet has improved considerably from September to now. Not that I ate horribly prior to the stagnant weightloss. Before, I generally had a bowl of cereal for breakfast, a cold-cut sandwich for lunch, snacks typically consisted of 100 calorie packs, greek yogurt, pretzels, or an apple, and dinner was always grilled chicken/fish, rice, and steamed veggies.

Now, I rarely have rice, bread, or tortillas and no milk, cereal, or white potatoes. I always have two eggs and two slices of turkey bacon for breakfast. I generally eat leftovers of whatever I made for dinner the night before for lunch. And my dinners have definitely gotten a lot more exciting - I use a lot of Paleo/Primal, South Beach, etc recipes for dinner.

I've also almost completely cut out beer except special occasions when there is a micro that I just have to try. So that was definitely the hardest.

If I saw any results doing crazy amounts of cardio as I did from Sept - January, I wouldn't be opposed to it. I just keep plugging away at my heavy lifting routine hoping all the results I hear others have will come around to me. BTW, I benched 100lbs this morning.

questionablemethods

I should add that my diet has improved considerably from September to now. Not that I ate horribly prior to the stagnant weightloss. Before, I generally had a bowl of cereal for breakfast, a cold-cut sandwich for lunch, snacks typically consisted of 100 calorie packs, greek yogurt, pretzels, or an apple, and dinner was always grilled chicken/fish, rice, and steamed veggies.

Now, I rarely have rice, bread, or tortillas and no milk, cereal, or white potatoes. I always have two eggs and two slices of turkey bacon for breakfast. I generally eat leftovers of whatever I made for dinner the night before for lunch. And my dinners have definitely gotten a lot more exciting - I use a lot of Paleo/Primal, South Beach, etc recipes for dinner.

I've also almost completely cut out beer except special occasions when there is a micro that I just have to try. So that was definitely the hardest.

If I saw any results doing crazy amounts of cardio as I did from Sept - January, I wouldn't be opposed to it. I just keep plugging away at my heavy lifting routine hoping all the results I hear others have will come around to me. BTW, I benched 100lbs this morning.

Great job on the progress you've been making lifting. We have pretty similar stats. I was probably the most successful at leaning out when I was NETTING around 1400 calories/day and eating around 100g protein with a good balance of carbs and fat (eating plenty of milk, white potatoes, rice, and tortillas). I actually wasn't lifting very heavy then--mostly just doing metabolic conditioning and some (slow) runs and bike rides. I got to probably my leanest ever (~16% BF). But my periods also stopped and I wanted to eat everything in sight all the time. So, I'm trying to not be as drastic. :happy:

Sublog

My daily goals are 1420calories, 107carbs, 71fat, 89protein. My dairy is open, if you want peruse.

My goal is appearance more than the scale. I understand someone could weigh more, but look better or be more fit. But that's not working for me. I'm convinced from the gains I have made in strength that I have muscle underneath the fat (maybe?) but how do I shed the fat to show the muscle?

I have seen many other posts from people who started lifting heavy and saw some results within a couple weeks... I'm going on a few months with nothing.

Sounds like you may be eating too much food. Muscle is gained over months and years. Its difficult to do for men on a diet. Women have it that much harder. Some people just are better at building muscle than others. It's all about their p-ratio, which is mostly genetic.

Shedding the fat is largely a function of your diet. If you aren't losing weight, then you are likely consuming more calories than you think.

FoxyMcDeadlift

You're changing everything all the time. How can you expect linear progress without linear training?

Pick one of Starting Strenght or Stronglifts, run it until you no longer make linear progress

Caclulate your TDEE, add or subtract 20% dependent on goals, run this calorie amount for AT LEAST 1 month.

See if you then make progress.

Its a marathon, not a sprint

I'm not sure what your basis is here. I'm not changing everything all the time, in fact, I have been carefully only changing one thing at time (i.e. if I change my work out, I keep the same nutrition method for at least 3-4 weeks, if I change my nutrition, I keep my work out methodology the same for 3-4 weeks). If I don't see any changes, then it's obviously not working and I need to adjust. This isn't a weekly change, as I said I have been doing this for months.

I have calculated my TDEE (1775 calories), I have used a lower activity level since I have desk job. And I have decreased by 20% (not the arbitrary 500 calories).

In the past, you did not have all the tools in place that you now have. Pick a decent barbell routine based on progression and run your deficit based on your TDEE for 8-10 weeks and see then if you make progress