Ask me anything about fat/weight loss....

Believeth64

BUMP

blueandigo

tagged for later

jendool

Bump to keep for later

maryb2374

Thanks for all the info. Bumping for later.

TheOfficialEpic

Keep the questions comin' yeh! Will be calling it a night soon, but will be back to catch up on everyone tomorrow morning to see what's up. Hope the night is kickin' *kitten* for everyone. Train hard, love hard, let the positive energy flow, laugh more, and live yer life yeh. Cheers

thriftycupl

Please help me. I'm a early 40s female weighing in right now at 235. I started this journey at 265 and started with low carb/high protein. For the past 8-10 weeks, I've been at the same weight even adding activity, including cardio and lots of walking. I have plenty left to lose and some days get quite frustrated. Why would someone who has so much left to lose hit a plateau and how do I get this body going again?

THANK YOU so much for your thoughts.

DB_1106

What is your opinion on low carb diets or keto diets?

tulip07

When will you be moving to Philadelphia ;-)? I would love to train with you! :-)

suziecue66

What is your opinion on low carb diets or keto diets?

OP will probably comment on your question but this is a general comment that he made:
"On a side note: I just want to say to everyone, it ALL works if you're consistent. Atkins, Zone, Southbeath, 5-3-1, P90X, Insanity, Starting Strength, 5X5, Powerbodybuilding, The Classic Method, H.I.T. Just get something track what you're trying to get to on the regular, and reevaluate when necessary. 95% of it is just being consistent, and showing up. Supplements, nutrient timing, eating breakfast, low-carbs, they all help....but they are only 5% of the big picture. People had great bodies in the 80s. Be smart, embrace the path ahead, embrace the hard work, enjoy the journey, track & reevalute, stay safe above all, and enjoy your life."

Igotgoals2019

:sad: I am sincerely hoping that you will answer my question!!!

Poptartz

Bump to keep for later

Ohbutiloveicecream

Bumpitybump

britneyblonde

Hi Please help!!! Im 5"7 and currently 143lb after dropping from 172 in January and my weight loss has now began to stall. Its possible that im not eating enough? When i started in January i ate 1200cals and NEVER ate my exercise cals back and lost around 2lbs per week right up until a few weeks ago. I know its not what everyone suggests but it worked so i stuck with it. Now im smaller its stopped working. A few weeks ago i began eating back some of my exercise cals (i work out about 5days a week, zumba, running, boxercise) and since starting this i have been going up a 1lb/back down a 1lb. Getting annoyed i decided to go back to my 1200cals and the past 2weeks have saw me gain 2lb!! Getting frustrated as i am eating well and working out alllllll the time and its beginning to feel like its all for nothing now as my body is happy where it is! My goal is to reach 133 but at the moment it feels like ill never get there :sad:

pmanco2009

bump

TheOfficialEpic

I am 131.3
5 1/2 ft tall
Workout 5x a week sometimes more
My question is am I eating enough cals at 2200??
My TDEE is 2247
My BMR 1449
Thanks!!

Definitely eating enough. But what's the goal though?....

TheOfficialEpic

Hi there! Okay, I have a question. I've lost all the weight I wanted to lose, but now I'm trying to tone up. I want that flat stomach, you know? I'm pretty close to it, but there's still some fat in the way. I lift weights 3x a week and do cardio most of the other days. I have recently started eating "clean" and plan to stick to it. However, I am eating at maintenance level, not a deficit since I'm not really trying to lose any more weight. Will I need to go back to eating at a deficit to tone up, or will eating clean, lifting heavy, and cardio be enough? I've heard evidence from both sides.

Stats:

5'4"
130 lbs
About 23% body fat
I want to be about 20% body fat

Thanks!

Most likely you're going to have to lose more body fat. That's all "tone up" really means. You can't TONE body fat, you have to burn it off. Try losing another 5 and then reevalutaing. At 5'4, I would shoot for at LEAST 18% body fat to really start seeing that toned look. Most pro level bikini competitors are around 12%, so 18% for you would definitely be doable.

Thanks! I'll start eating at a bit of a deficit again. But, isn't anything under like 20% considered "underfat" for women? I definitely want to stay at a healthy body fat %. I understand it may be different for bikini models, but I'm just a regular ol' gal.

I have plenty of clients that EASILY easily stay way under 20% year round and are healthy as an ox. 18% for instance, isn't a big deal to maintain.

TheOfficialEpic

Hi there,thank you so much for time here replying to everyone's posts:)The info given here is just so awesome.My question is,suppose I am walking on the treadmill on various speeds and intensities for an hour or so and final result is that I burnt 1000 calories....I know the gym machines are not that accurate.So according to you how much do you think I burnt out of 1000.The one I hop onto is a "Freemotion" treadmill.And which is the best machine to work onto,a treamill or Elliptical.I have lost 40 pounds since October 2011,starting at 185 and have to loose 30 pounds more.can you please tell me a good exercise regimen,It will be of great help to me.Do you think the "Body Bug" that they sell at the gym is good enough in terms of accuracy??
Sorry for all the questions

Great question. Sadly there is no real easy way to do this. You basically have to try them out while holding everything else static. Cardio machine calorie calculators can be VERY skewed depending on the individual AND the machine by itself. I've found they usually can skew in either direction in as much as 250 at times! For me, if I am preparing for something, I don't like to take chances. If you're cutting, then underestimate what they say by 200, and overestimate your food intake by 100. So if you think you're burning 1000, I'd personally write it down as 800. And if you think you're taking in 1500, I'd write it down as 1600. I do the exact reverse when I'm bulking.


Thanks!!

Brandongood

When cutting, is it best to do cardio, weights or both?

Depends on how you work. I usually don't use cardio to cut until the very end of a cutting cycle. When I start a cut, my calories are usually pretty high, but as I approach the end, they are low and I use cardio to tap into a deeper deficit. Having said that though, usually a combination of the two IS best not only for cutting, but DEFINITELY for health reasons. Get your nutrition air tight, your cardio on track, lift your weights, and make sure you're getting your rest and recovery, and you're definitely gonna see awesome results in time.

Can you go into detail what you do for a cutting cycle and a bulking cycle? What kind of sets, how you do your splits, how you gradually decrease the calories on a cut, etc?

TheOfficialEpic

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer questions.

Here's mine:

Right now I'm 5'4" and weigh 178.

I have lost five pounds and that's great but I struggle with losing because I'm a really bad asthmatic and I'm on heavy steroids. For example, most people go on a prednisone ween that starts at 10-20 mg and then they drop it gradually over a week. i start with 60 mg and drop. When I start to get sick i have to start at 40mg at home then self-ween. This has really hampered my efforts.

I'm physically fit, though. I do at least four 5K mud runs a year and work out at least 4 days a week. I think I can definitely up the intesity, but it gets frustrating when friends or my hubby start to work out with me but they lose at a much quicker rate.

Any suggestions on what I can do to help kickstart my weight loss?

Thanks!

Stop being focused on your friends. Stop being focused on how fast. Be focused on consistency. This is hard for everyone. I'm an ectomorph. I have friends that can gain muscle just looking at weights, but me, I have to be doing EVERYthing right just to add a lil' bit of mass back. If I was to get impatient and try to keep up with them, I'd have to become some steroided freak! On the flip side, if they tried to eat like me and still lose, it wouldn't be happening unless they were to regularly cut their food intake in half. I've said this before. STAY HEALTHY AND ENJOY THE RIDE. Your body and yourself will thank you in the long run. Always make health your first concern.

TheOfficialEpic

what macros worked best for you for getting under 10% body fat? or do you carb cycle? low carb? and do you try staying lean year round or do you have bulking phases as well?

appreciate your response.

Truth?.....Alright, fair enough. I first calculate my daily protein requirements and make sure I'm getting that, and for the remaining calories I eat whatever the hell I want yeh. A deficit is a deficit. In all actuality you don't even need to watch the protein if don't care about sparing muscle mass. I don't do ANYthing extreme anymore. I've done keto in the past but my workouts went to ****e because I didn't have any energy. Can't lift heavy and intense anymore, can't stay swole. Didn't go low fat either for pretty much the same reasons. Your body functions best when it is balanced. Most people go too crazy to fast and screw up the body's natural homeostasis, and THIS is where things usually get screwy. I enjoy pizza, a good beer, a good burger, Ben & Jerry's sometimes....but I also eat healthy sandwiches, eggs, fresh fruit, and whole foods too.

TheOfficialEpic

how do i stop being fat???

Get dead-*kitten* serious, get a great support channel, educate yourself, educate yourself some more, never stop learning, track EVERYthing, test your results, exercise, live a balanced life, and reevaluate as necessary. We all got it in ourselves....you just have to want it like your next breath, stay consistent and embrace the hard work and the journey ahead of you.

fayglet

Hi - thanks for all of your help! Our hero!!!
Stats: 5,1", weight at about 165 (down from 200 lbs), I walk about 2 hours a day to/from work up mountains.

I have TERRIBLE knees. I wear orthotics, I'm always in sneakers and I get knee/leg pains a lot. The pains have subsided with gradual weight loss but it is still hard sometimes. I had to have rehab for it a couple years ago (before the weight loss).

1. What exercises would you suggest to get a better burn / lose weight / NOT hurt my knees? Aerobics killed them.

2. Any sneaker / shoe recommendations? I literally moved to a mountain and that is one reason I've lost weight. I need GOOD SUPPORT for heavy walking.

3. Any tips for strength training when I can't afford a gym? My leg muscles are popping (for the first time in my life!!!) and I love the feeling. I want better workouts that deliberately up my thigh, arm, stomach and butt muscles.

Thanks again!!!

TheOfficialEpic

Great thread -- really appreciate all your responses to everyone's questions!

I'm a 5'8" guy, 49 years old. Last June, I was 197 lb, 27% body fat & had a very sedentary lifestyle and lots of health problems (mostly sick a lot) and decided I needed a change. I started tracking all my food, reducing my calories and started walking and doing the elliptical every day for 30-60 min. After consistently losing 2 lbs a week, I got to my current 155 lb. & 17% body fat, and I've successfully stayed there for the last 6 months. And I'm much healthier now rarely every getting sick anymore! I don't do any real weight lifting to speak of (the occasional weight machines) but I do crunches & pushups every other day.

I'd like to hold to my current weight in the mid-150's, start building more muscle, and maybe lose a little more body fat (pretty skinny but still a little fat hanging on for dear life). I understand that to build muscle I'm going to need to start lifting. But I'm nervous about increasing my calories to build muscle and then putting on fat. Is it even possible to do all 3 things at once (lose fat, gain muscle, keep weight roughly consistent?) How should I start?!?

Thanks a ton!

For you, yes. If you've never lifted before, you CAN gain a lil' muscle and lose a little fat at the same time. This will plateau very fast though at which point you'll have to decide: Bulk, cut, or maintain. I cycle all three year round personally. When I cut, I expect to lose a little bit of muscle. It's gonna happen. When I bulk, I expect to gain a little fat. That's gonna happen too. You can minimize the fat gain by doing a clean bulk instead of a dirty one. With a clean bulk, you just slowly increase your calories on a weekly basis until you start gaining size at the desire rate. Once you get to where you want, you can either maintain or go back to cutting. If you do it this way, you'll still stay lean, just not as lean as you were. When I bulk, I still stay in the single digits with my bodyfat percentage. I'll sometimes bulk all the way up to 10%. I can still see abs and cuts everywhere at 10% though! I'm still lean, just not AS lean of course. I'll tell you like I tell my male clients: Don't be afraid to put on a little fat! If you're in control of your eating habits, you can go back to maintenance or cutting at any time yeh. You're not going to go to sleep one night and then wake up 10 pounds heavier. Hope this helps. Keep it safe, keep it slow, keep it steady.

TheOfficialEpic

QUOTE
I wanted to ask your opinion on this muscle building programme that I have as a new thread:

Muscle Building Program:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/felicia-romero-muscle-building-program.html

Cutting program:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/felicia-romero-cutting-program.html

Would you start with the muscle building program or the cutting program if you had a lot of fat to lose? For instance, 40 pounds to lose? The answer I got was muscle building program first. But I imagine you would also have to be losing fat at the same time. When I do a lot of leg exercises they tend to really bulk from past experience but it probably means that I wasn't losing the fat while building muscle. The above program lists 1300 calories, Felicia is 112 pounds and 5ft 3". I am 5ft 2".

Do you personally know of a good strength training program for women to do, i.e. have a link?
END QUOTE

YOUR COMMENT
Me personally, at 40 to lose, I would say cutting no doubt. This is completely YOUR decision though. Most usually want to be lean first. If you have 40 pounds to lose and went on a bulk, that would take you up at least 10 more pounds. I would even tell a chappie to cut first. My mantra is usually this: If you're skinny as hell, dirty bulk. If you're skinny fat, clean bulk a lil' over maintenance. If you're fat, then definitely cut. I advise this on not just looks, but also health. Your waist size is your lifeline basically. Obesity is the number one and two cause of death in the states. Hope this helps
END COMMENT

Re the above calories of 1300 that is listed above - do you think someone at 5ft 3" can bulk on that amount?
Not that I will be bulking as I clearly need to cut first.

1,300 is way too low. No way you could do an efficient bulk on that amount.

TheOfficialEpic

Please help me. I'm a early 40s female weighing in right now at 235. I started this journey at 265 and started with low carb/high protein. For the past 8-10 weeks, I've been at the same weight even adding activity, including cardio and lots of walking. I have plenty left to lose and some days get quite frustrated. Why would someone who has so much left to lose hit a plateau and how do I get this body going again?

THANK YOU so much for your thoughts.

Start counting EVERYthing.....and take a surgeon's precision to it. Many people hit plateaus early because they are trying to do too much too soon. Example: Person has a maintenance of 3,000 calories, so to diet, they cut their calories to 1,000. They just cut their body's nutrition by 2/3s!! Their system is now freaked the hell out completely and everything starts going haywire. 1-2 weeks of it and the body has already done what's necessary to protect itself. E.g. readjusting to make sure it can survive. I've said in this thread before, you gotta give the body what it needs. You can't freak it out or it's going to do what it's primary goal is which is to keep you alive.

TheOfficialEpic

What is your opinion on low carb diets or keto diets?

I've done them, and they can work, but I hate the lowered energy levels from them. You CAN adapt and get use to training hard and intensely on them, but I say why when it's not necessary. My carb intake is usually regulated around what I'm doing for the day. On days that it's just yoga or dance, then my carbs are pretty moderate. On days that I'm lifting or kickboxing, I keep'em high. Which from a nutritional standpoint is optimal. For the most part dancing and yoga are aerobic activities and their primary energy source is fat. Lifting and kickboxing are anaerobic, and anaerobic activities are primarily fueled by stored carbohydrate.

TheOfficialEpic

When will you be moving to Philadelphia ;-)? I would love to train with you! :-)

Lol. I wouldn't survive in Philly! Too cold for me, and those cheese steaks would be my undoing!

TheOfficialEpic

What is your opinion on low carb diets or keto diets?

OP will probably comment on your question but this is a general comment that he made:
"On a side note: I just want to say to everyone, it ALL works if you're consistent. Atkins, Zone, Southbeath, 5-3-1, P90X, Insanity, Starting Strength, 5X5, Powerbodybuilding, The Classic Method, H.I.T. Just get something track what you're trying to get to on the regular, and reevaluate when necessary. 95% of it is just being consistent, and showing up. Supplements, nutrient timing, eating breakfast, low-carbs, they all help....but they are only 5% of the big picture. People had great bodies in the 80s. Be smart, embrace the path ahead, embrace the hard work, enjoy the journey, track & reevalute, stay safe above all, and enjoy your life."

Reminds me of when people ask me "Does the bowflex work?" or "Does P90x work?" My reply is always, "if you use it."

Lol. This is SO true, bro. People are so quick to jump from program to program to this product to that product because of a lack of true commitment and work ethic. Great point yeh. Cheers

TheOfficialEpic

Hi Please help!!! Im 5"7 and currently 143lb after dropping from 172 in January and my weight loss has now began to stall. Its possible that im not eating enough? When i started in January i ate 1200cals and NEVER ate my exercise cals back and lost around 2lbs per week right up until a few weeks ago. I know its not what everyone suggests but it worked so i stuck with it. Now im smaller its stopped working. A few weeks ago i began eating back some of my exercise cals (i work out about 5days a week, zumba, running, boxercise) and since starting this i have been going up a 1lb/back down a 1lb. Getting annoyed i decided to go back to my 1200cals and the past 2weeks have saw me gain 2lb!! Getting frustrated as i am eating well and working out alllllll the time and its beginning to feel like its all for nothing now as my body is happy where it is! My goal is to reach 133 but at the moment it feels like ill never get there :sad:

Either something is being calculated wrong or your system needs a reset. Also keep in my that their are other extraneous factors that can cause weight gain, but NOT fat gain. Water retention, "that time of the month", time of day, stress levels, etc. I think you may have freaked a little too early. Don't eat back TOO many calories now, but I do think you should just relax and give yourself a little more time.

TheOfficialEpic

When cutting, is it best to do cardio, weights or both?

Depends on how you work. I usually don't use cardio to cut until the very end of a cutting cycle. When I start a cut, my calories are usually pretty high, but as I approach the end, they are low and I use cardio to tap into a deeper deficit. Having said that though, usually a combination of the two IS best not only for cutting, but DEFINITELY for health reasons. Get your nutrition air tight, your cardio on track, lift your weights, and make sure you're getting your rest and recovery, and you're definitely gonna see awesome results in time.

Can you go into detail what you do for a cutting cycle and a bulking cycle? What kind of sets, how you do your splits, how you gradually decrease the calories on a cut, etc?

I could, but it wouldn't matter. It's what works for ME. You're unique. You need what works for you.