Frustrated

jsukhan

I've posted this topic before, but here I go again. I'm 37 years old, I'm just under 6' and I currently weigh 159. I began my journey to get fit about 2.5 years ago. My personal life went to hell I started exercising for something to channel my negative energy into. At the time I weighed about 185 lbs. I have a nordic track (skiing machine) in the my living room, add push-ups, crunches and dips that's pretty much my work out. With exercise and not eating due to lack of appetite I lost 30 lbs. Eventually I started eating again, and eating breakfast which repaired my metabolism. I hovered around 150lbs for next year. I changed jobs into a very labour intensive job where I was lifting stuff all day. I started to put on more muscle mass. Then I started doing chin-ups and pull up at work and found myself at 160, I could the added muscle in my chest and arms.
I have been on here for just over three months I faithfully log my food and exercise daily. Every time I complete my diary it says I should be around 150 in five weeks. I can't seem to get below 158, I've gone as high as 163. I realize most of you will tell me I have nothing to worry about but we are our own worst critic. When I look in the mirror all I see is the "love handles" on my sides. Which wrap around to my back. I hate it. I want to flat stomach I once had. The only way I have to assess my progress is weight. I want to get down to 150, and see if my "love handles" go away. Right or wrong its the only thing I have.
I run a few km's, I'm running 4.5 minute miles but MFP doens't calculate that fast. I also do my own circuit training. I can't afford gym fees. I do a combination of push-ups, dips, ab crunches, hyper extensions, and some dumbell work for my abs. I do about 100 cruches a day, regular and crunches to target my obliques.
Any advice at all? Exercise or diet, my diaries should be open.

Me

The circles are my "love handles" the arrows are my hips bones.

Edit* can anyone tell me how to make these smaller?

quantumpion

You look like you are already pretty low body fat percentage. The only way to get rid of the last bit is very strict diet control.

delilah47

Actually, to me, it looks like you are starting to form your adonis belt. Your hip bone will naturally go in right below it. Look at this photo and you will see what I mean. Keep up the good work and there are websites to work the right areas to develop it.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=145380801&page=1

emnk5308

O.o I see no love handle??

gaylynn35

You look FINE to me!! Keep on lifting. :drinker:

jeanamcloughlin

I agree with the adonis belt. If you look up any pictures of ryan reynolds, you're starting to get his figure!
You DEFINETLY have nothing to worry about.
Just keep doing what you're doing, and you'll be just fine. That weight gain was muscle!

LuluProteinFueled

I don't think you're eating enough! Have you calculated TDEE & BMR? You're eating what a strength-training woman should eat. Being male would add a few hundred cals to that. To build muscle & lose fat, you need to eat heaps, especially protein. It's possible with all that exercise you're not netting your BMR, so your body is hanging onto fat.

MFP's calorie recommendations are generally way under.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

lhergenr

Sorry, I didn't read your entire post but you look GREAT!

jsukhan

I don't think you're eating enough! Have you calculated TDEE & BMR? You're eating what a strength-training woman should eat. Being male would add a few hundred cals to that. To build muscle & lose fat, you need to eat heaps, especially protein. It's possible with all that exercise you're not netting your BMR, so your body is hanging onto fat.

MFP's calorie recommendations are generally way under.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

I've done the scoopy calculator. That tells me I should be eating 2500 calories a day. I don't know if I could ever eat that much. Or afford to eat that much.

tpittsley77

In a woman we call it bdd, body dismorphic disorder. Cause you have no love handles and are definitely seeing things that aren't there. Nothing to be frustrated about, you look fine!

pwittek10

You look very low on body fat

mikeschratz

Aloha,
Here are some spreadsheets to calculate your own numbers and diet plan. Hope this helps you out...

IMPORTANT!!! To get your numbers right please visit---> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12, read the instructions. Dan lays everything out to help you have a true fat burning diet.
Then I acquired some spreadsheets from JamaicaLady that helped out and confirmed that I was indeed losing lean muscle along with weight. Now I know how to do this thing without losing muscle mass. In this folder are some more tools to help you track and keep things in perspective and some motivational backgrounds and the like. Good Luck!

https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B3kFzsaVmRjmd1k4YjA1SlVWaFU/edit

Please feel free to download, copy and SHARE anything in the folder. I believe in “Paying it Forward” as HelloItsDan says….

If you have any difficulty with the spreadsheets let me know and I will give you a hand!
My email is: mikeschratz@gmail.com

JenniBaby85

O.o I see no love handle??

This ^

LuluProteinFueled

How do expect to keep building muscle without eating that much? 2500 does necessarily equal more food, you just have start adding higher calorie options, avocados, peanut butter etc.

You're stressing your body out by doing so much exercise and not eating enough to compensate. Do the research and you'll start to understand. I know some women who eat between 2700 - 3000 and they maintain a lean, muscular physique.

Once you start upping your calories and looking more carefully at your macros, you'll wonder how you ever survived on that little.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less

H1ghv1ew

I agree with the others - you look great - don't give up! Are you tracking your food correctly? If you are, there are a couple of things I think (for what it is worth) that you could improve:- 1. You are not eating enough for breakfast, and you need to have protein at every meal. Breakfast should be your largest meal of the day. Why not try an omelete with baby spinach and smoked salmon - high in protein and good fats, which will fill you up for longer. 2. Drink 2 litres of water every day. 3. Have protein every meal - but dinner should be your smallest meal of the day - try and have fish and veges or fish and salad at dinner rather than red meat all the time. 4. Again, more veges!!!! 5. Cut out that cookie!!

julie781

I think someone's just fishing for compliments :laugh:

SweetLillyM

You look amazing! You are being too hard on yourself!

jsukhan

I agree with the others - you look great - don't give up! Are you tracking your food correctly? If you are, there are a couple of things I think (for what it is worth) that you could improve:- 1. You are not eating enough for breakfast, and you need to have protein at every meal. Breakfast should be your largest meal of the day. Why not try an omelete with baby spinach and smoked salmon - high in protein and good fats, which will fill you up for longer. 2. Drink 2 litres of water every day. 3. Have protein every meal - but dinner should be your smallest meal of the day - try and have fish and veges or fish and salad at dinner rather than red meat all the time. 4. Again, more veges!!!! 5. Cut out that cookie!!

I drink 4 litres of water each day, just had not logged it for today. I realize I should eat more for breakfast, but I've been eating cereal for most of my life. I'm not accustomed to eating any more. And yes I know I'm addicted to red meat. I should give up my cookies, but its my one little endulgence.

myogibbs

I agree with everyone else on here...you look great! I do not see love handles. I know it is hard to look at your own body & be objective & having everyone tell you that you look fine doesn't seem to help. But sometimes you need to trust others that have the ability to be more objective than you are...I commend you for all of your hard work & creativity in developing a work out plan without the gym. I think you should revel in your victories & try not to obsess so much on what you perceive is wrong. You really do look great!

jsukhan

I think someone's just fishing for compliments :laugh:

No I am definitely not fishing for compliments. Like the title says I'm frustrated. I try to eat healthy, I exercise but I still don't see the results I want. Looking in the mirror and hating what you see sucks. People telling me I look fine does not help.
This is a place to find honest advice from people who all working towards their own goals and who won't judge me. So I ask for advice.

mmapags

O.o I see no love handle??

Dude, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told you last time. You don't have love handles. That is muscle tissue. You are low body fat at 158 and 6 feet. You are OCD about this. do some back extensions or other kinds of things that will tighten up your obliques if you are really that bothered by it but if I were you, I'd be working on adding some lean muscle tissus.