55 lbs lost, gained 10 back and now stuck! Help !

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My info to begin with is as follows: I'ma male 5'7 .. 164 lbs and I'm 19 years old.

So this is how it went down for me, quite the usual I guess.

I lost 55 lbs in 3 months and went into starvation mode but I came out of it LIKE A BOSS and didn't gain weight (okay I gained like 4 lbs) .. Anyways I've maintained for a year now but I'm still unhappy with my body cause when I compare to images i'm somewhere between 17-20% body fat..

I always lose weight but i have genetic man boobs and the love handles won't go away (if anyone has a solution I'd appreciate it !)
So I decided to go back to dieting and set up a 1300 calorie diet with not much exercise just 2 or 3 times per week running at 5mph 40 minutes.

Do you guys think this is a good diet plan? I'll probably run it for 2-3 months I want to lose 20 lbs ! Thank you in advance :D

Replies

  • zerox649
    zerox649 Posts: 5
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    I am also really committed to my diet and I have a really strong will to reach my goals if they are attainable :D
  • refinedredbird
    refinedredbird Posts: 209 Member
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    If you are wanting to lose body fat, stop all the cardio and lift heavy. Building muscle will help burn fat more quickly and your body composition will improve. Also, 1300 calories is awfully low for a man who has very little to lose. I recommend eating at a deficit of about -10-15% of your TDEE.

    EDIT: Ok, don't stop ALL the cardio if you enjoy it, but ADD much more strength training.
  • zerox649
    zerox649 Posts: 5
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    So how many calories do you think I should be consuming?? Any different exercise suggestion than heavy lifting??
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    1300 is too low. Feed your body a sustainable deficit (like 500/day not 1000), kick up the protein, and work out hard. At least a couple days/week of strength training - can be bodyweight if you prefer.

    Dunno if you need to give up on your chest or not. But kick the body fat down to 12% or so and it should improve regardless.
  • Jenny9000
    Jenny9000 Posts: 45 Member
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    I think you're eating a little too low. I'm around the same stats, I'm 19 and about 168lbs. Mind you, I'm female and 5'9 lol I eat 1500 a day, and eat about 70-80% of my exercise cals back. I think you should eat a bit more and start a weight lifting regime.
  • zerox649
    zerox649 Posts: 5
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    1300 is too low. Feed your body a sustainable deficit (like 500/day not 1000), kick up the protein, and work out hard. At least a couple days/week of strength training - can be bodyweight if you prefer.

    Dunno if you need to give up on your chest or not. But kick the body fat down to 12% or so and it should improve regardless.

    I've never been down to 13% body fat, the problem is that I don't know how to get there.. so how long should i diet to attain 20lbs sustainable weight loss?
  • Sunitagt
    Sunitagt Posts: 486 Member
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    Try going to a site to calculte your TDEE and eat 20% less than that. Keep going at it until you get to the weight you want to be. But like they say, you should be lifting if you want to look better in general, and run if you like doing it.

    Try this:

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    1300 is too low. Feed your body a sustainable deficit (like 500/day not 1000), kick up the protein, and work out hard. At least a couple days/week of strength training - can be bodyweight if you prefer.

    Dunno if you need to give up on your chest or not. But kick the body fat down to 12% or so and it should improve regardless.

    I've never been down to 13% body fat, the problem is that I don't know how to get there.. so how long should i diet to attain 20lbs sustainable weight loss?

    Input 1 lb/week and you're looking at 5 months if everything goes according to plan. I lost 20 and dropped to low body fat in about 12 weeks, with 1 lb/week input, but I started off fairly muscular and strong. You'll look noticeably different and better in a few months, if you stick with the plan.