80lbs down, but need help with loosing belly

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  • GlennTipton
    GlennTipton Posts: 19
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    If you've done Atkins you should know your body DOESN'T need them. Certainly not 170 grams of them and absolutely not when you are trying to burn up the last of your bulge.

    I have focused my responses on the question of "how do I lose this last bit". Cut out the refined carbohydrates that are only used to provide energy and use your fat stores. My suggestion was 40g a day but you can do whatever you want to. Even reduce them by 40 and add 18 or so to your fat macro. Give it a few weeks and see how you feel, then drop them more. Perhaps you should read more on bodybuilding and fitness sites focused on getting ready for shows and photo shoots to give you better guidance - since that's more in line with your new goal.

    Sugar, my apologies for the rudeness. Your over simplified responses and promoting your own success does nothing for the OP's original question. He's lost 80lb and wants help with the last bit. Telling him to ignore macros and focus on a number based on a low fat diet that hasn't done anything for him for 4 weeks does not answer this specific question.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    So, then lower my carb intake? Kind of afraid of that.. Having done Atkins, I know the body needs them .. What would be reasonable ?

    No, ignore that. Listen to the other people.
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
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    Sugar, my apologies for the rudeness. Your over simplified responses and promoting your own success does nothing for the OP's original question. He's lost 80lb and wants help with the last bit. Telling him to ignore macros and focus on a number based on a low fat diet that hasn't done anything for him for 4 weeks does not answer this specific question.

    It answers the OP'S question perfectly..those were my last lbs to achieve a BF% that I needed, which is what OP intended. I did not say ignore macros but calories are monumentally important to weight loss. Macros are about body comp, yes but he doesn't need to do low carb and he even says he didn't do well with it. Carbs are important. They're energy conversion helps boost work outs, overall viability. I know the feeling. If I don't get enough, I'm sluggish and grumpy. Not all people are me but it does help to illuminate the idea that there's nothing wrong with any one macro.

    Fats are of vital importance, so I can see not going low fat either but 1900 is a perfectly reasonable goal for him, given his stats.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    If you've done Atkins you should know your body DOESN'T need them. Certainly not 170 grams of them and absolutely not when you are trying to burn up the last of your bulge.

    I have focused my responses on the question of "how do I lose this last bit". Cut out the refined carbohydrates that are only used to provide energy and use your fat stores. My suggestion was 40g a day but you can do whatever you want to. Even reduce them by 40 and add 18 or so to your fat macro. Give it a few weeks and see how you feel, then drop them more. Perhaps you should read more on bodybuilding and fitness sites focused on getting ready for shows and photo shoots to give you better guidance - since that's more in line with your new goal.

    Sugar, my apologies for the rudeness. Your over simplified responses and promoting your own success does nothing for the OP's original question. He's lost 80lb and wants help with the last bit. Telling him to ignore macros and focus on a number based on a low fat diet that hasn't done anything for him for 4 weeks does not answer this specific question.


    Aaaaaaaaaand you have no idea what you're talking about :wink:
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    Typical day, :
    Breakfast
    Herbalife Shake in the morning

    Lunch:
    7-10oz of chicken breast
    2 slices of whole wheat bread,
    1-1.3 oz medium cheddar cheese
    Mixed vegetables about 3/4 cups
    (Other days it'll be 1 cup rice instead of bread)

    Dinner:
    7-10oz chicken breast
    Salad mix
    Light salad dressing
    Fat free feta cheese
    Mixed vegetables about 3/4 cups
    On off days
    Vegibowl from Flame Broiler beef white rice green onion (540 calories)

    snacks (add until the days calorie goal is met)
    add unsalted peanuts (1 serving),
    apples (Fuji medium)
    Orange (generic 1 medium)
    Banana (generic 7-8 inches)
    String cheese (1 stick)
    Sliced turkey breast (2oz or one serving)

    Yeah, there is no way you are putting on muscle with a calorie deficit like that, and eating that little protein. Sorry.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    I don't know what you need to do....eat more protein and concentrate on building muscle by increasing cals? Lower your fat intake?

    All I know is THIS.

    When someone comes in here with the answer DO NOT hold onto your methods for dear life and resist the answer. You have outlined in meticulous detail what you do and sometimes it's those very people who have fine tuned their method so much that have the hardest time letting go even when going on a board complaining it's not working for this final phase.

    Don't be that guy.

    Just priming you for success. Hope you get some good advice coming up the pike soon.:happy: :flowerforyou:
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    You have received a lot of sound advice, so all I have to add is congratulations on your weight loss thus far!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Listen to Aaron and Sugar, OP.

    I don't think low carb is necessary for most people. It may be better for those with PCOS, insulin resistance, etc. but for the average dieter carbs aren't the enemy. And if you really like carbs, as I do, it's not a good choice because it will make you feel deprived. The best plan is the one with which you can stick long term. Focus on eating the right number of calories, getting enough protein (1 gram per pound of lean body mass) and enough fat (at least .35 grams per pound), doing resistance training, and being patient.

    Personally I've gotten down to about 18% body fat without going below 200 grams of carbs.
  • techcoast
    techcoast Posts: 26 Member
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    I take into account all of the posts and look for consistencies in all of them.. What I'm hearing, simply is that my calorie intake is okay, and that I need to play with the %s a bit. It's fascinating looking at all the different opinions and ideas that surround this. One thing I'm not hearing is that more cardio is on the table to take care of that last bit.

    As for muscle, my chest has gotten bigger, waist smaller, and legs are bigger as well. So, there has to be some muscle gain for that to happen no? I'm also lifting more weight, about doubled my weight in the bodypump and still doing 90%+ of all the reps during the class which is what I've done from the start. So, not sure how else to explain that without saying that the muscle mass has grown? If there is another explanation I'm all ears!!

    I do appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions!! I know you're all on your own journey's and have accomplished so much! From what I can see of your pics you all look amazing! I'm just working toward getting there myself!! :) Today is my day off but I'll be back in the gym tomorrow for another round of training.. though I think I might have to do a late night because my schedule is just too darn busy with giving a lecture to 200 highschool students.. lol.
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
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    Strength gains =/= muscle growth. Your current muscle can build strength without adding new mass. As far as your change in measurements, again there is a small window for gains in the beginning of training and you know, a guy I highly respect doesn't fully disregard the possibility of minor muscle gain during a deficit but even if, it's minute at best, as the body isn't going to waste energy building while it's busy retaining and using fat stores for energy in proper conditions. Also, how are you measuring the muscle gain? Or are you assuming a change in measurement is muscle? Water weight can play a role in measurement changes too, so I would check consistencies in that, as well.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Strength gains =/= muscle growth. Your current muscle can build strength without adding new mass. As far as your change in measurements, again there is a small window for gains in the beginning of training and you know, a guy I highly respect doesn't fully disregard the possibility of minor muscle gain during a deficit but even if, it's minute at best, as the body isn't going to waste energy building while it's busy retaining and using fat stores for energy in proper conditions. Also, how are you measuring the muscle gain? Or are you assuming a change in measurement is muscle? Water weight can play a role in measurement changes too, so I would check consistencies in that, as well.

    Yes to all of this.
  • jward199
    jward199 Posts: 7
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    Have you read "Wheat Belly"? Since giving up wheat and sugar, I have lost 4 inches from my waist. Reducing calories alone didn't work at all on my waistline.

    Here's a link to a video where the author explains the concept: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCFQNUG97HQ
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    Honestly, I would ditch the body pump classes and focus on a progressive loading program with compound movements. Stronglifts, Starting Strength, something like that. Bodypump can be fun but it is more cardio and muscle endurance than strength. Nothing wrong with lightening up and doing some endurance every once in awhile, but I think you are better off lifting heavy with fewer reps.

    Not getting in the middle of the diet argument except to say that your fat looked a little low to me. You could increase that and decrease your carbs *slightly* (fwiw my macros are at 40c/30f/30p and I get 150+ grams of carbs a day before exercise calories, so not pushing low carb by any means).
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Here are a couple of reads about gluten/food allergies. Just in case you're curious since Wheat Belly has been brought up.

    http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/is-gluten-the-new-candida/

    http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/food-allergies-facts-myths-and-pseudoscience/

    http://www.aaccnet.org/publications/plexus/cfw/pastissues/2012/OpenDocuments/CFW-57-4-0177.pdf

    http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/05/gluten_sensitivity_may_not_exist.html


    TL;DR: unless you're gluten intolerant (which is still up for debate in and of itself) or have celiacs or wheat allergy, you don't need to avoid gluten
  • techcoast
    techcoast Posts: 26 Member
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    Yah, I'm not sold on the gluten thing. My body hasn't done anything strange in the last couple of years, so I'm not keen on trying to eliminate from the diet things that naturally happen anyway.. But, it's good to stay informed so thanks for the info. :)

    As for gaining muscle, I'm not getting huge by any stretch of the imagination, but I am checking both in physical measurements and body fat check ins that a specific scale (not my own but someone who does it for a living) measures body fat. So, according to that scale I have gained muscle and the physical measurements also seem to jive with what I'm being told.

    So, starting yesterday, I'm lowering my carb intake (a little) and continuing it for now until I hit a couple of weeks and see what happens by then. I do plan on going to a pure heavy lifting after I reach my goal weight but am more concerned with loosing weight for the time being. Though, I will admit, seeing muscles starting to be revealed in the arms is a huge incentive to keep going!
  • jward199
    jward199 Posts: 7
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    Wheat Belly isn't about gluten, it is about what wheat, specifically the modern wheat that is now in almost all processed foods, and how our bodies process it. I applaud you for keeping informed.
  • segovm
    segovm Posts: 512 Member
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    I was in the same boat when I was in my 20's, I was quite skinny (5'9 and 135 pounds) but still had a little ring of belly fat that refused to go away. In my particular case at the time, I was a vegan and definitely calorie and protein starved... one should never become a vegan if they hate veggies.

    I think, in the long term, eating well and adding some upper body mass will probably do the trick but it might take a while.

    Honestly though... how much time do you really spend in your day to day life with your shirt off in a situation where people can even spot the little belly? If the goal is a six pack I guess you have to keep going till you get it but if the goal is being healthy and active maybe you are already there.

    I just hate to see someone lose weight, get healthy and still be disappointed because some specific part of their body is not exactly how they imagined it. At least if you do feel inclined to work it off try and keep some focus on the fact that you are lighter, stronger and will live longer regardless of what happens around your waist.

    Anyways, good luck!
  • techcoast
    techcoast Posts: 26 Member
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    So, it's been a little while and I've made a small adjustment that seemed to make a BIG difference. I simply lowered my calorie intake to 1700 from 1900 and watched the weight just drop off. I'm down to 200 (My original weight goal!) and now working toward 190. My bodypump class has been all that I'm doing along with a run after every class (Going for 300 calories each time) and I'm feeling stronger with my jeans fitting way more loose.

    I guess that makes sense since I hadn't adjusted my calorie intake since I started this whole thing. I have more muscle, less weight on me, so my body burns less during the day. So, I'm guessing I was beginning to match what I was taking in with what I was burning and hence the incredibly slow weight loss.

    In any event, I'm pretty happy with the changes I'm seeing (vascular arms, muscles starting to be defined, etc) and when I hit 190 I'll switch up to more strength oriented training. (heavy lifting).. Anyway, just an update! :)

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