Plateauing, what do I do??

I worked a construction job a few months back and ate 4k+ cal a day. Since I stopped working I downloaded this app to find my new caloric intake. It's telling me to eat 3100 calories a day. I have not seen any weight gain, infact im losing weight, so I bumped it up to 3200 and I'm still losing weight. So I bumped it up to 3400 calories a day and I'm still losing weight. I weigh myself every weekend and am not seeing a change except for weight loss and that's not what I want right now. I weighed in at 177 during construction and now I'm 172. Last weekend I was 173.5. I'm full during the day and do not feel that I need to eat any more. At this point do I just keep adding calories?? I'm 9 months into my body building journey and I've hit a wall at this point
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Replies

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I worked a construction job a few months back and ate 4k+ cal a day. Since I stopped working I downloaded this app to find my new caloric intake. It's telling me to eat 3100 calories a day. I have not seen any weight gain, infact im losing weight, so I bumped it up to 3200 and I'm still losing weight. So I bumped it up to 3400 calories a day and I'm still losing weight. I weigh myself every weekend and am not seeing a change except for weight loss and that's not what I want right now. I weighed in at 177 during construction and now I'm 172. Last weekend I was 173.5. I'm full during the day and do not feel that I need to eat any more. At this point do I just keep adding calories?? I'm 9 months into my body building journey and I've hit a wall at this point

    Yep
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    If you're still consistently losing...keep adding :)
  • kingkam21
    kingkam21 Posts: 76 Member
    This week I have been watching my sodium intake to show more definition. I have lowered my sodium intake by a lot, could this result in weight loss?
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    This week I have been watching my sodium intake to show more definition. I have lowered my sodium intake by a lot, could this result in weight loss?

    Yep
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    This week I have been watching my sodium intake to show more definition. I have lowered my sodium intake by a lot, could this result in weight loss?

    Yep

    yes, with the caveat that it is probably just water weight….
  • kingkam21
    kingkam21 Posts: 76 Member
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

  • kingkam21
    kingkam21 Posts: 76 Member
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

    Yes but all my body fat is in my abdominal area. I can't see any cuts or muscles inmmy abdominal area likeI would like too. I'm pretty lean except for my Prego belly
  • hercrdh88
    hercrdh88 Posts: 9 Member
    What does your diet look like?
  • pbryd
    pbryd Posts: 364 Member
    What is your main goal for the next month?

    You've started this thread implying you're unhappy because you're losing weight, then you've posted you want to see abs.

    Are you lifting weights?
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

    Yes but all my body fat is in my abdominal area. I can't see any cuts or muscles inmmy abdominal area likeI would like too. I'm pretty lean except for my Prego belly

    Then I'm afraid you're not 10% body fat. Do not rely on scales or self measured calipers. Put some photos up and we will help you!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

    Yes but all my body fat is in my abdominal area. I can't see any cuts or muscles inmmy abdominal area likeI would like too. I'm pretty lean except for my Prego belly

    Then I'm afraid you're not 10% body fat. Do not rely on scales or self measured calipers. Put some photos up and we will help you!

    I have a slight 4 pack (especially on the sides) and even I am 16% body fat. So I would tend to agree with this. At 10% body fat, you have a flat stomach and six pack is fairly visible.
  • kingkam21
    kingkam21 Posts: 76 Member
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

    Yes but all my body fat is in my abdominal area. I can't see any cuts or muscles inmmy abdominal area likeI would like too. I'm pretty lean except for my Prego belly

    Then I'm afraid you're not 10% body fat. Do not rely on scales or self measured calipers. Put some photos up and we will help you!

    I don't know how to post a pic on this thread but I dit update my profile picture to my abdominal area. That photo was taken today about 3 hours after my first meal. I'm am doing my full flex. I would like to cut down a bit because I plan on doing a before and after photos of my first year of body building and I want to shred for my final pictures. My one year mark is Jun 3rd
  • kingkam21
    kingkam21 Posts: 76 Member
    I say Prego belly because I have a round stomach after eating but aswell as a small round stomach when I'm not flexing abs. I lift mon-sat sometimes mon-fri, taking 1-2 days off a week. I workout for about 1.5 hours. I started at 130lb and I am now at 172-174. I have never taken creatine and I do not take protein shakes, just eat good food such as fish, turkey, cheese, yogurts and what not. By my profile picture, what does my fat percentage look like? Or how long will it take me too shred down to a 6pack or even 8 pack? I am eating 3400+ calories a day
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    I would say around 12 to 14%. Its still fairly flat.

    You can shred whenever you are ready, just go slow.
  • kingkam21
    kingkam21 Posts: 76 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    I would say around 12 to 14%. Its still fairly flat.

    You can shred whenever you are ready, just go slow.
    So if I am to start cutting next week. How do I start my cut? For example, do I drop straight bellow my maintenance calories? Or do I subtract a few calories every week? And if so how many calories is safe to drop per week?
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    I'd say eat at 3-500 calories per day under your needs and go for no more than .5-1lb a week weightloss. Keep up with the lifting and eat .8g of protein per pound of body weight.

    Take it slow or you risk losing your hard earned muscle!

    There's a good sticky at the top of a forum somewhere on how to post photos.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

    Yes but all my body fat is in my abdominal area. I can't see any cuts or muscles inmmy abdominal area likeI would like too. I'm pretty lean except for my Prego belly

    I'm the same way. I can be 9% body fat and still have abdominal fat and love handles while my biceps spiderweb with veins the second I get a pump. Just focus on gaining some lean mass and cut. Make sure to build abs while you bulk, it'll make them that much more noticeable once you get back down to a lower body fat %. I've got better abs now at 11% 176lbs then when I did at 156lbs and 8.5% body fat

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    I'd say eat at 3-500 calories per day under your needs and go for no more than .5-1lb a week weightloss. Keep up with the lifting and eat .8g of protein per pound of body weight.

    Take it slow or you risk losing your hard earned muscle!

    There's a good sticky at the top of a forum somewhere on how to post photos.

    This is the approach I would take.


    And there are two ways to post pictures, that I know of:

    1. Host them on another platform (i.e. - Photobucket) and put them in the tag file extension name
    2. If using the app there is a "camera" at the bottom which allows you to take a photo and directly upload.
  • kingkam21
    kingkam21 Posts: 76 Member
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

    Yes but all my body fat is in my abdominal area. I can't see any cuts or muscles inmmy abdominal area likeI would like too. I'm pretty lean except for my Prego belly

    I'm the same way. I can be 9% body fat and still have abdominal fat and love handles while my biceps spiderweb with veins the second I get a pump. Just focus on gaining some lean mass and cut. Make sure to build abs while you bulk, it'll make them that much more noticeable once you get back down to a lower body fat %. I've got better abs now at 11% 176lbs then when I did at 156lbs and 8.5% body fat

    How often do you workout abs? I hear that all you need is 5 minutes a day or 5 minutes every other day of an workouts
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

    Yes but all my body fat is in my abdominal area. I can't see any cuts or muscles inmmy abdominal area likeI would like too. I'm pretty lean except for my Prego belly

    I'm the same way. I can be 9% body fat and still have abdominal fat and love handles while my biceps spiderweb with veins the second I get a pump. Just focus on gaining some lean mass and cut. Make sure to build abs while you bulk, it'll make them that much more noticeable once you get back down to a lower body fat %. I've got better abs now at 11% 176lbs then when I did at 156lbs and 8.5% body fat

    How often do you workout abs? I hear that all you need is 5 minutes a day or 5 minutes every other day of an workouts

    You dont need to work abs if you dont want as you engage them while doing many compound lifts.

    But i work mine 2 or 3x a week for 10 to 15 min each session because i want to ensure i have a strong core.
  • kingkam21
    kingkam21 Posts: 76 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

    Yes but all my body fat is in my abdominal area. I can't see any cuts or muscles inmmy abdominal area likeI would like too. I'm pretty lean except for my Prego belly

    I'm the same way. I can be 9% body fat and still have abdominal fat and love handles while my biceps spiderweb with veins the second I get a pump. Just focus on gaining some lean mass and cut. Make sure to build abs while you bulk, it'll make them that much more noticeable once you get back down to a lower body fat %. I've got better abs now at 11% 176lbs then when I did at 156lbs and 8.5% body fat

    How often do you workout abs? I hear that all you need is 5 minutes a day or 5 minutes every other day of an workouts

    You dont need to work abs if you dont want as you engage them while doing many compound lifts.

    But i work mine 2 or 3x a week for 10 to 15 min each session because i want to ensure i have a strong core.

    I see. I personally dis like doing abs and I've probably only worked out my abs a hand full of times.
    I have heard a few people state that a body builders first year, it is possible to gain muscle mass while cutting fat???? Is this true
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    edited March 2016
    There is a thing called a recomp where you can see some simultaneous gains with fat loss but it is very time consuming and doesn't always yield the expect results. Having said that, some enjoy it because the fear of fat gains or dont care about a timeline.
  • Stefan_Bogdan
    Stefan_Bogdan Posts: 19 Member
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

    Yes but all my body fat is in my abdominal area. I can't see any cuts or muscles inmmy abdominal area likeI would like too. I'm pretty lean except for my Prego belly

    I'm the same way. I can be 9% body fat and still have abdominal fat and love handles while my biceps spiderweb with veins the second I get a pump. Just focus on gaining some lean mass and cut. Make sure to build abs while you bulk, it'll make them that much more noticeable once you get back down to a lower body fat %. I've got better abs now at 11% 176lbs then when I did at 156lbs and 8.5% body fat

    How often do you workout abs? I hear that all you need is 5 minutes a day or 5 minutes every other day of an workouts

    You dont need to work abs if you dont want as you engage them while doing many compound lifts.

    But i work mine 2 or 3x a week for 10 to 15 min each session because i want to ensure i have a strong core.

    I see. I personally dis like doing abs and I've probably only worked out my abs a hand full of times.
    I have heard a few people state that a body builders first year, it is possible to gain muscle mass while cutting fat???? Is this true

    i can tell you from my experience that it is possible to gain muscle and lose fat . The trick is heavy weights and a good amount of protein intake . i am at the same body weight for 3 years but i can see some changed regarding the belly fat ! try to not do a lot of cardio. try to not eat breakfast. there are a lot of tricks , contact me for some more chit chat. good luck !
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited March 2016
    1 week is not a plateau - 4 to 6 weeks is....

    As for muscle gains it takes a long time, I'm 7 months into a recomp and seeing some results but I reckon it could be another year yet...
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

    Yes but all my body fat is in my abdominal area. I can't see any cuts or muscles inmmy abdominal area likeI would like too. I'm pretty lean except for my Prego belly

    I'm the same way. I can be 9% body fat and still have abdominal fat and love handles while my biceps spiderweb with veins the second I get a pump. Just focus on gaining some lean mass and cut. Make sure to build abs while you bulk, it'll make them that much more noticeable once you get back down to a lower body fat %. I've got better abs now at 11% 176lbs then when I did at 156lbs and 8.5% body fat

    How often do you workout abs? I hear that all you need is 5 minutes a day or 5 minutes every other day of an workouts
    psulemon wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

    Yes but all my body fat is in my abdominal area. I can't see any cuts or muscles inmmy abdominal area likeI would like too. I'm pretty lean except for my Prego belly

    I'm the same way. I can be 9% body fat and still have abdominal fat and love handles while my biceps spiderweb with veins the second I get a pump. Just focus on gaining some lean mass and cut. Make sure to build abs while you bulk, it'll make them that much more noticeable once you get back down to a lower body fat %. I've got better abs now at 11% 176lbs then when I did at 156lbs and 8.5% body fat

    How often do you workout abs? I hear that all you need is 5 minutes a day or 5 minutes every other day of an workouts

    You dont need to work abs if you dont want as you engage them while doing many compound lifts.

    But i work mine 2 or 3x a week for 10 to 15 min each session because i want to ensure i have a strong core.

    I personally do them 2x a week with 1-days rest inbetween doing them and squats or deadlifts. I generally treat them like other muscle groups. 8-14 sets with 8-16 reps per set. I do about 3 exercises covering my upper and lower abs, then 2 exercises focusing on my obliques. They've definitely become more pronounced even with a layer of fat ontop and definitely are becoming stronger

  • kingkam21
    kingkam21 Posts: 76 Member
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

    Yes but all my body fat is in my abdominal area. I can't see any cuts or muscles inmmy abdominal area likeI would like too. I'm pretty lean except for my Prego belly

    I'm the same way. I can be 9% body fat and still have abdominal fat and love handles while my biceps spiderweb with veins the second I get a pump. Just focus on gaining some lean mass and cut. Make sure to build abs while you bulk, it'll make them that much more noticeable once you get back down to a lower body fat %. I've got better abs now at 11% 176lbs then when I did at 156lbs and 8.5% body fat

    How often do you workout abs? I hear that all you need is 5 minutes a day or 5 minutes every other day of an workouts
    psulemon wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    kingkam21 wrote: »
    I thought in the other thread you started you said you were cutting in preparation for a bulk?

    Anyway, now is a good time to find your maintenance calories, for this weight that you are now.

    Weigh every day and average every 7, rolling it over every day to see your true weight.

    I've been bulking for 9 months, I'm going to start cutting next month for the first time. I nplan on cutting for 2+ months to lose 8lbs or so

    In your last thread didn't you state that you were only at 10% body fat? You should definitely keep bulking if so. No point in cutting. You're probably fairly defined with a decent amount of vascularity

    Yes but all my body fat is in my abdominal area. I can't see any cuts or muscles inmmy abdominal area likeI would like too. I'm pretty lean except for my Prego belly

    I'm the same way. I can be 9% body fat and still have abdominal fat and love handles while my biceps spiderweb with veins the second I get a pump. Just focus on gaining some lean mass and cut. Make sure to build abs while you bulk, it'll make them that much more noticeable once you get back down to a lower body fat %. I've got better abs now at 11% 176lbs then when I did at 156lbs and 8.5% body fat

    How often do you workout abs? I hear that all you need is 5 minutes a day or 5 minutes every other day of an workouts

    You dont need to work abs if you dont want as you engage them while doing many compound lifts.

    But i work mine 2 or 3x a week for 10 to 15 min each session because i want to ensure i have a strong core.

    I personally do them 2x a week with 1-days rest inbetween doing them and squats or deadlifts. I generally treat them like other muscle groups. 8-14 sets with 8-16 reps per set. I do about 3 exercises covering my upper and lower abs, then 2 exercises focusing on my obliques. They've definitely become more pronounced even with a layer of fat ontop and definitely are becoming stronger

    Will deadlifts and squats be considered abb workouts?? I do squats about 2 times a week and deadlifts about once. I don't have week abs, there just not showing like I would like them too
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Both squat and dl work your abs if done right.