Not making any progress with body fat?
dave_in_ni
Posts: 533 Member
This has been a real struggle, probably much more than it should be. I am coming up to 4 years now I've been at this and I've not managed to improve body fat.
I've been on here a long time and asked for help a few times, I've tried everything that's been suggested including 2 trips to get hormones and thyroid checked.
Long story short started in 2015 lifting weights on a 5x5 program few months later I decided to diet. Made every mistake in the book, cut too quick, not enough protein and long story short went from 230-160 and ended up skinny fat.
Since then it's been a constant struggle to fix it and I'm getting nowhere. Don't get me wrong for average Andy I look great with a t-shirt on, take it off though it's a disaster, I look fat but I'm not big enough to be fat if this makes sense. I went from a jacket potato to a small potato meaning my composition basically stayed the same even I got smaller.
I've effectively been recomping since, eating at maintenance, I did drop to 150 at one stage but again the same composition.
In regards to lifting weights I did program jump a couple of years out of frustration really, I've been on PPL couple of years now, progress is slow maybe only adding weight every 3-4 weeks but it's still progress.
At the moment I'm 168, I try to stay around 165-170.
Any opinions?
I've been on here a long time and asked for help a few times, I've tried everything that's been suggested including 2 trips to get hormones and thyroid checked.
Long story short started in 2015 lifting weights on a 5x5 program few months later I decided to diet. Made every mistake in the book, cut too quick, not enough protein and long story short went from 230-160 and ended up skinny fat.
Since then it's been a constant struggle to fix it and I'm getting nowhere. Don't get me wrong for average Andy I look great with a t-shirt on, take it off though it's a disaster, I look fat but I'm not big enough to be fat if this makes sense. I went from a jacket potato to a small potato meaning my composition basically stayed the same even I got smaller.
I've effectively been recomping since, eating at maintenance, I did drop to 150 at one stage but again the same composition.
In regards to lifting weights I did program jump a couple of years out of frustration really, I've been on PPL couple of years now, progress is slow maybe only adding weight every 3-4 weeks but it's still progress.
At the moment I'm 168, I try to stay around 165-170.
Any opinions?
2
Replies
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Remind us of your height and age please Dave.
Also, what's your macro percentages?
(I'm same weight as you - 49 - bit of fluff on waist which I'm losing slowly)
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DanSanthomes wrote: »Remind us of your height and age please Dave.
Also, what's your macro percentages?
(I'm same weight as you - 49 - bit of fluff on waist which I'm losing slowly)
6ft, 39
Macros
40%p
30%c
30%f0 -
Have you tried changing your macros up?0
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Hannahwalksfar wrote: »Have you tried changing your macros up?
Not really. We'll protein can't really change. The other two could
0 -
I’d give away 10% of your protein to carbs2
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Ok. I'm 10 years older and 3 inches shorter so you must have a good muscle base - just covered with a bit of 'padding' :-)
I've just spent about a year 'marking time' with weights doing 3-4 times a week (strength and hypertrophy type workouts). Macros were same as yours (protein was 50% at one point). Try as I might I couldn't get my waistline DOWN and muscle measurements UP. Also kept feeling overtrained and picked up sniffs and sneezes too often.
A month ago I decided to cut back a bit on the weights and introduce a more cardio/metcon approach. I researched a few systems/apps and decided on SmartWod. This gives me a cross-training type workout every day/session which i supplement with a bit of extra strength training. (Workouts are literally all sorts - sprints/Deadlifts/skipping/Squats/medicine ball/pullups/bodyweight stuff/heavy weights etc. etc. etc.)
So far I've lost half an inch off waist and already look leaner and definitely feel fitter. I've only lost 1lb in weight but I am just aiming for recomp anyway. Calories are only 1700 but I'm eating ALL of my exercise calories and I think this evens out to my maintenance figure anyway.
My macros now are 40%C 30%P 30%F. I feel more energised than I have for a good while and look forward to every workout - even if it contain Burpees!
I'm not advocating you do exactly the same but I definitely think my training was out of balance and a much more varied workout was needed. (I planned on giving it 60 days but I've already changed that to 60 workouts). I do my weekly weigh-in every Friday but can already feel my jeans have gone slacker again.
Best of luck whatever you try.
2 -
Hannahwalksfar wrote: »I’d give away 10% of your protein to carbs
I second that emotion :-)1 -
DanSanthomes wrote: »Ok. I'm 10 years older and 3 inches shorter so you must have a good muscle base - just covered with a bit of 'padding' :-)
I've just spent about a year 'marking time' with weights doing 3-4 times a week (strength and hypertrophy type workouts). Macros were same as yours (protein was 50% at one point). Try as I might I couldn't get my waistline DOWN and muscle measurements UP. Also kept feeling overtrained and picked up sniffs and sneezes too often.
A month ago I decided to cut back a bit on the weights and introduce a more cardio/metcon approach. I researched a few systems/apps and decided on SmartWod. This gives me a cross-training type workout every day/session which i supplement with a bit of extra strength training. (Workouts are literally all sorts - sprints/Deadlifts/skipping/Squats/medicine ball/pullups/bodyweight stuff/heavy weights etc. etc. etc.)
So far I've lost half an inch off waist and already look leaner and definitely feel fitter. I've only lost 1lb in weight but I am just aiming for recomp anyway. Calories are only 1700 but I'm eating ALL of my exercise calories and I think this evens out to my maintenance figure anyway.
My macros now are 40%C 30%P 30%F. I feel more energised than I have for a good while and look forward to every workout - even if it contain Burpees!
I'm not advocating you do exactly the same but I definitely think my training was out of balance and a much more varied workout was needed. (I planned on giving it 60 days but I've already changed that to 60 workouts). I do my weekly weigh-in every Friday but can already feel my jeans have gone slacker again.
Best of luck whatever you try.
I've never really done any cardio. Perhaps that's the missing link. I go for a walk/hike on Saturday but it's not exactly very taxing. Perhaps I need something like that? Ok I clock up around 15000 steps per day with work so am fairly active that way but I've been doing that for so many years my body's adapted to that.
Perhaps I should cut down on the lifting a bit.
What waist size are you out of interest? 32 here0 -
Hannahwalksfar wrote: »I’d give away 10% of your protein to carbs
Could do that, that would probably make it 0.8g per lb weight0 -
Are you weighing your intake and accurately tracking everything? It sounds far more likely that you are likely inadvertently putting yourself over maintenance somehow. I'd find that to be a far more likely culprit than your macro split. Macros are going to be less important overall to your body comp at this level than total calorie intake.
If you aren't logging with accuracy, you will have difficulty, not to mention those last 20 or so vanity pounds will always be the hardest to lose and take the longest.
Getting adequate protein and continued lifting will help preserve muscle tissue, but ultimately, losing the fat to expose what you want to show will be key and one often has extremely little wiggle room to make mistakes for those last few.3 -
I'm 32.5" waist as of last week but, like I said, jeans are slacking off. (I hold onto fat in my rear 'pouches' for some reason!)
For the record - I'm an info geek so I know that normally I'd have to lose 2lbs+of bodyweight to lose half an inch off waistline. So far in a month I've still only lost 1lb and I reckon it will be 3/4" less by tomorrow. If I can be approx 31 by the end of the 60 workouts, but still have retained muscle, then I'll judge it to have been successful - for me.
I was never a big cardio fan but this workout generator seems to sneak it in so you don't realise - but your muscles are still being taxed, royally! I still like a good deadlift session but that's just once a week now.3 -
Your 6 feet tall and 168. What makes you think you have excess body fat at that height and weight?2
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Your 6 feet tall and 168. What makes you think you have excess body fat at that height and weight?
I'm like 18/19% Yes the one baffling question has always been how is this possible, I shouldn't be that level of BF for that height and weight. I put it down to extremely crap body fat distribution, Skinny everywhere bar the stomach and chest.0 -
BecomingBane wrote: »Are you weighing your intake and accurately tracking everything? It sounds far more likely that you are likely inadvertently putting yourself over maintenance somehow. I'd find that to be a far more likely culprit than your macro split. Macros are going to be less important overall to your body comp at this level than total calorie intake.
If you aren't logging with accuracy, you will have difficulty, not to mention those last 20 or so vanity pounds will always be the hardest to lose and take the longest.
Getting adequate protein and continued lifting will help preserve muscle tissue, but ultimately, losing the fat to expose what you want to show will be key and one often has extremely little wiggle room to make mistakes for those last few.
Yeah its kind of went to pot this year. The past 3 years tracked everything so I got pretty good at guestimating but I monitored the scales closely and they haven't really budged.0 -
I find that my estimation skills decline quickly. Others don't seem to.
I just know that once I stop logging everything starts creeping back slowly.
I'd recommend a period of intensely accurate logging and bet you'll find better results... just remember, you're in the vanity loss time of your goals... this will be slow going and have little room for mistakes. For me, if I'm trying to cut that last bit, one day of overeating will ruin the week for me.
This is where I have to rely most on my will power and coping mechanisms to not self-sabotage.4 -
BecomingBane wrote: »I find that my estimation skills decline quickly. Others don't seem to.
I just know that once I stop logging everything starts creeping back slowly.
I'd recommend a period of intensely accurate logging and bet you'll find better results... just remember, you're in the vanity loss time of your goals... this will be slow going and have little room for mistakes. For me, if I'm trying to cut that last bit, one day of overeating will ruin the week for me.
This is where I have to rely most on my will power and coping mechanisms to not self-sabotage.
Vanity loss is a great way of looking at it, By most peoples standards I do look fine but not my own.0 -
Is there any chance that you have a little bit of body dismorphia?
Do you have monthly pics that you are comparing and seeing no improvement?
Any chance you would post a pic or 2 for feedback?
Also, PPL are usually strength programs, and your progress in weight lifted has slowed, maybe it is time to switch to a hypertrophy programme, PHUL or PHAT.
I’d look to a programme switch for physique improvement rather than a weight drop. Right now your training for strength but wanting muscle gain.
A small slow 5-10lbs may be ok but try switching to a hypertrophy programme first.
Cheers, h.6 -
Have you considered doing a bulk to increase your muscle mass base, then a slow cut? like previous poster, maybe hypertrophy during your bulk, then switch to strength-based program for your cut.3
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Have you considered doing a bulk to increase your muscle mass base, then a slow cut? like previous poster, maybe hypertrophy during your bulk, then switch to strength-based program for your cut.
I've always been scared of bulking, being a former fat guy I am scared of getting fat again mainly because the initial cut I had was so painful. It is a fear I need to get over and it may be the part of the puzzle I am missing as recomping doesn't really do much1 -
A recomp is slower but will accomplish the same over time. As middlehaitch said, move to a hypertrophy program and eat at maintenance. And have patience. The changes are slow. But, for me, not that much different than a bulk/cut cycle. I get it. I'm not up for gaining after working so hard to lose 35lbs or so.1
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Bulking up might be a good idea. Even if you end up losing that last bit of fat, you will still look very skinny if I got your body image right based on your description.2
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Bulking up might be a good idea. Even if you end up losing that last bit of fat, you will still look very skinny if I got your body image right based on your description.
Yes I would, Even now with a T-shirt on I look small and fine.
Given what I have told you thus far how much would I be able to bulk up to before cutting? 180-190? Or would it just depend on what the mirror says?0 -
A recomp is slower but will accomplish the same over time. As middlehaitch said, move to a hypertrophy program and eat at maintenance. And have patience. The changes are slow. But, for me, not that much different than a bulk/cut cycle. I get it. I'm not up for gaining after working so hard to lose 35lbs or so.
Well PPL is the original hypertrophy program.0 -
dave_in_ni wrote: »Bulking up might be a good idea. Even if you end up losing that last bit of fat, you will still look very skinny if I got your body image right based on your description.
Yes I would, Even now with a T-shirt on I look small and fine.
Given what I have told you thus far how much would I be able to bulk up to before cutting? 180-190? Or would it just depend on what the mirror says?
I would suggest 15-20 lbs for starters, then reassess.
PPL can be strength or hypertrophy, depends on reps, sets, rest, load, volume, etc.2
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