FabianRodriguez94 Member

I use musclepharm preworkouts because they tend to be the only ones which do not give me jitters. I use coffee on occasion, but sometimes it can upset my stomach. For after workouts (sometimes intra), I will have BCAA's just because I wasn't able to reach my protein through food.

1- Chicken 2- Special K Protein cereal w/milk 3- Protein Chips (quest)

As a 5'7" guy, 1500 (what it has set me to for 1lb per week) is pretty hard to reach. It is almost impossible for me to eat that little, so I usually tend to go for 1650-1750 and will jog 1-2 miles or do some HIIT alongside my strength training regimen. This has worked and I have been losing weight at ABOUT 1 lb per week.

Drink lots of water to get rid of the excess sodium. Give it a couple days and you should be back to your normal weight (if you experience water weight).

SW 230 CW 143 GW 125 (Which is when I will begin bulking)

Skim milk simply because its a bit lower in calories and tastes good with my cereals :)

Food scale, and eat to fuel my workouts.

The scale not moving is probably water weight caused by the increase in exercise, and should be going down soon enough if you are eating in a caloric deficit. Do realize that the more intense your workouts become you may begin to experience fatigue which lasts longer than it does now. Rest days ARE important, but in…

I go around 9 pm after classes and work and usually do my best at this time. Mornings, no matter how much sleep I get, never feel right for me :neutral:

Calorie deficit will bring you abs. Cardio will help you create a larger deficit, allowing for more wiggle room in your diet. Strength training will help create a much stronger and lean body as you continue to lose body fat. All 3 work beautifully together.

For the first time in my entire life, I have visible abs.

I am 5'7", 143 lbs and have been losing (albeit a bit slowly) eating about 1600-1750 calories a day with strength training and minimal cardio. You most likely are not logging as well as you think. Tighten it up.

When I first started lifting, I was a half-repping machine.

I started sprints at about 9mph for 45 seconds. After working on HIIT sprints for just under 2 months, I am now at 10.5mph sprints for the same amount of time. Alongside the HIIT, strength training is important for stronger legs. My squats have increased in volume, which I suspect has much to do with my ability to sprint…

I went to Japan in December and didn't log whatsoever. The calories WERE listed on the packaged snacks, which I took in to account. However, I ate at many restaurants and just tried to focus on portion sizes and when I felt full. Walked a lot as well. I was only gone for 2 weeks, but I came back weighing exactly the same,

For HIIT, you should probably not exceed 20 minutes. 10-15 minutes should be more than enough if you are pushing yourself to your max, which is the point.

What routine are you following? A structured routine will help you in the long run. You may not need to be going 5 days a week. Three days can be a good amount and will still help you increase strength and size. Take the rest, you don't want your lifts to ever be suffering from exhaustion.

Another factor may be family/friends not being too supportive. I know when I first started out, no one took my meal planning and workouts seriously and told me to "skip the gym" so we could go out to eat or to "just have a little bit". After a while, they started being more supportive and my family has even began using MFP…

For pre-workout, I use Wreckage by Musclepharm, no jitters or tingles but feel really pumped and focused. Try to save it for stressful days where motivation is low. For post, don't really use anything except some "Gainz" BCAA's, by musclepharm as well. Only use it when I am pretty low on protein for the day and do not have…

I had the same issue! Bottom left of my lower back always caused me discomfort. It wasn't until some really nice guy came over and gave me tips on my form (which I can admit was pretty bad when I first started). He even told me that "by the looks of it, your form may cause you pain right here", and he pressed on the…

No real reason, but I limit ab workouts. I don't know why- but I really should probably add a few short sessions every now and then.

Don't understand the backlash, the title was from a famous quote.

One thing to help start off is cutting out calories from liquids. This is not necessary and you can just try to fit them into your calorie goal, but for many it helps. You'd be surprised how many calories people can go over just on drinks alone.

I second home videos such as T25 or Insanity. I have completed both in the past and lost a good amount of weight. Very tough, but if you are up for the challenge you can get really great results.

Since I have not seen any type of halt in my weight loss, I will usually only log my weight when it hits a new low. If it stays the same or moves up, I assume water retention and just keep logging my food accurately as possible until a lower number shows.

Black coffee with or without a zero calorie sweetener will not affect your weight at all. If anything, it may help to reduce water retention.

Bulking will put body fat on. And the jogging, while beneficial for your health, will ultimately slow your bulk down. And fasting is not something that goes hand in hand with bulking. What exactly is your goal?

1- Make sure you are accurately measuring with a food scale to make sure you are actually in the type of deficit you would like to be in 2- Maybe partake in a refeed day. For those who have been losing weight for long periods of time, or for those who are at lower body fat percentages- it would be beneficial to have a…

Like others, I think the only supplement really NEEDED would be protein powder for those who cannot meet their requirements. Also, SOMETIMES a pre-workout or caffeine supplement for those with stressful and long days that need the boost.

I get really bummed out when I see someone following a diet fad that will lead to failure. I always want to chime in and say something based on my experience counting calories, but usually will not receive a positive response. I keep to myself, unless asked for advice.