Dropped the first 85 lbs, still have more to go... getting harder

[grzy7316]

I have dropped from 250 lbs down to 165 since march 2013. I accomplished this by lifting low weights, high reps, moderate cardio (1x weekly) and diet. I went on a low fat, low card diet, where I now consume between 1000 and 1600 calories a day, and do at least a 30 minute lifting workout every day. I have pretty much hit a plateau in terms of being able to get rid of fat, and still have a stubborn bit of fat on the legs and stomach that will not go away. How do I go about lowering my body fat percentage down a bit more. I am 6'0" for further information ,and would like to be lean without bulking up too much. I used to be a swimmer when I was younger, and sat at about 180 lbs, 3% body fat. These days, I am unable to build muscle or drop fat like I used to, and was wondering if specific workout plans or supplements would help change this?

[Frosty288]

I have dropped from 250 lbs down to 165 since march 2013. I accomplished this by lifting low weights, high reps, moderate cardio (1x weekly) and diet. I went on a low fat, low card diet, where I now consume between 1000 and 1600 calories a day, and do at least a 30 minute lifting workout every day. I have pretty much hit a plateau in terms of being able to get rid of fat, and still have a stubborn bit of fat on the legs and stomach that will not go away. How do I go about lowering my body fat percentage down a bit more. I am 6'0" for further information ,and would like to be lean without bulking up too much. I used to be a swimmer when I was younger, and sat at about 180 lbs, 3% body fat. These days, I am unable to build muscle or drop fat like I used to, and was wondering if specific workout plans or supplements would help change this?

Well it's good that you turned to this forum and be prepared to put on your flamesuit.

Make sure you read all of the stickies. You cut on a super-low calorie diet, didn't lift heavy things, and there was no way you were 3% body fat when you were younger, so it might be worth it to get a bit of a reality check.

I did nearly the same thing as you when I went from 280-220 and I lost a lot of weight and retained a lot of fat because I cut on ~1000 calories a day (before I knew what I was doing.) Also you are 6' tall.

I would say you should do a long reverse-diet back up to maintenance and then sit there for a while, and then cut on a more realistic diet.

[grzy7316]

Well it's good that you turned to this forum and be prepared to put on your flamesuit.

Make sure you read all of the stickies. You cut on a super-low calorie diet, didn't lift heavy things, and there was no way you were 3% body fat when you were younger, so it might be worth it to get a bit of a reality check.

I did nearly the same thing as you when I went from 280-220 and I lost a lot of weight and retained a lot of fat because I cut on ~1000 calories a day (before I knew what I was doing.) Also you are 6' tall.

I would say you should do a long reverse-diet back up to maintenance and then sit there for a while, and then cut on a more realistic diet.

As far as the 3% goes, It was actually a cause for concern with my doctor, which is who measured it, and I was told I was unhealthy because of it, and was put on a high calorie diet. spending 4 hrs/day in the pool doing high intensity swim workouts 5 days a week and lifting on the other two kept me in pretty intense shape. Also, I am trying to avoid bulking up too much, as I want to stay as lean as possible to get back into swimming again. I generally work with weight similar to my body weight for the exercises I do. I

[PowerMove]

I have dropped from 250 lbs down to 165 since march 2013. I accomplished this by lifting low weights, high reps, moderate cardio (1x weekly) and diet. I went on a low fat, low card diet, where I now consume between 1000 and 1600 calories a day, and do at least a 30 minute lifting workout every day. I have pretty much hit a plateau in terms of being able to get rid of fat, and still have a stubborn bit of fat on the legs and stomach that will not go away. How do I go about lowering my body fat percentage down a bit more. I am 6'0" for further information ,and would like to be lean without bulking up too much. I used to be a swimmer when I was younger, and sat at about 180 lbs, 3% body fat. These days, I am unable to build muscle or drop fat like I used to, and was wondering if specific workout plans or supplements would help change this?

Can you post some pictures? It seems like a case of skinny fat because 165 is awful light if you are 6"0. You should also increase your calories considering your height, weight and activity level, 1000cal is way too low. We will be better equipped to help you out if you post some pictures, On a side note it is highly unlikely you were 3% body fat unless you meant 13%.

[Ataraxic]

I have dropped from 250 lbs down to 165 since march 2013. I accomplished this by lifting low weights, high reps, moderate cardio (1x weekly) and diet. I went on a low fat, low card diet, where I now consume between 1000 and 1600 calories a day, and do at least a 30 minute lifting workout every day. I have pretty much hit a plateau in terms of being able to get rid of fat, and still have a stubborn bit of fat on the legs and stomach that will not go away. How do I go about lowering my body fat percentage down a bit more. I am 6'0" for further information ,and would like to be lean without bulking up too much. I used to be a swimmer when I was younger, and sat at about 180 lbs, 3% body fat. These days, I am unable to build muscle or drop fat like I used to, and was wondering if specific workout plans or supplements would help change this?

Sorry, OP. You're skinny-fat.

You're eating way to few calories. We're the same height and there's almost no way I would EVER think of dropping my calories that low. You're not losing any more weight because your body is tired of you starving it.

"I accomplished this by lifting low weights, high reps, moderate cardio (1x weekly) and diet."
"These days, I am unable to build muscle or drop fat like I used to, and was wondering if specific workout plans or supplements would help change this?"
IMO, you should of done the exact opposite as you lost weight besides the cardio. Low reps and heavy weights is the way to go if you want to keep lbm. Seriously, stop cutting now. There's no point. You probably have such a minuscule amount of lbm that no amount of cutting will help. If I were you, I would start a slow bulk for at least 4 to 6 months while only gaining 2-3 pounds per month.

And supplements won't do sht for you. Get your diet in check. That's literally the first thing you need to do.

[Tommy W.]

You screwed up and lifted too light and did too much cardio and too low of cals for too long, Stop what you're doing and regroup.

[grzy7316]

Sorry, OP. You're skinny-fat.

You're eating way to few calories. We're the same height and there's almost no way I would EVER think of dropping my calories that low. You're not losing any more weight because your body is tired of you starving it.

"I accomplished this by lifting low weights, high reps, moderate cardio (1x weekly) and diet."
"These days, I am unable to build muscle or drop fat like I used to, and was wondering if specific workout plans or supplements would help change this?"
IMO, you should of done the exact opposite as you lost weight besides the cardio. Low reps and heavy weights is the way to go if you want to keep lbm. Seriously, stop cutting now. There's no point. You probably have such a minuscule amount of lbm that no amount of cutting will help. If I were you, I would start a slow bulk for at least 4 to 6 months while only gaining 2-3 pounds per month.

And supplements won't do sht for you. Get your diet in check. That's literally the first thing you need to do.

This is a picture of me currently. As far as stopping cutting, part of the problem is I find it difficult to eat more calories. as far as what is in my diet, I try to keep it about 60% protein, 20% carb, 20% fats. A typical meal for me is pair of chicken breasts, or a venison steak, some spinach or asparagus, and a yogurt. With my job, I only tend to have time for 1-2 meals a day.

[slimsta00018]

Eat something.............count it..............eat again............count it Work your way up into the 2000's and surprise your body. Intensify your workout with heavier weights. Keep your diet around 2000 for a while. If you like what you start seeing then maybe you should bulk IMO.

Seems to me you are just spinning your wheels with all that high rep non-sense and crash diet.

[grzy7316]

Eat something.............count it..............eat again............count it Work your way up into the 2000's and surprise your body. Intensify your workout with heavier weights. Keep your diet around 2000 for a while. If you like what you start seeing then maybe you should bulk IMO.

Seems to me you are just spinning your wheels with all that high rep non-sense and crash diet.

If I am increasing my calories, is using things like shakes acceptable for that? I really have some trouble eating large portions of food now.

[Ataraxic]

This is a picture of me currently. As far as stopping cutting, part of the problem is I find it difficult to eat more calories. as far as what is in my diet, I try to keep it about 60% protein, 20% carb, 20% fats. A typical meal for me is pair of chicken breasts, or a venison steak, some spinach or asparagus, and a yogurt. With my job, I only tend to have time for 1-2 meals a day.

Please don't cut anymore, OP. You have such a low amount of lbm, it's not even funny. Cutting more weight is going to do jack sht in your situation.

If eating is difficult for you.... man the fk up. Honestly, that's a pathetic excuse. You need to figuring out your tdee, if you already have not done so, by looking here (http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...p?t=156380403/ use any of the calculators provided in the thread. As well, ditch the macros.

Get at least .8grams protein per bodyweight/ .45grams fat per bodyweight/ fill the rest with carbs. Hit your micros by getting your fruits and vegetables.

It also doesn't matter how many meals you eat a day, as long as you get the calories in.

P.S: I love eating 1-2 meals a day if I can. 1k- 2k calorie meals are the sht.

If I am increasing my calories, is using things like shakes acceptable for that? I really have some trouble eating large portions of food now.

If you REALLY feel the need to drinking a shake for calories, do it. But, I bet once you start eating more, you're going to want to get your calories mainly from food

[james1856]

Skinny fat.

Not rehash.

1. Lift heavy
2. 500 calorie deficit.
3. Protein 1gm/lb

Profit.

[grzy7316]

Please don't cut anymore, OP. You have such a low amount of lbm, it's not even funny. Cutting more weight is going to do jack sht in your situation.

If eating is difficult for you.... man the fk up. Honestly, that's a pathetic excuse. You need to figuring out your tdee, if you already have not done so, by looking here use any of the calculators provided in the thread. As well, ditch the macros.

Get at least .8grams protein per bodyweight/ .45grams fat per bodyweight/ fill the rest with carbs. Hit your micros by getting your fruits and vegetables.

It also doesn't matter how many meals you eat a day, as long as you get the calories in.

P.S: I love eating 1-2 meals a day if I can. 1k- 2k calorie meals are the sht.



If you REALLY feel the need to drinking a shake for calories, do it. But, I bet once you start eating more, you're going to want to get your calories mainly from food

SoI did the math on my required intakes for maintainance (I Think?) and it is suggesting around 2600 calories, 162 g protein, 74g fat, and 333 g carbs. This seems like a huge amount of food. The protein doesn't seem too outrageous, as I can get that easily in my two meals (venison is awesome), but the carbs and fat seem like the more difficult parts to get in. I live with a diabetic who does most of the food shopping, so most of the food around here is really low carb/fat. For the 500 cal deficit mentioned below, does that mean 500 below this 2600 number for losing fat? Or should I stick to the 2600? Also, if I am going for the lower number (around 2100) should I be more focused on the protein, fats or carbs? I would think the protein? or just lower all of them equally?

[slimsta00018]

SoI did the math on my required intakes for maintainance (I Think?) and it is suggesting around 2600 calories, 162 g protein, 74g fat, and 333 g carbs. This seems like a huge amount of food. The protein doesn't seem too outrageous, as I can get that easily in my two meals (venison is awesome), but the carbs and fat seem like the more difficult parts to get in. I live with a diabetic who does most of the food shopping, so most of the food around here is really low carb/fat. For the 500 cal deficit mentioned below, does that mean 500 below this 2600 number for losing fat? Or should I stick to the 2600? Also, if I am going for the lower number (around 2100) should I be more focused on the protein, fats or carbs? I would think the protein? or just lower all of them equally?

Here's is two things you can do with this one simple solution. Go the opposite way. Starting from what you eat currently a day start increasing your calories a day by 300 a day for the week. If you do more don't increase more than 500 a day for the week. If you start to feel better physically and mentally keep going to maintenance and do a bulk at 500 calories above your tdee. I could probably guess this one and say you will much happier on a bulk then cut once you have some good lean mass.

If you don't feel better while raising your caloric intake then reverse diet to your maintenance as said above then drop a healthy 20% from your Tdee and start from there. Give your body a break.

[WolfgangOsis]

Listen to the advice your getting. You got nothing to cut down TO bro.

[grzy7316]

Listen to the advice your getting. You got nothing to cut down TO bro.

I am beginning to understand that, Its more of a case of wanting to get rid of the remaining fat and replace it with muscle.

[tara19]

Fat doesn't get replaced by muscle.
You lose fat, you build muscle.

Keep cutting, you'll end up looking like a smaller version of yourself.
Bulk, and the next cut, you'll have some muscle.


Oh and btw. Horrible intake, Low fats?
Eat some whole eggs, some peanut butter, add some oil to your meals, cheese. Anything.

[JoshyCii]

Good job for starting (y)

[bbpvas]

Skinny fat.

Not rehash.

1. Lift heavy
2. 500 calorie deficit.
3. Protein 1gm/lb

Profit.

In no way do I mean to hijack the thread, but is the protein consumption to be 1gm/lb for the weight you WANT to be? Because I am 450+ and I can't consume that much protein even if I could afford to.

[maXmood]

In no way do I mean to hijack the thread, but is the protein consumption to be 1gm/lb for the weight you WANT to be? Because I am 450+ and I can't consume that much protein even if I could afford to.

it's 1g per lb of your current weight

if you're 450lbs, that's 450lbs of protein. knowledgeable ppl can confirm.. i think it's more to do with your lean body weight (which excludes your fat weight) and not total weight.

OP, comments and advises here are really good, and if you read a bit more from the stickys, it will make more sense.

correct your diet, run it for a while, stick to your TDEE, increase your workout to build muscle = you'll lose fat along the way without even knowing..

keep it up and good luck.

[PowerMove]

it's 1g per lb of your current weight

if you're 450lbs, that's 450lbs of protein. knowledgeable ppl can confirm.. i think it's more to do with your lean body weight (which excludes your fat weight) and not total weight.

OP, comments and advises here are really good, and if you read a bit more from the stickys, it will make more sense.

correct your diet, run it for a while, stick to your TDEE, increase your workout to build muscle = you'll lose fat along the way without even knowing..

keep it up and good luck.

1g per lb of bw only works if you are fairly lean, if you are larger it's 1g per lb of lbm. No need for excessive protein consumption.

[Brad805]

In no way do I mean to hijack the thread, but is the protein consumption to be 1gm/lb for the weight you WANT to be? Because I am 450+ and I can't consume that much protein even if I could afford to.

Use lean body weight. I suspect 200- 250g/d P would be fine for you.

[Cast0rTr0y]

OP how did you drop 85 pounds so quickly? I started at 260 in January 13' and i've only dropped about 50-55lbs being very strict with my diet and working out 4-5x a week.

[Shandlar]

OP how did you drop 85 pounds so quickly? I started at 260 in January 13' and i've only dropped about 50-55lbs being very strict with my diet and working out 4-5x a week.

Don't be discouraged by this guy. You've lost more than a pound a week consistently for nearly a year. That's exactly how you are supposed to do it. This guy didn't lift heavy, didn't eat enough (can't get your macros on 1000 cals a day), and lost a ton of LBM along with fat and is now 6 foot 165 skinnyfat.

[bbpvas]

it's 1g per lb of your current weight

if you're 450lbs, that's 450lbs of protein. knowledgeable ppl can confirm.. i think it's more to do with your lean body weight (which excludes your fat weight) and not total weight.



correct your diet, run it for a while, stick to your TDEE, increase your workout to build muscle = you'll lose fat along the way without even knowing..

keep it up and good luck.

1g per lb of bw only works if you are fairly lean, if you are larger it's 1g per lb of lbm. No need for excessive protein consumption.

Use lean body weight. I suspect 200- 250g/d P would be fine for you.

Thanks, all of you.

[rsphillips1990]

When i cut from 300 to my current weight i didnt even eat in a deficient like that. but anyways gj OP.

[grzy7316]

When i cut from 300 to my current weight i didnt even eat in a deficient like that. but anyways gj OP.

I know I lost weight faster than I should have, but I was at a point of fatness where I had less lbm than now, and I was barely able to walk up a flight of stairs without feeling like I was going to die. Today, I ended up increasing my calories up to about 2200 (Two grilled chicken breast wraps with spinach and cheese , a small bag of almonds, a protein shake made with whole milk, and some tuna) and protein up to I'm guessing roughly 150ish grams , and I definitely felt better during my workout. I also was able to push longer and harder before my arms became jelly. I should have realized that the reason I pretty much died during high weight workouts was because of a lack of fuel. Thanks everybody for the advice so far, and I hope to have a decent progress picture in a few months.

[cyco85]