How to lose fat for Noobs

[th3pwn3r]

4 onces of chicken is about 30g protein. A protein shake could easily be 50g protein. Some Greek Yogurt is another 18g protein. Random foods, etc.

I easily hit 180g protein and not even get to 1,800 calories some days. Other days I eat like 250g protein and 4,000 calories. (Maybe that's why I gained while I was on a cut...)

Word, it's easy to get those little levels of protein in. I feel sorry for the huge guys like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler who consume like 600 grams of protein, now that's hard to do but they have the money so I guess it wouldn't be that hard.

How are things going with you Djin?

[Djin]

Word, it's easy to get those little levels of protein in. I feel sorry for the huge guys like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler who consume like 600 grams of protein, now that's hard to do but they have the money so I guess it wouldn't be that hard.

How are things going with you Djin?

Well, since I've been of Green MAGnitude and reduced my calories, I'm down to 193lbs. Yet I was pressing 75lb dumbbells yesterday. So I haven't lost any strength.

I just wish I could get this stubborn fat off. I think I might be cursed with it since I was overweight for such a long period of time.

I'm trying so hard and there are improvements, but grrrrrrrr. I know time is the answer. I just see the light at the end and it's irking me.

[th3pwn3r]

Well, since I've been of Green MAGnitude and reduced my calories, I'm down to 193lbs. Yet I was pressing 75lb dumbbells yesterday. So I haven't lost any strength.

I just wish I could get this stubborn fat off. I think I might be cursed with it since I was overweight for such a long period of time.

I'm trying so hard and there are improvements, but grrrrrrrr. I know time is the answer. I just see the light at the end and it's irking me.

Well, I'm sure you do the same thing we all do, we get naked and look in the mirror and start right at our mid sections. Look at your back, sides, legs, neck, arms, shoulders and you get the point haha. Most people are so concerned with looking at their mid section that the slow change makes progress seem nonexistent. As you know it's just going to take time as you mentioned, you'll get there in time and remember, you have your whole life to do it

[Djin]

Well, I'm sure you do the same thing we all do, we get naked and look in the mirror and start right at our mid sections. Look at your back, sides, legs, neck, arms, shoulders and you get the point haha. Most people are so concerned with looking at their mid section that the slow change makes progress seem nonexistent. As you know it's just going to take time as you mentioned, you'll get there in time and remember, you have your whole life to do it

It's obvious that my calves, quads, back, arms, blah blah blah are getting better... it's my big ass bitch tits and rollie pollie stomach. :0

[F22-Raptor]

It's obvious that my calves, quads, back, arms, blah blah blah are getting better... it's my big ass bitch tits and rollie pollie stomach. :0

I feel your pain. My tummy is almost gone and my love handles are almost gone. It is so close I can see it. But those fat cells are holding on with their fingernails in there screaming bloody murder in protest..

[iDrive]

Well, I'm sure you do the same thing we all do, we get naked and look in the mirror and start right at our mid sections. Look at your back, sides, legs, neck, arms, shoulders and you get the point haha. Most people are so concerned with looking at their mid section that the slow change makes progress seem nonexistent. As you know it's just going to take time as you mentioned, you'll get there in time and remember, you have your whole life to do it

Exactly! (would rep but I need to spread it around...)

My arms, back, chest and legs are coming in great but every time I look in the mirror I can only see the mid section glaring back at me and it really pisses me off but I take that and turn it into motivation to work harder so I guess it works out. One day I'll have abs... well visible ones lol

[mrpacijr]

Exactly! (would rep but I need to spread it around...)

My arms, back, chest and legs are coming in great but every time I look in the mirror I can only see the mid section glaring back at me and it really pisses me off but I take that and turn it into motivation to work harder so I guess it works out. One day I'll have abs... well visible ones lol

Keep working at it man, I started at 200-205 and bulked to 220 with creatine and weights. Now I am on a cut following Waves diet. Its been like 2 weeks and the scale says that I havent lost weight (sometimes even gaining) but I know definitely that I have lost fat which is all I'm really trying to do. It does seem to be slow sometimes but I'm hoping to keep it steady for the next few weeks

[b_white]

I just wish I could get this stubborn fat off. I think I might be cursed with it since I was overweight for such a long period of time.

I'm trying so hard and there are improvements, but grrrrrrrr. I know time is the answer. I just see the light at the end and it's irking me.

I think there's probably quite a few of us in the same boat. I sit down with my shirt off and all I see are rolls still...yet my friends/family can see a huge change. As th3pwn3r already mentioned we only see the one part we don't like while everyone else sees the bigger picture.

It's irritating to see that belly fat hanging on but we've just gotta keep working at it...eventually the hard work will pay off - then all you've gotta do is maintain

[Djin]

I feel your pain. My tummy is almost gone and my love handles are almost gone. It is so close I can see it. But those fat cells are holding on with their fingernails in there screaming bloody murder in protest..

I understand that the stomach, love handles and chest are the LAST to go. Also when you're closer to your "weight" your body will fight tooth and nail.

I'm 6'3" and I float from 185-195lbs. That's moderatly light for my size, but if you looked at me you would say I'm well over 200lbs. A lot of my friends guessed 200-220lbs. When I told them I was 195lbs, they **** themselves.

Today I'm down to 193lbs. Woohoo! I'm happy. This is after getting to 175lbs and looking like a stick. I bulked up to 200lbs and now I'm playing around with the 190lb area. BUT this *(&%#85379825 fat!!!!

[S1FU]

I think we're all in the same gang where the stomach is concerned. Some days you wonder why can't your body just take the first lot of fat from the stomach "then" the rest of the body lol.

And 6 cans of tuna a day?!?!?!? I just about manage with the one here and there. It's nice but too often and I can't stomach it. Lots and lots of cheap alternatives, beef slices, chicken/turkey slices etc. It's easy to consume my average of 180g a day and a couple of times eaten about 240g.

Don't forget there a little amount of proteins in food that you probably never realised was there. Simply read the label.

[wave_length]

just stopping by ...

Regarding the protein question, that's why I supplement with whey. It's just too much of a hassle for me otherwise to get the protein in.

Regarding the stubborn fat, it's different for everyone. In my case, the fat on the arms and legs is the last one to go.

[iDrive]

In my case, the fat on the arms and legs is the last one to go.

Negged .... why must you taunt us lol

[wave_length]

Negged .... why must you taunt us lol

Well I got a little stubborn fat on my lower chest and lower belly too.
But I would actually like to see my arms and legs ripped some time.

[1983Sherlock]

If it makes you feel any better this week is my deload week. I'm keeping reps/sets the same but using half my normal weights. That means on my leg day tomorrow I'll be doing 100lb squats, 30lb db straight leg deadlift, 40lb leg curls (lying). As you said I feel a bit awkward, but you know what I noticed the other day? No one else paid any attention to what I was doing or what weights I was using.

Another thing to remember is don't increase the weights too soon. Make sure whatever weight you are using that you keep correct form. Even though the other guy may be doing 80lb hammer curls if he's bending his back and throwing the weight up he's not doing himself any good.

EXRX.net has some really good workout templates to use. You can also look up just about any exercise and they've got video examples of how to do that exercise...and generally show you how to do it with free weights, machine, cable, etc.

Whatever you decide be sure to focus on compound movements and core lifts and don't overdo the gym; 3x/week is sufficient and will give you time to rest/recover.

Cheers man,

i'm greatful for all the advice everyone is willing to pass on. the link for the excersise is top drawer too.

Also went to the gym yesterday and headed straight into the free weights section. it is a touch embarasing as i didn't know what weights to start with and was possibly a little bit over cautious but your 100% right, not one person gave a cr*p about what i was doing never mind what weights i was doing it with.

[toiletmoose]

Well i wouldn't call it stubborn fat yet. Yes, fat in the belly is the last to go, but that's probably because its the easiest place to store and retrieve energy from (in the form of fat), which kinda makes sense if your a caveman not knowing when your next meal will arrive.

Whereas stubborn fat particularly has a higher ratio of alpha receptors than beta receptors. If you want details, visit Lyle McDonald's site (www.bodyrecomposition.com). But anyway, stick to the diet and all fat will come off eventually. Remember though that progress will probably not be evident for 2-3 weeks for males and even longer for females (cos your hormones mess up water balance quite bad when dieting)

Last point, fat loss is NOT LINEAR. Meaning you could go 3 weeks with zero progress on the scale + measurements and even appearance. Then over 2-3 days you lose 3 lbs. This is hypothesised to be due to hormones and water retention issues (eg: cortisol is one, but there are many more), and also due to fat cell water content.

Interesting, it is thought that once the fat in the fat cell has been used, the glycerol molecules are hydrophillic and thus attract water. So basically you have a fat cell without fatty acids in it which stays the same size for awhile before water is evacuated. Thus only when water is evacuated will you actually 'see' the fat loss.

Bottom line, follow the principles outlined in this thread, and you can't go wrong.

[Bmorekicks]

Thanks for all the help with protein shakes. I'm headed to the store this weekend to get some.

[aradian7]

So I'm a 20 year old, 6'0, 195 lbs

I've never really been the gym type, but I'm an athletic guy (I've played soccer and ice hockey since I was five). I have considerable fat on my belly, lower back and chest, but I wouldn't say I'm fat. I'm somewhere in the middle.

I want to start getting cut, and from what I've been reading on these forums, there are multiple steps and diets/workout regiments that are necessary. First step: lose the fat with these three tips.

My question: in terms of work out (3x/week), do I want to focus on full body workouts? What about heavy/less reps vs. moderate/more reps?


Thanks!

[FloridaGator]

It's obvious that my calves, quads, back, arms, blah blah blah are getting better... it's my big ass bitch tits and rollie pollie stomach. :0

EXACTLY! I have lost 21lbs in 9 weeks. It seems that my stomach just isn't letting go ... and the love handles are friggin more stubborn. I remember when I was at 165 telling myself that when I hit 160 I was going to start a bulk and put on some muscle. My stomach, tits, and love handles were still too damn there so I said 150. Now that I near the 153 mark I just don't see much of a difference and in the back of my head I am thinking 145.

I don't want to cut, bulk, cut, bulk, cut, bulk ... and on and on and on. I want to cut down to where I can see abs and then slowly bulk. Eat just above maintenance so very little fat gets added but I am building muscle. Though I see definite progress all over my body ... I don't see it fast enough in my stomach, sides, and m(.)(.)bs.

[AquaBall]

Will it work if I do weights like 5x a week? Can I use the same 3x a week routine you posted and how long should 1 workout take and how many minutes of rest should I take in between sets?

[Djin]

EXACTLY! I have lost 21lbs in 9 weeks. It seems that my stomach just isn't letting go ... and the love handles are friggin more stubborn. I remember when I was at 165 telling myself that when I hit 160 I was going to start a bulk and put on some muscle. My stomach, tits, and love handles were still too damn there so I said 150. Now that I near the 153 mark I just don't see much of a difference and in the back of my head I am thinking 145.

I don't want to cut, bulk, cut, bulk, cut, bulk ... and on and on and on. I want to cut down to where I can see abs and then slowly bulk. Eat just above maintenance so very little fat gets added but I am building muscle. Though I see definite progress all over my body ... I don't see it fast enough in my stomach, sides, and m(.)(.)bs.

That's the way things are... cut, bulk, cut, bulk, cut, bulk, etc. Until you get to the point you want, then this is the only way.

Sad but true. I'm on a cut, but my protein is 180+g per day. Plus each week I'm increasing my weights by 5-15lbs in each area. So even though I'm on a caloric deficiney, I'm still seeing progression.

[wave_length]

Shout-out to my friend Rich for making "Transformation of the Week":
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/over...chard_paul.htm

He did it while overcoming a major biceps injury, a true inspiration. Visit his journal if you're looking for some motivation.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=111804811

[Ceran]

Your body burns a combination of muscle and fat which is dependent on a number of factors (mostly genetics).

In most cases, muscle is the larger of the two burned so laying in bed eating nothing you will see WEIGHT loss (combo of muscle and fat) but if you had been actually eating as well as weight lifting your body would sense that you need the muscles so it would burn a higher proportion of fat(FAT loss).

Muscle is heavy and expendable as far as the body is concerned. It likes to store fat but if you need the muscle(weight lifting) it will keep more of that and turn to fat stores.

okay, so I'm a 21 y/o guy at 1.74 m (5"8) at around 72 kg (159 pounds) and probably up to 15% body fat... i looked at some calculators and it gives me around 1700 calories just to live on with light daily activity... so I watch my foods and stay around that level, and on days that I work out in the gym I throw in another 500+ calories, and it both cases I have at least 400 calories from protein (100g of protein for my body mass (x) 4 calories per gram of protein) .... and with all of this, theoretically, I start losing fat over time? right?

[Djin]

okay, so I'm a 21 y/o guy at 1.74 m (5"8) at around 72 kg (159 pounds) and probably up to 15% body fat... i looked at some calculators and it gives me around 1700 calories just to live on with light daily activity... so I watch my foods and stay around that level, and on days that I work out in the gym I throw in another 500+ calories, and it both cases I have at least 400 calories from protein (100g of protein for my body mass (x) 4 calories per gram of protein) .... and with all of this, theoretically, I start losing fat over time? right?

That ****'s too complex. Just make sure you're eating LESS food then you burn. Simple.

If you need 1,700... eat 2,000 and work out. You'll be fine.

[S1FU]

Shout-out to my friend Rich for making "Transformation of the Week":
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/over...chard_paul.htm

He did it while overcoming a major biceps injury, a true inspiration. Visit his journal if you're looking for some motivation.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=111804811

It's very inspiring after reading stories like these. Nice one.

[b_white]

My question: in terms of work out (3x/week), do I want to focus on full body workouts? What about heavy/less reps vs. moderate/more reps?


Thanks!

Just starting out you probably want to focus on full body workouts and compound movements (deadlifts, squats, bench press, dips, pullups, etc).

EXRX.net has some good templates to build a workout from as well as explanations/examples of how to perform each exercise.

[xuerebx]

Nice work mate, very good advice

I've got two questions related to this, since I'm on my first mini cut to get rid of this demotivating fat.

1)Probably goes under unessential factors; although not essential for a cut, do you think my cardio plan is good enough?

4 times a week, I moderately jog (fast enough that my heart starts beating quite fast, but I can still chat if I wanted to) for around 3-4 minutes, followed by a 40second sprint (fast enough that I have to focus my energy on breathing correctly, can't speak). I repeat this routine for around 5 times, my session being over in around 23 minutes. On my work-out days, I have a 10 minute jog after my training, mostly for cooling down.

2) Cottage cheese a good source of protein, about 26g of protein in one cup, right? Well according to Fitday it is. Now, how much is one cup exactly? I'm not sure if that literally means one cup, or there's another measurement for it. We don't really use cups in Malta for measurement, everything is in grams or tablespoons. For cottage cheese, I take a table spoon and remove a chunk (you know how cottage cheese sticks together), so the chunk is actually bigger than the tablespoon. I then spread it on some wholewheat bread, and force myself to eat it. Do you think that amounts to one cup of cottage cheese, or not?

I'm not really THAT fussed about my micros, but, it's my first cut, so I'm kinda wary just for now, till I learn roughly how much food I need.

Oh, and repped for the guide, very well written.

Thanks.

[Djin]

Nice work mate, very good advice

I've got two questions related to this, since I'm on my first mini cut to get rid of this demotivating fat.

1)Probably goes under unessential factors; although not essential for a cut, do you think my cardio plan is good enough?

4 times a week, I moderately jog (fast enough that my heart starts beating quite fast, but I can still chat if I wanted to) for around 3-4 minutes, followed by a 40second sprint (fast enough that I have to focus my energy on breathing correctly, can't speak). I repeat this routine for around 5 times, my session being over in around 23 minutes. On my work-out days, I have a 10 minute jog after my training, mostly for cooling down.

2) Cottage cheese a good source of protein, about 26g of protein in one cup, right? Well according to Fitday it is. Now, how much is one cup exactly? I'm not sure if that literally means one cup, or there's another measurement for it. We don't really use cups in Malta for measurement, everything is in grams or tablespoons. For cottage cheese, I take a table spoon and remove a chunk (you know how cottage cheese sticks together), so the chunk is actually bigger than the tablespoon. I then spread it on some wholewheat bread, and force myself to eat it. Do you think that amounts to one cup of cottage cheese, or not?

I'm not really THAT fussed about my micros, but, it's my first cut, so I'm kinda wary just for now, till I learn roughly how much food I need.

Oh, and repped for the guide, very well written.

Thanks.

From my understanding of a "cup", it's 8 ounces.

[thursday22dp]

Welll I think I was doing too much so I am going to start off from square one again.

4x a week lifting
no cardio
-500 deficit


do that for 3 weeks and see where I end up!!

[Hudacris]

4x a week lifting
no cardio
-500 deficit

exactly what i'm doing....excellent results so far. I had no idea cutting was this simple.

[BIGGPOPS]

Nice work mate, very good advice

I've got two questions related to this, since I'm on my first mini cut to get rid of this demotivating fat.

1)Probably goes under unessential factors; although not essential for a cut, do you think my cardio plan is good enough?

4 times a week, I moderately jog (fast enough that my heart starts beating quite fast, but I can still chat if I wanted to) for around 3-4 minutes, followed by a 40second sprint (fast enough that I have to focus my energy on breathing correctly, can't speak). I repeat this routine for around 5 times, my session being over in around 23 minutes. On my work-out days, I have a 10 minute jog after my training, mostly for cooling down.

2) Cottage cheese a good source of protein, about 26g of protein in one cup, right? Well according to Fitday it is. Now, how much is one cup exactly? I'm not sure if that literally means one cup, or there's another measurement for it. We don't really use cups in Malta for measurement, everything is in grams or tablespoons. For cottage cheese, I take a table spoon and remove a chunk (you know how cottage cheese sticks together), so the chunk is actually bigger than the tablespoon. I then spread it on some wholewheat bread, and force myself to eat it. Do you think that amounts to one cup of cottage cheese, or not?

I'm not really THAT fussed about my micros, but, it's my first cut, so I'm kinda wary just for now, till I learn roughly how much food I need.

Oh, and repped for the guide, very well written.

Thanks.

A cup is 16 ounces which is about 16 tablespoons.