Feeling "stuck"

[JmfG318]

Hi guys, I'm new to posting but not new to the forums/site. Self admitted "lurker." I am having some issues with my goals. I have been lifting heavy and hard for two years, prior to that I was a distance runner until recurring stress fractures convinced me otherwise. I'm 5'6, 135lbs and 24 years old. I did recover from extreme anorexia in my teens. Anyway, I am questioning as to whether I have metabolic damage from the excessively low calories for such an extended period of time. I have put on quality mass (started lifting at 120lb) but my body is always quick to store fat. I follow a clean diet, meal prep, etc, and expected fat gains while eating in a calorie surplus. However, now that I'm trying to lose the fat I've stored, (it's primarily located on my midsection) it does not want to budge. I've lowered my calories to roughly 1500-1600, and added more cardio while continuing to lift and am still seeing no progress.

I'm at a loss of what to do from here. I know I've read that you cannot cut if there's nothing to cut (i.e calories etc) and I feel as if I'm getting close to that point where I don't know how (or what) to reduce. I know I need to be in a deficit to lose fat, and I do believe I am creating one through the lowered calories and increased cardio, however the fat is not moving.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

[nacersusaf]

I am a big believer in re-feeds, diet breaks, etc.

How long has it been since you ate at your maintenance calories for a while?

Do you ever have "cheat days", re-feeds, "free days" or any sort of break from dieting?

Do you calculate/track your macros, and if so, what are they?

[emmee6]

I am a big believer in re-feeds, diet breaks, etc.

How long has it been since you ate at your maintenance calories for a while?

Do you ever have "cheat days", re-feeds, "free days" or any sort of break from dieting?

Do you calculate/track your macros, and if so, what are they?

How often should a person go back to maintenance calories? I have cheat days so I have never really gone up to a period of time eating at maintenance, but what are the benefits of doing that, and for how long?
(sorry if I hijacked the thread)

[rockangel]

How often should a person go back to maintenance calories? I have cheat days so I have never really gone up to a period of time eating at maintenance, but what are the benefits of doing that, and for how long?
(sorry if I hijacked the thread)

Depends on a lot of things; how long the person is planning on dieting, how low they are taking the cals, how they respond, etc.

a good read is here: http://www.leighpeele.com/starvation-mode

and if you are looking for more science specific info, lyle mcdonalds rapid fat loss book is really good in explaining the hormones and such as well as why the breaks/refeeds are needed and how often.

[kdiamond55]

Sounds to me you're at a good weight for your height, and you already have a good base, so I think you may have answered your own question about having nothing to cut, and you may want to try a bulk if you're not happy with your progress.

Why don't you start with maintenance calories for a while and see what happens? How long have you been eating at 1500 calories and haven't seen any results?

[kimm4]

Hi guys, I'm new to posting but not new to the forums/site. Self admitted "lurker." I am having some issues with my goals. I have been lifting heavy and hard for two years, prior to that I was a distance runner until recurring stress fractures convinced me otherwise. I'm 5'6, 135lbs and 24 years old. I did recover from extreme anorexia in my teens. Anyway, I am questioning as to whether I have metabolic damage from the excessively low calories for such an extended period of time. I have put on quality mass (started lifting at 120lb) but my body is always quick to store fat. I follow a clean diet, meal prep, etc, and expected fat gains while eating in a calorie surplus. However, now that I'm trying to lose the fat I've stored, (it's primarily located on my midsection) it does not want to budge. I've lowered my calories to roughly 1500-1600, and added more cardio while continuing to lift and am still seeing no progress.

I'm at a loss of what to do from here. I know I've read that you cannot cut if there's nothing to cut (i.e calories etc) and I feel as if I'm getting close to that point where I don't know how (or what) to reduce. I know I need to be in a deficit to lose fat, and I do believe I am creating one through the lowered calories and increased cardio, however the fat is not moving.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

You've managed to gain weight, you're at a healthy weight and I feel the metabolic damage mentality is thrown around way too much on these forums. It normally goes back to a tracking error...it's that simple.

A clean diet means nothing to me. It comes down to sticking to your calorie deficit and tracking everything properly. Saying "my calories are roughly 1500-1600" is not an exact...that's estimating and it doesn't work. All foods need to be weighed, measured and tracked accordingly on a food scale. If there are no medical issues, fat loss should move at a steady rate.

As for taking diet breaks, refeeds, etc...that's completely individual. If one has been dieting for long periods of time, sitting at low levels of bodyfat it's something that needs to be looked into. But for the average person sitting at a normal or possibly higher level of bodyfat, just starting out in their deficit...it's not needed.

[Cara0915]

You've managed to gain weight, you're at a healthy weight and I feel the metabolic damage mentality is thrown around way too much on these forums. It normally goes back to a tracking error...it's that simple.

A clean diet means nothing to me. It comes down to sticking to your calorie deficit and tracking everything properly. Saying "my calories are roughly 1500-1600" is not an exact...that's estimating and it doesn't work. All foods need to be weighed, measured and tracked accordingly on a food scale. If there are no medical issues, fat loss should move at a steady rate.

As for taking diet breaks, refeeds, etc...that's completely individual. If one has been dieting for long periods of time, sitting at low levels of bodyfat it's something that needs to be looked into. But for the average person sitting at a normal or possibly higher level of bodyfat, just starting out in their deficit...it's not needed.

This
At 5'6" and 135 there's not much to cut. You're at a healthy, sustainable weight.

[JmfG318]

Thank you all for your responses, I'm sorry for my delay in writing back. To those saying I am at a healthy weight, I completely agree that there is nothing wrong with my height and weight. However, the overall composition is what I am not thrilled with. I have bulked, added muscle, and am at the point where I don't like the excess around my midsection.

Admittedly, it could be associated with a tracking error. Due to my past, I find I do better mentally and enjoy lifting more when I am not overly rigid or strict with food. I still prep meals, count calories, etc, but I do not measure it to the gram or beat myself up over it. As far as macros go, I shoot for carbs 150, protein 130, fat around 50 while trying to cut. I haven't been at maintenance in a few weeks, would that be beneficial? I don't necessarily have refeeds or cheat meals, I'll occasionally have ice cream or a dessert but it's tracked to fit into my caloric allowance.

Thanks again for the help

[rockangel]

Thank you all for your responses, I'm sorry for my delay in writing back. To those saying I am at a healthy weight, I completely agree that there is nothing wrong with my height and weight. However, the overall composition is what I am not thrilled with. I have bulked, added muscle, and am at the point where I don't like the excess around my midsection.

Admittedly, it could be associated with a tracking error. Due to my past, I find I do better mentally and enjoy lifting more when I am not overly rigid or strict with food. I still prep meals, count calories, etc, but I do not measure it to the gram or beat myself up over it. As far as macros go, I shoot for carbs 150, protein 130, fat around 50 while trying to cut. I haven't been at maintenance in a few weeks, would that be beneficial? I don't necessarily have refeeds or cheat meals, I'll occasionally have ice cream or a dessert but it's tracked to fit into my caloric allowance.

Thanks again for the help

The problem is that you ARE at a healthy weight, and when you are at that point, it becomes more crucial to track since you have less to lose and possibly less of a deficit than you think.
Its much easier when you have more weight to lose to be less strict because the deficit is easily larger. Once you get to a certain point, the deficit becomes smaller and is easy to "overeat" the deficit causes a stall.

This is why tracking at this point is crucial. You can maybe lose another 10 - 15 pounds before you start to get to the underweight side of the scale. But that means you will need to track cals and macros more closely than before. But you also need to consider if that is going to work for you and your history or if you need to put your focus in another direction.

[JmfG318]

Thanks so much, greatly appreciated