Two and a half months in, a few questions

[noob001]

Hi all whats up, its been two and a half months trying to get fit for the first time in my life, and its been good progress so far. I'm doing the strong lifts 5X5 Mon-Wed-Fri and tracking calories, carbs/fat/protein on myfitnesspal. I'm also taking a multivitamin and fish oil in addition to food.
I'm 5'7", went from 200lb to 178lb so far, and 45" gut to 40". I was 37% BF when I started, now the same machine reads 29%. I'm very happy with the progress so far.

I have a few questions at this point.

- Of late I started noticing my face skin gets very dry and this thin dry white layer is forming. Is it in any way related to the weight loss? Could chemicals in my protein powder (or milk) be causing it? I am taking the GNC Extreme 60. I'm not worried about it, I'm just using some lotion but should I be worried about this as a symptom of something else, like some kind of deficiency?

- My nails have become a little brittle/weak than before. Again, I'm not particularly worried, but should I be? (i.e does it indicate something else)

- I'm pissing a LOT. Of course I'm drinking a lot more water than I used to, but I'm wondering if pissing this often is normal. Also I'm pooping twice a day instead of once. Are these changes to be expected?

- Burping a lot after taking protein shake - is it common?

- In the gym, my weights are going up very slowly. I started the stronglifts a month and a half back, now I am squatting 40 lbs on a 45 lb barbell (that's 40lb both sides combined + 45lb bar), deadlift 70lb (including bar weight), chest press 85lb (incl. bar weight), overhead press 60lb (incl. bar weight). Is that too low, should the weights be increasing much faster?

- I am seeing a bit of definition on my arms and legs, but nothing much. Though my belly has gone from 45" to 40", its basically the same shape. My friends say I seem to have lost "a bit" (unasked) but I'm not really seeing it in the mirror. Should I be seeing more difference?

- Maybe a dumb question but I had to ask: How do you deal with guys hogging the squat racks in the gym, doing workout for 30 seconds and then chatting/texting for 5 mins, doing other things (like dumbbell curls) in the squat rack and then another 30 secs squats.. I find it annoying, but I'm not sure if I'm the one being weird. Is it normal gym etiquette to occupy the rack for 30 - 40 minutes for what is probably 2 or 3 minutes of actual squatting? Not sure how to deal with it, is it ok to talk to the person about it? Is standing there and waiting considered "creepy" or anything?

- Are drinks like Coke Zero and Talking Rain really zero calories? Or is there a catch somewhere? Is it ok to drink these when trying to lose weight? Do they dehydrate the body? I've been staying off all soda so I was wondering..

[Bm96]

Hi all whats up, its been two and a half months trying to get fit for the first time in my life, and its been good progress so far. I'm doing the strong lifts 5X5 Mon-Wed-Fri and tracking calories, carbs/fat/protein on myfitnesspal. I'm also taking a multivitamin and fish oil in addition to food.
I'm 5'7", went from 200lb to 178lb so far, and 45" gut to 40". I was 37% BF when I started, now the same machine reads 29%. I'm very happy with the progress so far.

I have a few questions at this point.

1 Of late I started noticing my face skin gets very dry and this thin dry white layer is forming. Is it in any way related to the weight loss? Could chemicals in my protein powder (or milk) be causing it? I am taking the GNC Extreme 60. I'm not worried about it, I'm just using some lotion but should I be worried about this as a symptom of something else, like some kind of deficiency?

2 My nails have become a little brittle/weak than before. Again, I'm not particularly worried, but should I be? (i.e does it indicate something else)

3 I'm pissing a LOT. Of course I'm drinking a lot more water than I used to, but I'm wondering if pissing this often is normal. Also I'm pooping twice a day instead of once. Are these changes to be expected?

4 Burping a lot after taking protein shake - is it common?

5 In the gym, my weights are going up very slowly. I started the stronglifts a month and a half back, now I am squatting 40 lbs on a 45 lb barbell (that's 40lb both sides combined + 45lb bar), deadlift 70lb (including bar weight), chest press 85lb (incl. bar weight), overhead press 60lb (incl. bar weight). Is that too low, should the weights be increasing much faster?

6 I am seeing a bit of definition on my arms and legs, but nothing much. Though my belly has gone from 45" to 40", its basically the same shape. My friends say I seem to have lost "a bit" (unasked) but I'm not really seeing it in the mirror. Should I be seeing more difference?

7 Maybe a dumb question but I had to ask: How do you deal with guys hogging the squat racks in the gym, doing workout for 30 seconds and then chatting/texting for 5 mins, doing other things (like dumbbell curls) in the squat rack and then another 30 secs squats.. I find it annoying, but I'm not sure if I'm the one being weird. Is it normal gym etiquette to occupy the rack for 30 - 40 minutes for what is probably 2 or 3 minutes of actual squatting? Not sure how to deal with it, is it ok to talk to the person about it? Is standing there and waiting considered "creepy" or anything?

8 Are drinks like Coke Zero and Talking Rain really zero calories? Or is there a catch somewhere? Is it ok to drink these when trying to lose weight? Do they dehydrate the body? I've been staying off all soda so I was wondering..

1) Sounds like dry skin, I recently am getting this also because of a combination of acne medicine I'm using and the cold weather.

2) ^ In low humidity (winter) nails tend to become more dry and brittle. Make sure to get enough iron and zinc as well as Vitamin C. You can also look for a Biotin supplement. (Your diet needs to be in check)

3) This is to be expected, more liquids - more urination. More food - more pooping

4) The burps can be caused due to a buildup of gas/air in your stomach not reacting well to the shakes. Either the lactose concentration is too high on your whey or if you're blending your shakes you are swallowing the foamy air in the shake.

5) Progression can depend on a lot of factors, it will come along. You didn't mention if you're bulking/cutting. Work at [b]your[b] pace. It is good to always be pushing yourself to get stronger but never to the point of injury. 'Ego' lifting is a good way to get stronger but also a great way to get injured.

6) Again, it will come. Building your body essentially takes time.

7) Not a dumb question. The guys who stand at the rack and talk etc deserve to be kicked in the teeth. You shouldn't try to kick them in the teeth though instead just move to another exercise. If you came into the gym just to squat, then go warm up somewhere or exercise something small (traps, calves, forearms, obliques) to kill time. This is the pain of not having a private gym, so get used to it. Try not to go up and ask if they're done, you never know if this person is having a bad lift.
8) The only catch to zero calorie drinks are that they pretty much provide no nutritional value (not to say that the sugary counterparts do). But most use artificial flavorings and sweeteners that are generally known to be detrimental to our health in one way or another. I honestly don't believe anything bad from these drinks and do enjoy them, just have common sense and don't go overboard.

[Thrqne]

Great job on your progress, keep it up!

[noob001]

Thanks @Bm96 & @Thrqne!