Help me out...I want to lose my belly for the summer!

[SummitJag]

Hey guys, whats up. I'm going to be a senior in my HS and i want to look great. I used to be lean 8th, 9th grade but 10th and 11th i just let myself go. I'm in summer vacation now and i just want to pack on more muscle, shape my chest up, and lose my belly. I want that beach body look like the abercrombie models...heres my pics so please give me any advice you might have. Can you guess my BF% too...Thanks, Ronald

[brakemasterjay]

hey man good luck, but i'd guess your bf% about 25%. Well diet and exercise my friend. i hate to burst your bubble but your not gonna have a hollister body in a few months. but with cardio, weight training and a strict diet you could have it.

[FrankVista]

i think you might be leaving it a bit late. you're not going to be cut by this summer but that's not to say you can't make serious progress...

No1. Clean Diet
No2. Lift the biggest weights you can
No3. Cardio, Cardio, Cardio

[SummitJag]

anyone willing to help out?...thanks you two

[kycat2007]

Well I think the two of them gave pretty fair opinions. You need to read the stickies on losing weight. If you truly want to change the way you look you will need to change the way you look at the way your body uses food as energy. You have to eat cleaner. Diet is about 80% of what makes us fat barring illness or diseases.

Go to this site http://www.freedieting.com/ You can use this site to get your resting metabolic rate and how many calories you need to take in a day. If you are eating clean, then reducing your calories by about 500 calories you will start to lose. Remember the more muscle you have on your body the more energy your body needs thus weight loss. There is a happy medium though because if you reduce your calories too much then you will go into starvation mode. You need to drink about 9 16 oz waters a day. Stop drinking cokes and juices they are wasted calories. You need to eat six small meals a day to increase your metabolism.

You need to really watch your portion sizes. Rule of thumb if the food doesn't eat or gros say away from it. I would say to measure all food for a week or so to make sure you are not over or under eating. You can use this site to track your calories daily http://www.fitday.com/.

You need to really hit the weights. Cardio is good about three times a week but the weights are crucial. You need to lift to exhaustion. You need to build lean muscle mass.

All of that said you will probably see about a pound a week. 3500 calories equals 1 lb. If you are in a calorie reduction of 500 a day you can do the math and see 500x7(workouts and cardio) you are at 3500 calories. If you do some extra cardio in the morning and at night then you can accelerate the loss but it is hard and takes devotion.

You could also try a keto diet which would take fat and muscle off. You will probably have lots of loose skin.
I would make it a goal to change yourself and instead of thinking summer I would say work your but off and be ready for next summer.

[SummitJag]

Hey thanks very much. You see, I can be dedicated in the gym. I can bust my butt off in the gym so that's no problem right there. Another thing that is not a problem is the water one. I drink one gallon of water every day. I also don't drink, smoke, and i dont drink coke at all. I do drink juice but i'm planning on stopping that.

THE BIG PROBLEM IS NUTRITION!

You see, I'm too lazy to be reading labels and making sure how many calories i'm eating per day. I don't eat junk food. Well sometimes, but rarely will you see me eating junk food. The stuff i normally eat is: enchiladas, burritos, sandwiches, apples, peanut butter, shake, chicken..etc.......So that's when i get all nervous about overeating calories or undereating. Do you really have to be so strict on your diet that you have to be checking labels everytime? I guess i gotta stop being lazy and get serious about the calories. I'm hoping on going grocerie shopping soon. What is a good breakfast?

Also this thing about the 6 small meals...how exactly do yall do it? I mean how small is the meal?

Thanks, i'm off to go do some cardio

[_AdaM_]

I'm in the same boat as you SummitJag, I don't read labels, in fact I think of "hmmm, this will fill me up" then as soon as I consume it, I start worrying "Oh gosh! I just ate it" then I say I'll balance it out on the gym.

kycat2007, thanks man

[lifequest]

I just skimed your response..short and sweet:
1)Your time frame should not be weeks and months but months and years to get where your talking about
2) if your main problem is nutrition you are doomed, nutrition is 80% of fat loss. Stop being lazy and making excuses.

So I offer you this. It is what you need to get started. You need to click each of them and read them from start to finish. If you are to lazy to read these you will certainly fail…good day--LQ

My generic response to all posts that say “hey I’m new here and need some help can anyone give me the basics?”

First read the stickies:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=538637
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=301683
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=81315

Now read posts about diet and nutrition. the nutrition forum would be a good place to post your ideas about what you’re going to eat.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpo...47&postcount=4
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=533405
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=798027
Good BMR calculator:
http://michaelandkendra.com/BMRCALC/bmrcalc.htm
if you are very serious I would recommend buying or finding a copy of ”Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle” which has helped a great many people on this forum including myself.
www.burnthefat.com

read up on different workouts.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=316377
I personally do Max-ot but you should do a more basic workout to get used to working out and strengthen your tendons first. Don’t jump into something to fast.

Now try and understand cardio and it’s purpose:
Basically the rule is:

**YOU ARE DOING TO MUCH CARDIO IF YOU COULD BE DOING LESS AND STILL LOSING 1-2LBS OF FAT PER WEEK**
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpo...5&postcount=10
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpo...1&postcount=35
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/betteru14.htm
http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/justin6.htm
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...ghlight=cardio

and most importantly read this, understand it and actually make a goal sheet. This will be the determining factor if you, someone new to a healthy lifestyle will actually stick with it for the long haul of get discouraged at the slightest challenge and quit.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=533405

Starvation: just read about what happens when ignorance and impatience combine…

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=513976

What’s a good way to get abs?
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpo...45&postcount=1

I’ve hit a fat lose plateau, what do I do I can’t lose any more weight?
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpo...1&postcount=35

[SummitJag]

Hey guys thanks very much for your advice. I really appreciate it.

What i'm currently doing is taking pics. I took one june 3, then june 6 and my next one will be june 12. I will share them with you once summer is over.

I'm going grocerie shopping tonight. Can you please tell me what i should buy (oatmeal, bread, energy bars, turkey, chicken, etc). I'm going to make a change in the kitchen i promise you that. Thanks very much.

Another question, how do i know if im under-eating? Like if i go and lift and i dont feel energetic. Is that a sign that im intaking not that many calories? Thanks people

This is a pic from June 6. You can't see a big difference but you can see my abs starting to form lol...Of course i still got like 15% of body fat to lose



I'll keep you updated

[Jim_Gym]

You have to be realistic about the time frame, but you can make good progress fairly quickly with dedication. It took me only a year or so to make a dramatic transformation in my body, and now at a year and a half from the start I am much more lean, cut and muscular than I used to be. I went from 25% or more b.f. and 190 lbs. with a gut and no muscles, and now I am 140 lbs., almost into single digit body fat, with much bigger muscles and much stronger.

[SummitJag]

You have to be realistic about the time frame, but you can make good progress fairly quickly with dedication. It took me only a year or so to make a dramatic transformation in my body, and now at a year and a half from the start I am much more lean, cut and muscular than I used to be. I went from 25% or more b.f. and 190 lbs. with a gut and no muscles, and now I am 140 lbs., almost into single digit body fat, with much bigger muscles and much stronger.

Wow, congrats man. I understand that this will not happen over the summer. The title of the thread might be misleading. I just want to see a change when summer ends. Then maybe in a year or 2, I want to be what i want to be. I'll keep ya updated!