I have a bit of a unique situation which isn't really covered anywhere, and so I was looking for advice on what I should be doing.
I have gone from 100kg (220 lbs) to 67kg (148 lbs) over the course of a year by going on an extreme calorie deficit.
I normally skip breakfast and lunch (sometimes have tea) and have a one-plate meal for dinner, followed by some sweets.
So overall, I would say my intake is around 700-1000 calories per day.
This allows me to lose around 0.2 - 0.4 kg (0.44 - 0.88 lbs) per day on average.
Since I have been doing this for over a year and my body is used to it now, if I eat just a few more calories than I normally do (like say 1500), I would put weight on the next day, even though it is probably still below my recommended intake. And that's why my situation is unique and delicate.
My target weight is 65kg (143 lbs) to be in the middle of my normal weight range, and I am currently just 2kg (4 lbs) away from that.
So now, here is the problem....
Losing all that weight has left me with loose skin (droops over my trousers when sitting) and I also still have some fat remaining in the mid-section mixed in with the loose skin, although I have lost fat (and possibly muscle) from all other parts of my body.
So I have decided to tone my stomach and get a six-pack, while losing the remaining fat around my stomach. Thus, I have just joined the gym.
So given my situation, my goals are:
- Lose remaining 2kg or more.
- Remove loose skin by toning.
- Removing the remaining fat that's mixed with the loose skin.
- Get a six-pack now.
The question is, how do I get a six-pack while in the process of losing weight? I have mid-section flab and loose skin but I am close to my target weight also. If I start to bulk up for the six-pack, I will start to put on weight which will undo the work I have done.
So should I take protein powder for building my six pack or should I leave it considering that it may put on weight and head me in the opposite direction?
Should I start eating stuff again like healthy fats, protein stuff, nuts, grains etc... in an effort to stimulate six-pack growth, or will that just make me put on weight again and never let me get down to 65kg (target weight).
So I have this dilemma and I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction.
Appreciate the help,
JH
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11-14-2017, 05:55 AM #1
- Join Date: Nov 2016
- Location: London, Chingford, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Age: 51
- Posts: 31
- Rep Power: 0
Trying to Lose Final Few Pounds while Aiming for Six-Pack - How?
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11-14-2017, 06:10 AM #2
You can't display muscle you don't yet have.
It's time to reverse the process and start eating at a moderate calorie surplus and weight training to build some muscle. If you just continue to lose weight, you only appear anorexic.
There's a good beginner bodybuilding program linked in the "Don't look past the basics" sticky thread near the top of this forum.No brain, no gain.
"The fitness and nutrition world is a breeding ground for obsessive-compulsive behavior. The irony is that many of the things people worry about have no impact on results either way, and therefore aren't worth an ounce of concern."--Alan Aragon
Where the mind goes, the body follows.
Ironwill Gym:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=629719403&postcount=3388
Ironwill2008 Journal:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=157459343&p=1145168733
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11-14-2017, 07:54 AM #3
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11-14-2017, 08:01 AM #4
Your situation isn't unique and your post is a great representation of why people's focus should be on fat loss, not weight loss. Your weight will be all over the map for numerous reasons even while losing fat. By only focusing on the "total weight" number the scale is giving you-you're creating an unnecessarily large deficit as a means to an end. It's very likely that the weight you're gaining back when you increase your calories is water, maybe even some muscle that your body stripped away due to being in such a massive deficit for so long.
The difference of eating 500-800 extra calories a day (especially for just one day) is a fraction of a pound and you would have to eat an excess of your maintenance (which you aren't doing) for those calories to be possibly converted to fat. So you would have to eat your maintenance, for the sake of argument let's just say that's 2500, then you would have to add onto that 3500 additional calories to gain a pound of fat. You ain't even hitting 2500 in the first place.
The question is, how do I get a six-pack while in the process of losing weight? I have mid-section flab and loose skin but I am close to my target weight also. If I start to bulk up for the six-pack, I will start to put on weight which will undo the work I have done."Luck" is probability taken personally
Never accept a "No" from someone who wasn't empowered to give you a "Yes" in the first place
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11-14-2017, 08:23 AM #5
Last edited by ironwill2008; 11-14-2017 at 09:01 AM.
No brain, no gain.
"The fitness and nutrition world is a breeding ground for obsessive-compulsive behavior. The irony is that many of the things people worry about have no impact on results either way, and therefore aren't worth an ounce of concern."--Alan Aragon
Where the mind goes, the body follows.
Ironwill Gym:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=629719403&postcount=3388
Ironwill2008 Journal:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=157459343&p=1145168733
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11-14-2017, 09:54 AM #6
- Join Date: Nov 2016
- Location: London, Chingford, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Age: 51
- Posts: 31
- Rep Power: 0
Excellent reply. Thank you for that.
So are you suggesting that I remain in calorie deficit but increase my calorie intake a little bit to just below my breakeven point?
Should I not do Ab exercises for now then?
Originally Posted by ironwill2008
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11-14-2017, 10:02 AM #7
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11-14-2017, 11:20 AM #8
My suggestion is that you completely redefine how you view losing fat. It sounds to me like your goal was just to hit a target number and you've made unnecessary sacrifices to get there at any and all cost. 700-1000 calories a day is simply unhealthy for an adult, male or female, and it's counterproductive to achieving any fitness goal.
Weight loss should not be your goal, FAT loss should be your goal. You need to be in a deficit but the range you've chosen is far too low. Eat enough that you're in a slight deficit but you have the energy to train with intensity. Keep in mind a deficit isn't limited to food intake, you can create one through exercise too.
Should I not do Ab exercises for now then?"Luck" is probability taken personally
Never accept a "No" from someone who wasn't empowered to give you a "Yes" in the first place
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11-14-2017, 12:13 PM #9
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