How to lose fat for Noobs

[godsangina2]

If it doesn't simply adjust rule 3

Nah I'm pretty sure it's water retention as there is no way you go straight from losing 2lbs a week to putting on 2lbs

[KingBert]

damn 8% in 6 weeks is impressive so goodjob on that. as per the workout question, you could find a program that doesnt revolve around squats and deadlifts and more of full body split programs until your back fully heals or u could just take a week off of working out completely to recover more. if i was in ur shoes i would just continue lifting avoiding squats and deadlifts until i felt better.

Thanks. I actually counted one month as 5 weeks. So I actually lost 8% bf in roughly 8 weeks.

Also, I agree. I would much rather just continue my program and avoid those exercises just for a short while instead of starting a new program.

[Kenshinhimora]

Thanks. I actually counted one month as 5 weeks. So I actually lost 8% bf in roughly 8 weeks.

Also, I agree. I would much rather just continue my program and avoid those exercises just for a short while instead of starting a new program.

still impressive, keep it up.

[Adonish-AOE14]

If it doesn't simply adjust rule 3



If you're still the same weight but you're "belly has gotten fatter" then are you sure you're not just bloated? You're probably eating too much. go back 3-400 cals

My belly has for sure put on a tiny bit of fat, i could feel it when i slide my hands down my abs, rolls form, and I never had that before.

If I go back 3-400 cals, then Id be eating below 'maintenance'. I honestly think the number of calories I was told by some sites as my maintenance number was wrong.

[Kenshinhimora]

My belly has for sure put on a tiny bit of fat, i could feel it when i slide my hands down my abs, rolls form, and I never had that before.

If I go back 3-400 cals, then Id be eating below 'maintenance'. I honestly think the number of calories I was told by some sites as my maintenance number was wrong.

like iDrive was saying, this could just be water weight though (being bloated). when I had my carbup this weekend, I looked like I gained like 10 lbs all at my core and then now I look pretty much back to normal. did you increase your sodium intake at all when adding more calories? try to drink a lot more water to flush more out.

[mh1985]

Been following this plan and weight is going down, I've lost an average of 1.6lb the last 4 four weeks ( and back in September I was 190lbs, now I'm 174.5lbs)

However caliper measurements haven't changed in those last 4 weeks, and I can't see any difference in photos.I

I'm on about 1700 -1800cals and 1g protein/ lb LBM. I'm also using dailyburn to track everything so it should be accurate.
Strength is increased slightly so I dont think I've lost muscle.

Any ideas whats going on? Should I just continue with what I'm doing?

[Adonish-AOE14]

like iDrive was saying, this could just be water weight though (being bloated). when I had my carbup this weekend, I looked like I gained like 10 lbs all at my core and then now I look pretty much back to normal. did you increase your sodium intake at all when adding more calories? try to drink a lot more water to flush more out.

Well I dont keep track of carbs... at all. But I'm pretty eating a fairly high amount lol. I throw in a snack every now and then, and usually those are high on sodium. I will try to up my water intake, I know for a fact I dont drink much water.

[Kenshinhimora]

Been following this plan and weight is going down, I've lost an average of 1.6lb the last 4 four weeks ( and back in September I was 190lbs, now I'm 174.5lbs)

However caliper measurements haven't changed in those last 4 weeks, and I can't see any difference in photos.I

I'm on about 1700 -1800cals and 1g protein/ lb LBM. I'm also using dailyburn to track everything so it should be accurate.
Strength is increased slightly so I dont think I've lost muscle.

Any ideas whats going on? Should I just continue with what I'm doing?

post pictures so others can judge your progress (sometimes you're unable to tell since you're so focused on your stubborn areas) and some of the loss could be from water yet again some water weight gains could be covering your losses making it hard to tell... either way 4 weeks isn't the longest so you won't notice a huge change so I'd say post up the pictures

[iDrive]

My belly has for sure put on a tiny bit of fat, i could feel it when i slide my hands down my abs, rolls form, and I never had that before.

If I go back 3-400 cals, then Id be eating below 'maintenance'. I honestly think the number of calories I was told by some sites as my maintenance number was wrong.

Every 'calculation' you could use will still be an estimate of your maintenance. I bet whatever you think is your maintenance isn't really your maintenance if you're gaining fat.

Been following this plan and weight is going down, I've lost an average of 1.6lb the last 4 four weeks ( and back in September I was 190lbs, now I'm 174.5lbs)

However caliper measurements haven't changed in those last 4 weeks, and I can't see any difference in photos.I

I'm on about 1700 -1800cals and 1g protein/ lb LBM. I'm also using dailyburn to track everything so it should be accurate.
Strength is increased slightly so I dont think I've lost muscle.

Any ideas whats going on? Should I just continue with what I'm doing?

Calipers suck unless you have someone else doing multi-point tests and even then that person needs to know what they're doing. If you're losing weight thats a good sign, there's a sweet spot in BF% where you don't really see too much visual progress.

[Adonish-AOE14]

Every 'calculation' you could use will still be an estimate of your maintenance. I bet whatever you think is your maintenance isn't really your maintenance if you're gaining fat.


Calipers suck unless you have someone else doing multi-point tests and even then that person needs to know what they're doing. If you're losing weight thats a good sign, there's a sweet spot in BF% where you don't really see too much visual progress.

That's what I'm thinking too...

What site/calculations do you recommend?

[mh1985]

post pictures so others can judge your progress (sometimes you're unable to tell since you're so focused on your stubborn areas) and some of the loss could be from water yet again some water weight gains could be covering your losses making it hard to tell... either way 4 weeks isn't the longest so you won't notice a huge change so I'd say post up the pictures

Ok man, here's what I mean: (can't post full links as not enough posts yet)

From 17 Sept 2010:
h ttp://img574.imageshack.us/img574/6852/dsc06292e.jpg

From 16 October 2010
h ttp://img718.imageshack.us/img718/1166/dsc063071.jpg

[Kenshinhimora]

Ok man, here's what I mean: (can't post full links as not enough posts yet)

From 17 Sept 2010:
h ttp://img574.imageshack.us/img574/6852/dsc06292e.jpg

From 16 October 2010
h ttp://img718.imageshack.us/img718/1166/dsc063071.jpg

quite hard to tell considering the lighting and the shaved hair, but like iDrive said, theres a point in bf% where you dont see too much progress visually

[iDrive]

That's what I'm thinking too...

What site/calculations do you recommend?

Like I said it's all just an estimation so you need to TRY out different levels until you find your sweet spot.

However I know a lot of people REALLY like numbers so just use this

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat...ic-intake.html

[Kenshinhimora]

Wave_length:I think to the guide that you wrote, you should also add that people should maintain a quota of ~.4-.5g fat / lb. Emma highlights it here:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981

and if you don't wanna open it:

Fats: Generally speaking, although the body can get away with short periods of very low fat, in the long run your body NEEDS fat to maintain general health, satiety, and sanity. Additionally - any form of high intensity training will benefit from a 'fat buffer' in your diet - which acts to control free radical damage and inflammation.

General guides:
Average or lean: 1 - 2g fat/ kg body weight [between 0.45 - 1g total weight/ pounds]
High bodyfat: 1-2g fat/ LEAN weight [between 0.45 - 1g LEAN weight/ pounds]
IF low calorie dieting - you can decrease further, but as a minimum, I would not suggest LESS than about 0.35g/ pound.
Note 1: Total fat intake is NOT the same as 'essential fats' (essential fats are specific TYPES of fats that are INCLUDED in your total fat intake)...

Only saying because out of all of the "rate my diet" threads, people seem to not have high enough fat in their diet since they think eating fat makes them fat whereas getting the right amount is good for you.

[comp1911]

Been on program for 4 weeks. Dropped 10 lbs, 209 to 199. Eating 2000-2100 cals a day, macros have been pretty consistant around 40/40/20 but do vari a bit day to day. Always get 180g+ of protien. Shot a deer a few weekends ago so have had lots of venison.

[BluBerry84]

Hey,

I sent a PM to Wave_Length just to clarify a few things and thought that it might be a good thing to ask here too.

I've been all over the place with my eating habits for the past 3/4 years due to study/work stress/lifestyle etc and now want to repair the 'damage' and lose some BF.

I think that i'm about 30% BF and want to gain some muscle and see my abs at least, dropping about 5-10% by March 2011.

So, obviously I need to get my diet on track. I can't cope with the 6-meals-a-day syndrome as I find I become too obsessive with times etc.. I've found that I would prefer to eat just twice a day, so having been interested in the IF style I intend to eat from 12ish to 9/10pm each day only.

In following Wave-Lengths guidelines I am supposed to take in approx 110g protein per day. This seems pretty high?? Being female, should I start by eating alittle less than 1lb and then increase it??

Calorie counting: do all you guys follow this?? Or is it possible just to eat till your satisfied? If I intend to eat twice a day, I doubt I could possibly eat too many calories if im filling up on 55g protein, fruits, veggies, alittle starch and alittle fat in each meal??

Training: 3x a week with minimal cardio would suit me well. Would you suggest compound exercises to bring my body back up before concentrating on a split? Any suggestions for a workout program??

Thank you

[iDrive]

Hey,

I sent a PM to Wave_Length just to clarify a few things and thought that it might be a good thing to ask here too.

I've been all over the place with my eating habits for the past 3/4 years due to study/work stress/lifestyle etc and now want to repair the 'damage' and lose some BF.

I think that i'm about 30% BF and want to gain some muscle and see my abs at least, dropping about 5-10% by March 2011.

Easily achievable. Just in time for spring!

So, obviously I need to get my diet on track. I can't cope with the 6-meals-a-day syndrome as I find I become too obsessive with times etc.. I've found that I would prefer to eat just twice a day, so having been interested in the IF style I intend to eat from 12ish to 9/10pm each day only.

Sounds good.

In following Wave-Lengths guidelines I am supposed to take in approx 110g protein per day. This seems pretty high?? Being female, should I start by eating alittle less than 1lb and then increase it??

110g isn't that high. Protein has a ton of benefits such as being more sating than carbs or fats as well as helping you to build up the base of muscle you'll need to see your abs eventually. 110g of protein is only 400 calories and your calories will probably be around 1500(?) so it's only a third of your diet.

Calorie counting: do all you guys follow this?? Or is it possible just to eat till your satisfied? If I intend to eat twice a day, I doubt I could possibly eat too many calories if im filling up on 55g protein, fruits, veggies, alittle starch and alittle fat in each meal??

I would, at least to start. It's definitely possible to just 'eyeball it' once you're accustomed to how much you can get away with but if you don't know how much you're eating it'll be tough to make those judgements. It's very easy to under-estimate intake.

Training: 3x a week with minimal cardio would suit me well. Would you suggest compound exercises to bring my body back up before concentrating on a split? Any suggestions for a workout program??

Thank you

Not sure how advanced you are in training but for a basic workout you could probably do a chest press, shoulder press, row, pull down, then legs.. I won't really worry about telling you what to do with legs because it seems most girls know what to do when it comes to that lol (Squats, SLDL, Lunges, Step ups, Leg Press) You could also throw in arms too.

You could do this either full body until you get a good base of strength or do a push/pull routine if you wanted to.

[BluBerry84]

Easily achievable. Just in time for spring!



Sounds good.



110g isn't that high. Protein has a ton of benefits such as being more sating than carbs or fats as well as helping you to build up the base of muscle you'll need to see your abs eventually. 110g of protein is only 400 calories and your calories will probably be around 1500(?) so it's only a third of your diet.



I would, at least to start. It's definitely possible to just 'eyeball it' once you're accustomed to how much you can get away with but if you don't know how much you're eating it'll be tough to make those judgements. It's very easy to under-estimate intake.



Not sure how advanced you are in training but for a basic workout you could probably do a chest press, shoulder press, row, pull down, then legs.. I won't really worry about telling you what to do with legs because it seems most girls know what to do when it comes to that lol (Squats, SLDL, Lunges, Step ups, Leg Press) You could also throw in arms too.

You could do this either full body until you get a good base of strength or do a push/pull routine if you wanted to.

Tx for replying...

Im aiming to workout before work around 5:30am, fasted. Was kind of using the 5x5 program, but slightly altered. Am also planning to take two caps Hydroxycut Extreme before training - seems to help make me work harder.

So, you think I should aim for 1500 calories a day? Split over two meals.. wow, think am gonna be winded with only half an hour lunch break lol

How many cals should I use for carbs and for fats if im using only 400cals for protein?

Meats pretty expensive here in London... can I get away with supping with ppowder?

[iDrive]

Tx for replying...

Im aiming to workout before work around 5:30am, fasted. Was kind of using the 5x5 program, but slightly altered. Am also planning to take two caps Hydroxycut Extreme before training - seems to help make me work harder.

Fasted training is fine. 5x5 is fine, you asked for some compounds and I think as a base everyone should do moves similar to the ones I listed above.

So, you think I should aim for 1500 calories a day? Split over two meals.. wow, think am gonna be winded with only half an hour lunch break lol

1500 was a guess for someone your height and weight... You can split up your meals however is most convenient for you. Plus it'll probably be easier to sip on a protein shake during work if you're worried about eating a lot at lunch

How many cals should I use for carbs and for fats if im using only 400cals for protein?

Use it however you want, make sure you're getting in enough fats, see Kenshinhimora above.

Meats pretty expensive here in London... can I get away with supping with ppowder?

That's fine, most find it more convenient this way.

[SeventhSin]

Question about HIIT training on a treadmill, some say to do it before lifting and some do it after. What do you guys think? I do HIIT about 5-6 times a week for 20-25 mins. I switch to a elliptical if my legs hurt.

[Kenshinhimora]

Question about HIIT training on a treadmill, some say to do it before lifting and some do it after. What do you guys think? I do HIIT about 5-6 times a week for 20-25 mins. I switch to a elliptical if my legs hurt.

I personally would never do cardio before lifting unless I wanted to jog for 5 minutes to get loose. Cardio after lifting has benefits for fat loss because your liver and muscle glycogen is more depleted so you burn more fat apparently. Also, I focus more on lifting than cardio so I'd rather not be tired from doing cardio when lifting.

[Kenshinhimora]

Tx for replying...

Im aiming to workout before work around 5:30am, fasted. Was kind of using the 5x5 program, but slightly altered. Am also planning to take two caps Hydroxycut Extreme before training - seems to help make me work harder.

So, you think I should aim for 1500 calories a day? Split over two meals.. wow, think am gonna be winded with only half an hour lunch break lol

How many cals should I use for carbs and for fats if im using only 400cals for protein?

Meats pretty expensive here in London... can I get away with supping with ppowder?

Damn, respect for being able to get up at 5:30 to go lift! In general there are not set numbers or ratios you should observe, just meet the following two:

Get 0.4 grams of fat per pound of body mass.
Get 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.

After these two are met, the rest of your calories can come from carbs or even more fat or protein if you wish, good luck!

[SeventhSin]

I personally would never do cardio before lifting unless I wanted to jog for 5 minutes to get loose. Cardio after lifting has benefits for fat loss because your liver and muscle glycogen is more depleted so you burn more fat apparently. Also, I focus more on lifting than cardio so I'd rather not be tired from doing cardio when lifting.

How about if I do my HIIT on a empty stomach? I usually do it as soon as I wake up, shouldn't that contribute to burning fat first.

[Emma-Leigh]

Please see here: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?p=579984091