Skinnyfat to Skinnyfit

[IPlawl]

I am getting a lifting plan and a nutrition plan in order, so I thought the best way to hold myself accountable and to get input would be to start a log here. Some basic info about me:

Height: 6'1
Weight: 167.6 lbs (3/24/15)
Body fat: ~14% (14.8% impedance measurement at 169.5 lbs; 144.4 lbs lean mass)

Additional relevant facts: I did about a 17.5 lb cut from June to September of 2014, gained some back when I went back to my uncontrolled diet, and cut about 5 lbs off from early February til now.

Goal: I want to build muscle and bulk up a bit. I would like to keep the bulk as clean and lean, even if it means doing it the slow way.

Current lifting plan: Started StrongLifts 5x5 last week at the absolute minimums on Day 1. I had not lifted much since high school, so I thought it best to start from the beginning. Lifts done so far:

Squats: 45x5x5 on 3/16 to 60x5x5 on 3/23
Bench: 45x5x5 on 3/16 to 55x5x5 on 3/20
Row: 65x5x5 on 3/16 to 70x5x5 on 3/20
OHP: 45x5x5 on 3/18 to 50x5x5 on 3/23
DL: 95x1x5 on 3/18 to 105x1x5 on 3/23

Supplements/Vitamins, etc.:
Opti-Men multi-vitamin twice daily; 1g fish oil twice daily; whey protein as needed to meet protein goals; will add zinc and D3 next week

Diet goals:
I started from about a 1730 cal/day diet at the end of my cut, and I have been afraid to increase too much out of fear of "dirty" gains. I realize now that I need to add calories, because I lost 2 lbs over the first week of lifting.

Calories: 1850, plan to increase by 150 per week until I start to achieve steady lean gains with minimal additional fat.
Macros: 2g protein/kg of weight (~150g or so per day); 1g fat/kg of weight (~75g per day); Carbs - balance of non-protein, non-fat calories.

Daily calories/macros thus far:

3/23: ~1800 cals; 209g protein; 41g fat; 149g carbs
3/22: ~1750 cals; 156g protein; 74g fat; 130g carbs
3/21: ~1700 cals; 155g protein; 56g fat; 151g carbs
3/20: ~2050 cals (went overboard on lunch);164g protein; 76g fat; 197g carbs
3/19: ~1800 cals; 145g protein; 74g fat; 163g carbs
3/18: ~1650 cals; 147g protein; 54g fat; 162g carbs
3/17: ~1700 cals; 150g protein; 53g fat; 209g carbs
3/16: ~1700 cals; 121g protein; 55g fat; 230g carbs

I doubt I will update daily, but I will try to at least do weight increment updates along with calories, macros, and my current weight. I will also look into getting my bodyfat measured weekly or somewhere in that time span and update accordingly.

[IPlawl]

Yesterday was difficult, nutrition-wise. I have become so accustomed to eating either a) whatever junk I feel like eating, regardless of calories or macros; or b) lean food to stay around 1700 calories. Trying to eat 1850 AND hit my macros is proving difficult for me. Not only that, but it looks like 1850 is still too big a deficit. I am, however, hydrating better. I am not sure if dropping retained water is responsible for my weight update.

I track my weight daily (when I am at home). Every day at the same time on the same scale pre-breakfast. The last few days have been a little worrying for someone trying to gain muscle. I am still sticking with my 150 cal/week increase though so that I can reverse-diet and avoid a spike in fat gains right around my caloric increase.

Anyway - now for the update:

Nutrition:
3/24: 1861 calories; 171g protein; 71g fat; 165g carbs

Meals:
Breakfast: 1 cup honey nut cheerios; 1 cup 2% fairlife milk
Morning snack: muscle milk 100 cal protein shake
Lunch: 2 slices honey wheat bread (publix brand), 2 oz turkey breast deli meat; spicy guacamole spread; cookies n cream quest bar
Afternoon snack: 2 scoops EAS whey protein in 1 cup 2% fairlife milk
Dinner: 10 oz grilled ground turkey meat; 2 cups honey glazed carrots
Evening snack: S'mores quest bar; 2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter

Weight:
3/25: 167.2 lbs
3/24: 167.7 lbs
3/23: 167.8 lbs
3/19: 169.4 lbs

[IPlawl]

Not much to update for yesterday:

Squat: 65x5x5
Bench: 60x5x5 (For some reason, 60 felt easier than 55)
Row: 75x5x5 (Went to a different branch of the Y yesterday, and their 10 lb plates are smaller. Made it harder to get positioned, but otherwise OK).

Nutrition: 1851 calories; 166g protein; 60g fat; 180g carbs

Weight - 3/26: 167.4 lbs

[IPlawl]

I know I said I likely wouldn't update this daily, but I should probably do it whenever I think about it.

Weight - 3/27: 168.6 (must be water or something, still eating at a deficit)

Nutrition: 1829 calories; 170g protein; 58g fat; 170g carbs

Food 3/26:
Breakfast: honey nut cheerios; fairlife 2% milk; greek yogurt
lunch: s'mores quest bar; whole wheat wrap with turkey, egg whites, low-fat mozz-provolone cheese, tomato sauce, and greens
dinner: 10oz grilled ground turkey; whey protein in fairlife 2% milk
snack: 1 tbsp. nutella on honey wheat bread

[IPlawl]

Had my bodyfat measured again on Friday. 14.31%. That means I lost fat, but gained pretty much no lean mass. As a result, I upped my calories to 2000. We'll see how that goes.

Nutrition:

3/29 - 2015 cals; 155g protein; 82g fat; 196g carbs
3/28 - 2055 cals; 165g protein; 70g fat; 189g carbs
3/27 - 1815 cals; 171g protein; 61g fat; 176g carbs

Weight:

3/29 - 168.6 lbs
3/28 - 168.6 lbs
3/27 - 168.6 lbs

Lifts:
3/27 - 70x5x5 squat; 55x5x5 OHP; 115x1x5 DL
3/29 - 75x5x5 squat; 65x5x5 bench; 80x5x5 pendlay row

[IPlawl]

Nutrition:

3/30- 2001 cals; 176g protein; 91g fat; 133g carbs

Weight:
3/31 - 168.8 lbs

Notes:
Added zinc and D3 to my supplements this morning

[IPlawl]

Had a small win and a small loss today. I upped my DL by 20 instead of 10, so I DL'd a plate for the first time ever. I also failed 2 sets on OHP. First time missing a rep. I think maybe going up 5 lbs at a time on OHP is a little too fast.

Lifts:
Squat: 80x5x5
OHP: 60 lbs - 5,5,5,4,1 reps
DL: 135x1x5

Nutrition:
3/31 - 2016 cals; 158g protein; 80g fat; 210g carbs

Weight:
4/1 - 169.6 lbs - not sure what is responsible for the 1 lb

[IPlawl]

Nutrition:
4/1: 1999 calories; 168g protein; 81g fat; 188g carbs

Weight:
4/2: 169.6 lbs

Lifts:
4/2:
Squat: 85x5x5
Bench: 70x5x5
Pendlay Row: 85x5x5

Measured my body fat, but the reading seemed off, so I won't post it. I bought a scale that measures impedance at the hands and feet, and it should arrive tomorrow. I will start doing regular weight/bf% measurements once I get that going.

[wesleytimmons41]

Your plan of attack is excellent , I expect once you start to use heavier weight you will start to add some muscle mass, great job tracking your calories!

[IPlawl]

Thanks for the comment. Going up 5lbs each time is fun. I am starting to have tougher workouts, so I am betting that progress will be more noticeable.

Today's update:

Nutrition:
4/2 - 1999 calories; 207g protein; 79g fat; 138g carbs

Not sure if I should up my calories yet. I estimate my TEE at about 2100-2150, and I am only eating 2000, but I want to make sure I am lifting heavy enough to make use of a surplus.

[determined4000]

you are over 6 feet tall and eat under 2000 cals a day???
I eat more than that at 5'2", srs.
Your fat also seems rather low and your weight isn't very high for your height, making me think you need to add some lean mass desperately.

[wesleytimmons41]

As I mentioned , I think your plan is excellent , there is no rush , if you add too many calories all you'll gain is fat .
Once you dial them in where you're gaining no fat and muscle only , you'll have found the perfect balance , which will likely be a few more carbs, but only time will tell exactly , and I believe with your high protein your muscles can make gains even at a slight deficit , although getting around exact maintenance will work best for lean gains with no fat.

Since you are a relative beginner, your first serious year will be your best, and a good year would be 10-15 lbs of muscle, which is aprox 1 lb per month, so don't get frustrated by the scale , its a long process that requires consistency more then anything else.

You'll start to see the most gains once your strength levels increase on your 3 big lifts,squats,deadlifts and bench press, once these lifts approach your bodyweight you'll start to make more progress.

10 lbs of muscle is very significant on your frame , say you managed to gain 20 over the next 5 years , which I think is a reasonable expectation without going overboard .
You'll look and feel great, especially if you can keep your bodyfat around 10%.

Be patient, real builds without "help" take a long time , but will last a lifetime.

[IPlawl]

Question time:
The YMCA I go to does an impedance measurement at the hands for bf%. I was doing that once a week, and getting pretty consistent results. I bought a scale today that does impedance at the hands and feet, and my bf% is 4-5% higher than what they were measuring at the Y. I figure the best thing to do with the scale is worry about change day to day or week to week, but at the same time, if my bf% is where the Y says it is, I am happy to bulk. If it is where my scale says it is, I want to cut a little before I bulk.

YMCA measurements have been in the range of 14.5-15%. For today, the Omron scale is in the 19-19.9% range.

Navy 2 site has me at 19-20% FWIW.

Thoughts?

[IPlawl]

Given yesterday's determination that I am actually closer to 19-20% body fat, I have decided to cut for a little bit before I move forward with bulking. A little disappointing, but I can handle it for another 8 lbs or so. Depending on the activity factor, my TDEE is either around 2K or 2300. I'm setting my calories at 1800 for now, same macros. We'll see how the cut goes. If I start losing a little bit of lean mass, I will up the calories a bit.

Nutrition
4/3 - 1788 calories; 165g protein; 48g fat; 174g carbs
4/4 - 1818 calories; 177g protein; 70g fat; 126g carbs

Lifts:
Squat: 90x5x5
OHP: 60x5x5 - really happy with this one, since I failed 2 sets on OHP last time out. It felt much, much easier than last time. Noob gains are a wonderful thing.
DL: 145x1x5
Pullups: 3x5 @ 80 lbs offset - really weak there. Trying to work up to 3x10 at that offset, and I will gradually decrease the offset

Weight: Transitioned to a new scale today, so things are a bit in flux. Numbers don't match up 1:1. I'll start recording weight again in earnest tomorrow as well as bf%.

[IPlawl]

Nutrition:

4/5 - 1796 cals; 148g protein; 58g fat; 192g carbs
4/6 - 1798 cals; 164g protein; 44g fat; 191g carbs

Lifts:
Squat: 95x5x5
Bench: 75 - 5,5,5,4,3
Pendlay Row: 90x5x5

Weight/BF%:
4/7 - 167.6; 19.0% bf

[IPlawl]

Nutrition:

4/7: 1761 calories; 161g protein; 62g fat; 158g carbs
4/8: 1795 calories; 175g protein; 68g fat; 134g carbs
4/9: 1798 calories; 153g protein; 55g fat; 172g carbs

Weight/BF:

4/8: 168.8 lbs; 17.9% bf
4/9: 168.2 lbs;18.7% bf
4/10: 167.6 lbs; 19.0% bf

Lifts:
Squat: 100x5x5
OHP: 65 @ 5,1,4,4,3
DL: 155x1x5
lat pulldowns: 90x3x8

[wesleytimmons41]

You're doing a great job being consistent.

I go crazy when I weigh myself every day , too hard on the head with the ups and downs, once a week with the same conditions is best for me.
As I mentioned before, I believe you'll start to see muscle gains once your compound lifts start to surpass your bodyweight which is still
a bit away.

keep up the consistency, and the results will come with time.

[psalms1441]

Keep at it OP. Are u seeing visual changes yet? Taking pics?

[IPlawl]

You're doing a great job being consistent.

I go crazy when I weigh myself every day , too hard on the head with the ups and downs, once a week with the same conditions is best for me.
As I mentioned before, I believe you'll start to see muscle gains once your compound lifts start to surpass your bodyweight which is still
a bit away.

keep up the consistency, and the results will come with time.

I like weighing myself every day. It can drive me crazy, but having data points and trending works for me. Thanks for the support.

[IPlawl]

Keep at it OP. Are u seeing visual changes yet? Taking pics?

I don't see changes in the mirror, but I see some signs in the pictures. Here are two, one from about 2 weeks into the program and one from a couple of days ago. Exactly 2 weeks apart. Let me know if you see any change and what change you see.

[IPlawl]

Nutrition:

4/10: 1835 calories; 188g protein; 49g fat; 166g carbs
4/11: 2028 calories (did about 45-60 min of hard digging/garden work, so I added about 225 cals); 193g protein; 66g fat; 167g carbs
4/12: 1802 calories; 157g protein; 64g fat; 159g carbs

Weight/BF (I don't trust my scale anymore. My waist measurement is getting smaller, but my impedance bf% is not):
4/11: 167.2 lbs; 19.0%
4/12: 166.2 lbs; 19.8%
4/13: 166.2 lbs; 19.5%

Lifts:
4/10:
Squats: 105x5x5
Bench: 75x5x5
Row: 95x5x5

4/12:
Squats: 110x5x5
OHP: 65 lbs - 5,5,5,4,3
DL: 165x1x5 (body weight!)
Pullups: 4,1,1 - 70 lbs offset

Won't be doing pullups anymore. For some reason they cause pain in my shoulder joint. I will be doing angled grip chin-ups instead. For some reason these do not bother my shoulder.

[IPlawl]

Nutrition:
4/13: 1791 calories; 159g protein; 46g fat; 199g carbs
4/14: 1799 calories; 175g protein; 40g fat; 201g carbs
4/15: 1796 calories; 154g protein; 40g fat; 219g carbs

Weight:
4/14: 166.6 lbs
4/15: 166.4 lbs
4/16: 166.6 lbs

Lifts:
4/14:
Squat: 115x5x5
Bench: 80 - 5,5,5,5,4 (I wanted that last rep so badly. It's all arms at this point. I can get it about halfway on that last rep, I just run out of steam before the triceps/lockout).
Pendlay row: 100x5x5

Bodyfat:
I have given up on the new Omron scale, and I got a refund on it. The numbers just didn't line up with either the Stayhealthy BC3 at the YMCA that I go to or the Navy 2-site method. I am receiving a caliper today, so I will have my wife do some checking. More importantly, I cut about 1.5 inches off of my waist, and the mirror test over the last couple of days (along with some outside input from others) says that it is time to full on bulk.

---BULK PHASE ---
According to the Total Metabolic Forecaster spreadsheet, I will be bulking at 2750 calories (0.5 lbs per week), 150g protein (min goal), 100g fat (or close to it, I have a hard time getting good fat in my diet), rest carbs. I will be doing mirror tests, Stayhealthy BC3 tests for trending (currently places me at 10%, which might be a bit low) along with caliper tests (starting today) and navy 2-site. If my fat is accelerating too quickly, I will ease back on calories to dial it in.

Let's get that lean bulk on.

[IPlawl]

Calipers have me at 18.5% bf. That's fine.
Bulk is now at 2650 calories.

Lifts:
Squats:120x5x5
OHP: 65x5x5
DL: 175x1x5

[IPlawl]

Not tracking weight or bf% until at least this Thursday. It has been driving me too crazy.

Lifts:
4/18:
Squats 125x5x5
Bench 80x5x5
Row 105x5x5

I lifted before breakfast, and I just had no energy. I hit all my sets, but it was a rough go.

Nutrition:
4/16: 2637 cals; 185g protein; 101g fat; 260g carbs
4/17: 2609 cals; 171g protein; 78g fat; 310g carbs
4/18: 2619 cals; 174g protein; 56g fat; 314g carbs
4/19: 2683 cals; 168g protein; 104g fat; 278g carbs

[IPlawl]

Lifts:
4/20:
Squats 130x5x5
OHP 70 - 5,4,3,3,2
DL 185x1x5

4/22:
Squats 135x5x5
Bench 85 - 5,5,5,4,3
Row - 110 - 5,5,5,3,4

4/24:
Squats 140x5x5
OHP 5,4,4,2,3
DL 195x1x5

4/26:
Squats 145x5x5
Bench 85x5x5
Row 110x5x5

Nutrition:
4/20: 2637; 217g protein; 93g fat; 253g carbs
4/21: 2648; 216g protein; 103g fat; 229g carbs
4/22: 2638; 211g protein; 108g fat; 217g carbs
4/23: 2581; 197g protein; 79g fat; 264g carbs
4/24: 2638; 204g protein; 88g fat; 281g carbs
4/25: 2581; 185g protein; 103g fat; 228g carbs
4/26: 2037 (probably more - I tracked cals in MFP, but I think the ribs I had for dinner had a lot more calories than I could estimate); 151g protein; 63g fat; 211g carbs

Weight - 170.0 lbs