Teens trying to cut/lose weight- why you shouldn't (Story Time)

[gbullock32]

Warning - Long read and no cliffs, deal with it.

Too many kids/teens have been posting about cutting and getting abs lately, **** is getting old and telling them not to cut does not work; so here it is, why you should not cut as a teen.

Ok, so this is a long read but it is something I feel like sharing; it is my experiences with being obese as a teen, losing weight the right way... Then very much the wrong way; how I got healthy, then ruined my body. I tell this as a warning to all of you who think cutting to get abs as a teen is in any way worth it, because it is not. There will be pictures, information, and of course recommendations of what not to do. Life is a series of failures we learn from, I learned the hard way so I take this as a chance to help you learn from my mistakes so you can avoid them and all of the ramifications they led to.

So... Obese; when I was 16 years old (sadly no pics from back then) I was 200 pounds or so at 5'2"; my doctor told me I was classed as obese. My parents sat me down and flat out told me 'Son, you're fat, you need to change.' Denial sucked, up until then I just thought I looked big but not fat, not muscled or anything... Just, wide. I played video games most of the day and ate whatever I wanted whenever, so a lot of soda and candy, chips, all the standard 'junk' foods.

So I decided to change, I was still playing video games most of the time but improved my diet and started to exercise while gaming. I had about 100 pounds of weight plates, 2 dumbbells and a straight bar; I would just lift while gaming, during loading scenes or waiting for games to start. Coupled with this I ate what I though was 'clean', I did not track a single calorie or macro but ate what my mom cooked mostly. This meant a lot of good home meals: steak, chicken, potatoes, veggies, pasta, rice, and other things like that; all whole foods. For other meals I just ate what I though 'healthy' people did, yogurt, fruit, veggies, lean meats, peanut butter sandwiches, cheese, milk... Pretty much nothing but good foods. Again I point out that I was not tracking a single calorie or macro, just going by common sense and eating when I was actually hungry.

The results were damned amazing, I went from 200 pounds at 5'2" down to about 145 by the time I was 18, now 5'5"; I built up a pretty solid amount of muscle too given I was losing weight the whole time, I was healthier and happier.... Still no macros tracked and not even on any routine really, just lifting when I wanted and felt like it.

At 18 years old


I wanted more though, I wanted abs, so close I thought... Just a little more, here I just said 'Let's do it!' Here I made the mistake, without any idea of what I was doing I crash dieted... I tracked calories but not macros, so as long as I got 1,000 calories or less a day I was happy, I got in my protein to 150 or so grams and let whatever happened after that fill out the remainder. That left about 400 calories to fat/carbs... I got maybe 10-20 grams of fat a day, if that, for about a year. Threw in cardio too, lots of it, maybe 2 hours a day of either running or jogging; every spare minute was spent moving in some way. Man that will jack your hormones up hard, very hard. Started taking supplements here too, ON Gold Standard to get my protein, since it was the only way I realistically could while sticking to such low calories, Jack3d for pre-workout (heavy stuff for my fist but was great), and Oxy Elite Pro. Stacking 2 different 1,3 dimeth products, both heavy stimms... It got me through the day; I was taking 3-4 scoops of Jack3d a day along with 4-8 Oxy Elites. The fact this did not kill me alone is kind of impressive.

Well I lost weight, and fast; by about 19 I was pushing all of about 100 pounds, yep, no good; looking solid here right?

At 19 years old


Thin, lanky, deathly... So I decided to bulk, I felt like hell all of the time and it just was not worth it; no abs for me really, I just did not have the mass. So onto a year long bulk until I was 20... Gained something like 5-10 pounds, sitting at a solid 110-115 at 5'5". I still felt like death, tired all the time and could barely sleep; eating about 3,400 calories a day but I worked overnight and was active. I attributed this to my lack of sleep and feeling poor. I upped my calories to about 3,800, didn't reverse diet; had the '**** it' mentality. Got onto a routine finally too; first time really working legs even. Too bad it was a **** routine from a generic body building article... Far from efficient but it got me going I guess. Still taking protein, pre-workout (various ones) and now creating and a BCAA, fish oil and multivitamin. Nutrition was better here though, not only the 3,800 calories I made sure to get 1 gram of protein per pound and .4 grams of fat per pound too; rest was a mix of pro/carb/fat as I felt. Weighed and measure everything I ate too, wanting to make the most of this bulk.

At 20 years old


Another year, no weight gain, still felt miserable; sleeping all of 2 hours a day and eating closer to 4,000 calories; not gaining jack in terms of weight. Kind of weird but ok... I just added more calories, got to around 4,500 a day; still only getting about 2 hours of sleep, noticed something else here too. I had not had any erections for months, no sex drive at all, just... Nothing. Starting to notice some red flags maybe? I ignored it, just lack of sleep. I'll sleep more I thought.

At 21 years old


Well turned 22, still sitting in the 120ish area weight wise, very little mass gained and sill felt like my body wanted to die. I was taking closer to 2-2.5 grams (yeah, grams) of caffeine a day just to keep from dropping. Sleep at an all time low, maybe an hour a day. No erections, exhausted, and just had no motivation; I lifted and went to work because that was my routine but it was jut going through the motions.

[gbullock32]

At 22 years old


Right, something isn't cool; going to turn 23 soon and I still have not gained weight and I was at almost 5,000 calorie a day, every thing tracked with a scale and meticulously logged to be sure. This whole not sleeping thing is getting to me, and I miss having erections just a little bit. So I made a doctors appointment to see what was up; full blood work done and everything. My doctor was amazed at how much I was eating but not gaining, along with how much caffeine I was taking. Her assumption was a thyroid issue maybe, which would explain the lack of weight gain. The no sex drive she said would come from lack of sleep, which could in turn be from a thyroid issue as well.

Here is were **** got real for me; tests came back, no thyroid issues. What did show up was low testosterone, those years of eating very minimal calories and fat, along with too much exercise had come back to rip me a new one. For reference, normal test levels are between 400-1100 in a healthy male. I was at ~100; this was about the average from 6 different blood tests just to be sure; my doctor put me on testosterone replacement therapy to correct this. Aww man, the improvement was night and day.

Before you all think 'Roids, Yeah!'... No, that isn't how it works, I was put on a dosage that does nothing beyond bring me into normal levels, after getting the dose down I now have a test level of 400-450 average. On the low end but well into normal and it is incredible to feel normal. BOOM! Sleeping 6-8 hours became my norm, sex drive returned in full, started to gain weight finally and even was able to scale back my calories. Still at 4200 ish but that was due more to activity level than anything.

Turned 23 and was finally into 130 pounds, maintaining my body fat more or less and feeling so much better. Still very small but at least now I was moving in the right direction.

At 23 years old


So from here I was mostly doing Push Pull Legs, it fits my schedule well and I liked it. Still taking down about 4200 or so calories a day to slow bulk, right now as I get close to 25 I am pushing into around 136-138 pounds, feeling better still. The downside is I will always be on TRT, never again will my body be 'normal', the medicine does not cost much which is nice but it is still an inconvenience. My hormones were and always will be jacked up, all because I had some dumb notion of getting stupid lean when I was younger; trying to do so has held me back for years. Between that and the terrible routines I used to follow... My progress is nothing, many could do better in 6 months than I have in 6 years.

So what did I get in the end though, well-

Messed up hormones and a lifetime on medication because of it.
Actual metabolic damage from lack of calories and over exercise.
Side effects from medicine including increased chances of kidney/liver damage, and cancer, and acne...

24- Getting bigger at least, that acne though, just one of the side effects of the medication..

At 24 (current)


So take this chance to learn from me. It isn't worth it to cut as a teen, there is no need to get too hung up on calories and macros. I saw the best results just eating whole foods and lifting heavy things while enjoying my life. Restricting your calories too much while you are still growing not only ruins your best years to grow muscle mass, but can cripple your hormones if you go extreme with it. I see far more posts with kids trying to drop weight to unhealthy levels lately, trying to get the ab muscles they want so much without realizing just how bad things can go. Listen to the good posters on these boards, when they say not to cut, to get on a proven routine, and to not stress nutrition; enjoy your life and have fun, remember that we speak from our own failures. So keep that in mind the next time a skinny guy tells you how to bulk, or an obese person tells you how to cut- they may have more knowledge on the subject than you could ever imagine; look at the advice first, then examine the source. The most jacked/ripped person you know is likely the worst source of advice while the average person who did their research is the best. We want to help keep you from doing what we did, and instead get the physique you want and the long term health and happiness you need; look at the long term, build the foundation now, with puberty and your teen hormones you have more going for you than you could imagine.

So lift heavy, eat a wide variety, sleep, do well in school, and be happy; you're young once and that is it. I spent too long miserable due to my own stupidity so if even one person can learn from this, change their ways, avoid the same pitfalls I did, than this was worth my time to type out and share.

If ever you have questions about my experiences, or want advice feel free to PM me, I am happy to help in any way I can, and will answer any questions honestly.

[Ajiusa]

Very good post,i see alot of these "I'm 120 lbs but can't see my abs",just go lift and don't eat any junk food and eat everything you can and lift heavy compound movements at the gym and you should be fine!

[gbullock32]

Very good post,i see alot of these "I'm 120 lbs but can't see my abs",just go lift and don't eat any junk food and eat everything you can and lift heavy compound movements at the gym and you should be fine!

Yep, or 'I can't eat out with friends/family because it will ruin my macros.'

[Nytmair]

Good post man, hope a lot of the teens read this and take something from it! Glad you are working your way out of it the best you can!

[NasirShakur]

Thanks man, I am one of those kids (profile picture isn't accurate) currently at 148, 6 feet tall. I'm going to finish this cut and just live a healthy life. It's hard man, and/but I can tell you really have our best interest at heart.

I just hope I gain mass and not fat.

[Jostuh]

every gdam teen bb gotta read dis sht. nice post man. It'll be helpful for many.

[gbullock32]

Thanks man, I am one of those kids (profile picture isn't accurate) currently at 148, 6 feet tall. I'm going to finish this cut and just live a healthy life. It's hard man, and/but I can tell you really have our best interest at heart.

I just hope I gain mass and not fat.

Trust me, gaining fat is actually pretty damn hard if you have any common sense.

[DGMan99]

Hi GBullock. This is a good read and inspiring post for the uninformed people of my age that begin the gym/bodybuilding. I know we have fought on the topic of teens caring about this stuff at this age multiple times but I wanted to share those thoughts with you.

I do wish you would see the thick line between counting calories/macros and trying to lose weight/cut, some of us teens need to count in order to gain weight controllably or have great performance in and out of the gym - life in general.

I, like you, was on the fatter end as a kid and then I developed an unhealthy obsession with exercise and showed signs of exercise bulimia (eat everything in sight at one meal and then go "it's fine I'll burn it off an in hour", then do the same 5x a day) I watched my body change and got "shredded" but broke my body down and also felt like ****. Then I got the "**** it, just eat and lift" mentality and got really big but was not "strong" (there will be a pic below showing each phase), and had noticeable amount of fat gained. I have since had pro bodybuilders and trainers from this forum, the gym and other areas in my life teach me about proper training and nutrition which led me to where I am now. (Pic on the far right) however, something you don't understand about me is I take bodybuilding more seriously than any kid my age and as serious as (if not more serious than) any "older" guy on the forum, it's my lifestyle and I also plan to compete at age 17-18.

http://postimg.org/image/5zmzzsest/1b2d9daa/


Some of us teens should not count because they are too obsessive and don't know how to balance life with it. Others can count and have it be beneficial. But, of course, we should not at all EVER try to cut or lose weight during this prime time muscle growth period in our lives.

One more thing, about your above comment - whether you're 16 or 24, when your friends or family invite you to dinner, you go - macros or not. That's just social life destruction and idiocy, if not competing.


- Derek

Solid post. Will rep.

Edit: already repped you before and it won't let me again. -.-

[CeloMagz]

Awesome post GBullock, I'm sure it'll help a lot of people. Wish I could have read it when I was younger

[gbullock32]

Some of us teens should not count because they are too obsessive and don't know how to balance life with it. Others can count and have it be beneficial. But, of course, we should not at all EVER try to cut or lose weight during this prime time muscle growth period in our lives.

Pretty much this though, most do get too obsessive because they read/see magazines and stuff with lifters on roids, who claim they MUST eat a certain way and they instantly believe it. After all if it worked for Arnold/Kai/Lee, ect... than surely it must work for everyone!

Too many fail to understand the differences between a legit pro-BBer and someone who is a natural lifter just looking to be healthy and look good. The latter can easily be achieved without worrying too much on nutrition at all and just using common sense.

I know you understand how much over obsession can just ruin happiness, and health; in the end it just isn't worth it, no one cares about your abs if you never go out and have fun with them. I was always enjoying time with friends and family when I was just lifting and eating with common sense and I was happy. That's the main reason I say they should not stress it, maintainable results simply do not need an overly dedicated diet and being more flexible allows for a better life.

[Skuttles]

Pretty much this though, most do get too obsessive because they read/see magazines and stuff with lifters on roids, who claim they MUST eat a certain way and they instantly believe it. After all if it worked for Arnold/Kai/Lee, ect... than surely it must work for everyone!

Too many fail to understand the differences between a legit pro-BBer and someone who is a natural lifter just looking to be healthy and look good. The latter can easily be achieved without worrying too much on nutrition at all and just using common sense.

I know you understand how much over obsession can just ruin happiness, and health; in the end it just isn't worth it, no one cares about your abs if you never go out and have fun with them. I was always enjoying time with friends and family when I was just lifting and eating with common sense and I was happy. That's the main reason I say they should not stress it, maintainable results simply do not need an overly dedicated diet and being more flexible allows for a better life.

I agree, and most of us aren't going to ever be able to compete so it's not like anything good will come out of being too obsessive. We need balance in our lives.

[Olsenator]

Nice post, hopefully every newbie learning to lift will read this and learn that this is some righteous truth right here.

[BJP2k14]

Tdlr: eat sleep repeat.

Good post, should get stickied.

[ramirez2000]

Thanks for sharing I started out fat but I cut down stupidly at a deficit for about 7-8 months n was tired and was dizzy during the time currently bulking but I'm kind of scared of gaining much fat from previously being overweight for all my life what is your caloric surplus at right now since you seem to not have gained much fat while gaining weight.

[Kaminax]

Great post.

It is obvious clear that the lack of progress was directly due to the sleep deprivation and low test levels. Whether or not your cut was the culprit, who knows? It could've been other factors that we don't know about. It seems like your cut was also slightly extreme from what people would normally go on.

I think you're completely right that you shouldn't cut at that age though no matter what, since the body is still growing. Only exception would be if you suffer from obesity.

[ErikTheElectric]

Thread needs to be sticked.

[gbullock32]

Thanks for sharing I started out fat but I cut down stupidly at a deficit for about 7-8 months n was tired and was dizzy during the time currently bulking but I'm kind of scared of gaining much fat from previously being overweight for all my life what is your caloric surplus at right now since you seem to not have gained much fat while gaining weight.

Up almost 40 pounds, maybe 2% actual body fat increase, yeah getting fat is harder than you would think.

Great post.

It is obvious clear that the lack of progress was directly due to the sleep deprivation and low test levels. Whether or not your cut was the culprit, who knows? It could've been other factors that we don't know about. It seems like your cut was also slightly extreme from what people would normally go on.

I think you're completely right that you shouldn't cut at that age though no matter what, since the body is still growing. Only exception would be if you suffer from obesity.

Combo of a little over 1 year of not eating over 1k calories a day with minimal fat, not a single 'cheat' or refeed, and stupid amounts of exercise; that led to low test/damaged metabolism, which then led to the other issues.

[tillIDrop]

Wait, so your extreme crash dieting led you to start TRT? Doesnt make sense....how is this possible unless you tried to cycle? Just curious , not trying to be an ass. Was it because your low consumption of fats shat on your test production?

Edit: Sorry i didnt see those pics or see those stats. Jeez!

[ErikTheElectric]

Wait, so your extreme crash dieting led you to start TRT? Doesnt make sense....how is this possible unless you tried to cycle? Just curious , not trying to be an ass. Was it because your low consumption of fats shat on your test production?

Edit: Sorry i didnt see those pics or see those stats. Jeez!

Then clearly you need to do more reading on the human body.

[Jherewhoisdere]

If you are fat, there is nothing wrong with getting rid of that excess fat when done properly. You just have to do research first and take it at a slow, steady and healthy pace instead of going full crash diet.

[gbullock32]

Wait, so your extreme crash dieting led you to start TRT? Doesnt make sense....how is this possible unless you tried to cycle? Just curious , not trying to be an ass. Was it because your low consumption of fats shat on your test production?

Edit: Sorry i didnt see those pics or see those stats. Jeez!

Very low fat intake, very low calorie intake, way too much exercise. All wrecked my body's and its ability to produce hormones properly. Because of that I had to start TRT because my body just cannot/does not produce test like a normal person; there is other hormonal and metabolic damage too.

[gbullock32]

If you are fat, there is nothing wrong with getting rid of that excess fat when done properly. You just have to do research first and take it at a slow, steady and healthy pace instead of going full crash diet.

As a teen you can easily recomp, unless obese to the extent it is a medical issue than there just is no need to cut at all.

[SanderTheGG]

Great post

[tillIDrop]

Did you read my edit or were you just trying to be a smartass to something i said again. **** off dude and stop replying to my posts you goblin headed cyclist.

The way OP replied shows how you have a normal conversation. The way you replied makes me want to drive down to SD from Irvine to kick you off your bike and put it on tmisc. *******.

[Jostuh]

Did you read my edit or were you just trying to be a smartass to something i said again. **** off dude and stop replying to my posts you goblin headed cyclist.

The way OP replied shows how you have a normal conversation. The way you replied makes me want to drive down to SD from Irvine to kick you off your bike and put it on tmisc. *******.

chill bro chill.
Glendale crew btw

[OnlyLegDay]

OK so in my previous posts I said that I was on a cut but really I ate three clean meals and didn't cheat once in the past two months. Results lost 20lbs. Now I'm thinking of adding two snacks because I want to increase my lbm so my question is do we just eat around maintenance? Cuz if we shouldn't bulk or cut what would be the purpose for the amount of calories we decide to take on a daily basis?

[HoangTuan1405]

Your body type look like Ectomorph , as Ecto body type we already have amazing lean muscle already , cutting only make everything worse .

[Edgardian89]

This was a great, informative read. It's pretty sad, though. The later part, I mean. It's insane you cut a crap ton of weight from being obese.

[gbullock32]

OK so in my previous posts I said that I was on a cut but really I ate three clean meals and didn't cheat once in the past two months. Results lost 20lbs. Now I'm thinking of adding two snacks because I want to increase my lbm so my question is do we just eat around maintenance? Cuz if we shouldn't bulk or cut what would be the purpose for the amount of calories we decide to take on a daily basis?

Eat using common sense, and moderation- eat to gain about .5-1 pound a week is my recommendation. Just keep a loose eye on the scale and eat a wide variety of foods, that's really all it takes.

Your body type look like Ectomorph , as Ecto body type we already have amazing lean muscle already , cutting only make everything worse .

Too bad science has proven body types to not exist.