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  1. #1
    Registered User throwaway2876's Avatar
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    Nearing goal weight but still have a big stomach

    Hi,

    I am 16M. October 2020 I was 192lbs, today I am 174.

    I have been cutting to about 1500 kcals per day, plus doing strength training 4 days a week and cardio twice a week. I look much better than I did in my upper body region and my face. However, I have not seen much change around my stomach, and I still have a big belly and a bigger ass than I would like.

    I am getting close to my goal weight, and my worst fear is becoming 'skinny fat'. Should I keep going and trust the process? Or should I rethink my plan? I do not want to look bulky, just want lean muscle.

    Will attach pictures - thank you for ur help!
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  2. #2
    Moderator SuffolkPunch's Avatar
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    I don't see any pictures - either add them to posts as attachments or upload them to your bodyspace. These will help us understand your situation better.

    I suspect if you aren't already lean at 174, you need a combination of more fat loss and some muscle gain.

    Skinny fat is not like a hole you can't escape from once you fall in. You can always proceed with fat loss or muscle gain (sometimes both at the same time with a mild calorie deficit). So it's just a question of time and persistence. The muscle gain part is very likely to take much longer than you might think. The fat loss part is the relatively quick part of the process.
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  3. #3
    Registered User throwaway2876's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by SuffolkPunch View Post
    I don't see any pictures - either add them to posts as attachments or upload them to your bodyspace. These will help us understand your situation better.

    I suspect if you aren't already lean at 174, you need a combination of more fat loss and some muscle gain.

    Skinny fat is not like a hole you can't escape from once you fall in. You can always proceed with fat loss or muscle gain (sometimes both at the same time with a mild calorie deficit). So it's just a question of time and persistence. The muscle gain part is very likely to take much longer than you might think. The fat loss part is the relatively quick part of the process.
    Sorry,

    Uploaded to bodyspace now
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    Moderator SuffolkPunch's Avatar
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    OK, that confirms what I thought. At this point you need to do both. Which you do right now isn't that important, so pick whichever you want. Having said that, at 16, we don't recommend a harsh calorie deficit - so anything between a slight calorie deficit up to slightly over maintenance to maximise muscle growth would be fine.
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    Registered User throwaway2876's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by SuffolkPunch View Post
    OK, that confirms what I thought. At this point you need to do both. Which you do right now isn't that important, so pick whichever you want. Having said that, at 16, we don't recommend a harsh calorie deficit - so anything between a slight calorie deficit up to slightly over maintenance to maximise muscle growth would be fine.
    Thanks for your help. I will keep going with a slight calorie deficit and strength training to maintain muscle while I lose fat - at what milestone do you think would be a good time to stop that and start bulking to gain muscle? Is it possible to do what I'm doing now until my stubborn belly slims out and then start building muscle underneath?
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  6. #6
    Moderator SuffolkPunch's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by throwaway2876 View Post
    Thanks for your help. I will keep going with a slight calorie deficit and strength training to maintain muscle while I lose fat - at what milestone do you think would be a good time to stop that and start bulking to gain muscle? Is it possible to do what I'm doing now until my stubborn belly slims out and then start building muscle underneath?
    Just be certain that you continue to make progress in the gym - regularly increase the weight you are using and/or do more reps with the same weight than you did before.

    If your lifting stagnates then that means you are simply dieting very slowly and probably not gaining any muscle.

    I don't really believe in setting any timescales since peoples responses vary so wildly. Overplanning is a big problem with many of the posts I see on here. You have to react to progress - as they say, no plan survives contact with the enemy... What matters ultimately is the effort and focus you apply inside the gym - and how consistently you go to the gym.
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