Midsection weight loss

[Lokey77355]

Hey everyone, I have a question. So I'm still relatively new to bodybuilding, I'm only about 18 months in. I haven't learned everything I need to know about every aspect yet, I am learning though. I was more focused on results and size over the aesthetic but now I'd like to lean up.
I've put on about 30 to 40 pounds of muscle in the past 18 months. I work out 5 days a week and recently started incorporating more cardio into my plan. I cut out all refined sugars and processed foods about a month ago, but I'm not seeing nearly the results I desire. Like almost none. I've lost 5 pounds.
Please give me any and all advice, things that worked for you, any advice at all on what I'm doing wrong or could be doing wrong or right.

Thanks in advance

[SuffolkPunch]

5lbs in a month sounds like a good result. 1lb a week is about a 500 calorie deficit.

You probably just fall into the same trap we all did - thinking a few lbs is all you have to lose to get lean. If you gained 40lbs in 18 months, chances are a lot of that is fat so it's going to take some time even to get back to how lean you were when you started.

What is your current height and weight? We can hopefully give you an idea of a current lean weight to aim for. You won't really see any definition for a long time - you could go all the way from (say) 20% to 16% without noticing much visible difference. But going from 15-12 will be more more impactful.

Have you read the "basics" sticky thread? The essential details are all there.

[xsquid99]

So I hate to break it to you, but there is no way you've put on 30-40 pounds of muscle in 18 months (assuming you're natty?). The majority of men aren't capable of adding more than about 20 pounds of muscle in their first year of serious training, and thats only with nearly perfect nutrition and training, in reality most people will see only half of that. The more likely scenario is that if you've added 30-40 pounds, about 75% of that is fat with the rest being muscle.

Go back 1 page, read the Don't Look Past the Basics sticky thread near the top of forum.

[faithbrah]

natty? if yes, post pics because i don't think you gained that much muscle in that timeframe

[tadpole25]

Post specific numbers. Height. Weight. Calories. Macros.

Gaining 40 lbs in 18 months is too much. You probably would've been better off lean-bulking instead of dirty-bulking.

Cutting sugars/processed food is fine, but you still need to count calories. If you're not seeing results, it's because you're eating too many calories.