Twenty five pounds starting now

[twentyfive]

Disclaimer: This thread is purely for me. You're welcome to chime in with tips, things that have worked for you, etc. But mostly i'm using this to track my progress and caloric intake. I'm sure there is better sites for that but i've been using this site for a bit with another user name and i like the layout and don't like change.

For those that care
The goal is to lose 25lbs. Ideally sooner the better. I'm not a stranger to weight loss. I'm at 190 and 5'10" now, down from 240. I've kinda stalled recently though and haven't budged from 190 in two months. I've never tracked my caloric intake so i'm starting today. I'm also adding extra onto all my cardio work. I still need to figure out what kind of lifting program i'd like to do. I had been doing sl 5x5 but that killed my running and biking. I switched to a lower weight higher rep scheme with supersets and dropped sqatting all together. I still do deads once a week however. I'll probably go back to a a 5x5 in the winter. I need my legs though cause I'm aiming to up my running miles to 15 a week and my biking miles to 75-100.

Anyway heres the body i'm starting with
7/21/12 190lbs




Yea i've got moobs!

[twentyfive]

7/21/12
breakfast 500cals
lunch 800
preworkout snack 210
during workout snack 100
after workout 35
dinner 1000 (idiot)
2600 cals
workout 32mile bike ride 15-16mph. 800-900 cals burned

7/22/12
brk 1 300 cals
brk 2 140 cals
lunch 390 cals
prewk 230 cals
after 35
dinner 800-900

[Egilbe]

Why lose weight? looks like you just need to gain some muscle mass.

[Saintor]

You seems to follow the same route as me. I also stalled at 190 from 238.5 5'10". I also stalled at 175. I also stalled at 155. Now you don't want to know how much I weight. Some people here will be offended.

I don't believe in exercise to be a primary long term way to control your weight. IMO, permanently cutting food intake is the way to go and exercising is an essential complement to that.

So if you stall at 190 and eat 1800, bring it down to 1650 and if you want to to further as me, you'll have to cut down to 1500. However if I do a 45 min. bike session, I will consider its equivalent in as calorie I cut in my food intake, so I will eat more. Once by 2 weeks, I allow a cheating day, kind of 5000 which I don't control. So 13x 1500 + 1x 5000 ---> 1750 avg over 2 weeks.

It works.

[twentyfive]

Why lose weight? looks like you just need to gain some muscle mass.

I have since i began lifting, mostly in my shoulders, some in the arms, and definitely thighs. I still would like to add more mass. I feel though particularly in my upper body there is a lot of flab over the muscle. I realize instead of losing weight I should have probably said fat. I don't want to be rail thin, and I don't want to look bloated. I feel bloated now. I'd like to be healthy looking.

[twentyfive]

You seems to follow the same route as me. I also stalled at 190 from 238.5 5'10". I also stalled at 175. I also stalled at 155. Now you don't want to know how much I weight. Some people here will be offended.

I don't believe in exercise to be a primary long term way to control your weight. IMO, permanently cutting food intake is the way to go and exercising is an essential complement to that.

So if you stall at 190 and eat 1800, bring it down to 1650 and if you want to to further as me, you'll have to cut down to 1500. However if I do a 45 min. bike session, I will consider its equivalent in as calorie I cut in my food intake, so I will eat more. Once by 2 weeks, I allow a cheating day, kind of 5000 which I don't control. So 13x 1500 + 1x 5000 ---> 1750 avg over 2 weeks.

It works.

Are you a woman? Less than 150lbs? I'd have to get full blown aids to go that low! Your caloric intakes though are a good baseline for me. I figured starting around 2000 and working a bit lower in the next month. I'd say for the last year I was close to 3000 with plenty of 5000 days mixed in. I'm not following any particular diet though. Just less of everything. I don't eat very any junk food. I eat a lot of veg and fruit. I love bread though. Sandwiches all the time! Trying to cut down on that. That and fatty proteins.

[kryptonik]

Are you a woman? Less than 150lbs? I'd have to get full blown aids to go that low! Your caloric intakes though are a good baseline for me. I figured starting around 2000 and working a bit lower in the next month. I'd say for the last year I was close to 3000 with plenty of 5000 days mixed in. I'm not following any particular diet though. Just less of everything. I don't eat very any junk food. I eat a lot of veg and fruit. I love bread though. Sandwiches all the time! Trying to cut down on that. That and fatty proteins.

You'd be surprised how low you'd have to go to actually have visible abs and whatnot in the shape you are now. Don't be a dick.

Also, what is up with your shoulders. Do you have scoliosis or something?

[twentyfive]

You'd be surprised how low you'd have to go to actually have visible abs and whatnot in the shape you are now. Don't be a dick.

Also, what is up with your shoulders. Do you have scoliosis or something?

I wasn't being a dick. In my mind i had the picture of a 150lb- 5'10" guy being rail thin with absolutely no muscle mass. When i get to 165 we'll see if another 10-15 is necessary.

I don't really have any shoulders issues, as far as i know anyway. Maybe i'm slouched slightly in the picture. I do occasionally have pain in between my shoulder blades, usually on the left side. My sister has scoliosis. I did happen to notice the other day when picking up a bar to shrug off a rack one side would touch the safety bar and the other side would not. Maybe a shoulder imbalance makes one arm shorter? Can you point out what you're seeing thats abnormal?

[VDuBPL]

look at the top picture, left shoulder is lower than your right one.

Good luck with the weight loss, wish I could do it too

[twentyfive]

look at the top picture, left shoulder is lower than your right one.

Good luck with the weight loss, wish I could do it too

i looked at the pic and realized i was grabbing my shorts with both hands and they were at unequal lengths. I had about 10 people look at me today with arms down normal and there was no perceptible difference. Its totally possible though. It hasn't bothered me yet and the pain i've gotten in the past is more attributable to overuse/posture/backpacks

[Saintor]

I take NO offense.

What the OP will realize is that at 165lbs, he will still have love handles and be flabby.

At 150lbs, I could barely see my ribs.

Less than 135lbs is the best since I am not muscular. Not quite there but I am working on it.

Yet at soon-45, I beat the army's battery of test for my age no problem while enjoying a blood pressure of a teenager.

[twentyfive]

I take NO offense.

What the OP will realize is that at 165lbs, he will still have love handles and be flabby.

At 150lbs, I could barely see my ribs.

Less than 135lbs is the best since I am not muscular. Not quite there but I am working on it.

Yet at soon-45, I beat the army's battery of test for my age no problem while enjoying a blood pressure of a teenager.

I'm ok with not seeing abs, etc. I'm not trying to be the situation, i'm trying to wear a shirt and not have titties sticking out as big as some girls i know. When i get to 165 i'll reevaluate and see whats what.

[spoolin215]

Wants to lose fat not weight. Stopped squatting. Runs 15 miles per week.

]

[leaftye]

Tracking weight can be disappointing, especially when you're on the back end of your diet and you're lifting weights. With what you're already tracking, I think you'd do well to start taking tape and pinch measurements as well.

[twentyfive]

Wants to lose fat not weight. Stopped squatting. Runs 15 miles per week.

]

Squatting's not the end all be all. Its' cool and all that people here squat eight days a week and can do 500+ pounds. I won't deny, i'm envious. While the summer is here though i'd prefer to do outdoor types of activities. Unless i've been living under a rock my entire life i'm pretty sure squatting is not the only way to burn fat. 15 miles will go up though. Thats just right now and in addtion to my 100+ biking miles a week and 3 days lifting.

hey at least i'm not body building. i know how gay you guys think that is

[twentyfive]

Tracking weight can be disappointing, especially when you're on the back end of your diet and you're lifting weights. With what you're already tracking, I think you'd do well to start taking tape and pinch measurements as well.

I'll look into that. I admit the first 50lbs i lost i barely changed my diet and never really tracked anything other than working out more. This is all new. I'll look into the tape and pinch thing.

[leaftye]

With the first part of a big diet you readily notice improvements because there's so much fat to lose. Towards the end the muscle gain can mask the fat loss if your scale is your primary determination of the success of your diet. If you're counting calories and getting in better shape, surely your making improvements. The tape and pinch measurements allow you to see those improvements so you don't get discouraged for the wrong reason. There are other ways of testing fat, so don't get hung up on the pinch caliper. It can be any of device or test.

[spoolin215]

Squatting's not the end all be all. Its' cool and all that people here squat eight days a week and can do 500+ pounds. I won't deny, i'm envious. While the summer is here though i'd prefer to do outdoor types of activities. Unless i've been living under a rock my entire life i'm pretty sure squatting is not the only way to burn fat. 15 miles will go up though. Thats just right now and in addtion to my 100+ biking miles a week and 3 days lifting.

hey at least i'm not body building. i know how gay you guys think that is

Actually I don't think there is anyone here that squats 8 sessions per week. I do 6 and that's probably the most out of anyone here. Most people probably do 1-2 sessions. I also think there are only a few 500+lb squatters here. And yes, squatting is the end all be all. It's considered the king of all exercises for a reason. When done properly it:

Improves flexibility and mobility
Increases overall muscle mass
Burns fat
Gives you a strong core
Makes you mentally strong

It doesn't even have to be a back squat, or a squat with a bar. But your program should contain some kind of squatting at least once a week. I can understand that you enjoy doing outdoor activities but with all of the cardio you're going to be doing, and using a low weight high rep resistance program, you're not going to be happy with how your body will look. You're probably going to drop a lot of muscle tissue and only a small amount of fat.

If you can get your nutrition on point, that's going to be the main factor, and done correctly squatting will help your biking, not hinder it.

[twentyfive]

Actually I don't think there is anyone here that squats 8 sessions per week. I do 6 and that's probably the most out of anyone here. Most people probably do 1-2 sessions. I also think there are only a few 500+lb squatters here. And yes, squatting is the end all be all. It's considered the king of all exercises for a reason. When done properly it:

Improves flexibility and mobility
Increases overall muscle mass
Burns fat
Gives you a strong core
Makes you mentally strong

It doesn't even have to be a back squat, or a squat with a bar. But your program should contain some kind of squatting at least once a week. I can understand that you enjoy doing outdoor activities but with all of the cardio you're going to be doing, and using a low weight high rep resistance program, you're not going to be happy with how your body will look. You're probably going to drop a lot of muscle tissue and only a small amount of fat.

If you can get your nutrition on point, that's going to be the main factor, and done correctly squatting will help your biking, not hinder it.

The 8 day a week squatting was more a joke but yea i don't deny its a great exercise. I think maybe i can work some bodyweight or lower weight squats in a couple days a week when i'm at the gym. Hopefully it doesn't kill my legs like it did when i was squatting before and leave me with aching hips and dead legs every day.

I always thought the lower weight higher rep scheme and high intensity cardio was the way to go for fat loss (besides nutrition obviously). It seems if you read anything online about great success stories of people who've lost weight this is their formula. Now i'm lost.

spoolin215 what do i gotta do? I'm all ears

[osiris]

Completely eliminate grains and sugar from your diet, except for one meal directly after a workout.

Do this, switching from one to the other, lifting at least once every three days:

Squats 3x8
Overhead Press 3x8
Pull-Up 3x8 (add weight belt if you can do more)

Deadlift 3x5
Bench Press 3x8
DB Row 3x8

This won't take you more than 2 hours of your whole week.

High-intensity cardio is great for fat loss. It doesn't sound like what you are doing is HIT though, it sounds like you are doing long-distance, sustained rate cardio, which causes your body to burn muscle tissue for fuel. You are going to end up "skinny fat".

Do as much of the other "outdoor" activities as you want.

[spoolin215]

^^^ pretty solid advice.

I think part of your problem with feeling beat up after squats was improper loading and infrequency. If you go to long between doing certain movements then they will get really sore. Being that I squat every day that I train, my legs never get sore because they became conditioned for it.

I think a 3x8 is a good rep scheme for a person who enjoys endurance activities such as cycling. It will build a decent amount of muscular endurance without being purely slow twitch. Just start light and increase 5lbs per week. That should be able to build up your legs to the point where doing some heavier squatting won't ruin you.

[twentyfive]

^^^ pretty solid advice.

I think part of your problem with feeling beat up after squats was improper loading and infrequency. If you go to long between doing certain movements then they will get really sore. Being that I squat every day that I train, my legs never get sore because they became conditioned for it.

I think a 3x8 is a good rep scheme for a person who enjoys endurance activities such as cycling. It will build a decent amount of muscular endurance without being purely slow twitch. Just start light and increase 5lbs per week. That should be able to build up your legs to the point where doing some heavier squatting won't ruin you.

I did sl5x5 for a good 4 months up until 1 month ago and was squatting 3 days per week so my squatting wasn't infrequent. The loading was correct, my form was correct. You see my thighs in the picture and I definitely gained some mass there. I still felt like poo all the time. If thats what it takes though to do this i'm game. Also my cardio is generally interval or very hill stuff. Is that considered high intensity?

[spoolin215]

If you were feeling beat up after squatting 3x a week the loading was not correct. Also I can tell just by the way you stand your squat form probably wasn't perfect. Either way, I think your body comp goals would be best served with moderate reps and loading rather than low weight high rep, or high weight low rep.

[leakypipeDCI]

Calling them thighs make you sound like a woman. No offense.

Low intensity cardio at long intervals is actually detrimental to you metabolism over time.


And a guy that is under 135 at 5'10". Wtf?

[spoolin215]

Are you a woman? Less than 150lbs? I'd have to get full blown aids to go that low! Your caloric intakes though are a good baseline for me. I figured starting around 2000 and working a bit lower in the next month. I'd say for the last year I was close to 3000 with plenty of 5000 days mixed in. I'm not following any particular diet though. Just less of everything. I don't eat very any junk food. I eat a lot of veg and fruit. I love bread though. Sandwiches all the time! Trying to cut down on that. That and fatty proteins.

Just saw this post. Your nutrition is definitely the reason why you're not as lean as you want to be. Cutting your calories and continuing to eat the types of foods you are eating will just make you more fat % wise and kill your muscle tissue. You need to increase your fat intake, and decrease your carb intake. Bread=****. Fruit=sugar which won't help you lose body fat. Fatty game meats are one of the healthiest things you can eat, especially if you're trying to get lean.

[twentyfive]

If you were feeling beat up after squatting 3x a week the loading was not correct. Also I can tell just by the way you stand your squat form probably wasn't perfect. Either way, I think your body comp goals would be best served with moderate reps and loading rather than low weight high rep, or high weight low rep.

Yea I don't have a cam otherwise i'd make a video clip for you to judge my squat form. Best I can do is_

Not down completely in any of the pics. Its hard to try and use the delay on this mac and get down in position in time. I think thats why in some of the pics above i look off kilter. I always go slightly past parallel, arched back and usually squat without shoes. I emulated the form of the guys in the 'Think you can squat' videos more or less. Not to toot my own horn I have been told by some serious lifters my form was good. I'm learning though so any criticism are certainly appreciated.

Besides the 3x8 and Hit cardio. What do you guys think my baseline calorie intake should be starting off. The guy above said he went down to like 1600. I'm probably at about 2500-3000 the last few days. I guess it differs maybe from person to person. Maybe I should shoot for about 2000 regularly?

[twentyfive]

Just saw this post. Your nutrition is definitely the reason why you're not as lean as you want to be. Cutting your calories and continuing to eat the types of foods you are eating will just make you more fat % wise and kill your muscle tissue. You need to increase your fat intake, and decrease your carb intake. Bread=****. Fruit=sugar which won't help you lose body fat. Fatty game meats are one of the healthiest things you can eat, especially if you're trying to get lean.

That post was for my diet going back the last two years. I still lost 50 lbs during that time (maybe not all fat, some muscle i suppose). But thats water under the bridge. I'm cutting down to 2000-2500 and cutting out the bread/excess/etc to lose this last 25+ starting yesterday(what this thread is all about). 25lbs is a total arbitrary number though. I figured at 165 i'd look healthy. Maybe once the fat comes off and the muscle goes on it'll be a different number entirely.

[dubb~stylee]

oh my god i ****ing lost it looking at this pic. looks like you are farting on your dog.

[twentyfive]

oh my god i ****ing lost it looking at this pic. looks like you are farting on your dog.

lol. yea all the pics in this thread are ****ing embarrassing. that dog is a trooper. i was washing him off at 3am this morning though cause he got into it with a skunk.

[spoolin215]

Not bad based off the pics. It looks like you have a slight external rotation of your femur and tightness in your hip flexors. I'll send you some stuff to do to help.

As far as baseline calories...just focus on the quality of foods first, and then worry about how much. The guy above advocating 1600 cals a day is a middle aged skinny-fat dude who routinely tells people on here that it's okay to eat big macs as long as you don't go over your daily calorie allowance. So probably best to take his advice with the multiple grains of salt that come with the burgers and fries he wants you to eat.

[Egilbe]

2500 calories is a good start. I wouldn't go much below 2200.

[twentyfive]

Not bad based off the pics. It looks like you have a slight external rotation of your femur and tightness in your hip flexors. I'll send you some stuff to do to help.

As far as baseline calories...just focus on the quality of foods first, and then worry about how much. The guy above advocating 1600 cals a day is a middle aged skinny-fat dude who routinely tells people on here that it's okay to eat big macs as long as you don't go over your daily calorie allowance. So probably best to take his advice with the multiple grains of salt that come with the burgers and fries he wants you to eat.

Definitely have tight hip flexors from years of biking and not stretching ever. Been working on that a bit for the last couple months. Need to invest in a foam roller soon though. I'll still watch my calories close but the foods i'm eating even closer. Thanks for the suggestions