hjahmad

So yeah, i need some advice, in the past 3-5 weeks, i cant remember how long its been, ive been hitting the gym 4-5 times a week for about an hour and a half. i do all around exercises, running, biking, push ups, situps, some localized workouts and some weights, nothing serious like all out benching but enough to help build and tone. anyways, ive lost 15-20 pounds in that time period, from about 190 to under 175 now. but i still have a gut, boobs and big ass. definitely a little smaller but still, why is it still there this much. ive lowered my pant size, gain muscle and endurance, but still have too much fat. i am closing in on my ideal weight but still feel like i have too much fat.
what do i do about this?
am i not burning as much calories now since i have more endurance and need to work out even more.
this is annoying

svtmike

What is your "ideal weight"? You've lost a good amount of weight for 3-5 weeks of working, but things don't change overnight.

What about diet? What have you changed there? I know guys who work out all the time but don't pay enough attention to their diet and therefore don't lose the fat (check the sticky threads in this forum for dietary advice).

Your body needs some fat stores, so don't expect all of it to just go away. Some of what you are seeing may be loose skin that will tighten up over time. Keep going at it. You didn't get overweight in a month; you're not going to become ripped in a month.

Mr. Maker

iTrader: (4)

yes...its all about the diet..

Whiskers

You are your biggest critic...

hjahmad

me and the girl i like

but yeah, i have been dieting, nothing to hard core but i do. wake up for work at 7, and have a glass of milk or something. lunch is just some fruit. just about one bowl. i get done work at 515 and go to the gym for hour and a halfish, then dinner around 730 8. which is usually a home cooked meal. yes i live with my parents so i have what ever they have. but i keep my portions small and dont eat the rest of the night.

mdkxtreme

i've followed a pretty good diet: Don't eat anything after 6 pm

It will be very hard diet to follow if you are a late sleeper. But it's been working for me.

Mr. Maker

iTrader: (4)

there is no time limit on eating right..
your in or your out..

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

First, Good job on starting a healthy lifestyle.

Breakfast is the most important meal.
When you eat breakfast, you're basically breaking a fast for 8 hours or however long you slept for, hence the word breakfast.
Your body needs the fuel, specially protien.
By having breakfast you're basically waking up your metabolism.
in short, faster metabolism = weight loss.

Also, weights have a bigger effect on metabolism allowing you to burn fat hours after you finish your work out.

If you haven't tried High Intensity Interval Training, you're missing out!
Basically you run for 5 mins at a steady pace to get your heart warmed up.
Then for the next minute you run full speed.
After that minute, you drop the speed way down to a walk/light jog.
You do this interval for 10 to 15 mins.
It's pretty killer.
HIIT has the same effect on your metabolism as hitting the weights, and will allow you to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time.

hjahmad

ill def try HIIT today.
i usually run a mile at a higher than average speed, cool down a little, then bike high speed and resistance for 15 minutes.

videojock

I agree with other comments. Diet is numero uno plus interval workout will help reduce the extra baggage you are carrying around. If you enjoy cycling, I would look into a spin class.

Majofo

Seriously bro?

So you're losing weight for a chick.. awesome. Whatever the reason your diet is the foundation. Eat a strong breakfast, don't think calories. Think nutrients to get the metabolism going. Pre and post workout meals are important as well. I don't know your height but it sounds like you're at a point where you should increase your intake, change your eating schedule and habits and hit the weights. Building a strong foundation will make the journey a lot easier and less painful as well and help you keep the weight off in the long run.

As far as the chick.. It's all about confidence. Seriously. Take some BJJ / TKD / Muay Thai.. It can be a great gym replacement, helps build confidence, character, and can be more rewarding. Not all schools are the same so try out a few and make sure you like the master you'll be learning from if you decide to try it out.

Saintor

Eating less is much more effective to lose than to exercise. Which is not to say that exercising is not a good way to lose weight (almost a must, at least in a moderate manner).

I did hit a long plateau at about 170lbs. I lowered my calories intake by another 10% and now I am 10 lbs lighter and still going down - I want a 28in waist. I do think that it is very important to count your calories precisely.

hjahmad

what is all that?

phile

I had that waist when i was in middle school

I think 30in is ideal for men

when I was in my fat phase I blew up to 34

Now i've lost some weight and gone down to 32

Can't seem to get down any further though

hjahmad

i am at a good 34 in now. i know i am smaller than that as all my pants are a little big but they may just be stretched. not enough to go down a size, yet.

so how does one or two nights eating out affect you? like this was a rough weekend and ended up eating out sat and sun. a dinner for lunch sat, and red lobster kinda late last night. and now matter what you get, its never that good for you. so my question is, how much of a set back is something like that? if it happens once in a while, not as a weekend routine.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

In your case, just compensate with extra exercise.

Every one's body is different and reacts to that situation differently.
The general rule is less calories in, and burn more calories with exercise to lose weight.
the only way to really tell is to create a log of what you eat, day in day out.
it'll take time, but after a course of a couple of months, you'll be able to tell which foods and how much you eat determine your waist line, providing you eat healthy well balanced meals.

For me, I put my time and effort into the gym daily. After getting into a routine and seeing results, I feel guilty eating out. (in my head i tell myself to compensate with more exercise. )

Remember 3500 calories equates to 1 pound of fat.
Have you improved your eating habits? ie: eating breakfast?

Majofo

martial arts.

Trust me.. try out BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu).. You'll have a hell of a time trying to keep fat on your body with the same diet you're on. Your body will be starving to keep up on the mat.

03bl AC k CL

OP... i have a similar issue that you do. i lost 60 lbs (from 225 to 165), and I'm 5'10''. With clothes on i look like a thin guy, but with my shirt off i still have the gut, chest, and flab. It's not horrible, because obviously i am really not that heavy for my size, but I am still not as comfortable as I'd like to be. I personally do not want to live at the gym, but I'd like to cut down body fat. I also just got a job that is going to demand about 60 hours a week from me, so I am not going to always have free time readily available to work out. so basically im just saying im in the same boat as you, and am still looking for a good diet and exercise balance to get the results i want.

mdkxtreme

My brother has the same problems. He lost about 60 pounds too but he still has flabs. I'm wondering if it's a permanent thing or not.....

CleanCL

iTrader: (4)

Drink water like you will never have another drink again. Replace all drinks with meals with water. Drink water in between meals. And I don't mean a cup, I mean like bottles and bottles of water.

Watch how fast you will shed more fat. Water helps your kidneys and liver metabolize fat.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^^ with the people with extra flab, I think its time for you guys to start hitting the weights. Fat doesn't turn into muscle, but muscle helps burn fat.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Before:


After:


I did this in two months time.
I still have lots to do, but i'm currently slacking. Im eating carbs like crazy. Hopefully in another 2- 3 months I can be where I want to be.

I hate cars

I pack on as much muscle as I can because it helps to lose weight even while you sleep. Diet first, weights second and it will come together. I agree with Majofo. Nothing will help your confidence as much as knowing even one martial art. The best thing is an hour will go by and it will feel like 15 minutes and it's a natural HIIT training.

On a crappy note I got sick for 5 weeks and couldn't eat anything and went from a fairly slim 230 to an anemic 205. On a better note, my jawline is back. So if you want to lose weight very quickly, get sick.

phile

+1, and try some ice cold water too.

your body works to warm the water in your body, helping to burn fat in the process of working

MikeCLS6

Clean CL is right when he says more water will help you burn fat. Water helps break the fat down which helps your body lose it easier.

hjahmad

update

ive been doing decent. its been a very hectic few weeks. weddings and parties, and now classes started, so i havent been able to keep up the 4-5 times a week. but i am atleast maintaining. down to about 172 now, but still have too much flab an over hang!

i need advice on how to go about this next month. middle of next week, Ramadan is going to start. for those who are not familiar, i will be fasting each day for month.
you might think that when fasting, ill lose weight, but ive had the opposite happen to me. last year i did pretty well in maintaining.
so for the fasting, i wont be eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset. the days are getting shorter so it will get easier. the first day, i have to eat before 445 am, and wont be able to eat till around 805 pm. sounds more difficult than it is.
the issue is with the meals. i eat that early in the morning. usually the portions are normal sized, and usually pretty hearty. but then ill probably be going to sleep for 2 hours before going to work. the evening is when things get bad. there are a lot of dinners at people's homes and this month becomes the month of fried food, so portion and choice control are huge. and these dinners are pretty late.
i still plan to go to the gym everyday after work, but i know ill have to take it easy, since i wont be able to have even a little water, unless i really need it though, they i can break the fast.
i want to take advantage of this month. what are you suggestions on how i should plan each day/week?

CleanCL

iTrader: (4)

You have to learn that others don't control your diet. You do. Just because they are serving fried up foods doesn't mean you have to eat it. If they think it is disrespectful, just politely explain yourself. It can be difficult because you are essentially criticizing the lifestyle of your family/friends, but if you word it correctly it doesn't come off as offensive. Tell them you are training or working towards a goal and that this is one of the challenges. You like the food, but right now you cannot eat it. Load up on the healthy (or healthier) items on the table and avoid the bad (worst) ones. If you cannot avoid any of it, eat smaller portions, and then pick up something healthy on the way home. Take an extra 15-30 minutes working out.

Edit: As for working out. It might be difficult, but get up early in the morning and put in a 30 minute workout. Then eat at 4:45. It's going to be hard because it takes 30-45 minutes for your nervous system to be completely awake. But even just 30 minutes of workout, then you go eat your meal. Add a shake to supplement some extra things like proteins and amino acids. Then when you go back to sleep, your metabolism will be running at a higher rate and you won't feel like you have just bloated. This is going to be hard though because by sunset, you are going to be starving since you have set your metabolism in motion so early.

Majofo

Take it easy this coming month for Ramadan.. do regular low impact natural weight resistance. Pull-ups, push ups, sit ups, etc.. Don't binge eat whatever you want. Eat a nice meal to fuel you through the day and try to maintain a balanced diet. In the evening eat in small portions to hold you over.

MikeCLS6

eat about 500 calories below maintenance
Up your protein by 1.5x your body weight( stay away from pork)
Lower your carb intake and sodium
To much sodium holds water in the body and makes you look puffy

Majofo

I don't think that's an issue for the OP..

hjahmad

hahaha good look
i was gonna say the same thing

hjahmad

it all starts tomorrow.
hopefully i can use this month to my advantage and lose this gut that just wont go away.