Diet, Nutrition and SupplementationPost here for supplement reviews or nutritional advice. If you're trying to get "ripped abz" THIS is where you should be.
Or should I say an extreme slow ~ I have been working out, and dieting for 4 months as of today, here is a brake down of weight loss by week. Week 1-4 was all cardio, on week 5 I added weight training into my workout.
Week 1 Average weight 218.0 average BF% 33.0
Week 2 Average weight 216.0 average BF% 32.0
Week 3 Average weight 215.0 average BF% 31.0
Week 4 Average weight 213.0 average BF% 30.5
Week 5 Average weight 213.5 average BF% 30.0
Week 6 Average weight 209.0 average BF% 29.0
Week 7 Average weight 207.5 average BF% 28.0
Week 8 Average weight 205.5 average BF% 27.5
Week 9 Average weight 204.5 average BF% 27.0
Week 10 Average weight 204.5 average BF% 27.0
Week 11 Average weight 202.0 average BF% 26.5
Week 12 Average weight 203.0 average BF% 27.0
Week 13 Average weight 201.0 average BF% 26.5
Week 14 Average weight 201.0 average BF% 27.0
Week 15 Average weight 201.0 average BF% 26.5
Week 16 Average weight 200.0 average BF% 26.0
Currently my workout consists of the following ~
Week 1
Monday AB / LB set 1 set 2 set 3: 15 20 reps in most cases
1 AB Roller
2 Back Extensions
3 Side Lateral raise
4 Side Extensions (L)
5 Oblique Trunk rotation
6 Side Extensions (R)
Week 2
1 Decline Sit-ups
2 Back Extensions
3 Swiss Ball Crunch
4 Side Extensions (L)
5 AB Cable pull down
6 Side Extensions (R)
Tuesday C / UB / S set 1 set 2 set 3: 15 20 reps in most cases
1 Bench Press
2 Military Press
3 Assisted Pull-up M
4 Cross Over (Lower)
5 Lat Pull Down Machine
6 Lying Lateral Raise
7 Cross Over (Upper)
8 Reverse Crossover
9 Wide Grip Rows
Week 2
1 Incline Bench Press
2 Lat Pullover machine
3 Assisted Pull-up M
4 Decline Bench Press
5 Lat Pullback Machine
6 Lying Lateral Raise
7 Cross Over (Upper)
8 Reverse Crossover
9 Standing lateral raise B
Wednesday week 1 & 2
Cardio: usually will ride 8 12 miles
Thursday H / Q / C set 1 set 2 set 3: 15 20 reps in most cases
1 Squats (standard)
2 Leg Extensions Sitting
3 Calf Press Machine
4 Leg Curls
5 Vertical Leg Press M
6 Seated Heal Raises
Week 2
1 Squats (front)
2 Standing Kickback M
3 Calf Press Machine
4 Leg Curls
5 Standard Leg Press M
6 Seated Heal Raises
Friday B / T / A / A set 1 set 2 set 3: 15 20 reps in most cases
1 Dumbbell Curl Standard
2 Standing Triceps Curl
3 Forearm Curl
4 Hammer Dumbbell Curl
5 Tricep pull down (wide)
6 Forearm Extensions
7 Reverse Grip Bicep Curl
8 One Hand Cable PD
9 Concentration Curls
10 Dumbbell bench Press
week 2
1 Preacher Curls
2 French Curls
3 Forearm Extensions
4 Hammer Dumbbell Curl
5 Triceps pull down N
6 Forearm Curl
7 Reverse Grip Bicep Curl
8 Lying Cross S T Ext
9 Inclined Dumbbell curls
10 Dumbbell Kickbacks
Saturday and Sunday
Cardio: usually will ride 8 20 miles on one day and rest the other.
Before I started working out and eating right I always enjoyed great tasting food w/o worrying about what it will do to my health or my belly. At this point I want to look good more than anything, but being completely honest I wont give up all the things I enjoy eating. If I want to go ont and have pizza one night Im going to do it, if I want to go get a milkshake its going to be done. Some people can go eat whatever the hell they want and still look great, am I will not go through life w/o ever indulging on my favorite foods. I workout nearly 6 days a week if I want to indulge once or twice a week I should still be able to reach my goal of 15% body fat right? Here is the diet that I stick to about 97% of the time.
5 - 6 meals a day, usually 3 meals and 3 snacks. About 1800 2500 calories
Breakfast - protein shake
Snack 1 Peanuts, non-fat yogurt, PB&J on wheat, cottage cheese
Lunch grilled chicken salad, Turkey on multigrain, normally salad
Snack 2 Peanuts, non-fat yogurt, PB&J on wheat, cottage cheese, or protein shake
Dinner Salad, fish, chicken, steak, soup, or PB&J on wheat.
Snack 3 Eddys grand light ice cream, or yogurt
Water: 128oz of water per day, sometimes more.
30 minutes before training I take 2 scoops of No-Xplode
Absolutely no high fructose corn syrup, Very low sugar, and nothing fried!
About 200g or protein per day. Sometimes more
Only whole grain breads and spinach or wheat pasta, no rice other than when I eat mushu chicken from Main Wok.
As stated before I am looking to get down to 15%BF by June, which I dont see happening at this point. My weight loss has seemed to come to a halt or a slow that I am not happy with at all. I am still going to the gym on my regular schedule but loosing motivation with my diet by the day.
I am on my own here, I have not lost sight of my goal, but I could really use some guidance on how to get there. Please, if you reply to this post, dont tell me what I am doing wrong and not suggest something that will work better, I have been getting that a lot.
I need good, clean, guidance that is going to work. I am pretty sure that I have supplied everyone with the information they will need to help me, Just want to get this fat off, help please!
Pick up TT for Fat Loss - less than $30. It will be the best money you have spent.
Go over to the training log forum and check out all the threads from people using this program.
By the way, you're losing about a pound a week so you seem to be right on track. Since you slowed down it's time to make some changes to shake things up. TT just may do that for you.
__________________
"A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."
I'm no expert, but your workout seems way too complicated. Too many exercises, too many lifting days, etc.
While there's no special workout REQUIRED for fat loss, many of us use workouts specifically designed for fat loss with good results. Turbulence Training is the one used most commonly around here.
If you end up liking that style of workout, then you can purchase the whole TT for Fat Loss Special Report from that same site. It's a great program.
Also, checkout the training forums. A lot of people using TT over there. They usually have TT in the title, for your ease of use/search...
As to diet. You don't have to give up anything altogether. You'll have to find your own balance. Some people save some room for a treat everyday. I don't, as they can cause me to binge. Also, since I'm limiting my calories, I know that any junk has to take the place of good, nutritional calories.
I've stalled in fat loss many times over the past couple of years. Sometimes, little changes can make a big difference. If you're happy with your eating and feel that it's something you can stick with, then I'd try changing workout first. If that doesn't snap you out of the plateau, then look to the diet.
Pick up TT for Fat Loss - less than $30. It will be the best money you have spent.
Go over to the training log forum and check out all the threads from people using this program.
By the way, you're losing about a pound a week so you seem to be right on track. Since you slowed down it's time to make some changes to shake things up. TT just may do that for you.
OG, I like how you said the same thing as me, but with a more reasonable number of words... I should learn from you!
It has been said before and I will most definitely say it again, diet is 75%-80% of the battle when trying to lose fat. This goes for everyone of all ages, creeds, sex, etc. So when I see something like ....
Quote:
At this point I want to look good more than anything, but being completely honest I wont give up all the things I enjoy eating. If I want to go ont and have pizza one night Im going to do it, if I want to go get a milkshake its going to be done.
.... your weight loss battle might be hopeless.
Here is something that helped me about a year and half ago, when I was in your same position. The key I have found is that you must make a diet that has tons of variety and good tasting foods that are also healthy. Eating egg whites and oatmeal all the time gets boring but when you spice it up with DaVinci Sugar Free syrups (by the way DaVinci has TONS of flavors) or salsa and garlic then you get a meal thats great for you and tastes pretty damn good. It's about coming up with little things that can add a little spice to normally boring and less than desirable foods. It's almost like your tricking your brain into thinking its eating the foods you crave but your eating much healthier substitutes. One way I curb my sugar cravings and the occasional milkshake craving is to make a shake with fruit, whey, milk or cottage cheese and ice. Throw in a cup of blueberries, a banana, some milk, cottage cheese, vanilla whey, and ice and you have a shake that not only tastes great but is super good for you. You can also do this with peanut butter and chocolate whey if you have that extra chocolate craving.
The bottom line is that if you want to reach your goals you are going to have to exercise some willpower once and awhile and say no to your cravings for crappy foods. This doesn't mean you give up what you love for good, have a cheat meal every week where you reward yourself with whatever you want for all the hard work you put in during the week. Trust me, at first giving up pizza and milkshakes and other such crap is HARD. But once you get going and don't have that stuff as much you will feel better, look better, and eventually you won't have the cravings. It takes 3 weeks to break a bad habit, try going three weeks eating clean foods only and go from there. Good luck man.
I noticed a few things that could be a problem regarding your diet yovwmon.
1. Non Fat Yogurt - About 99% of the time this type of yogurt is loaded with sugar to have any flavor in it, because there is no fat present to do that. Go with low carb yogurt...most brands have less than 5g sugar with 8-12 grams of protein per small cup.
2. Jelly - Again, are you using sugar free jelly or the real stuff, because if you are using the real stuff its got a ton of sugar and you are eating 2 PB&J's a day so it would be a double whammy in terms of the sugar and insulin spike, along with the fat which could lead to unnessecary fat gain.
3. Eddy's Grand Light Ice Cream - Any light yogurt or ice cream adds sugar in place of the lack of fat to help enhance the taste. Drop this because the sugar and insulin spike you are getting right before bed is disasterous to losing fat.
4. Fruits and Veggies - Where are they dude? These and lean protein are the building blocks for any good diet. Trust me, the more you eat the more you will like them, not to mention the health and fat loss benefits.
Anyway, just thought I would add the diet critique.
Some nice points, Other than those things do you think my diet looke pretty nice?
Sometimes I don't feel like I'm eating enough, If I bring better things into my diet, and dump a few of these no so good things could I eat more?
Quote:
Originally posted by Clark: I noticed a few things that could be a problem regarding your diet yovwmon.
1. Non Fat Yogurt - About 99% of the time this type of yogurt is loaded with sugar to have any flavor in it, because there is no fat present to do that. Go with low carb yogurt...most brands have less than 5g sugar with 8-12 grams of protein per small cup.
2. Jelly - Again, are you using sugar free jelly or the real stuff, because if you are using the real stuff its got a ton of sugar and you are eating 2 PB&J's a day so it would be a double whammy in terms of the sugar and insulin spike, along with the fat which could lead to unnessecary fat gain.
3. Eddy's Grand Light Ice Cream - Any light yogurt or ice cream adds sugar in place of the lack of fat to help enhance the taste. Drop this because the sugar and insulin spike you are getting right before bed is disasterous to losing fat.
4. Fruits and Veggies - Where are they dude? These and lean protein are the building blocks for any good diet. Trust me, the more you eat the more you will like them, not to mention the health and fat loss benefits.
Anyway, just thought I would add the diet critique.
Focusing on the diet only, without changing your workout, your weight loss will be fat and muscle. To preserve muscle you will need to lift heavier (and at 15-20 reps you are not lifting heavy). Plus you are devoting a day to abs and a day to arms. Neither of those days will do anything to bring your metabolism up to enhance fat loss.
I would suggest you try switching from steady-state cardio to HIIT (intervals). The EPOCH (increased metabolic rate after workout) is relatively great and should help you burn more calories.
Edit:
Quote:
I workout nearly 6 days a week if I want to indulge once or twice a week I should still be able to reach my goal of 15% body fat right?
Yes, although you definitely need to limit the quantity of that indulgence.
Linear Mode
