Lasereth

OK I was a major fatass about a year ago. I knew it and I was tired (literally and figuratively) of being tired all the time with no energy. So I decided to lose weight.

Since then I've lost 65 pounds (the first 60 without going to the gym) and am in the best shape of my life by far.

A few questions for people who know about this stuff:

I still have a lot of fat. I was at 275 and now I'm at 210. My arms have gotten way bigger and my legs are beginning to bulge as well. My upper chest is starting to swell out also. I've quadrupled the weight on many of the nautilus machines I use. One major problem though: my fatass gut that I've had since I was born (literally). I've had a gut since I was 6 months old and it won't go away. I do 30 minutes of fat-burn elliptical 3 times a week and do weight training and nautilus machines 3 times a week. Why won't the gut go away???

I've tried 100 reps of moderate weight on the ab machines and 20 reps of massive weight on the ab machines and neither do anything.

My body is extremely resilient to working out to begin with (I can build muscle, but working out doesn't seem to burn fat) so I'm having a particularly hard time.

I eat around 900-1500 calories per day if that matters.

Help me!!!!!!!

World's King

Talk to a doctor.

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Baraka_Guru

This is what you're doing wrong...unless you are calculating your calories improperly.

900 calories/day is suitable for smaller children, while 1500/day calories is suitable for a lot of women. Where do you fit in this equation?

It is quite possible that your body is constantly in starvation mode if you aren't eating enough. This causes your body to defensively hold onto calories (i.e. fat) in expectation of a low food supply. If you are exercising with weights and you are also doing cardio, you should eat a few more calories spread throughout the day to boost your metabolism.

Also realize that ab exercises don't burn much fat; they mainly tone the muscle underneath.

And, I agree, you should speak with your doctor. Ask him or her about seeing a nutritionist maybe.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Willravel

Laser, it's really admirable that you did so well on your own but there's a reason that fitness professionals enjoy a good reputation. I've found that a personal trainer and dietician are all you need to be in scary good shape. And yes, 1500 a day is probably too little which has triggered a starvation mechanism.

Bossnass

I'll echo the 'talk to doctor' advice.

I happen to be married to one that happens to have a 'fitness/healthy lifestyle' fetish.

As BK said, you're not eating enough. I'm a touch over 6' and a touch under 200lbs. I shoot for about 2500 on a maintenance basis. I'd probably be around, but below 2000 on a strict weight loss plan. I'm pretty healthy right now though, so 2500ish it is.

There is a midpoint where calories in = out, and weight is stable. Slight excess in intake isn't converted to long term storage. Eat too much, you get excess food stored as standard fat deposits (hips/but for females, belly for males). Eat more than too much, you get fat deposits all over. On the other side, eating too little, then all your fat deposits start to go away. Eat "less than too little", as you are now, and some of your food is still going into fat storage. And you probably feel faint or light headed far too often.

Use 'fitday.com'. I personally know people that have had healthy success with it. Free and easy, counts your calories, gives you the carb-protein-fat breakdown. Also eye-opening on what portions you're actually eating. I am still amazed every time I am reminded how little 4 oz of meat is (we have an accurate scale in the kitchen). Try for 40-30-30, carbs-protein-fat, bearing in mind huge amounts of built-in fat with pretty much every carb and protein out there. Again, ref fitday. I'm sure you know the 'whole grains, green vegetables, high fibre, low fat' drill. Sneak a read of fitness magazines at the gym. They all say pretty much the same thing.

You can't 'spot train'. If you have fat on your belly, it will be the last fat to go. You probably have decent abs under there by now, but you won't see them until you loose enough fat all over.

I'd say crank back the weight training, go into maintain mode on the nautilus (same reps, same weight, mix it up just a little), and double or triple your cardio. Not much fat is burnt in a 30 minute session, and cardio fitness will only help you in every conceivable way. Bike, elliptical, treadmill, etc. Good luck.

Martian

I'd say you're not doing anything wrong, aside from maybe not eating quite enough.

Guys tend to accumulate fat more around our midsections than anywhere else. That means that it'll be the first place you notice it when you gain and the last place you'll get rid of it when you lose. Since you say you still have a lot of fat on your body, it's probably just that; as you continue to work off the fat you'll get rid of the gut as well.

Altering your diet will probably help. Exercise is only one half of the equation, after all. Eat more through the day, stay away from empty calories (candy and other junk food) and try to get the appropriate amount of carbs, protein and fat in your diet (the cited ratio is generally 40-30-30, although I prefer to take in more carbohydrates and less fat, which leaves me aiming more around 60-25-15; note that this is ratio of calories and not weight or volume). Also consider a multi-vitamin if you're not already taking one, just to make sure all of the bases are covered. 1500 calories is probably a little low for a typical male who exercises and 900 is definitely very low. 1800-2000 would probably be a healthier range, although individual results do vary.

The fact that you're able to perform 100 repetitions on an ab machine at any weight strongly indicates that the underlying muscle is in good shape. Therefore you're not likely to see much benefit from doing anything further there. Stick to your routine and alter the cardio; that's where you burn more calories and therefore where the most fat burning takes place. Increase your sessions on the elliptical in length or do more of them. 5 days a week may help; many folks like to do cardio daily. If going to the gym every day is too inconvenient you could try taking up jogging or cycling instead. I replaced all of my cardio this past summer by buying a bicycle and using that to get around town. Not only was it an effective (and cheap) way to commute to work, but it also ensured that I got plenty of cardio in a typical day without having to dedicate an hour to it. Walking works for this purpose as well, and if you're in a climate conducive to either activity I highly recommend it.

Personal trainers are useful but not necessary by any stretch of the imagination. Aside from times like now when I'm too ill to exercise regularly I've found that I'm fully capable of designing and implementing my own regimens and therefore have no personal use for one (or a dietician; a side effect of living with Crohn's Disease is that I have become very adept at fulfilling my own dietary needs without outside assistance). I'd say since you're doing well enough on your own, you probably don't need to shell out the cash, but it's really a personal decision.

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snowy

Eat more, and eat more fat. Fat and fiber keep you fuller longer. So eat meals that pack a rounded punch of protein, fiber, and fat--unsaturated, good fats, like the kind found in tuna fish, peanut butter, olive oil, etc. Eggs are good. Nuts are also good. You need to eat some fat every day, or else your body will go into starvation mode, and cling to the fat, as will suggested. A number of women hit this problem when they "plateau" with their weight loss. Their body has lost all the weight it feels it can handle at its current calorie intake, and they hit a wall.

Furthermore, recent research has shown that most cardiovascular exercise machines overestimate the number of calories burned when exercising, so try not to base your calorie calculations off of what the machine tells you. There are a number of fitness trackers online that can be more accurate and personalized, and will also allow you to input your meals and track your calorie intake as well those burned.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/he...549&ei=5087%0A

Some fitness and nutrition resources I've found helpful:
Women's Health magazine and their website has been a great resource for me in my weight loss endeavours. I imagine Men's Health might be similarly helpful. WebMD also has some helpful fitness tools. FitDay is a free fitness tracker I found and recommend--it's free, which is nice. I did end up shelling out the money to buy a program called DietPower, which is easier to use than FitDay, but like I said--it isn't free after the two-week trial.

Oh, and if you're in university, an appointment with a nutritionist may be covered under your student health program. At my university, we get two visits free, and it's $5/appointment thereafter. Additionally, a lot of traditional insurers cover appointments with nutritionists as it qualifies as preventative care. So check it out. It may be helpful.

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Lasereth

Wow thanks for all the responses!!

I see a lot of people talking about eating more. I hate to flat out disagree, but I have to put in my experiences with food:

When I was 275, I was eating about 5-6,000 calories per day, many due to soft drinks. At first I tried eating around 2500-3000 per day. I lost no weight for 2 months. Then I went down to 1500-2000 per day. Nothing. Then when I went down to 900-1,500 calories, I started to lose weight.

If I go back up to 2,000 calories or higher, I gain weight almost instantly. If I eat 2500 calories per day, I gain 10 pounds in a single week, and we're not talking muscle, we're talking raw fat in my face and stomach.

The trainer at the gym I go to said I wasn't eating enough either, but everytime I try what they suggest I simply gain weight. When trying to get in shape and you follow what your trainer says and then gain 20 pounds of fat in a month, it's not exactly inspiring. So basically I'm scared to death of eating any more than I am right now since no matter what I eat I gain weight if it's more than 1500 calories.

I've tried the "eat 6 times a day of smaller portions" and "eat a lot of meats and proteins" and none of it works, I just gain fat weight and have to stop.

I do have a lot of people tell me my body may be in starvation mode and it's storing fat. If that's true, then how have I lost 65 pounds??

Any suggestions?? Thanks for your time!

ratbastid

Weight gain that fast is probably water. The body just doesn't put on actual fat that fast.

Back when you were testing your caloric input against weight loss, you obviously had quite a slow metabolism. Exercise will increase your metabolic rate over time, so your "weight loss" calorie level may now be too low for your now-faster metabolism. Does that make sense? In other words, it's possible that your level of activity has reset your metabolic set-point to the extent that you should now be eating more.

Baraka_Guru

That brings up a good question: Do you drink a lot of water? Water does many things to help nourish your system, plus it has been documented that the heavier people are, the more water they require for health purposes.

When shifting up your diet back to more calories, were you still working out a lot? And ratbastid's right, you can't gain fat that fast, it was probably water weight from the additional carbs in your system. Also remember that not drinking enough water causes you to retain water, just like undereating causes you to retain fat.

Consider these as a guideline:

• Eat balanced nutrients (protein/carbs/fats) as others have listed above;
• Eat a caloric intake reasonable for your gender/height/weight (likely to be at least 2,000, if not 2,500);
• Eat foods that balance your blood sugar and provide long-term energy (oatmeal, legumes, etc.);
• You might want to cut out some heavier meats, replacing them with vegetarian alternatives;
• Cut out sugar;
• Drink at least a litre of water per day, but up to two litres if you exercise a lot;
• Continue to lift weights to build muscle (muscle boosts your metabolism, even at rest, but you need adequate calories and protein to build it);
• Do interval training for cardio exercise (fat-burning cardio burns fat mostly during the session, while interval training burns far more calories as your body recovers over the next several hours);
• Do all of this with the help of a fitness trainer and nutritionist;
• Stick to your goals, work hard, and don't use your weight as your only progress indicator.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

aberkok

The fat burn setting on the cardio machines is a bit of a scam. All it means is you're only burning calories, and generally not working hard enough to train the heart. You need to develop a workout that keeps the heart rate up for the length of the workout.

During resistance, that means doing "super-sets" which is basically doing a set of one type of weight in between sets of another, so you're resting the muscle without letting your heart-rate drop.

During cardio (and definitely mix in treadmill and bike with the elliptical), try "High Intensity Interval Training," or HIIT. Here, you run close to your max speed for a minute, then jog for a minute, and so on. You'll be lucky to get to 15 mins, but this prevents your body from becoming accustomed to the intensity and you'll keep that heart rate high.

All this work will go in the toilet if you don't eat right. Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym. Your calorie level is in no way enough. You've talked about eating more and gaining weight, but you haven't really talked about what you eat when you do this.

Of course, "eating lots of meat and proteins" doesn't work. Atkins style diets are bunk.

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Baraka_Guru

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__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

jewels

Onesnowyowl is right on the money as far as nutrition is concerned.

As for weight loss and gain, keep in mind that loss of fat and muscle both register on the scale, not distinguishing one from the other. When you lost all of that fat in the past, you probably lost a significant amount of muscle, too. In order to get your metabolism back where it was, you need to regain your muscle.

That's why you need quality protein and carbs to help you build that. Eat and eat well!

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Lasereth

So if I'm working out 3 times a week and out of the blue I increase my caloric intake by 100-150%, I'll get thinner and lose fat? Sorry for the skepticism but this just seems like a win-win situation on my part.

I guess a good example of my weird metabolic rate is the whole breakfast debate. Everyone says you need to eat a good breakfast. So this past summer I start eating oatmeal every morning. I drink orange juice with it. The first week I noticed I was about 5 pounds heavier at the end of it. 2 weeks later, 10 pounds heavier. 2 months later and I hadn't lost a single pound and I could tell a difference in my fat quantities on my body. I stopped eating breakfast completely and within 2 more months I had lost 20 more pounds. Just by eating breakfast for a couple of months my body stopped burning fat and started storing it. This is my I'm a little skeptical of simply increasing my caloric intake!!

I drink probably 3-4 cups per day at work. No regular soft drinks, but I do drink diet soft drinks with 0 calories and 0 sugar.

Now that you mention it, I wasn't working out like I am right now when I changed my diet last time. I was working out but nothing like now.

Baraka_Guru

But what else would you eat during the day? And when?

Try not to oversimplify the actions of what is a complex system, the human body. You will likely gain some weight, but you should ultimately lose fat if you balance everything properly. You could also add one or two more cardio sessions per week, if you can. Or, perhaps, increase the time of each session from 30 minutes to 45 minutes or an hour.

Depending on the way you're built, you might never be (or never should be) below a certain weight. This is why weight might not be the best progress indicator. A fitness trainer will help you measure your body fat, and you can focus on that.

Exercise isn't very rewarding if you don't eat properly. You can't burn fat very efficiently if your body is malnourished. It could even be overstressed, making losing the fat even more of a challenge. Regardless of anything, you should be eating no fewer than 1,500 calories a day, or you might risk health problems down the road. It is difficult to get the proper balance of vitamins and minerals if you aren't eating the right variety and amount of food.

The body is an intricate system of parts; you need to find out how it works. This is where professionals could help you.

Exercise needs the proper fuel. Oatmeal and exercise are best friends.

By the way, by oatmeal, I mean the real kind. Not the instant maple sugar, apple cinnamon kind with tons of sugar.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Bossnass

Skipping breakfast is a bad idea, especially if you're trying to loose weight. You won't be able to work out with any effect with low blood sugar. 5lbs in a week is pretty huge; despite your empirical experience, I would have thought it near impossible. I'll venture to guess that the OJ was entirely unnecessary (high calorie, you can get vitiamin C elsewhere) and that your oatmeal wasn't low fat.

Do some research into nutrition and digestive processes. Yes, people have vary different metabolic rates, but I'm going to side with other TFPers and the trainer at your gym. As long as you believe that modern nutritional science doesn't apply to you, you're going to plateau.

And you need to increase the number and duration and type of your workouts, as previously mentioned.


Edit: Re soft drinks. A bunch of people will tell you to cut out even diet pop. I'm torn on this because it fills you up and provides the sweet. I have no problem with aspartame, etc. Some people do, but rely on very dubious sources. Keep in mind, however, the diet pop with caffeine still has caffiene, which is a diuretic, which could contribute to dehydration and is generally creating opposition to your health regime. Personally I have coffee every morning and a diet pepsi or two in the afternoon.

ratbastid

That "breakfast weight" wasn't fat. It was water from the big bowl of carbs you were starting your day with. I also suspect you're not drinking enough water.

Keep working out as hard as you are now, and add 500-800 calories of balanced nourishment--mostly veggies, a little lean meat like fish or chicken. Make sure you're drinking 8 12-oz glasses of water a day, evenly spaced out through the day, maybe a little denser right after your workout.

Do that for a month and ignore short-term weight blips. Then see where you are. Worst case, you'll have added a couple pounds (I really do mean a couple) and you can get back where you were in about another month. I'm guilty of it too, but daily weight checks will only make you insane. Weekly is still a bit too short to really see where you're headed long-term--and this IS a long-term, lifestyle proposition.

If you could see me right now, you'd be laughing at me giving you this advice. I'm TOTALLY not following it myself. But knowing the right things to do and actually DOING them are two completely different things, eh?

Baraka_Guru

Yeah, "do as I say, not as I do." I know what you mean. I only recently got back on track myself. I've noticed a bit more belly fat on me than usual, so I figured I wasn't looking after myself. (And I wasn't.) But we all know that motivation is the most difficult thing to manage, and that's what TFP is good for!

We're all built differently, but we are all subject to the underlying principles of nutrition, exercise, and general health. This is where we can all help one another.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

ngdawg

Stop the diet drinks!! They are sodium loaded and the ingredients used to make them fizzy and 0 calories are every bit as bad as the ones they are supposed to replace. My uncle cut out Diet Pepsi-lost 25 lbs. A friend cut out Diet Coke-lost 16 lbs. And the gut will go down even more because you'll eliminate the carbonic acid that makes the fizz as well as cutting the carbs that make bacterial gas(which can cause bloating).
As mentioned earlier-when increasing the calories, it's important to note what you're increasing them with. Everyone has a sensitivity to certain foods that pack on lbs quicker. Me, it's ice cream-the same amount of calories in another food won't put on weight. A friend, it's beef and another, carbs. If you're increasing with carbs, stop the carbs, etc.
Keep working out. Walk more to keep the metabolism from slowing down. Measure your water intake by using a pitcher or bottles-you will probably find that you don't drink as much as you think. You should be finishing at least a 72 oz pitcher a day and peeing every 2-4 hours of clear or almost clear urine. If you can go less or the urine's yellow, increase the water. (an excellent indicator of fluid intake)
Keep it up!! 60 lbs is a great loss! Don't let setbacks get you down or into bad habits.

ratbastid

Agreed--anything that comes in a keg and isn't beer should be cut. (Ok, Ok, beer should too.... I just am usually unwilling to make that particular trade-off.) Try iced tea (we NCians have to specify "unsweet", or it comes with as much sugar as a Coke) with some splenda instead.

Speaking of NC, Lasereth---you and I live half an hour apart. Why haven't we met up yet? If you're not doing anything tonight, we're having a major New Years Eve throwdown tonight, you're welcome to join us. It won't be good for your diet, though...

Lasereth

Yeah I totally thought that diet mountain dew was causing me not losing weight earlier this year so I cut them out completely. I went 2 months without drinking a single soft drink and drank water at home and at work all the time. Shoveled it down, and never broke the test once. Didn't lose a single pound. Maybe other people gain weight from diet soft drinks (I put it on FAST if I drink regular drinks) but I don't. Diet Mountain Dew is what I drink and it has 0 calories and really low sodium (like 1% daily amount per can).

Lots of great advice here guys!! Lots of stuff to consider. I hate how if you want to lose weight, you can't just go to the gym and eat healthy/less portions. You have to work out the right way, do cardio the "right way," and eat the right foods the right way or it just doesn't work at all. Ugh!!!!!!!!!

I've heard this also. Everyone seems to have their own opinion about soft drinks...the fitness instructor at my work recommends drinking something with caffeine immediately before working out and immediately when waking up in the morning and swears it helps your metabolism. Other people say it's cancer for metabolism. I hate how there's no constants!

soma

Whats up, first off, congrats on all that you have accomplished so far!

you say your body is very resilient right now, which is very true. if you want o get more results, you have to increase your weights, increase your reps, so your body has to adapt more.

30 mins 3 times a week on the eliptical is good, but again, your body adjusts quickly. start going for longer if possible. maybe add 5 minutes every week or something. just find something that works for you, you know.

good luck!

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*Nikki*

I was going to also say do more cardio. That is the thing that really worked for me. I would spend an hour on the Eliptical at times.

snowy

I think part of your problem, Lasereth, is you're only looking at one number in regards to judging your weight loss--your weight. Do you have any idea what your body fat percentage is? Because if you don't, that's the number you want to know.

At this point, you've lost a significant amount of weight, and so it's time to start evaluating your body composition, as you've already started to do. But a key piece of evaluating that composition is your body fat percentage.

I really recommend getting a scale that also measures your body fat percentage via bioelectric impedence analysis. Just don't drink a ton of water before weighing yourself, or you'll throw off the result. It's not as accurate as other methods of measuring body fat percentage, but it gives you feedback more frequently and for less cost than other methods.

Yes, you might gain weight when you eat a more balanced diet, but that weight isn't always stored as fat. It might be that you're gaining muscle, and that is causing your weight gain. That's a good thing! Muscle burns more calories than adipose tissue, and will boost your metabolism. Plus, you may just be temporarily gaining water weight.

As for the diet soda thing--I switched to diet soda a year ago after drinking regular soda for years. I lost 45 lbs., and I've kept it off. I still drink a diet soda or two a day. But it's important that diet soda not be your only beverage--I also drink green tea, orange juice, and milk. I also like a cup of sugar-free cocoa in the winter. Yum. Oh, and coffee. Lots of coffee.

As for the dehydration issue--I rarely, if ever, get dehydrated, and I don't drink a whole lot of plain water. I get my water intake from the foods I eat and the other beverages I consume. I naturally drink more water on hot days or days I work out, which is as it should be. Here is an interesting article about water intake from the NYTimes: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...prod=permalink

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Fotzlid

quick question.
do others see you as having a gut or is it just your perception based on what you think you look like?

also, fat cells dont go away. they just get smaller. if you are in starvation mode, once you increase your intake, the fat cells blow back up to store for the next starvation mode. a regular, healthy diet is the way to go.

proper hydration is a big key. your body needs water to break down the complex sugars into a usable form.

diet sodas (well...sodas in general) are less than worthless.

my $0.02

something red

More importantly than just calorie intake, you should control your carbs / protien intake. Load up on the right kind of carbs before a workout - for energy - and consume the right amount of protein soon after your workout. Don't eat right before bed.

Pick up a Muscle & Fitness mag or related mag - they have some great articles and offer different ideas for different metabolisms, weight groups, etc...

Atreides88

Try running/treadmill/stationary cycle/etc. and do crunches/core exercise with just body weight. Weight lifting, while it does burn calories, will not burn as many as cardio workouts, and will also not improve cardio fitness as well. They work on different pathways. Furthermore, depending on how your are built, you might have more muscle around your midsection which can press the fat that you do have forward, which will make you gut look worse than it is. The average human being who lives a sedentary lifestyle needs only about 2000 calories, your needs may vary. Go less if you want to lose the weight, more if you want to gain it. Also, I'll second seeking a professional's help and advice.

Just my $0.02, as I've been in similar predicaments.

EDIT: Seems I'm a bit late on the draw, and have repeated what a few others have said. That's what I get for not reading the entire thread first.

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Ratman

I'm surprised nobody has asked about family history of body type (back as far as you can go), ethnicity (it doesn't matter for any reason other than body type and metabolic changes as you age). There are genetic factors that can't be ignored, and in some cases, overcome. Since you claim to have had a belly since six months old, I have my suspicions that there may be a genetic factor. You may have hit the optimum for you, or you may have just hit a wall, but there are things to consider other than just weight, calorie intake vs burn, and BMI. The popular media and fitness trainers would have us all believe we can look like Arnold.

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jewels

And I believe it's the media who'd have us believe "it's not our fault" and we "can't do a thing about genetics". There's no magic pill. There's no one to blame but ourselves. There may very well be a gene that gives one a a propensity towards obesity, but that doesn't mean we're helpsless (no cure) and it's a necessary outcome. Personally, I doubt that it's genetic, more likely upbringing and styles of familial cuisine and lack of exercise.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Myths.html
http://www.exrx.net/FatLoss/WTCalLBWStudy.html

Also:

http://psychologytoday.com/articles/...01-000017.html

You can be what you want to be, as long as you're willing to work for it.

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Ratman

Your article links are interesting, but none address genetics. Google "genetics and weight loss" (500,000+ hits) or "endomorph" (88,000+ hits). As I said before, "There MAY be a genetic factor". I agree that there are a lot of apologists and enablers for those that don't really want to change their weight, but that doesn't seem to be the case with Lasareth. He has worked hard, and done everything "right," including isolating factors and tracking the effects of advice from professionals. He is not making excuses, he is genuinely interested in furthering his weight loss. If he has stopped making progress, he MAY have hit a wall, but given the description of his efforts and results, there COULD be a genetic component. I don't personally know Lasareth, or his body type, which is why I obliquely asked for more information. Understanding some of the other factors could help him plan a more effective approach from this stage forward.

__________________
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Kaimi

I think one thing to consider is that one should not "diet". What you need is a lifestyle change instead. If you are looking at a diet and it is not appealing to you, you are going to have difficulties with it. No one wishes to go through a horrible starvation diet with unappealing foods. So what happens? You get the weight off and revert to the old habits. Messing up your metabolism and likely gaining more weight than you ever had before.

When you look at dieting nowadays the food pyramid is really almost upside-down. Of course you do have to watch the fats but do not eliminate them. You need fats to help keep you full as has been said earlier in this thread. Lowering the protein will make your body feel starved. Does this mean that you should fill your diet with prime rib and steak? No, of course not the fats would be too much.

There are many ways of increasing the protein while still keeping fat in check. First of all, high-protein foods slow the movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract, and slower stomach emptying means you feel full longer and get hungry later. The idea is to eat small to moderate amounts of healthy fats (for example, vegetable oils, nuts and avocados), a moderate amount of good carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables and high-fiber whole grains) and a moderate amount of low-fat protein (fish, egg whites, skinless chicken and turkey breast, beans, low-fat dairy products).

Try taking this slowly with simple dietary changes. Instead of the generic white bread, change this to a whole grain bread(you will find it keeps you much more full for a longer period of time). Look at the labels and try to watch the sugar content. I made incredible success personally by just removing refined sugars in my diet. (Mind you I was never very overweight I my BMI never reached over 21%) Instead of eating foods filled with corn sweetener(don't even get me started on corn) I looked for more wholesome alternatives to sweeten my foods using honey or maple syrup for example. Instead of using mayonnaise try using hummus or even a plain yogurt flavored with herbs. Try using a salsa even a fruit salsa where you would be using fat laden dips or dressings.

Look over your diet and think of where your calorie sinks are. Do you drink alcohol or sodas frequently? Those can be killers as far as weight gain goes. Do you like to have potato chips? Try switching to one of the baked varieties instead. Watch the so-called "diet" foods, often they are either incredibly small portions that leave you hungry or so full of salt you will be retaining water weight.

Another simple peace of advice sounds rather silly, never eat on an empty stomach. Drink a glass or two of water before your meal and keep a glass at the table. It will help fill you more as you eat.

Zeraph

No advice to give here, only that I've got the same thing. I'm 180lbs, 6'1" so I'm not over weight and it's not really a problem for me but regardless of how much I work out my gut stays. Maybe it's a genetic thing.

Lasereth

My grandpa had a gut his whole life, even when he was skinny. My dad has had one since I can remember, even when he was in the best shape of his life (moderate build, maxed out every single machine in the gym, etc.). So basically all of the males I've met on my dad's side of the family have had a gut for their whole lives. My identical twin brother has the exact same body frame as me and he has a gut also.

Plan9

I'm the same height and 15 pounds lighter and I have silly superficial Spartan abs. The key to success for me was in proper conditioning with resistance for the core while minimizing junk food. Everybody cheats in their diet but the amount will often surprise you. Cut that back? Your stored fat might shrink.

Don't think of it as a gut... think of it as a MAN KEG.

Congratulations. You've done a tremendous thing for your body, man... made it stronger and healthier by leaps and bounds, no? Worry less about the shape of your torso. Function over form, brother.

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Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

Ratman

You sound like you have endomorphic tendencies. Google "endomorph" or "somatype" to determine for yourself where you might fall. Then you can start to plan the next phase of weight loss.

If you are an endomorph, generally you need to get your BMR up. This means working out aerobically at about 70-80% max heartrate (no higher) for at least 30 minutes, at least three times a week. If you are going to lift weights, go for higher reps rather than max weight, 10-20reps per exercise. I'm going to PM you part of an ab program that will tighten up your entire ab wall.

Anyway, you can find a ton of info about exercise and diet relating to somatype on the web. Run those ideas past your trainers and nutritionists. Good luck!

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The difference between theory and reality is that in theory there is no difference.

"God made man, but he used the monkey to do it." DEVO

Eweser

You could also try the Accumeasure caliper. Google for it. I bought mine at Amazon.com for $20. If I hadn't been using it, I would never have stuck with my lifestyle change (now going on my 6th month), because it was a while before I saw any weight loss. I've managed to lose 16 lbs, BUT I've lost over 30 lbs of fat. (Originally 5'3" 164 lbs, now down to 148 lbs)

Frequent, smaller meals are the way to go. And you have to watch what is in the foods you eat. Read the ingredients. Try to go whole grains, low fat, etc. For example, I used to think wheat bread was awful. Now I choose it over white every time. They've come a long way. If you like rice, use brown instead of white. Go with skim milk, low fat cheese, etc. You might really notice a difference just by making these small changes. Make a daily food diary ahead of time so you know how much of each food (protein-carbs-fat) to eat. I find that if I don't, I tend to over-eat.

Pictures...at one point I wasn't seeing any changes in the mirror, so I took some advice and took comparison pictures. They are really good tools.

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"Whoever wrote this episode should die!"

Lasereth

So, I took the advice of some of the people in this thread and started eating breakfast every single day. I also started taking apple sauce to work everyday to eat at 10 AM when I'm about to die of hunger. The result: total weight loss now at 70 pounds!!

I couldn't believe it. I hadn't got on the scale in a week or so and it must have happened "while I wasn't looking." I know 5 pounds isn't a lot more, but I hadn't lost ANY weight in 2-3 months (I plateaued hardcore).

We'll see if I keep losing by eating more.

ShaniFaye

I would like to add to the water thing.....you need to be drinking 102 oz of water a day (at the weight you're at now). To figure how much you SHOULD be drinking, you take your weight and divide it in half and thats the number in oz's you should be drinking.

205 divided by 2 is 102.50 so thats 102.50 oz

also did you figure out how many calories you should be eating?

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/cal...alculator.htm#

this will tell you how many you need to either maintain or lose weight

congrats on such a great job!! I started changing things in January and have lost 9 pounds simply by doing portion control and 45 minutes of cardio a day and drinking my water.....I didnt lose a pound until I started with the water

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I want the diabetic plan that comes with rollover carbs. I dont like the unused one expiring at midnite!!

spindles

I used to live with a guy who was into body building. When I first met him he was a skinny runt, so he was trying to do the opposite of you - putting weight on - but specifically muscle. He was in the gym every day and I was amazed at the amount of food he packed for lunch each day - he didn't do three meals a day - he did about 6 smaller meals. Lots of nuts/dried fruit/wholegrain bread sandwiches (quite often cheese on these). Porridge/Oats for breakfast and the main meal at night was often boiled rice and skinless chicken or fish. We had a rice cooker and he'd put the chicken or fish in with the rice and it was cooked at the same time with any number of vegetables on the side. Also, he drank buckets of water.

He never looked like putting on fat, and he turned out looking like a smaller Arnie (basically anybody *could* look like that if they put the effort into eating correctly and exercising correctly).

He concentrated on weights at the gym, but also did circuit classes (high aerobic workout).

He was also happy to go out boozing and eat out, but you just have to realise all of this in moderation.

I also want to emphasise what others have said - weight is not a good measure of progress.

Keep up the good work!

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who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

PonyPotato

I want to emphasize the importance of circuit training to you. That way you can combine resistance exercises with aerobic training.

If you can afford it, work with a personal trainer or nutritionist for a while. I started working with a personal trainer in the beginning of January and I've already gained 6 pounds (of muscle, since I don't seem to be getting fatter.. my arms are getting bigger and I've eaten healthily pretty much forever) and I improve my weight on every exercise every week. Major muscle groups increase by about 10 lbs a week, smaller groups increase by at least 2.5-5 lbs a week.

You should try to go all out every time you exercise. I do a lot of weight lifting because I know that muscle burns more calories than fat does, so as I build muscle my body burns more calories in its resting state. I do run or bike or something to warm up before my lifting, and sometimes go to the gym for purely aerobic exercise (usually just running on the track.. running wears me out!) as well. I do find that weight lifting has become somewhat addicting.. I always want to improve!

Good luck! It sounds like you're doing a lot of things right, you just need to tweak it!

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"Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark."
— Henri-Frédéric Amiel