Weight Loss or Weight Gain Thread "2012"

[benner]

So I'm thinking that 257lbs I had earlier this month was a fluke or I was really dehydrated. Hadn't seen that for a while.

anyway Had a goal set in mind of 255lbs by today (5 year high school reunion tomorrow). Came into this week at 258 on Tuesday.

Official weigh in was 254 as of this morning. I'm officially lighter then I was my freshman year of high school. Also lost 1.5 inches since Tuesday. Two-a-days paid off but I won't be doing them to often. Busted ass with cardio in the mornings and lifting in the afternoon.

[SlowNA06]

You might be at the point where you're gaining more muscle weight than you are losing fat weight. As long as you and your pants can see the improvements, you're doing it right. Keep it up!

Also, buddy of mine just posted his results after two weeks of P90X:
1 inch lost on thighs
Down to 36" waist from 38"
Body fat down to 15% from 18%

Admittedly, he went from only running a 2 or 3 miles a week to P90X, and I have no idea how far he is into it, but impressive nonetheless for 2 weeks of work... well worth using the two weeks before I hit the beach.

[benner]

You might be at the point where you're gaining more muscle weight than you are losing fat weight. As long as you and your pants can see the improvements, you're doing it right. Keep it up!

Also, buddy of mine just posted his results after two weeks of P90X:
1 inch lost on thighs
Down to 36" waist from 38"
Body fat down to 15% from 18%

Admittedly, he went from only running a 2 or 3 miles a week to P90X, and I have no idea how far he is into it, but impressive nonetheless for 2 weeks of work... well worth using the two weeks before I hit the beach.

Very true. I'm starting to wonder if 220lbs will be possible without giving up muscle as well. I'm roughly 20%bf right now and at 220 That would put me right around 10%bf. I was right at 190lbs lean body mass back in December, so I'm guessing I've probably added around 10lbs worth of lean muscle since then with all the heavy lifting I'm doing and high protien intake

I know what you're saying on waist size. I was tight in 44's when I started and my 36's are requiring a belt now. XXL shirts were tight and now XL seem large in the stomach. Chest is perfect though arms are on the tighter side.

[SlowNA06]

Very true. I'm starting to wonder if 220lbs will be possible without giving up muscle as well.

you're about 6ft, right? When I was 225, I was a beast (as in I was throwing transmissions over a 7ft wall) and still had a little chub to lose. I'd say 215 in a muscular build would have been perfect.

XL seem large in the stomach. Chest is perfect though arms are on the tighter side.

As a guy with an enormous rib cage, I feel for ya. All my button-up shirts are now XL - used to just be L (which all my t-shirts are). The trick to shirt size is in the shoulders - look where the sleeve joint starts; that should be the end of the shoulder, where you round-off. If the rest of the shirt doesn't fit right, choose a different brand.

[benner]

Officially lost 70lbs now since December 7th. Weigh 251lbs as of this morning. Another 30lbs and I'll be right where I want to be.

[SlowNA06]

Damn dude. You're rollin'. Keep it up man!

[SlowNA06]

Regained 9lbs the past month after my 10lb loss. Jeans fit better. Science is weird.

[benner]

Weigh under 250 for the first time since my freshman year of highschool. 248lbs as of yesterday morning

[Hippo Machine]

Weigh under 250 for the first time since my freshman year of highschool. 248lbs as of yesterday morning

Nice, I lost 25lbs in 2 months on atkins haha felt great! Went back to normal diet and have only gained back 10lbs in the last 3 months getting back to that diet after a few more lbs gained lol.

Went from 205 to 185 to 195.

[RareGMFan]

Nice, I lost 25lbs in 2 months on atkins haha felt great! Went back to normal diet and have only gained back 10lbs in the last 3 months getting back to that diet after a few more lbs gained lol.

It took you 2 months to loose that much weight, and in 3 months, you put half of it back on. That's actually pretty bad, and is primarily because the bulk of the weight you lost in those 2 months was water, not body fat.

The problem is you're looking for a quick fix in the form of a temporary diet to undo years of accumulated damage. Easy rule of thumb to remember: Temporary solutions = temporary results. Think about it. If how you've been eating is what got you to where you are, why would you think you can drastically alter your habits for a short while to loose some weight, and then go back to eating the things that put the fat on you before without gaining fat this time around?

The key is it has to be a PERMANENT lifestyle change. Eating healthy has to become a way of life, not a short term fix. Sure, it's OK to have a treat here and there (ice cream on the weekend, pizza once a week, etc), but these things have to remain rare treats, not a staple of your diet. Some basic guidelines to stick to:

• Eat 5-6 SMALL meals per day as opposed to 2 or 3 giant meals.
• Space these meals out every 3-4 hours.
• If trying to drop body fat, each meal should contain around a 2:1 ratio of lean proteins to QUALITY carbs.

Carbs are not your enemy. In fact, they're vital to the function of many, many processes in your body, including the brain, and are needed for energy. The problem is most people not only eat high-glycemic/simple carbs almost exclusively, which instantly spikes your insulin, and gets stored as fat, but they eat them in HUGE amounts. Change your carb consumption to complex carbs, and you'll see how many carbs you can get away with eating while still dropping body fat.

Good fats are also important to have in your diet. They're good for over all health, and can also give you a feeling of being full so it's easy to stick to the smaller meal plan if you start the meals off with some good fats. Here's a small sample list of good foods to eat:

Proteins: Chicken (boneless/skinless), fish/tuna, LEAN red meats, turkey, bison, ostrich, eggs, NATURAL peanut butter, etc.

Carbs: BROWN rice, SWEET potatoes, whole GRAIN (not wheat!) pastas/breads/cereals, fresh fruits (though limit these a bit, as they're high in sugars), fresh green vegetables, oatmeal, etc.

Fats: Peanuts, walnuts, almonds, NATURAL peanut butter, avocados, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds/oil/powder, fish/fish oil pills/liquid, etc.

As a guy with an enormous rib cage, I feel for ya. All my button-up shirts are now XL - used to just be L (which all my t-shirts are). The trick to shirt size is in the shoulders - look where the sleeve joint starts; that should be the end of the shoulder, where you round-off. If the rest of the shirt doesn't fit right, choose a different brand.

Another thing you might want to try on are shirts that say "modern" or "city" fit. They're trimmed tighter at the torso while the chest area is closer to "classic" fit. I don't know how well they will fit your frame, but it's worth a try the next time you see them at a store.

[Remnant King]

Been stuck on 190 lbs for about 3-5 months now to be honest. Got back into working out around May, but in terms of weight, pretty much exactly the same unless my scale is effed up.

I can tell some areas are a little more defined than before, don't know if that might explain why I haven't been losing weight.

Haven't been doing much cardio either which COULD be another problem why I haven't been losing weight. I am usually too tired after the workout to do any kind of cardio, so I skip out on it.

Now a question, I am a guy that really doesn't like taking anything unnatural. Is protein something natural to take (as in the protein shakes)?

What about the workout energy stuff? Can either of those help me progress better in terms or working out? Or is protein something I shouldn't be taking unless I want to get to my weight goal?

[RareGMFan]

Protein in powder form is fine, especially whey protein (most bio-available form of protein for the human body), but it's only needed in supplement form if you don't have time to get protein through food first. For example, since many are in a rush in the morning, a lot of athletes and weight lifters will cook up a quick bowl of oatmeal in the microwave, and throw a scoop of protein in it to balance out the protein and carbs that way. If you have time to cook up 4 or 5 eggs, you're better off doing that, but if you don't, this is a great alternative. So that's basically where the supplements come in, or also as a good, quick absorbing source of protein (in just plain water) right after a workout (protein is critical within the first 30 - 60 minutes after a workout).

As for the preworkout energy drinks.....I'm not a fan of them myself. Most of them are basically what I refer to as fancy Red Bulls. There might be slightly more to them than that, but the energy is primarily coming from caffeine and other stimulants. Regardless of what the ads say, around 90% of them have no where NEAR enough N.O./arginine, creatine, beta alanine, etc to have an impact. What they have is massive amounts of caffeine (at LEAST 200mg per scoop in most formulas these days).

If you're running out of energy on a regular basis, I would say something else is wrong in your daily routine that you need to address. First and foremost, make sure you're getting enough sleep every night. Nothing is going to make up for a lack of energy due to lack of rest. Secondly, make sure you're eating enough calories to sustain the demand you're putting on your body. The #1 problem I've found with people who lack energy is they're only eating once or twice a day. Again, nothing supplement wise is going to make up for that. Also, get on a good multi to help with the nutrient demand you're putting on yourself, and drink at least a gallon of water per day.

Another thing to watch out for is over-training. No muscle group should be worked out more than twice a week at MOST. It takes a minimum of 72 hours for any one muscle group you worked out to fully recover. That means if you hit your biceps on Monday, they'll be recovering all day Monday, Tuesday, and most of Wednesday, so you really shouldn't hit them again till Thursday at the earliest, IF you hit them twice in one week at all. A lot of guys will split up their body parts/muscle groups throughout the week, blast the hell out of each one once, let them recover, and then come back the next week to repeat the process.

I would make sure all these things are in order first before you resort to an energy supplement. When you're feeling tired, it's your body's way of sending you a message that something is wrong. Not enough sleep, not enough food, etc. What you DON'T want to do is override that warning by taking stimulants to FORCE your body to keep going when it doesn't want to, because constantly bombarding your system with such stimulants will eventually take its toll on your adrenal and central nervous systems. It's kind of like what I said about temporary diets above. Energy drinks are a temporary solution to a permanent problem. Start with the basics. Get to the route of the problem instead of trying to cover up the symptoms.

[Remnant King]

Dude, this honestly helps out so much, I really appreciate it. However, what exactly does drinking a gallon of water a day do? Does it help with weight loss? I've been reading online some articles and a lot of nutritionists have been saying the gallon of water a day thing can sometimes hinder more than benefit you, they're even doubting the 8 glasses of water a day thing.

I don't usually eat that big of a breakfast, it's usually something very small just to get my metabolism working before going to the gym.

As for sleeping wise, I think I get enough sleep during the week, at least 7 hours everyday. My tiredness has even gotten to the point where I went to the doctor to check out, and he said it was normal, nothing to be worrying about. But honest to God, I would finish from the gym, return home, eat something, and I would HAVE to sleep anywhere from an hour to two hours after returning from the gym from how tired I was.

I might not be eating as much as I need to, but only because I am focusing on losing the weight. Muscle definition can wait a bit, I honestly just want to get rid of this fat that I've had on me for the past 10 years.

I don't know, it just gets really confusing at times since everyone tells you something different.

[SilvaMan61]

RARE, what do you think about IF? been looking into it, seems itll be alot easier than 27 bagillion meals a day. especially seeing as my work environment wouldnt tolerate me having three to four meals there.

[Colossus]

I remember this thread!!
Was 218lbs in December 2010, dropped round 196lbs and have been constantly under 200lbs since then.
Haven't done much working out lately, 3-5k runs 5 days a week start tomorrow.

[SlowNA06]

I only use protein shakes as a breakfast substitute - and a few months after I started that, I can't eat a big ol' Grand Slam breakfast anymore. Some people go nuts with that stuff. I recommend Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard for price/ingredients (amazon, NOT GNC). Honestly, there's small chance you don't get enough protein in your diet already - no need to really pile it on unless you're low, especially when it comes to "meal substitutes.," which don't have all the nutrients of "food."

As for pre-workouts, only use them if you really need them. And by that, I mean that it's something to drag your ass off the couch into a gym after a 16 hour workday. They might slightly improve your workout, but not by much. If you need to take one, I'd recommend USP Labs Jack3d (my favorite) for jittery energy (and a dash of creatine monohydrate, mediocre flavor) or Cellucor C4 for more focus without jitters (creatine nitrate (new fad creatine), Kool-Aid flavor). There's one or three more out there that might be worth your time, but those two nicely straddle the effective and cheap line.

Frankly, neither of them is a great source of creatine, which you'd need to supplement elsewhere if you were going that route (do your research). They're mostly good for caffeine. The best bet, and the cheapest, would be a cup of black coffee (or a caffeine pill) and a scoop of creatine... at pennies on the dollar of the supplements with basically the same effect.

[Hippo Machine]

I actually lost the weight in a month, don't know why I said 2. But yea Ik temporary changes aren't supposed to work buts its fine for me right now. I'm not really that overweight but idk...

[RareGMFan]

Dude, this honestly helps out so much, I really appreciate it. However, what exactly does drinking a gallon of water a day do? Does it help with weight loss? I've been reading online some articles and a lot of nutritionists have been saying the gallon of water a day thing can sometimes hinder more than benefit you, they're even doubting the 8 glasses of water a day thing.

The best diuretic is....well...WATER! Also, considering how much of your body is made of water, and that if you're exercising hard like you SHOULD be if you want results, you're loosing that much more, it's critical to make sure you're getting plenty of water (even more so than the average Joe who doesn't work out needs for overall health). BTW, a lot of nutritionists don't know their ass from a hole in the ground. I still remember one of them doing a presentation in a high school class, and when someone asked "does creatine work", she responded with "no, it's a fad". You're better off talking to serious athletes and weight lifters who know a bit about the science behind what they're doing if you want serious and accurate answers.

I don't usually eat that big of a breakfast, it's usually something very small just to get my metabolism working before going to the gym.

A small meal isn't going to get the metabolism going. It's going to make your body think you're starving/can't find food, to which your body's response will be to slow down your metabolism. It would also make it hard to get the most out of your workout if you've had nothing to eat for x hours overnight, and don't eat much of anything before going to the gym. I'd at least make sure you get some eggs and a bowl of oatmeal, or something along those lines.

Now if you're ONLY doing cardio in the morning, then skipping a meal before hand is actually not a bad idea because you will have nothing but stored fat to run off of first thing in the morning. However, you need to make sure you're getting some proteins and complex carbs in immediately after the cardio.

My tiredness has even gotten to the point where I went to the doctor to check out, and he said it was normal, nothing to be worrying about. But honest to God, I would finish from the gym, return home, eat something, and I would HAVE to sleep anywhere from an hour to two hours after returning from the gym from how tired I was.....

.....I might not be eating as much as I need to, but only because I am focusing on losing the weight. Muscle definition can wait a bit, I honestly just want to get rid of this fat that I've had on me for the past 10 years.

....just as I mentioned in my previous post, for most people, fatigue is due to not eating enough. You are putting an extra demand on your body. You HAVE to feed it more fuel. It's like putting 1 gallon of fuel in your car, driving it really hard, and expecting it to reach 40 miles. You're going to run out before you reach your destination.

Secondly, the worst thing you can do to your metabolism is restrict calories too much. Obviously if you're consuming 4-5000 calories a day, that needs to be cut down drastically. But dipping down to 1000 or 1500 calories is going to mess up your metabolism big time as well. As I mentioned earlier, if your body doesn't get enough of all the calories it requires in a day (proteins, carbs, fats, etc), it will assume you're starving, to which your body's natural reaction will be shutting down the metabolism. It will start becoming very reluctant to let go of the fat you already have, because it's going to assume that this is it. What you have left is all it's got to survive off of, so it has to ration it very carefully. Not to mention if your protein intake gets too low, your body will resort to tearing down muscle tissue since all muscle tissue basically is amino acids/protein. So now the only weight you're really loosing is muscle, not fat!!

On the other hand, eating the smaller meals more frequently has the opposite effect. When your body realizes all the calories it needs to function and survive off of are coming in from an outside source (your foods), it will start burning the access fat stores that it feels it no longer needs. You'll be feeding your muscles protein on a regular basis as well as supplying your body with the protein it needs for a huge variety of other functions so that you can not only spare your existing muscle tissue, but BUILD on them. You'll also feel better because nutrients are coming in on a steady, consistent basis instead of having huge spikes in all your nutrients followed by nothing for the next 6 or so hours.

Best analogy I've heard is comparing your metabolism to building a fire. If you throw in poor quality/water-logged wood, and/or don't throw wood in their often enough, the fire will dwindle away and die. If you want to keep the fire blazing, you need to feed it quality wood, and keep it coming often.

Remember, you don't want to loose "weight". You want to loose FAT!

RARE, what do you think about IF? been looking into it, seems itll be alot easier than 27 bagillion meals a day. especially seeing as my work environment wouldnt tolerate me having three to four meals there.

Sorry, not sure what you're referring to with IF.

I actually lost the weight in a month, don't know why I said 2. But yea Ik temporary changes aren't supposed to work buts its fine for me right now. I'm not really that overweight but idk...

....your story is all over the place. First you said you lost 25 lb in 2 months, but then your math didn't add up (205 - 185 = 20, not 25). Now you're saying you lost the weight in 1 month. Shenanigans!!

[16MustangVet]

Weight gain = Adding car audio
Weight loss = Throwing everything out behind the front seats!
























Ohhh wait a min thought this was a car site?

[Odi]

Rare, u should make me a diet plan + point me to some nice gyms since i havent gained a pound this year.