:cool: I've been athletic my whole life basically, never had a weight "problem", 'till I started lifting seriously. No matter how, or how much, I lifted I would Not gain much at all (and I ate 100% better than my best friend who gained almost as much as me, over the years, in one summer!!! He said it may have been "Water Retention" HA. As much as I hate to say it, that's not water in your arms buddy, that's pure genes!). Then I started reading and everything I read said to eat protien like it's going out of style....and to live like a human slug(really bad advice). Well, now I have...........................fat. Yes, that's right.....fat. Problem is I can't seem to get rid of it. It is the "last five pounds", and incidentally, the first! So, I've tried dieting of all types and I am fairly well read. I also have years of experience in athletics. If you're a "pro" and can help me with this task I would be very graPefull. I'd just like some pointers on 1)losing those 5/10 lbs quickly yet effectively, 2)Maintaining The Muscle I've Worked So Hard For. In sum, I'm asking for your opinion on the most effective way to quickly lose body fat, without sacrificing the muscle gains! Thanks


5'10" 180lbs if u care to know.

:cool: I've been athletic my whole life basically, never had a weight "problem", 'till I started lifting seriously. No matter how, or how much, I lifted I would Not gain much at all (and I ate 100% better than my best friend who gained almost as much as me, over the years, in one summer!!! He said it may have been "Water Retention" HA. As much as I hate to say it, that's not water in your arms buddy, that's pure genes!). Then I started reading and everything I read said to eat protien like it's going out of style....and to live like a human slug(really bad advice). Well, now I have...........................fat. Yes, that's right.....fat. Problem is I can't seem to get rid of it. It is the "last five pounds", and incidentally, the first! So, I've tried dieting of all types and I am fairly well read. I also have years of experience in athletics. If you're a "pro" and can help me with this task I would be very graPefull. I'd just like some pointers on 1)losing those 5/10 lbs quickly yet effectively, 2)Maintaining The Muscle I've Worked So Hard For. In sum, I'm asking for your opinion on the most effective way to quickly lose body fat, without sacrificing the muscle gains! Thanks


5'10" 180lbs if u care to know.


It all boils down to the diet. What has been your nutrition like the last couple of months. Give as accurate a breakdown as possible.

Cut calories. Increase protein. Time meals appropriately around workouts.

Lift heavy to retain muscle, but with less volume, since your immune system and CNS need more time to recover due to the caloric deficit. I wouldn't train to failure while cutting.

Include more cardio in your routine. Up to 6x/wk. Always take one day off. You should be able to lose 5-10lbs within 2-6 weeks.


:cool: I've been athletic my whole life basically, never had a weight "problem", 'till I started lifting seriously. No matter how, or how much, I lifted I would Not gain much at all (and I ate 100% better than my best friend who gained almost as much as me, over the years, in one summer!!! He said it may have been "Water Retention" HA. As much as I hate to say it, that's not water in your arms buddy, that's pure genes!). Then I started reading and everything I read said to eat protien like it's going out of style....and to live like a human slug(really bad advice). Well, now I have...........................fat. Yes, that's right.....fat. Problem is I can't seem to get rid of it. It is the "last five pounds", and incidentally, the first! So, I've tried dieting of all types and I am fairly well read. I also have years of experience in athletics. If you're a "pro" and can help me with this task I would be very graPefull. I'd just like some pointers on 1)losing those 5/10 lbs quickly yet effectively, 2)Maintaining The Muscle I've Worked So Hard For. In sum, I'm asking for your opinion on the most effective way to quickly lose body fat, without sacrificing the muscle gains! Thanks


5'10" 180lbs if u care to know.

Cut calories. Increase protein. Time meals appropriately around workouts.

Lift heavy to retain muscle, but with less volume, since your immune system and CNS need more time to recover due to the caloric deficit. I wouldn't train to failure while cutting.

Include more cardio in your routine. Up to 6x/wk. Always take one day off. You should be able to lose 5-10lbs within 2-6 weeks.


:claplow: That is EXACTLY the kind of informed and point blank answer I was looking for tennisball, thanks! Mastover, I certainly appreciate any help I can get from you. So, I'm in a rush, after dinner I will log on and give you the details you asked for.

:claplow: That is EXACTLY the kind of informed and point blank answer I was looking for tennisball, thanks! Mastover, I certainly appreciate any help I can get from you. So, I'm in a rush, after dinner I will log on and give you the details you asked for.



no offense, but you'd gather all of this and more if you read the nutrion and fatloss guide's stickied in the forum

welcome and good luck =)

Ok Mastover,
This is the best I can do. Since, the budget in my family means I'll be happy to take whatever I can get, and my wife cannot live with the way I buy groceries, then my dietary selections actually change from week to week(though I do vary my foods intentionally). What I usually try to do is keep a mental note of how healthy the food is that I am putting into my mouth right now, how nutrient rich, how much protien, etc. So, I can give you a run down of today since that is an o.k. reflection.

morning "meal": 2 eggs over medium with 1 slice of toast. That's it. If I have 2% milk, I'll have 1 8oz glass. If I have turkey bacon, about 2 or 3 slices with eggs.

no snack today. after payday maybe snack on 4 oz of cottage cheese.

Lunch: 2 oz of beef jerky with a 12oz soda. Usually I have a light salad or some cherry tomatoes. or maybe a chicken salad with little mayo.

snack: 2 tablespoons of peanut butter with 4 oz of lemonade.

Dinner: 1 beef patty w/slice of cheese. 2 leaves of romaine lettuce w/ slice of tomato and tablespoon of dressing. little over 1 serving of rice seasoned. typically dinner main course is chicken or steak. Sometimes spagetti sometimes mexican. My wife wants to stab me in the back with a pitch fork when I make fish, because she has olfactory senses that God cranked up about 3 times that of an average human, and I'm not kidding. So I get fish about once every 2 months, or suffer the taste of tuna :(. Oh, and 1 12oz can of soda.

Usually get plenty of water as I've read article after article after article.

Daily caloric total was about 1400 calories. An average day of dieting I probably get more than that, maybe 15 to 1600. Now, I realize that this is not a professional diet. But I have read quite a lot on the subject of cutting over the years and if I didn't want to hear it straight from a professional, I wouldn't have asked for myself.

I did do southbeach pretty strictly for 2 to 3 months and though I lost a few pounds I still had that small belly fat (though it really isn't much, I always have a 4 pack). So, I figured, If I'm going to look basically the same, why torture myself with the strict diet.

So IF any one is thinking of flaming my diet... just keep in mind, I'm a martial artist not a body sculpter. And, for all practical purposes I can actually drink 24 oz of pop a day and still look great. :nod:

To any pros, sorry about that last spiel, just get tired of snide responses from those who know less than I do. And, I am not referring to the last post about the stickies.

Grandiosevision,

You are not eating enough. You're getting enough fats in your diet but nowhere near what you should be having when it comes to protein and even carbs. (clean carbs- oatmeal, sweet potatoes, etc)

If what you have listed is your maintanence diet, rest assured you will lose muscle, which is probably what is taking place. Hence., your fat dillema.

Eat 5-6 meals a day. Get in a protein shake/MRP if you cannot have a meal. You will also have to train with the intent of putting on muscle. There is no "maintaining" lifting routine. You gotta do the heavy and hard stuff to increase your metabolism and build muscle, which will naturally burn fat.

Egg whites, very lean meat, oatmeal, green fibrous veggies, potatoes. Bump up your daily calories to at least 2000 (still low but an improvement from where you are now). Cut out the soda.

Da** it! I knew you were going to say that!! But, I know you're right because I've been lifting like a beast for well over 10 years, and I've only put on 30 pounds! Bwa ha ha ha!!! Bwa ha ha!!! :lol:

Whoa, whoa...you're drinking soda?!?! Dude, as my boy SwoleCat might say "horrid".
Cut out the soda man!! Even if you can look good and still drink it, that doesn't mean its not bad for you. Try tea, or a diet drink (I really love Fresca) instead!

Also, lately I've been putting a little bit of bbq sauce (Open Pit) and some hot sauce (Louisanna) in my tuna and heating it up and putting it on some bread...trust me, you won't be suffering through anything.

Whoa, whoa...you're drinking soda?!?! Dude, as my boy SwoleCat might say "horrid".
Cut out the soda man!! Even if you can look good and still drink it, that doesn't mean its not bad for you. Try tea, or a diet drink (I really love Fresca) instead!

Also, lately I've been putting a little bit of bbq sauce (Open Pit) and some hot sauce (Louisanna) in my tuna and heating it up and putting it on some bread...trust me, you won't be suffering through anything.


Hey, thanks lemonsong, for the tips. In fact, I really like hot sauce and bbq. I think I'll try that. As far as the soda, well, I've cut back. And I'm drinking more tea with splenda now, instead. Thanks again. :)

Like the others said, it seems like you're not getting enough protein or good carbs. Looks like too much sugar from what I see...things like soda, dressings, bbq sauces, lemonade, juice, etc are all loaded with sugars.

I know you're on a budget, so I recommend Tuna. Tuna is some of the cheapest protein you can buy aside from shakes.