This is my first time posting, but I've been reading and gathering helpfull information from you guys for quite some time. Here's the scenario.....I'm 6'1", 188lbs. I'm not fat, but I'm not in the greatest shape either. I've been eating clean and working out for a little over 4 weeks now, and I haven't so much as lost a pound. I feel better about my lifestyle (I used to eat a lot of crap), but my lack of results is disparaging. Here's my routine:

7am
Protien shake w/ skim milk
cup of Quaker oat meal

10am
Kashi Good Friends cereal w/ skim milk

1pm
5 oz tuna w/ 1 tbsp of fat free mayo on whole wheat bread

2:30pm
1/4 cup of almonds

4pm
cup of Quaker oat meal

4:30pm
workout

5:30pm
Protien shake w/ skim milk

7pm
healthy dinner (chicken/tuna/salmon and veggie)

9pm
occasionally I'll have one more shake....not always.

I lift on M/W/F and do cardio on T/Th/Su.

You'd think that I would have lost at least a couple of lbs by now :d_mad: . Any advice?

I'm surprised that you haven't noticed any weight loss at all. Anyways, you're snacks and meals are incomplete. I would try and got for a decent mix for protein/carbs/fat every time you eat. Anyways, do yourself a favor and do a daily calorie count and get your nutrient ratios(protien/carb/fat)

My two cents on the matter:

At 6'1", 188lbs, you probably aren't going to WANT to lose a whole lot of weight. 188 at that height isn't fat at all...I'd be more concerned with adding some muscle mass and just generally improving your conditioning level, as opposed to losing weight. You might actually find that you'd be "healthier" if you added a few pounds via weight training or whatnot.

Weight is just a number. Don't let that be the be all end all for your fitness. Keep to your diet and continue to work. And good luck.

Thanks for the input guys. I have been keeping a spreadsheet of what I eat, and my calorie intake is around 1800 (20/40/40).

I'd really like to loose some fat b/c I have that spare tire thing happening. I know I need to bulk up a little, but I'd like to cut first. I don't need the six pack. I just don't want the bulge when I bend over.

What are you doing for your workouts in detail?
times/exercises etc.?

What is your current bf%? My weight has been stuck for a few weeks on the platueau from hell but I'm not going to go crazy. I adjusted my activity level up and rechecked my food intake to make sure I wasn't screwing up.

Are you tracking your food in detail or are you winging it and figuring you're eating about 1800 cals? I know you said you are using a spreadsheet but are you measuring your foods and making sure you have the right nutrient info in your spreadsheet? I read on another site that the bottom line is that if you are eating right, have a calorie defecit of at least 3500 per week, exercising and are not losing weight you are most likely eating more calories than you think. This is caused by not recording everything you really eat or from inputing bad nutrient data or both. Not trying to knock you. Just seriously asking what you're doing.

At 6'1" and 188 depending on your BF% you could already be in pretty good shape and as such it might take you longer to get that last bit of fat off of ya. One thing is for sure if you keep being consistent and patient it will go away. Your body can only fight you so long eventually if you are burning more than you are eating you will lose weight. Now the exercise and food programs that are generally accepted by the folks here are desiged to make sure you lose as little muscle as possible in the process.

Even if you haven't lost weight yet are you feeling physically and mentally better now that you are eating cleaner things and working out?

I have been keeping an accurate tab of my food intake. Believe me, I spent a lot of time researching before I actually started. My workouts are as follows:

Monday:
Back/biceps

Tuesday:
Cardio- 30 min @75%

Wednesday:
Chest/triceps

Thursday:
Cardio- 30 min @75%

Friday:
Legs

I'm doing regular pyramid sets. I have noticed a little more definition in my upper body, and I've definitely gotten stronger. It's just that bulge around the middle that won't budge.

One more thing.....I've calculated my bmr from Marcus' sticky post (sounds dirty......Marcus' sticky post :d_biggrin ) in the nutrition section. It says that my maintanence caloric intake is 2700 calories....which would mean I should be eating around 2200. Is this right? That seems awfully high. I'm not even sure I could eat that much. I get pretty full just on the 1800 I'm eating now.

Ok a couple of things - I'm 183 (now) and I'm 6'2" and I PROMISE you I'm "fat". I'm at least 20%bf and proabaly 24-25%

I was *just* going to start a new post about how discouraged I am, but today after days of noone saying anything - 3 people said I look slimmer! And my old belt is out the window (I was on the second to last or last hole before I started, now it doesn't fit at all)

so I guess I am losing, but the scale is going down VERY VERY slowly.
*shrug*, I'm thinking about skipping the scale for a while and just doing suprailiac pinch.

I sympathise with both of you...I'm 6' 2" and when I started my fat loss program (205lbs.) I thought..."if I could just get down to 190 I would be ripped!" Little did I know I would end up at 176lbs. before hitting single digit body fat.

Although now at 176lbs. I feel too skinny! (lots of people keep telling me I'm too skinny too...time to bulk!)

cgram23- just keep it up! Especially your diet...the weight will come off. It just might take longer than you expected.

Thanks for the encouraging words Sole. Did I see your sig right? 34lbs in 13 weeks?? That's insane!! What was your diet like?

I did the math, 2.2lbs a week, awesome, but not dangerous

I expect to be 169, and 11%bf if any bf measure is remotely accurate

Gotta keep my eye on the prize!

Not quite that crazy..29lbs in 13 full weeks. Average of 2.2lbs a week (still a bit too quickly, IMO) But a majority of it came off in the first five-six weeks. Next time I cut I won't want to lose weight that fast!

As for my diet, (in hindsight I should have kept an online workout journal) this was a typical day:

6:30 am
Fiber suplement
3/4 cup oats
4 egg whites (or 1 serving protein)
1/2 Tbl. olive oil

10 am
1 serving almonds or pecans
apple

Noon
1 large chicken breast
salad w/ fat free dressing
1.5 servings kuskus (sp?) (or sweet potato)

4:00pm (pre workout)
3/4 cup oats
1 can tuna (or 1 serving protein)

6:30pm (post workout)
2 servings protein (~40 grams)
2 scoops gatorade powder

8:00 pm
1 large chicken breast (or salmon, mahi mahi)
1 large portion steamed veggies
1 tbl. olive oil

10:00 pm
cottage cheese

As for the breakdown- about 1800/ day with 20% fat, 40% carbs and 40% protein.

As I said before...just keep it up! Remember, weight isn't always the best factor to judge a fitness program by...it could be that you have been losing fat, but gaining muscle too. (IMO it's not impossible! just slow)

Or, it could be that you are at a fairly low bf% already and losing more fat becomes increasingly hard. My first few weeks the weight just melted off (the first week I lost 5lbs) during the last few weeks of my cut I only lost ~.5lbs per week.

So stick with it! And keep us posted with your progress!

I think one thing I need to change is my oatmeal. I've been eating the Quaker Instant (raisin spice), but I think that has too much sugar. I think I'll switch to plain oats, and just add splenda/raisins for flavor. Also, I've been drinking a lot of skim milk.....mostly with protien shakes and cereal. Any suggestions on how to make a protien shake with just water, and without needing a blender? I figured I can take a fiber supplement instead of eating cereal.

Any suggestions on how to make a protien shake with just water, and without needing a blender?

Get a shaker-bottle. I got one from bed bath beyond, but here's another.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/shaker.html

Sorry, SpareTire. What I meant was......any suggestions on how do make a protien shake that tastes good, without using milk? I'm trying to cut out milk, but when I mix shakes with water......it tastes like very bad flavored water. I need a way to make it taste better, but without needing a blender (I'm very busy).

You could try another brand of protein. I know, at least from my experiences with whey, that some brands taste terrible when just mixed in water...what brand are you using?

Right now, I've been happy with my "All the Whey" (ATW) protein. I usually but the vanilla isolate and the banana blend and I always mix my protein with water. ATW offers quite a few flavors and they all mix easily with a spoon or in a shaker, (really no clumps!)

If your lifting weights regularly you *could* be adding muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. Do you feel stronger? have you moved up in weights ? aka..your gaining muscle. muscle is easy to build the first 3 weeks.