Hey guys im new to these forums so let me introduce myself:

My name is Adeel i'm a 21 year old college student and i'm 6'1 and I weigh around 198 lbs (dont know fat % cuz no calipers yet). I used to weigh 240 lbs in april 2003 and thats when i started doing atkins and lost weight to about 212 lbs in june of 2004. Then i did atkins for another couple months until september when i was 176. I started doing some casual lifting and This is what i looked like before atkins (not a very good pic but who wants to take body pics when you weigh that much):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/ad33lshahid/AdeelanSadaf.jpg

then after atkins:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/ad33lshahid/IMG_0464.jpg

My roomate was very into lifting and he would drag me to the gym every day with him. I tried doing what i could at the gym while trying to eat alot of protein. It did work but i wanted to see better results. I followed it for 2 semesters and then this is what i looked like:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/ad33lshahid/IMG_0705.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/ad33lshahid/IMG_0709.jpg

Then I lifted the following summer and tried to eat healthily (vague, i know), and then this is what i lookedl ike:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/ad33lshahid/IMG_0845Small.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/ad33lshahid/IMG_0840Small.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/ad33lshahid/IMG_0846Small.jpg

Ive been lifting ever since and trying to eat a good amount of protein but the other food choices have been pretty unhealthy i think. I currently look like this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/ad33lshahid/IMG_1232Medium.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/ad33lshahid/IMG_1233Medium.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/ad33lshahid/IMG_1234Medium.jpg

Although i have increased in strength alot (i remember trying to bench 95 lbs in the weight room 3 years ago and now being able to do 245) I have NEVER seen my abs i am beginning to question their existence. Last summer i did a bout of low-carb dieting while lifting and i got down to around 168 lbs.. and still no abs. I think maybe i just cannot get abs because i used to be overweight and maybe its extra skin and not fat obscuring my abs? What do you guys think?

Honestly i would like to lose fat first and cut down a bit before I start gaining mass again, however i find it extremely difficult to lose fat without losing muscle.. and the only way i have ever lost fat in my life is on a low carb diet and if it wasnt for that i'd be well over 300 lbs right now. Anyway, I appreciate any advice you would give me, should i do low fat or try to bulk up? and If so how should i go about doing so, being the extreme endomorph that i am (i eat less junk food than my female friends and still pack on the fat more easily)

I am looking for a target weight of around 190-200 LBS with about 10% body fat. I am not a hardgainer, i am actually an endomorph(?) I gain weight so easily its just the wrong kind of weight. I cant wait to be in the best shape of my life and I hope to become very close to the fellow members on this site and share my stories of triumph and failure with you guys.

hey sorry if this thread is in the wrong spot, if a moderator sees this please move it. Thanks

You have some real good results going there! Keep it up don't look or ever go back. :claphigh: :bb:

First off, welcome to JSF and congrats on all the progress:tu:

I think maybe i just cannot get abs because i used to be overweight and maybe its extra skin and not fat obscuring my abs? What do you guys think?

I think that's silly talk:) Everybody has abs. It's just a matter of decreasing your bodyfat in order to reveal them. Maybe when you cut down with your lowcarb diet, you were losing some muscle mass and that's what moved the scale to such a low number. Try to focus on FAT loss, not just weight loss.

Honestly i would like to lose fat first and cut down a bit before I start gaining mass again, however i find it extremely difficult to lose fat without losing muscle.. and the only way i have ever lost fat in my life is on a low carb diet and if it wasnt for that i'd be well over 300 lbs right now.

How about you tell us what a "low carb diet" is for you? What kinds of foods are you eating, how much of them and when? Give is as much detail as possible:)

Anyway, I appreciate any advice you would give me, should i do low fat or try to bulk up? and If so how should i go about doing so, being the extreme endomorph that i am (i eat less junk food than my female friends and still pack on the fat more easily)

First off, I would read the stickies at the top of the beginners forum. They're full of information to get you started. Next, get your diet in order. Low carb doesn't have to mean NO carb. Don't be afraid of having healthy fats in your diet. Your nutrition will be the number one tool in helping you reach your goals, so give it the most attention.

Alright, I will post up myd iet as soon as I am able to get a stable one going (transitioning from college back to home soon).. I have a question though:

In designing a low carb diet, I still want to incorporate a surge of carbs (such as dextrose perhaps) to try and offset potential muscle loss. My question is... would I be better off to eat these carbs BEFORE i workout so that I have the maximal glycogen available to get me through my workout? or should i eat em post-workout so that maybe i can benefit from an insulin surge?

Thanks for your responses :tu:

Alright, I will post up myd iet as soon as I am able to get a stable one going (transitioning from college back to home soon).. I have a question though:

In designing a low carb diet, I still want to incorporate a surge of carbs (such as dextrose perhaps) to try and offset potential muscle loss. My question is... would I be better off to eat these carbs BEFORE i workout so that I have the maximal glycogen available to get me through my workout? or should i eat em post-workout so that maybe i can benefit from an insulin surge?

Thanks for your responses :tu:

A lot of people prefer carbs before AND after the workout. Others have carbs all day long and still make great progress (maybe this could work for you). And again, others do low carbs but don't pay attention to carbs around the workout. You need to find what works for you. Clearly low carb diets have helped you lose weight, but maybe it's time to try something new - just a suggestion. But to answer your question, it will really depend on the rest of your diet. It's hard to give advice without knowing anything about what you're eating:)

Although i have increased in strength alot (i remember trying to bench 95 lbs in the weight room 3 years ago and now being able to do 245) I have NEVER seen my abs i am beginning to question their existence. Last summer i did a bout of low-carb dieting while lifting and i got down to around 168 lbs.. and still no abs. I think maybe i just cannot get abs because i used to be overweight and maybe its extra skin and not fat obscuring my abs? What do you guys think?

Honestly i would like to lose fat first and cut down a bit before I start gaining mass again, however i find it extremely difficult to lose fat without losing muscle.. and the only way i have ever lost fat in my life is on a low carb diet and if it wasnt for that i'd be well over 300 lbs right now. Anyway, I appreciate any advice you would give me, should i do low fat or try to bulk up? and If so how should i go about doing so, being the extreme endomorph that i am (i eat less junk food than my female friends and still pack on the fat more easily)


Everyone has great abs. Most people cover (including you and me) with a layer of fat. Get rid of the fat and you'll see those great abs! I'm trying to do that now, and you can do it too.

You'll need to switch your goal from weight loss to fat loss. Who cares if you lose weight? Big deal! Your goal is fat loss. Fat loss is primarily about the diet. So, if you want to get down to 10%, you'll need to study two things --

First, study all the info about healthy dieting you can. Start with marcus's guide to nutrition at the top of the Beginner's forum (it's a sticky thread). It's excellent. There's a lot of great information in these forums, generally. And you can ask lots of questions, too. Secondly, you'll need to study your own body, your own habits, your own perferences, etc. I love tuna, and I eat a lot of it. Maybe you don't -- then don't put tuna in your diet. I feel much better with about 45-50% of my calories coming from carbs. Others like a low-carb diet. Find what works for you.

Fat loss starts in the kitchen and moves the gym, not the other way around.

You've made some amazing progress, my friend. I'm sure you'll make a great addition to our community here. We can probably help you out, and I'm confident you'll be able to help us learn more about weight lifting, too, as we all encourage each other to keep walking (or running) down the path of good health.

Welcome to JSF!

Thanks so much for your advice. I'm off to read the beginner's forums and all the sticky's. I'll post up what i've decided to do as far as diet is concerned soon enough for y'all to critique. Adios