i notice some people lose like 2-3 pounds a week, and right now i am pretty much sitting at the same weight, but hoping to be cutting my body fat. i predict i'm at about 13-14%, and am having a really hard time getting the results that i want right now. sorry about the rant guys, i'm really overwhelmed with school, work, and fitness, it is just so much!!

AHHHHHHHHH

i'd say its because you have less of it, so your body is less willing to burn it off so easily!
this is why diet is so important when getting down to the low bodyfats, you kinda have to fool your body!

Equilibrium. Ur body does NOT want to get to sub 10 percent body fat. It basically is a case of diminishing returns. TO go lower and lower, u gotta work harder and harder. Good luck!!

ah yes, equilbrium. oh jeez that makes me think of dreaded ap chemistry.

lol im stuck here doing Chemical Engineering. I was gonna saw that the body + excersize + lifting + diet---> healthy body + leftover fat + gas, and that this was a function of Le ' Chetliers principle. :)

Blame Darwin, it's that irritating evolution thing. Of course if you're religious, then the fat comes right off cause you don't believe that stuff :p

Blame Darwin, it's that irritating evolution thing. Of course if you're religious, then the fat comes right off cause you don't believe that stuff :p

Nah, it means God put it there for a reason and you shouldn't remove it. Or, depending upon religion, you should feel guilty about wanting to burn the fat, cause it's part of your body, and you are trying to rid yourself of something god created.

Jaer
is reminded of Goonies: "Bran, God put that rock there for a purpose, and, um, I'm not sure you should, um, move it."

Nah, it means God put it there for a reason and you shouldn't remove it. Or, depending upon religion, you should feel guilty about wanting to burn the fat, cause it's part of your body, and you are trying to rid yourself of something god created.

Jaer
is reminded of Goonies: "Bran, God put that rock there for a purpose, and, um, I'm not sure you should, um, move it."



I think cheeseburgers and pizza puts it there. It's not like we have to hunt our own food anymore. :tu:

Nah, it means God put it there for a reason and you shouldn't remove it. Or, depending upon religion, you should feel guilty about wanting to burn the fat, cause it's part of your body, and you are trying to rid yourself of something god created.



LOL!!

Evolution:
Your body's genetic code does not want you to lose its precious fat in order to ensure survival.

Creation:
God put that fat there. Therefore, you must not remove it.

Either way, the fat is not meant to leave! :p

Yes, its starting to not be fun anymore :d_frown:

if i'm at a 500 calorie deficit, is it possible not to lose fat? i mean i have to burning something. Ever since I started taking glutamine my weight hasn't dropped at all for 3 weeks, i figure maybe i'm putting on and maintaining a pound of muscle a week about to cancel out teh fat. is this right? or am i foolish?

hate so say it, but ur being foolish. U are gaining, but no way in hell 1 lb in a week. Post diet pls for better answer.

if i'm at a 500 calorie deficit, ... my weight hasn't dropped at all for 3 weeks

If you haven't dropped any weight, then by deffinition you aren't in a caloric deficit.

How are your calculations that you are at a deficit?

Is it possible you are underestimating your food intake? or alternatively overestimating your exercise? These are two reasons your caloric deficit calculation could be off.

My calcs. were off until I weighed my food for a while - now, I have that under control. Plus, eliptical machines and such in gyms typically over-report calories burned. Makes it hard to get a proper approximation of calorie deficit/surplus

HTH

:tucool:

presse

i am not losing weight, and my diet is as follows

Food Consumed Calories Fat Carbs Sucrose Sugar Protein Fiber
6:45 AM
1 Scoop All The Whey Protein w. Water 108 1 2 0 22 0
5g Glutamine Powder w. Water 18 0 0 0 4.5 0
1 Banana 105 0 26 0 1 1
10:00 AM
Turkey Sandwich on WGW Bread 250 6 26 1 32 6
12:00 PM
Turkey Sandwich on WGW Bread 250 6 26 1 32 6
2:40 PM
3/4 cup Whole Grain Wheat Total 170 1 27 3 3 3
3:00-4:30 Workout
5:00 PM
1 Scoop All The Whey Protein w. Water 108 1 2 0 22 0
5g Glutamine Powder w. Water 18 0 0 0 4.5 0
7:00 AM
1/2 TBSP Natural PB 100 6 6 1 4.5 1
Brocholli 34 0 6.5 0 3 2.5
Chicken Breast 227 3 0 0 50 0
10:00 PM
Cottage Cheese 150 5 10 8 19.5 0
3 g Glutamine 10.5 0 0 0 3 0
Total 1548.5 29 131.5 14 201 19.5
261 calories 526 calories 804 calories
16.86% 33.97% 51.92%

with the above diet, keep in mind i'm an 18 year old kid, and i lift 4 days aweek doing max-ot, and i do dot drill cardio 4 days aweek, each day doing 4 dot-drills.

with the above diet, keep in mind i'm an 18 year old kid, and i lift 4 days aweek doing max-ot, and i do dot drill cardio 4 days aweek, each day doing 4 dot-drills.


hey dan, what is "dot drill cardio"? thanks.


Keep workin hard :db:

here is bodybuilding.com's description of the dreaded dot drill.

Dot Drill: I realize that most weight-trainers think they own the market on pain-tolerance, but the dot drill makes 20-rep squats look like a trip to Baskin Robbins by comparison. Particularly insidious is the fact that, unlike resistance training, repeated exposures to the dots will not make subsequent exposures any easier.
First conceived by basketball coach Adolph Rupp in the 1940's, and then later popularized by Bigger Faster Stronger Inc. a few decades later, the dot drill is both a remarkable agility, foot strength, and anaerobic conditioning exercise, as well as a superb and easy-to-administer testing tool.

It is unique in that it creates not only a high level of fatigue, but also a high quality of fatigue- fighters in particular will be able to relate to the feeling of panic that ensues when your heart rate soars to about 120% of age-predicted maximum.

The dot drill is a battery of 5 separate drills, performed in rapid succession, with each drill performed six times in a row before proceeding to the next drill (please refer to the diagram as you read the description).


Dot Drill Schematic
D..........E
......C......
A...........B
(disregard dots they're merely for site formatting)

The dot drill features (5), five-inch diameter dots orientated in a pattern similar to the five dots on a pair of dice, expect that the "square" is three feet by two feet. Use a solid surface such as weight room matting, and tie your shoelaces. Tight.

Begin the drill as follows:


First drill: Starting position: your left foot is on "A" and your right foot on "B." Hop forward and touch "C" with both feet simultaneously, then continue forward so that your left foot lands on "D" at the same instant your right foot lands on "E." (a total of 2 hops). Now go back to the starting position by reversing what you just did (hopping backward). That's one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.

Second drill: From the starting position, lift your left foot in the air and with right foot only, hop to "C," "E," "D," "C," "A," and back to "B." That's one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.

Third drill: Repeat the last drill but using the left foot only (hop to "C," "E," "D," "C," "A," and back to "B.") That's one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.

Fourth drill: Repeat the last drill but using both feet, keeping the feet together- this looks somewhat like a skiing drill. Repeat for a total of six reps.

Fifth drill: This is very similar to drill number one, with a slight variation: When you reach the top of the pattern (left foot on "D" and your right foot on "E."), instead of hopping backward to get back to the starting position, you instead jump-spin and land on the same two dots (only now your left foot will be on "E" and your right foot on "D."), facing the opposite direction.
Then hop forward and touch "C" with both feet simultaneously, then continue forward so that your left foot lands on "B" and your right foot on "A." Lastly, jump-spin again to assume the starting position. That's one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.


Errors: Subtract .10 seconds for every missed dot from the total time.
Once you've done the drill a few times, you'll notice that you can't help but be competitive once you start. Even if you don't feel terribly motivated, you'll bust a gut trying to get a good time. Or maybe it's just that you want to get it over with. Either way, the dot drill brings out your best (and I'm not referring to your last meal).

Implementing The Dot Drill

The five dots of death (as my athletes refer to it) can be used as a warm-up for a strength training session (one drill will bring your heart rate to 100% and will get you sweating big-time), as anaerobic conditioning, and/or as a fantastic foot and calf strengthening tool.

One precaution however: I suggest never doing more than 4 repetitions of the dot drill on any given day, and not more than 12 dot drills on any given week.

Dot Drill Standards

OK, you've done the dot drill a handful of times and you think you're a stud (or studette) because you finally broke the two minute barrier? According to Bigger Faster Stronger, you'll need to break the 60 second barrier to be considered fast (for a complete listing of the BFS dot drill standards, point your browser to http://www.biggerfasterstronger.com).





for me it is fun cardio, and it literally owns you, especially the left foot only portion. it is really good for those looking to improve their footwork and coordination.

That is so cool. Hop-Scotch on steroids.

Thanks for the description, sounds pretty cool ill have to try it sometime when i build up the courage!

i am not losing weight, and my diet is as follows

Food Consumed Calories Fat Carbs Sucrose Sugar Protein Fiber
6:45 AM
1 Scoop All The Whey Protein w. Water 108 1 2 0 22 0
5g Glutamine Powder w. Water 18 0 0 0 4.5 0
1 Banana 105 0 26 0 1 1
10:00 AM
Turkey Sandwich on WGW Bread 250 6 26 1 32 6
12:00 PM
Turkey Sandwich on WGW Bread 250 6 26 1 32 6
2:40 PM
3/4 cup Whole Grain Wheat Total 170 1 27 3 3 3
3:00-4:30 Workout
5:00 PM
1 Scoop All The Whey Protein w. Water 108 1 2 0 22 0
5g Glutamine Powder w. Water 18 0 0 0 4.5 0
7:00 AM
1/2 TBSP Natural PB 100 6 6 1 4.5 1
Brocholli 34 0 6.5 0 3 2.5
Chicken Breast 227 3 0 0 50 0
10:00 PM
Cottage Cheese 150 5 10 8 19.5 0
3 g Glutamine 10.5 0 0 0 3 0
Total 1548.5 29 131.5 14 201 19.5
261 calories 526 calories 804 calories
16.86% 33.97% 51.92% You're likely way undereating. Most extremely active 18-year-olds needs a lot more than 1500 calories a day (yes, even to "cut").

how much should i eat?

how much should i eat?
First you need to figure out your daily caloric requirement.

A great way to calculate it is with the Harris-Benedict Formula.
Use the following formula (for males):

66 + (6.3 x body weight in lbs.) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years).

This gives you your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).

Now that you know your BMR, multiply your BMR by your activity multiplier from below:

Activity Multiplier
Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
Extr. active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job

Your BMR X Activity Level = calories needed for maintenance, i.e., what you need to maintain your body at its current weight. If you want to lose weight, subtract 500 calories a day to lose 1 pound per week. Subtract 1000 to lose 2 pounds per week. It is not recommended to go below a 1000 calorie deficit. It is also not recommended to go below 2000 calories a day if you are trying to maintain / build muscle mass.

You're likely way undereating. Most extremely active 18-year-olds needs a lot more than 1500 calories a day (yes, even to "cut").

Unless, of course, he's 5 foot 1 inch.

1500 is wayyyy to low. Shoot, my 5'4" wife makes that her goal.

Unless, of course, he's 5 foot 1 inch. Yeah, I hated being so presumptious, but odds are he's short... on cals. :D

i'm 5'9", 157 pounds, i have like 10 pounds to lose.

is that thing accurate? according to that i should eat 2800 or so calories a day to maintain, that seems a bit high, but then again i am only 18.

Your 18, you're 1300 cals short. Eat, and enjoy. In a few more years, you WILL NOT be able to eat like you could now, so you might as well enjoy while you can.

5'9" @ 157 = no need to lose weight. Don't you want to gain weight?

i am not exactly strong. i am still very fatty. i can only bench 125. :(

i made up a new, more thorough diet now that i know i was having problems, please critique it. hopefully this will get this weight off me faster!

Food Consumed Weekdays Calories Fat Carbs Sucrose Sugar Protein Fiber
6:45 AM
1 Scoop All The Whey Protein w. Water 108 1 2 0 22 0
5g Glutamine Powder w. Water 18 0 0 0 4.5 0
1 Banana 105 0 26 0 1 1
1 Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt 90 0 16 12 6 0
3/4 cup Whole Grain Wheat Total 110 1 27 3 3 3
4 oz Skim Milk 40 0 6.5 6.5 4 0
10:00 AM
1 Slice Whole Grain Wheat Bread 90 1 17 3 4 2
1 Slice Whole Grain Wheat Bread 90 1 17 3 4 2
Turkey 70 3 0 0 26 0
1 Slice of American Cheese 30 2.5 0 0 3.5 0
12:00 PM
1 Slice Whole Grain Wheat Bread 90 1 17 3 4 2
1 Slice Whole Grain Wheat Bread 90 1 17 3 4 2
Turkey 70 3 0 0 26 0
1 Slice of American Cheese 30 2.5 0 0 3.5 0
2:40 PM
3/4 cup Whole Grain Wheat Total 110 1 27 3 3 3
3:00-4:30 Workout
5:00 PM
1 Scoop All The Whey Protein w. Water 108 1 2 0 22 0
5g Glutamine Powder w. Water 18 0 0 0 4.5 0
1 Slice Whole Grain Wheat Bread 90 1 17 3 4 2
7:00 PM
1/2 TBSP Natural PB 100 6 6 1 4.5 1
Brocholli 34 0 6.5 0 3 2.5
Chicken Breast 227 3 0 0 50 0
10:00 PM
Cottage Cheese 100 3 7 3.5 13 0
3 g Glutamine 10.5 0 0 0 3 0
Total 1828.5 32 211 44 214 20.5
Macro-Nutrients 288 844 856
% of Composition 15.75% 46.16% 46.81%



Weekends! Calories Fat Carbs Sucrose Sugar Protein Fiber
10:00 AM
1 Scoop All The Whey Protein w. Water 108 1 2 0 22 0
5g Glutamine Powder w. Water 18 0 0 0 4.5 0
1 Banana 105 0 26 0 1 1
1 Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt 90 0 16 12 6 0
Jewel Apple Cinnemon Instant Oatmeal 130 1.5 26 12 3 4
Spring Tree Sugar Free Syrup 30 0 12 0 0 0
12:00 PM
1 Slice Whole Grain Wheat Bread 90 1 17 3 4 2
1 Slice Whole Grain Wheat Bread 90 1 17 3 4 2
Turkey 70 3 0 0 26 0
1 Slice of American Cheese 30 2.5 0 0 3.5 0
3:00 PM
1 Slice Whole Grain Wheat Bread 90 1 17 3 4 2
1 Slice Whole Grain Wheat Bread 90 1 17 3 4 2
Turkey 70 3 0 0 26 0
1 Slice of American Cheese 30 2.5 0 0 3.5 0
5:00 PM
1 Scoop All The Whey Protein w. Water 108 1 2 0 22 0
5g Glutamine Powder w. Water 18 0 0 0 4.5 0
1 Slice Whole Grain Wheat Bread 90 1 17 3 4 2
1 Banana 105 0 26 0 1 1
1 TBSP Natural PB 200 12 12 2 9 2
7:00 AM
Brocholli 34 0 6.5 0 3 2.5
Chicken Breast 227 3 0 0 50 0
1 Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt 90 0 16 12 6 0
12:00 AM
Cottage Cheese 100 3 7 3.5 13 0
3 g Glutamine 10.5 0 0 0 3 0
Total 2023.5 37.5 236.5 56.5 227 20.5
Macro-Nutrients 337.5 946 908
% of Composition 16.68% 46.75% 44.87%

Your food logs are really tough to read, danny. Put the data inside "code" tags to preserve the formatting.

Code is
formatting kool

i am a newbbb
:(

Your calories still look too low. Eat 2300 a day for a few weeks and see how you progress.

thats awful tough to do

thats awful tough to do
Yep, so is a lot of this fitness stuff. That's part of the challenge! ;)

At least keep it above 2000 cals, and of course monitor your progress.

:gl:

well, i've already lost 24 pounds and am stronger now, but i notice my lifts are going down, and i just want to lose an extra 10 pounds, i'll go with about 2000 for a week or so and see how it goes.

thats awful tough to do

You need to discover flavor my friend!

go get a plate of nachos. That'll do it in a hurry. Eat just a handful of corn chips with avocado dip; pretty healthy and calorie dense. Eat beef whenever you can.. and/or salmon.

BTW, I just did some research on my favorite Sunday night snack; 2 gin martinis and a 2OZ of smoked almonds. It's around 900 calories. And that's just 2 6OZ drinks and a handful of almonds. Too bad you're not 21... calories are easy as pie to come by when you enjoy your drink.

that stuff doesn't exactly seem clean..

that stuff doesn't exactly seem clean..

Which stuff? :lol:

Calories are calories are calories. You just need to figure out a way to get more of those buggers into your gut! As for me, gin and pasta would do it. But I'm trying to avoid those to get into the postion you're at - which is way skinny.

I agree with those who suggest you are undereating. 18 year-olds who are very active need far more calories than your original 1500 or the later 2000. We have been inundated with so much info about decreasing calories to lose weight that we sometimes miss that some people are eating too little rather than too much.

Further, I have found that extremely high protein intakes work against us. Our bodies use protein wisely -- in doing day-to-day functions of immune system, cell repair, muscle building, enzymes, etc. Other than that we have a "protein sparing effect" that interferes with burning of protein. Therefore we use very little protein for activity. Preferred energy sources are carbohydrates and fats -- protein used during famine conditions. This normally works very well. However, in our culture the system works poorly. Any excess calorie, including protein, when it is not needed elsewhere, converts to fat.

My guess is that you have become a victim of over-protein intake. Choose your proteins carefully and reduce in number, and I think you'll see fat loss while maintaining muscle. (Remember to increase those calories slowly over time.) Let us know how it goes.

SAB, RN & Personal Tainer

I'm 15, 5'4 and low 130s and shoot for 2000 clean calories a day. I lift 3 times a week and do 1 hour of cardio 6-7 days a week. I think 1500 calories is madness!

Unless, of course, he's 5 foot 1 inch.

1500 is wayyyy to low. Shoot, my 5'4" wife makes that her goal.

It's interesting to hear this philosophy. After having cut to low single digits several times, I can never reach my goal weight unless I either have a few days down as low as 1200 - 1500 calories OR if I am doing 3 or 4 hours of training to burn enough calories to justify a higher intake.

Jeremy

Like everyone said take in more calories and give your metabolism a change. and this was just funny:

Evolution:
Your body's genetic code does not want you to lose its precious fat in order to ensure survival.

Creation:
God put that fat there. Therefore, you must not remove it.

:D

I went through the same thing, and I had the same questions. Got stuck FOREVER around 11-12%. I went back to reading and evaluating my diet, and I realized that I hadn't adjusted my diet/ caloric intake to my "new" body.

You need to re-evaluate your BMI and caloric intake once you get to those sub 15% levels. I'm sub 10.5% now, and I just did some calculations based on body fat and where I was at. I started at 187 and 26% BF. I'm now at 148 and ~ 10% BF. Given my calculations, I've lost ~ 47 pounds of fat and gained about 8 pounds of muscle. This all changes my BMI and what I need to do in order to lose the remaining 2 lb's of fat I have to take me < 9% (goal).

Additionally, I had become comfortable eating ~ 2200 calories a day. I had been doing this for about 2 months while I was stuck at my 11 - 12% range. For the last three weeks, I've cut it down to < 1950 calories, and this week I've gone sub 1800. BIG CHANGES happening.

Anyways, after all that babble I recommend re-evaluating your BMI and readjusting your caloric intake. Your idea of a 500/ day caloric deficit may be off.

:gl:

Anyways, after all that babble I recommend re-evaluating your BMI and readjusting your caloric intake. Your idea of a 500/ day caloric deficit may be off.


You know, one would think that this is an unspoken - yet universally understood - rule, but I made the exact same mistake.

I calculated food intake properly, when I weighed 175, and stuck with that for weeks, wondering why my progress halted at 170.

Now I weigh in every week, and readjust my diet to my new BMI at this point. Just went down another belt size this week, in fact.