I started training on 6/21/04 and I weighed in at 220 lbs. Since I've started Ive been doing a majority of lifting (max-ot) with light cardio sessions during the week. I have packed on muscle and I have gotten alot stronger. Overall, I am now 209 lbs. One thing that I am still concerned about is that I still have my flabby gut and chest. My arms, shoulders, triceps, traps, and legs have gotten bigger and more defined but I am sick of having this beer belly! I know exactly how many calories I need to eat to lose up to 1 lb per week and I am going to stick to it. The thing is I dont want to lose this muscle that I put on, but then again I want to get rid of my flabby gut and chest. Right now I am lifting 4 times a week and doing 20 minute HIIT cardio sessions 2 times a week. I am thinking of getting off max-ot and instead do more resistance training (lighter weights and higher reps) 4 times a week and 25 minute HIIT cardio sessions 6 times a week. I am just confused right now on what to do and it has slowed down my gains. Someone please help.

When you say you know how many calories you need this isnt enough information. Timing especialy PWO is very important I eat more than maintainance cals and i lose fat without losing muscle. You need to post your diet in full so it can be evaluated.
Widers

I eat about 4 times a day. In the morning I have a 4 egg white omelete. For lunch I usually eat two tuna sandwichs. For dinner I always have some type of meat with rice and salad. I always take a Muscle Milk shake and some sort of fruit as my PWO meal. I really dont count my calories since Ive been lifting but I eat alot healthier. I have slimmed down some and packed on some muscle. Right now though, I really want to lose the fat. I think I am realizing something that I never wanted to face before. And that is that you cant lose fat and gain muscle at the same time :d_frown: Whenever I consume less calories over a specified time I drop the weight but I also dont gain any muscle. Then when I consume a good amount of calories, I see my muscles getting bigger but I also see my belly getting bigger too. I guess what I need to do is stop my bulking and just go on a cutting phase. I dont know, sorry for the confusion.

Dude, you're doing great! You should be very proud of what you've accomplished so far! If you've added as much muscle as you say, still being down 11 pounds in 4 months is nothing to sneeze at. Sure, you can do better and lose faster, but you've made great progress, and there's no need to be frustrated.

It takes a long time to lose excess body fat, and most overweight people (especially the ~220 lb division, of which I was a member for a long time) have a lot more body fat to lose than they think they do. You didn't put all the weight on in one summer, so it makes sense that losing it all in one summer isn't necessarily always going to happen.

The key is to make lifetime, permanent changes in the way you eat and the way you exercise, and to stick to them and be patient - results will happen (and they are happening to you). My goal for a long time was to get down to 185, but when I got to 185 and saw I still had excess fat, I thought "maybe I can go lower" - and I could. Now I'm closer to 175, and I suspect I really won't be done cutting until I'm stabilized between 165 and 170, at least until I build more muscle.

And that's something to remember - you can't optimally bulk and cut at the same time, and the difference is nutrition. If you want to lose fat, it's a good idea to prioritize losing fat and preserve muscle, and only really worry about gaining muscle after you've cut down to the bf% you want. Think of your body like work in a factory - when you can specialize, you get better results.

You need to think about nutrition - changing the way you lift if you're already on a good program won't appreciably change the rate you lose body fat - at least not nearly as much as controlling what you eat. Lift the way you want to lift, don't worry about that, but get that meal plan straightened out to cut 1-2 pounds per week. Stick to it! Results won't come overnight! In six months, the fat will finally be gone, and you'll be in great shape to get huge in the good way again.

Good luck!

Thank you for this reply and the encouraging words! You are right in that I am frustrated with my gains. In 4 months I have only lost 11 lbs. Like you said, I guess I need to look at my nutrition first. To be honest, I am very regimen about working out atleast 6 times a week. When it comes to food on the other hand, I dont really stick to what I know I should be eating. I cheat often. I am sure once I get my diet correct the pounds will drop.

Food is at least 80% of the game, seriously.

Drink plenty of water and eat right, and the rest is easy.



Thank you for this reply and the encouraging words! You are right in that I am frustrated with my gains. In 4 months I have only lost 11 lbs. Like you said, I guess I need to look at my nutrition first. To be honest, I am very regimen about working out atleast 6 times a week. When it comes to food on the other hand, I dont really stick to what I know I should be eating. I cheat often. I am sure once I get my diet correct the pounds will drop.

Food is at least 80% of the game, seriously.

Drink plenty of water and eat right, and the rest is easy.

Yeah, you're absolutely right, nutrition is the key to winning or losing the game. Anyway, just want to say that discovering the near perfect nutrition for your body type is a personal thing, and it takes time, failure and experience until you can simply control your fat loss and mass gain...
Done with fat loss, now I'm learning the other half, "bulking". Man, I really have a lot more to learn, like how to gain more mass without gaining more fat is one of them... :tu: