GEORGE SPELLWIN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Enlightening Men about Anabolic Steroids and Bodybuilding for over Two Decades
| Author | Topic: So glad I found ya'll.... | ||
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Novice 
Posts: 4 |
I just found this board and I'm so excited! I was an athlete most of my life, then college ended and I had to get a real job. Recently, I've gotten back into the swing of things but I can't seem to get my butt back into the gym (self-esteem issues). However, I do have an awesome set-up at home and would like some input from ya'll. I'm 5'8" and 190 lbs. Most people guess my weight at 150 (I'm pretty solid under the lovely layer of fat). I currently (and have been for 3 months) lift 2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off and do 30-45 min. of cardio 5-6 times/week. I build muscle and bulk easily. I keep my workouts interesting and change often but I CAN'T LOOSE THE FREAKIN' FAT (I have not lost one single pound...in fact, all I do is gain and I'm not looking to buy a larger wardrobe)! My diet is lower in fat and moderate in carbs and protein; averaging 1500 cal/day. I try to stay hydrated but it's a struggle. I hate drinking water. Hate it, hate it, hate it, but my man stands over top of me until I finish several glasses. So, what am I trying to say....? In the words of Kevin Spacey "I want to look good naked." What do I need to do to get rid of the fat that I'm not already doing? I don't mind what I weigh and would be glad to be that weight but I want to be toned and somewhat cut. Know what I mean? Anyway, what possible ideas, training tips, supplements etc. would ya'll recommend? Ya'll seem so knowledgable and I really need some advice. I'd appreciate any help that will get me on track. Thanks for listening!     | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder 
Posts: 1068 |
Congrats on stumbling across this discussion board, and welcome. Your situation is not the easiest one I've come across (which is certainly NOT meant to be discouraging). I'm guessing you're really strong, look good in your clothes, but have a layer of fat that hides the great muscles hiding underneath? Just curious how old you are, and how long you've been on this low fat, 1500 cal/day diet? Are you doing any cardio as well? Give us this info and I hope we can help you achieve your very achieveable goal. | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder 
Posts: 82 |
Hey Hera! Are you doing the cardio before or after eating? If you do it after eating you aren't going to lose becasue youi are just burning off what you put in...Cardio 1hr in the AM b-4 breakfast and then have your morning meal...this forces your muscles to use their 20 mintue store of glycogen right off the bat and then dip into your fat reserves to generate energy to keep going... that's just a quick note MS is right send all you've got Someitmes I think the folks on this board have enough knowledge to tone up, build up and strengthen a small country in a week!! ------------------ Omnia Praeclara Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of 'crack pot' than the stigma of conformity." - Thomas J. Watson | ||
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Novice
Posts: 4 |
I do cardio 5-6 times/week, usually in the evening because I'm not a morning person and getting up an hour earlier just kills me but if it will make a difference then I guess I could try. I'm 28, I eat between 4-6 small meals/day, depending on my schedule, and I've been pretty much eating like this for most of my life (coaches always expected a certain weight) except for a stint as a vegetarian. I've been really active in sports until the last four years (grad school and working took it's toll). I've tried eating somewhat like Atkins but I didn't loose a thing. Is cardio going to be my answer? | ||
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Moderator 
Posts: 1806 |
Hello and welcome to the boards Hera (any Greek reference to the handle?) You will find everything you need to get back to where you want right here. You might not always like what ya hear, but then with your sports back ground you'll know how to handle it Do ever be afraid to ask any question, we might razz ya a bit on the naive ones, but that's only cause we like you. Hope you stick around, and contribute your experiences. ------------------ Lobo | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 200 |
Welcome. I too am someone of rather large stature (5'9" @185). As you, I gain muscle and stength no matter what. Yes doing cardio in the morning will make a world of difference! At this stage I can see at least a hint of abs everyday. Today I did 30 mins stairmaster and an easy 15min. treadmill cooldown. I threw in a superset of chins/seated pulley rows and some incline dumbell curls because I can't leave the gym without a PUMP!!! Food wise I eat constantly. approx every 2-3 hours. I'm enjoying the holidays and not counting calories till Jan. IMHO you're not eating enough. Prioritize your protein and water ( 1g per lb and at least 1 gal. respectively). Round out with lots of leafy greens/veggies, and some complex carbs (rice,potatos,oatmeal, stop eating them by 2:00 P.M.). Try this on for SIZE and relative leaness. WW | ||
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Novice
Posts: 4 |
Thanks for all the input. I need all the direction I can get. Do you guys think I should cut down on some of my lifting and up my cardio until I see a good amount of fat loss, then up my lifting? As for increasing my cals., I'm afraid to. I had to sqeeze into another skirt this morning that was not tight three weeks ago. I'm at a loss... | ||
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Moderator
Posts: 2002 |
Welcome Hera! How long have you been doing so much cardio and taking in soooooo few calories? It sounds to me as if your metabolism has slowed because of the combination of the two (too much cardio, too few calories=tearing down lean mass and slowing metabolism). The good news is that this situation can be rectified with relative ease and in a relatively short period of time (I'm talking several weeks). Back off on the cardio (no more than 3x's per/week, 45min per session, AM would be ideal) and INCREASE your calories - 1,800 to 2,000. CLEAN UP YOU DIET! Limit your complex carb intake after 2/4PM then only consume protein and fibrous carbs. (I know MS would slap me upside the head for this one! hehe She is our vegetarian WONDER) DRINK WATER, AT LEAST A GALLON PER DAY - NO IFS, AND, OR BUTS! True, you will feel "puffy" for a couple of days, but it is temporary I assure you. Train hard and intensely. Try supersetting, trisetting or giantsets to really make your weight workout aerobic (so to speak) - rep range should be 10-15, very little rest between sets. I guarantee that if you will see some result by weeks end. ------------------ | ||
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Novice
Posts: 4 |
Okay....so here's what I'm going to do... I will do aerobic exercise 3x's/week @ 1 hr/session in the morning and keep my lifting the same (2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off). I will also attempt to add 300 cal. and more water to my diet (yikes). I'll let ya'll know what happens in a few weeks. Thanks again! | ||
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Cool Novice 
Posts: 22 |
Bikinimom's advice is sound. One more thing that would be worth a try is calorie cycling. You've probably been on too few calories with too muc cardio for too long. The best thing to try is 1) back off your cardio 2) increase the intensity of your weight training. Prioritize your weight training so it becomes the most important and focused activity of your day. 3) continue eating your 1500 cals per day, 4-6 meals with lots of protein at everymeal and starchy catbs in the morning tapering to vegetable carbs in the evening. Eat like this monday through friday, then take Saturday and Sunday off. Don't do any weights or cardio on the weekends. And eat lots of food. Try to eat 2500 cals per day (or more if you can). Keep the food mostly clean (same as you were eating M-F but just more of it). But don't be afraid to splurge a little and have some fun food on the weekends. You may find this weekend eating binge hard to get your head around. But we really need to do something to boost your metabolism, and this ulimately means eating more calories. Try this for 8 weeks. Don't look at the scales for those 8 weeks, but if you want to monitor your progress then take some skin-fold measurements at the beginning and end of the 8 weeks. And of course drink that water like you were raised in the Sahara! | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder 
Posts: 518 |
I'm in agreement with the idea that you need to increase your calories, but what I didn't see is "add some fats". I'm learning the beauty of keeping things simple: ie, if you know how to make healthy food choices, then just add a tablespoon of flax or olive oil to your day. It's a small change that you should be able to track easily (works vs. doesn't work). Get out the tape and do your measurements so that you can see change independent of the scale. Definitely make the effort to get that cardio in pre-breakfast. Give that 2 weeks and re-evaluate your stats. ------------------ | ||
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Moderator
Posts: 2002 |
Yes, yes, yes.....what SHE said! I forgot about the fat! Speaking of fat, where's my peanut butter?! ------------------ |
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posted December 05, 2000 11:02 PM
