Need Advice Decreasing Body Fat - PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!

[encinoman]

Dear All,

I posted a couple years ago about being stuck at 12% body fat...Here I sit (almost 2 years later) with the same problem. I am unable to get my body to my desired goal of being lean. WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?!?!?!

I'm getting VERY discouraged and becoming less and less motivated to work out when I'm not seeing any gains. I've been 5'9" 170lbs. I've got a solid build, some muscle definition but not cut.

Let me break it down for you all, honestly:

1.) I hate cardio (I find it REALLY boring)... how often do I have to do it? what type....bike, run, stairs? Low intensity or HIIT?

2.) I need new lifting advice...I've done high reps, then low reps, then circut training, then even a MMA workout suggested by Mens Fitness and nothing seemed to work. WHAT IS EVERYONE ELSE DOING THAT WORKS???

3.) How do I combine 1 & 2? When should I be focusing on cardio (aerobic) vs. lifting (anaerobic) or Cutting vs. Strength Training

4.) Diet help. I eat healthy...but not very regulated...based on what other people have said to me I dont eat enough. Currently I have 4 small meals a day + 1 protein shake post workout. PLEASE HELP, WHAT SHOULD I BE EATING AND HOW OFTEN

5.) How bad is alcohol? Coffee? what should I be watching out for that could disrupt my fitness quest?

IN SUMMARY: I want to be more cut, yet without having to sacrifice muscle. I'm frustrated because I read about all different advice and I would LOVE to have a proven workout regiment & diet that has helped someone else who has experienced my pain!

What am I doing wrong??? Can someone please help me...or steer me in the right direction...I am beyond frustrated. I cant thank you enough~!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[niggles]

check out the 13week cutting and diet program. have seen, and so have many people, awesome results with it.

[encinoman]

Ive read through some posts in other forums...seems to be the REAL DEAL. I found the workout PDF...do you know where I can find the diet?

thanks for the advice...anyone else support this suggestion of the 13week program???

THANKS EVERYONE!!

[niggles]

here you go

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/13wee...urningdiet.pdf

[Commander]

Originally Posted by encinoman

Let me break it down for you all, honestly:

1.) I hate cardio (I find it REALLY boring)... how often do I have to do it? what type....bike, run, stairs? Low intensity or HIIT?

Do whatever type you will STICK with, that is more important than the intensity IMO. Then do it a few times per week.

2.) I need new lifting advice...I've done high reps, then low reps, then circut training, then even a MMA workout suggested by Mens Fitness and nothing seemed to work. WHAT IS EVERYONE ELSE DOING THAT WORKS???

Low reps.

3.) How do I combine 1 & 2? When should I be focusing on cardio (aerobic) vs. lifting (anaerobic) or Cutting vs. Strength Training

Like #1, the best advice is finding a routine you'll stick with, some will preach fasted morning cardio - but if you can't get up in the morning that's no good. Others will preach, do it after your workout when glycogen stores are depleted, but if you are drained than that's no good either. Find a time that works for you...and STICK to it.

RE Cutting vs. Strength training, they really shouldn't be that different. High reps doesn't get you cut.

4.) Diet help. I eat healthy...but not very regulated...based on what other people have said to me I dont eat enough. Currently I have 4 small meals a day + 1 protein shake post workout. PLEASE HELP, WHAT SHOULD I BE EATING AND HOW OFTEN

You should be regulated, what I mean by that, is you should track your calories and macro nutrients for the next few weeks to really get an idea of what your baseline needs are. Then fine tune from there.

5.) How bad is alcohol? Coffee? what should I be watching out for that could disrupt my fitness quest?

IN SUMMARY: I want to be more cut, yet without having to sacrifice muscle. I'm frustrated because I read about all different advice and I would LOVE to have a proven workout regiment & diet that has helped someone else who has experienced my pain!

There are plenty of proven plans, but whatever one you do, you must be consistent.

What am I doing wrong??? Can someone please help me...or steer me in the right direction...I am beyond frustrated. I cant thank you enough~!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What are you doing wrong? It seems like you are suffering from the paralysis of analysis. Just go work hard and get lean.

[Dave I]

Short version:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat...endations.html

I think Lyle's recommendations of cutting down to 10% body fat then bulking up until you get to about 15% body fat (on something like Starting Strength) is a nice long-term plan.

Longer version/rationale:

Originally Posted by encinoman

Dear All,

I posted a couple years ago about being stuck at 12% body fat...Here I sit (almost 2 years later) with the same problem. I am unable to get my body to my desired goal of being lean. WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?!?!?!

I'm getting VERY discouraged and becoming less and less motivated to work out when I'm not seeing any gains. I've been 5'9" 170lbs. I've got a solid build, some muscle definition but not cut.

Two questions:

1) Have you been stuck at the same weight for two years?

2) What are your goals? Just to be lean, or be bigger/stronger and lean?

1.) I hate cardio (I find it REALLY boring)... how often do I have to do it? what type....bike, run, stairs? Low intensity or HIIT?

Find something you find fun. May I suggest:
http://www.rosstraining.com/articles.html

2.) I need new lifting advice...I've done high reps, then low reps, then circut training, then even a MMA workout suggested by Mens Fitness and nothing seemed to work. WHAT IS EVERYONE ELSE DOING THAT WORKS???

Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength. However . . . You need to find a good program and stick with it. Again, VERY goal orientated. If you're trying to get bigger & stronger, Check out Rippetoe's Starting Strength. If you're trying to get leaner, it's mainly in the kitchen, hence the Lyle McDonald link at the beginning (he writes diet books with sample workouts).

3.) How do I combine 1 & 2? When should I be focusing on cardio (aerobic) vs. lifting (anaerobic) or Cutting vs. Strength Training

I think Lyle's got that covered.

One thing, if you're at 12% body fat, that's not exactly fat. How far are you from your goals?

4.) Diet help. I eat healthy...but not very regulated...based on what other people have said to me I dont eat enough. Currently I have 4 small meals a day + 1 protein shake post workout. PLEASE HELP, WHAT SHOULD I BE EATING AND HOW OFTEN

That's something you have to kind of work out on your end, however it's also based on your plan. Are you working on getting stronger or getting leaner? Generally speaking, you can't work on both at the same time or else everybody would be on the Arnold Schwarzenegger diet to drop down to 5% body fat while training to deadlift a boxcar.

5.) How bad is alcohol? Coffee? what should I be watching out for that could disrupt my fitness quest?

Alcohol? Depends. If you're trying to cut fat, already down to 12%, and been at 170 lbs. for two years, maybe dropping it (at least for a while, in whole or for the majority of the time) isn't such a bad idea. Coffee? Coffee's good for you generally speaking. Really, I think it's mainly calories. Get your calories and nutrition in order, eat a lot of whole foods. try to stick to things like meat, vegetables, enough dairy so you aren't getting osteoporosis, and avoid simple man made carbs most of the time, but mostly getting the right amount of calories for your program.

So I'd ask Lyle for a diet recommendation based on your goals and where you're at, then do Starting Strength when you are in a strength-gaining program.

-Cheers

[Sidiztik]

Cutting starts in the kitchen.

[Commander]

that's a good article Dave I, thanks for sharing

[encinoman]

To answer your questions, Im very far from my goals. I've looked the same - same weight / muscle mass - for the last 3 years....SOOO frustrating. I want to cut but not lose muscle (isnt that everyone's goal? ha)

I cant tell you all how thankful I am to have your input. I just finished reading through the 13-week diet / training program and I'm interested in doing it....I also read some threads of other members who have done it and swear by it.

The hardest thing for me is that I work long hours and have a very active social life, so I am going to have to find 1.5 hours to devote to my regiment.

Also, the diet seems to be strict, yet incorporate a lot of complex carbs.....I remember a friend of mine who cut out all carbs and had a strict workout regiment for 3 months and he got really cut.

My workout / diet are at their best when I have a guideline and stick to it. Thats why I like the 13week program...

[Dave I]

Originally Posted by encinoman

To answer your questions, Im very far from my goals. I've looked the same - same weight / muscle mass - for the last 3 years....SOOO frustrating. I want to cut but not lose muscle (isnt that everyone's goal? ha)

You might want to look into carb refeeds and the like. My hunch is that like most people you've probably just cut calories with reckless abandon, which only works for so long. Basically it's a similar concept as in the 13-week Diet where you have certain days you eat more, then a week of higher calories. This stuff helps keep your metabolism from doing a nosedive, resets your hormones (so they do not shut your metabolism down or cause bad things to happen from a dietary standpoint), basically keeps things going in the right direction. If my hunch is wrong, feel free to ignore the above.

I cant tell you all how thankful I am to have your input. I just finished reading through the 13-week diet / training program and I'm interested in doing it....I also read some threads of other members who have done it and swear by it.

Give it a shot. It seems sound, and if it works for you it's the right diet for you.

The hardest thing for me is that I work long hours and have a very active social life, so I am going to have to find 1.5 hours to devote to my regiment.

Well, we all have those issues. However, for your cardio days, there are shorter things you can do. That's why I like Rosstraining, doing 50 or 100 Burpees in as short a time as you can doesn't take long but it trashes you and gets the metabolism running. Get your friends involved. Having a lifting partner can be a positive thing. Do active things; don't just go out for a pitcher of beer, play basketball, join a dojo, find whatever is fun for you and make it a part of your life.

Also, the diet seems to be strict, yet incorporate a lot of complex carbs.....I remember a friend of mine who cut out all carbs and had a strict workout regiment for 3 months and he got really cut.

Those diets will work too. The thing is, you have to have a clear cut plan and you have to stick with it. If you want to do a Protein Sparing Modified Fast with carb refeeding days, go for it. If you want to do the 13-week Diet, go for it. If you want to try the 13-week Diet then switch to the PSMF diet then dabble in the Atkins then go Ketogenic then go to a high-carb diet without sticking to one to make it work for you, I'll bet you a Coke that it doesn't work so hot. Flexibility is a good thing, but bouncing between multiple diets on a whim is not. So just pick the one that seems best for you, and as long as it's a good dietary plan and you stick to it (modifying it when and as needed) you should do fine.

-Cheers