Guess I'm looking for a little reassurance

[go4gold]

Ok, I have been on my diet for a solid 3 weeks. Now I've only had one cheat meal recently (some pizza) in the three weeks. I started at 164#s, I am still currently about the same weight.
A quick little history, 20 years lifting, mostly just strength training, not bodybuilding. I am guessing to be about 22% BF range, I think I'm over estimating just to be safe, so probable less. I havent worked out the past 9 months due to two hip surgeries, so gotten back in into it 4 weeks ago.
Is it more then likely that none weight loss is due to restarting up my lifting and gaining lost muscle back with fat loss taking place? I am trying to stay optimistic and maybe I should stay away from the scale for a while. Training includes crossfit, cardio, and light weight training. Goals are just fat loss at this time. Want to get to around 140#s. Just hope I am on the right track. I am feeling like my fitness is improving for sure. Maybe I'm looking for results too quickly, usually I lose fat and weight fast at the begining, but my 9 month set back may have changed that. So this is where the reassurance is coming into play., or open to possible changes needed.

Meal 1: 0530> P-29/C-18/F-2
1 cup Egg Whites
1/3 cup oatmeal

Meal 2: 0800> P-42/C-0/F-5
Protein shake with 1 Tsp Flax
1/2 Can Tuna

Meal 3: 1030> P-22/C-1/F-11
4oz Ground Turkey
1 cup Romaine Lettuce

Meal 4: 1330> P-50/C-20/F-3
4oz Chicken Breast
Protein shake
1/4 Cup Brown Rice

Workout 1430

Meal 5: 1600> P-46/C-52/F-0
PWO Nutrition

Meal 6: 1830> P-33/C-1/F-6
5oz cooked salmon
1 Cup Romaine Lettuce

Meal 7: 2100 P-24/C-3/F-14
Casein Protein Shake with 1 Tbls Flax

Protein -246
Carbs -95
Fat -41
Total 1733 Calories (about 1700 on none workout days)

[gbrice75]

Depends - what was your physique like before the surgery, and what is it like now in comparison? i.e., have you lost a significant amount of muscle during the downtime?

If so, muscle memory is definitely one thing to consider. Also, you can't be focused on the scale alone. How do you look? How are your clothes fitting? Have you taken any measurements, at least your waist?

This is my second time posting this today, but the scale by itself is about the least accurate gauge IMO. Use it in conjunction with the previously mentioned tools. Combined, they should give you a fairly decent idea of what is going on with your body.

[go4gold]

Depends - what was your physique like before the surgery, and what is it like now in comparison? i.e., have you lost a significant amount of muscle during the downtime?

If so, muscle memory is definitely one thing to consider. Also, you can't be focused on the scale alone. How do you look? How are your clothes fitting? Have you taken any measurements, at least your waist?

This is my second time posting this today, but the scale by itself is about the least accurate gauge IMO. Use it in conjunction with the previously mentioned tools. Combined, they should give you a fairly decent idea of what is going on with your body.

I've always had a somewhat of an ok physique, but more bulky looking. I have been able to trim down before, but havent been able to stick with it due to these setbacks. I do have a bit of a mid section and thats what I want to get rid of the most. I think I carry to much fat for my height and dont care to be that big anymore, overrated for me atleast. I think I may be leaning out, but tough to tell. I think your right about muscle memory, so that probable have a lot to do with it. I have lots of strength and feels like i'm starting over, but that is quickly coming back. Also my be some water retention for the lots of water during a workout and protein drinks. I havent taken any measurement until today. But usually like to use a caliper to see fat loss in the skin. The waist and belly can change inches just from what you ate alone for the day. Ill try and not pay attention to the scale. I just figured that no matter what at 140#s, ill be either 7-9%bf or 12-14% if I am actually at a higher BF% now, and either one sounds good to me. Thanks gbrice. Ill stick it out and see where I am in in the next 3 weeks.

[Swelbow]

Get a tailors tape from walmart and measure, everything. Upper arms, lower arms, thigh, calf, neck, waist, midsection at belly button, chest...everything. Write it all down and measure again every month I guarantee the tape won't lie to you as bad as the scale will. With my diet, the tape has been changing much faster than the scale lately.

And take pictures every month too. You will see changes better if you do side by side picture comparisons.

And in my humble opinion, your diet looks pretty good actually. Only thing I see right away is that your protein intake is pretty high for being 160 lbs. That shouldn't affect your overall diet much tho IMO. Gbrice will be able to better guide you with your diet. You're in good hands with his help. His advice has helped me greatly already.

Anyway, good luck and...buy a tape measure

[Buddhabody]

Good luck, just train hard and eat a good diet and everything will fall in place. I would like to see a detailed workout summary from you, to see exactly you consider light weight lifting (i.e sets and reps). Also I could be jumping the gun but I'm curious as to why your starting the day with only 18 carbs. On my low carb days, I still start with 29g of a slow digesting carb like oatmeal. Just my opinion, good luck

[Buddhabody]

After reading through your post, protein intake looks good but I would really up the carbs, 95g just appears a little too low IMO.

[go4gold]

Get a tailors tape from walmart and measure, everything. Upper arms, lower arms, thigh, calf, neck, waist, midsection at belly button, chest...everything. Write it all down and measure again every month I guarantee the tape won't lie to you as bad as the scale will. With my diet, the tape has been changing much faster than the scale lately.

And take pictures every month too. You will see changes better if you do side by side picture comparisons.

And in my humble opinion, your diet looks pretty good actually. Only thing I see right away is that your protein intake is pretty high for being 160 lbs. That shouldn't affect your overall diet much tho IMO. Gbrice will be able to better guide you with your diet. You're in good hands with his help. His advice has helped me greatly already.

Anyway, good luck and...buy a tape measure

Thanks man, I do have a tape measure and wiil take your advice and take some baseline measurements. And like I said before, I do have some calipers also, so will monitor skin fold in certin areas.

Good luck, just train hard and eat a good diet and everything will fall in place. I would like to see a detailed workout summary from you, to see exactly you consider light weight lifting (i.e sets and reps). Also I could be jumping the gun but I'm curious as to why your starting the day with only 18 carbs. On my low carb days, I still start with 29g of a slow digesting carb like oatmeal. Just my opinion, good luck

Weight training includes bench 3x10, lat pulldowns 3x8, incline DB press 3x10 one day/ Leg press 3x15, leg curl/extentions 3x10 another day. Not to concerned about arms with all the crossfit stuff. I will burn 1000 cals throughout a week on the elipitical, and do crossfit excercise one hour 3 days a week. the weights I'm keeping light until desired weight loss is achieved, then I'll add heavier weights and cut down on the crossfit to build muscle. I have my lifting goal set for next year. Right now, trim up, this is much tougher for me then hitting strength goals.

After reading through your post, protein intake looks good but I would really up the carbs, 95g just appears a little too low IMO.

Carbs are very hard to me to figure out and how you include your pwo in your total. It tough because of my size and the weight I'm looking to hit. No carb diests have always been easier for me to figure out. this type of cutting diet is new. Should I cut out even more fat (as much fat as possible) and increase carbs intake? All carbs I take in are complex.

[Buddhabody]

I would not cut fat, 41g is too little in my opinion. I would suggest playing around with carbs and fats. I would up carbs to at least 150g and fat would be in the region of 65-80g. See how that works after two weeks and report back here when you've done it. Just my opinion.