Posted: 2/1/2005 9:44:12 PM EDT
|
I have been trying to lose some weight and gain muscle for the last couple months. I have already gained quite a bit of muscle but I haven't lost much. I have a lot extra on my thighs and ab area that I want to get rid of but nothing seems to help. I run some but I intend on biking to school (6 miles) and running more. To answer your questions before they come, I have decreased my sugar intake by eliminating soda, except when I go out to a restaurant, and I have quit eating so much fast food. I have also lowered my calorie intake and have been drinking protein shakes. Is there anything more I can do? Is it just a wait and see from here? Is there anything I can to help it along at all? |
|
Let me start by saying that it is almost impossible to do both at the same time. Pick one. When you gain muscle you will gain weight. If you want to lose some weight (fat) then you need to have a plan to get there. Cut down on the amount of carbs that you are consuming. Learn to read the labels on food. This means you will be preparing most if not all of your meals. Cut out the soda, and fast foods. They are full of stuff you don't need. |
|
More important than weight is body measurements. If your trousers are getting loose but you are gaining weight, that can be a good thing. Measure yourself, thighs, hips, waist, chest and arms periodically. If those numbers are going in the right direction, I wouldn't worry about the weight. Diet is a toughy. I struggle with it. I lost 14 lbs last year by reducing my simple carbs. I would still eat carbs but tried to eat a majority of them imediately before or after a workout . I found the Atkins/South Beach diets left me without enough energy to do my routines, both cardio and strength. I added more carbs and I was able to work out at my predieting level again. Look at the labels. If the sugars content of the carbohydrates are more than 50%, try to find a subsitute. My big challenge is beer. I enjoy a beer after work and that usually sparks my appetite. Out come the chips and then something sweet... When I cut that out to once or twice a week I have a much easier time maintaining my goal weight. Best of luck! |
|
My pants are getting a little looser, on the last notch of my belt now, but I can't seem to get it off my thighs and waist. I wish there was a way to spot reduce. My arms have also gotten smaller but with more muscle to them. I might try cutting down on carbs but I don't really eat that many to begin with (that I know of). I haven't actually weighed myself on an accurate scale recently but I probably have gained some. Thanks for the info. |
Just some food for thought! The places where fat is deposited first (waist, hips, butt, and legs) is the places that it is lost last. So when you say that your arms have gotten smaller, and your waist is reducing some, you are loosing body fat. You will see the body fat go on your arms, chest, and legs first, then in time it will drop from your waist. Sounds like you are making progress. I would suggest that you look at your carb sources, and try to go with carbs that have a LOW glycemic index. (Hope I spelled that right) There are books and charts on this. By going with Carb sources that are low sugar/glycogen content, you deprive your body of quick energy sources, and force it to burn bodyfat. Don't worry to much about it, and keep up with the workouts. Everyone that I know, that has set out to do what you are doing all comment that at a certain point, once they gained a bit of muscle that the body fat seemed to melt away fairly quickly. So you will get there, it just takes patients and consistency. Sounds like you are making progess to me, keep up the good work!!!!!!! |
|
If you do things on your day off regardless of the program, it may be counter productive. The first 24 hours after you tear it down is the prime time rebuilding period. Then the next 12 hours, production slows but still rebuilding. The remaining 12 hours to 48 total is just equilibrium and muscles getting back to normal. Diet. Are you intaking AT LEAST 1 gram per lb of protein per body weight? Are you hitting the 3 hour window on food intake? Without some of these things, it's like spinning your wheels. |
|
I doubt I am making either the needed protein or the 3 hour window you mentioned. If I am not sore or don't push it really hard can I throw in a few pushups and situps every other day? I really need to work on these particular exercises for a phsyical test in less than a month. What can I do besides just concentrating on the pushups/situps/running for the physical test to keep making gains and still pass the test? |
Lots of good information that I and others posted near the end of this thread. www.jobrelatedstuff.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=113&t=311034 You doing hardcore cardio (40 mins and then abs) 3 days a week and lifting 3 other days?? |
|
Since I originally started training I have been doing cardio (treadmill) for about 20 to 25 minutes, including cool down, then stuff like squats, leg curls/extensions, etc afterward. The other days I do chest/arms, shoulders, and abs. Is it better to do cardio and abs together? So far I have only been going to the gym 4 or so days a week. I am going to start running every other day to try and decrease my 1.5 mile time and for doing the 300 meter. How long should I have to spend at the gym everyday do you think? When I go now I usually spend about 1 to 1.25 hours, including 15 min of stretching. Thanks for the help. Thanks for the link to the other forum. |
|
Don't worry so much about putting more hours into the gym. Your current amount of time is fine. If you go to the gym too much and spend too much time there, you will eventually burn out. Don't go with weight reduction but go with fat reduction. Muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue. So if you're building muscle, your weight probably won't go down. Take your measurements around your waist etc to gauge your fat loss better. The real key to fat loss is cardio vascular. That means more running, biking etc. Don't worry so much about running faster. You will burn about the same amount of calories running fast or slow. What you want to do is increase the amount of time you are running i. e. longer distances. You can also do high speed circuit weight training to burn more calories. So you can do your weight training geared towards increased strenght. But once a week, do a circuit training routine. Don't rest between sets, you must keep your heart rate elevated. You should be breathing fairly hard and have a good sweat worked up when your done. Cut out the soda and fast food. Drink more water and eat less prepackaged prepared foods. Lots of fat and sodium in those things. Anytime you feel like fast food, just grab all the fat around your gut to remind yourself of what you want to accomplish. You make the decision from there as to which is more important. |