Shadnic
01-18-2009, 08:37 PM
Hello Healthboards!
I'm a 19 year old male college student who over the last year has lost about 75lb. I look miraculously different in clothes and have never been happier, but without clothes I still look so flabby. I'm 5ft 8, and weigh about 145lb, which is actually under the norm for my height. I don't feel like I should have as much fat in the places that I do (or could it be skin? I really have no idea, but I imagine it would be gone by now if it was skin).
BIG areas of importance: Stomach flab, there's still a ton of fat sitting on my stomach. If I stand up it's completely unnoticeable, but once I sit down (without clothes), BAM, it looks like I gained 30 pounds. My thighs are still a little flabby but I don't care about them so much...I have a ring of fat around my midsection and hips that is also very annoying. Last, and probably my least favorite, is the man-boobs. I always had them when I was fat, and now they're so much better than back then, but they're still noticeable when I'm not wearing clothes, and I hate them so much.
Now I thought I'd solve this problem by working out more. I've started a routine that definitely feels like it should be working (and to be fair I've been at it for only a week), but now (unless my scale is wrong) I'm GAINING weight. Now I know when you gain muscle you gain weight, but 1.) This was like 4 days after I started doing like 20-30 min of exercising a day, so I shouldn't have seen any changes really. 2.) There wasn't any more noticeable muscle mass on my body. 3.) IT WAS LIKE 5 POUNDS. HOLY CRAP.
In addition to this workout routine, I also walk for 1-1.5 hours a day, play some sort of racquet sport often, and eat (I think) very well.
The only difference I've made to my diet was a protein bar OR drink after my workout (because I didn't think I got much protein in my diet).
For example, here's what I may eat in a day:
Breakfast: 90 Cal-1g fat breakfast bar, OR small fruit, OR nothing...
Lunch: 1.)Small bowl of fat free soup(OR piece of grilled chicken breast, OR tuna sandwich, OR some sort of chicken related low fat meal in the healthy section of the dining hall).
2.) Some sort of steamed vegetable and some fruit, OR two different fruits.
3.)Coke Zero (only 1 a day!), and sometimes a small cone of fat-free frozen yogurt.
Snack in between: Sometimes an orange or an apple OR a few pretzels.
Dinner: Same as lunch but with a small salad (romaine lettuce/carrots/cucumber/fat-free ranch dressing), and water instead of coke zero.
***About once or twice a week I eat 1-2 small pieces of cheese pizza for dinner. I pad the grease up with a napkin and remove any excess cheese to eliminate unnecessary fat***
After dinner and before going to sleep: If I'm going to sleep by midnight, maybe just an orange or some grapes. If I'm staying up later, I may have a few pretzels/fat-free saltines/fat-free popcorn/or some other salty food.
*I would honestly eat healthier if I wasn't at college, but I just don't have as many food choices as I do at home. Now my college has an INCREDIBLE dining program, and there are tons of choices and the food is wonderful quality, but there's still some limitations.
**I take
I'm a 19 year old male college student who over the last year has lost about 75lb. I look miraculously different in clothes and have never been happier, but without clothes I still look so flabby. I'm 5ft 8, and weigh about 145lb, which is actually under the norm for my height. I don't feel like I should have as much fat in the places that I do (or could it be skin? I really have no idea, but I imagine it would be gone by now if it was skin).
BIG areas of importance: Stomach flab, there's still a ton of fat sitting on my stomach. If I stand up it's completely unnoticeable, but once I sit down (without clothes), BAM, it looks like I gained 30 pounds. My thighs are still a little flabby but I don't care about them so much...I have a ring of fat around my midsection and hips that is also very annoying. Last, and probably my least favorite, is the man-boobs. I always had them when I was fat, and now they're so much better than back then, but they're still noticeable when I'm not wearing clothes, and I hate them so much.
Now I thought I'd solve this problem by working out more. I've started a routine that definitely feels like it should be working (and to be fair I've been at it for only a week), but now (unless my scale is wrong) I'm GAINING weight. Now I know when you gain muscle you gain weight, but 1.) This was like 4 days after I started doing like 20-30 min of exercising a day, so I shouldn't have seen any changes really. 2.) There wasn't any more noticeable muscle mass on my body. 3.) IT WAS LIKE 5 POUNDS. HOLY CRAP.
In addition to this workout routine, I also walk for 1-1.5 hours a day, play some sort of racquet sport often, and eat (I think) very well.
The only difference I've made to my diet was a protein bar OR drink after my workout (because I didn't think I got much protein in my diet).
For example, here's what I may eat in a day:
Breakfast: 90 Cal-1g fat breakfast bar, OR small fruit, OR nothing...
Lunch: 1.)Small bowl of fat free soup(OR piece of grilled chicken breast, OR tuna sandwich, OR some sort of chicken related low fat meal in the healthy section of the dining hall).
2.) Some sort of steamed vegetable and some fruit, OR two different fruits.
3.)Coke Zero (only 1 a day!), and sometimes a small cone of fat-free frozen yogurt.
Snack in between: Sometimes an orange or an apple OR a few pretzels.
Dinner: Same as lunch but with a small salad (romaine lettuce/carrots/cucumber/fat-free ranch dressing), and water instead of coke zero.
***About once or twice a week I eat 1-2 small pieces of cheese pizza for dinner. I pad the grease up with a napkin and remove any excess cheese to eliminate unnecessary fat***
After dinner and before going to sleep: If I'm going to sleep by midnight, maybe just an orange or some grapes. If I'm staying up later, I may have a few pretzels/fat-free saltines/fat-free popcorn/or some other salty food.
*I would honestly eat healthier if I wasn't at college, but I just don't have as many food choices as I do at home. Now my college has an INCREDIBLE dining program, and there are tons of choices and the food is wonderful quality, but there's still some limitations.
**I take
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Shadnic
01-18-2009, 08:40 PM
Sorry, not all of it got posted!!
(Continuation)
**I take "Alli" to limit my fat intake when I'm eating foods that have more than...oh...let's say 5 grams of fat. Pizza, chicken, etc.
Now I'm all for gaining muscle, but I'm TERRIFIED of gaining fat again. I just can't go back to how I was. The though of going backwards is just horrible. Is adding the protein messing up my diet? Is is fat I'm gaining, or could I actually just be gaining muscle mass (that I can't see yet because of the excess fat/skin?) this early into my routine? I do feel like my biceps are "slightly" larger, but not 5-6lb larger. I'm trying to focus on my abs when I workout because I'd love to have a well developed stomach. Am I on the right track?
(Continuation)
**I take "Alli" to limit my fat intake when I'm eating foods that have more than...oh...let's say 5 grams of fat. Pizza, chicken, etc.
Now I'm all for gaining muscle, but I'm TERRIFIED of gaining fat again. I just can't go back to how I was. The though of going backwards is just horrible. Is adding the protein messing up my diet? Is is fat I'm gaining, or could I actually just be gaining muscle mass (that I can't see yet because of the excess fat/skin?) this early into my routine? I do feel like my biceps are "slightly" larger, but not 5-6lb larger. I'm trying to focus on my abs when I workout because I'd love to have a well developed stomach. Am I on the right track?
jack10
01-18-2009, 10:49 PM
let me jus say i can relate im 18 and about 5'8"...my heavist was about 160 and i decided to take control..i am now down to 130...that may seem a little low but u have to understand that i have maybe 2-4 percent body fat and am basically cut everywhere on my body...what im saying is im not to skinny im actually in peek physical condition. now when i was in ure position i did some research ..i totally abandoned saturated fat. i mean i had almost none of it ..this is a drastic measurment but desperate times call for deperate measures. now saturated fat is found in all meats and dairy products...what i did was i substituted meat for poultry and fish which packs a ton of protein and is not even close to beef in fat content...for dairy i used only skim...this meant giving up cheese for the most part but i substituted with fat free cottage cheese...that was just the beginning i was on a very strict workout regimen working 5-6 days a week weightlifting..here is the key weightlifting...when u use weights u rip ure muscles which your body must repair...this repair occurs 24-48 hrs after a workout and burns calories when ure not even moving...while running is good if your not eating enough ure body jus burns the muscle for energy...and there u go u have more fat...u shud run doing interval training...this means u warm up for 3-5 min then go full speed 30 sec..the 1 min low intensity then 45 full speed...(u follow the same pattern..u go to 60 then 90 full speed..then back down to 60 , 45, 30 and then 3-5 of cooldown)...this takes about 18-22 min..to put into persepctive i burn about 450 calories in those 18 min...inteVral triaing burns fat alot more than walking for an hour bec when u do anything at a steady pace ure bdy gets used to it and conserved as much calories as possible while still doing the activity...doing this plus lifting weights will speed metabolism intensely...u shud aslo eat certain foods to speed ure metabolism like beans, and jus A LOT OF FIBER, i cant stress that enough...by fiber one cereal...protein after a workout is also very importnat to put on as much muscle as possible...if u can get ure hand on whey protein and make a shake for aftr your workouts..o absolutely NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST...you skip it and ure body gets tricked into thinking its in starvation so it stores as much fat as possible just in case it encounters another starvation.....THIS CAN BE DONE...I AM LIVING PROOF IF U WANT IT BADLY ENOUGH U WILL GET IT!!! GOOD LUCK!!
Shadnic
01-19-2009, 12:52 AM
Well I've certainly been hearing more about this interval training. If it helps at all, my hour and a half of walking is to and back from classes, and they're in 20 minute intervals rather than all at once...so although it's not ideal, it's still better than nothing.
I already practically completely avoid saturated fats. I never eat any meat other than poultry and fish, and I'm VERY careful about eating fats in other foods; like anything cooked in or with oil.
Does just eating "anything" for breakfast matter, or does it need to be a hearty breakfast? I happen to really like high fiber cereals, but I don't wake up early enough to go to a dining hall before class...hence the breakfast bar (I did buy some low fat blueberry muffins as a treat though...I haven't had a muffin in so long :( )
But anyway, from your experience, it sounds like I should be losing even more weight. I have been eating just as healthy as ever, and exercising more than before. What on earth explains why I magically gained 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks?
I already practically completely avoid saturated fats. I never eat any meat other than poultry and fish, and I'm VERY careful about eating fats in other foods; like anything cooked in or with oil.
Does just eating "anything" for breakfast matter, or does it need to be a hearty breakfast? I happen to really like high fiber cereals, but I don't wake up early enough to go to a dining hall before class...hence the breakfast bar (I did buy some low fat blueberry muffins as a treat though...I haven't had a muffin in so long :( )
But anyway, from your experience, it sounds like I should be losing even more weight. I have been eating just as healthy as ever, and exercising more than before. What on earth explains why I magically gained 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks?
tjlhb
01-19-2009, 01:33 AM
I already practically completely avoid saturated fats. I never eat any meat other than poultry and fish, and I'm VERY careful about eating fats in other foods; like anything cooked in or with oil.
Unsaturated fats are generally fine if they are within your calorie budget, and they are not hydrogenated to create trans-fats. Hydrogenated fats are commonly found in processed foods and fast food restaurants.
Does just eating "anything" for breakfast matter, or does it need to be a hearty breakfast? I happen to really like high fiber cereals, but I don't wake up early enough to go to a dining hall before class...hence the breakfast bar (I did buy some low fat blueberry muffins as a treat though...I haven't had a muffin in so long :( )
Breakfast is often described as the most important meal of the day; if you skip it or eat very little, your lunch becomes your breakfast.
Muffins are usually made of refined grains and sugars and are therefore less desirable than whole grain high fiber foods.
5 pounds is easily within the range of water weight. Your water content is affected by carbohydrate and salt intake. Additionally, the weight scale does not distinguish between fat, water, and muscle, so it may not give the true picture of your body composition.
Unsaturated fats are generally fine if they are within your calorie budget, and they are not hydrogenated to create trans-fats. Hydrogenated fats are commonly found in processed foods and fast food restaurants.
Does just eating "anything" for breakfast matter, or does it need to be a hearty breakfast? I happen to really like high fiber cereals, but I don't wake up early enough to go to a dining hall before class...hence the breakfast bar (I did buy some low fat blueberry muffins as a treat though...I haven't had a muffin in so long :( )
Breakfast is often described as the most important meal of the day; if you skip it or eat very little, your lunch becomes your breakfast.
Muffins are usually made of refined grains and sugars and are therefore less desirable than whole grain high fiber foods.
5 pounds is easily within the range of water weight. Your water content is affected by carbohydrate and salt intake. Additionally, the weight scale does not distinguish between fat, water, and muscle, so it may not give the true picture of your body composition.
jack10
01-19-2009, 02:06 AM
if your choice is eating anything for breakfast or skip it totally i would say eat anything...getting someting in your system early speeds up metabolism..ideally u shud try to get protiein in your system fro breakfast if your lifting weights as well as carbs...by carbs you should try to get whole wheat...jus get fiber into your system it does wonders to metabolism and it really burns fat...one more thing the low fat muffin sure it has low fat but in most low fat items whatever fat is taken away is jus compensated with more sugar so that plus the muffin is refined and enriched flour is a double whammy of bad carbs...remember sugar spikes insulin and insulin will store fat...so try to stay away from sugar and processed flour...another thing in your first post you talked about doing ab exercises to reduce belly fat ..problem is spot training doesnt work..sure your abs will grow but theyll never show bec the fat is in the way so u have to lose the fat as well as by doing ab exercises...best way to lose this fat is by speeding up metabloism with your diet, lifting weights, and doing high intesnity interval training
Shadnic
01-19-2009, 02:40 AM
You guys are making me feel really bad about the muffins :(
I didn't buy them because they were healthy, I bought them because I love muffins and haven't had one in more than a year, and this happened to be the healthiest muffin I could find...for the record I haven't eaten one yet ...although I was going to tomorrow.
Ugh, I just went to the grocery store yesterday, so I wish I had thought of this then, but there's this fiber powder stuff that tastes really good (imo). I could just buy some of that and put it on everything I eat. (Is there such thing as protein powder too? >.>)
I suppose the 5 pounds could be water weight, but I haven't had other spouts of gaining water weight over the course of my weight loss, it's just been pretty steady with a few short plateaus.
My "workout" routine is (and you can laugh at me for listening to infomercials) a 10-minute workout. There's one for total body, abs, lower body, cardio, and yoga. Each is 10 minutes, each is intense, and each makes my muscles burn and breaks a sweat (well not really that last one, I've never been a person to sweat, I almost never do...even in the hottest or most intense situations). Basically I do 2-3 of these 10 minute things a day....would that count as interval training? Would it be better if I spaced out each one by a few minutes instead of one after another?
The reason I do this instead of just lifting weights in a gym is because I live in a small dorm room and there's not a whole lot of room for stuff. Sure I could go to the athletic center and lift weights there, but I'd feel out of place among all the football players, PLUS, this 10 minute thing fits into my schedule so nicely (for the record, it has rubber resistance bands instead of weights...much easier to store in my room).
I didn't buy them because they were healthy, I bought them because I love muffins and haven't had one in more than a year, and this happened to be the healthiest muffin I could find...for the record I haven't eaten one yet ...although I was going to tomorrow.
Ugh, I just went to the grocery store yesterday, so I wish I had thought of this then, but there's this fiber powder stuff that tastes really good (imo). I could just buy some of that and put it on everything I eat. (Is there such thing as protein powder too? >.>)
I suppose the 5 pounds could be water weight, but I haven't had other spouts of gaining water weight over the course of my weight loss, it's just been pretty steady with a few short plateaus.
My "workout" routine is (and you can laugh at me for listening to infomercials) a 10-minute workout. There's one for total body, abs, lower body, cardio, and yoga. Each is 10 minutes, each is intense, and each makes my muscles burn and breaks a sweat (well not really that last one, I've never been a person to sweat, I almost never do...even in the hottest or most intense situations). Basically I do 2-3 of these 10 minute things a day....would that count as interval training? Would it be better if I spaced out each one by a few minutes instead of one after another?
The reason I do this instead of just lifting weights in a gym is because I live in a small dorm room and there's not a whole lot of room for stuff. Sure I could go to the athletic center and lift weights there, but I'd feel out of place among all the football players, PLUS, this 10 minute thing fits into my schedule so nicely (for the record, it has rubber resistance bands instead of weights...much easier to store in my room).
jack10
01-19-2009, 12:12 PM
First off let me just say eat the muffins but in moderation...maybe have half a day or something...um i dont take fiber powder i guess its the same thing but what youll find withb fiber is it really really makes you go to the bathroom (an effect of increased metabolism-it flushes your system not allowing your intestine to absorb as much bad things as it otherwise would)..now the powdered fiber although i have no experience with it to me it might feel like a laxative because powdered substances are absorbed much quicker into the body so i prefer natural sources of fiber..its more steady for me...as far as protein powder goes its an essential part of my diet...try to get whey protein powder..can find it at any healthfood store or GNC..its fast easy and is high quality..as far as your workout goes if its worked for you its worked for u im actually going to college which happens to be around my block so i dont have a dorm or the same schedule restraints as you do so i cant comment...i have had some good experience with resistance bands...and as far as being embarassed to go to the gym ..dont be...youll be surprised how willing people are to help at a gym..instead of being in shy and embarassed ask them what they do to get that big..usually at the gym if you go often youll see the same people often so eventually you will feel comfatable..at least thats how ive felt in my past...
tjlhb
01-19-2009, 12:57 PM
Ugh, I just went to the grocery store yesterday, so I wish I had thought of this then, but there's this fiber powder stuff that tastes really good (imo). I could just buy some of that and put it on everything I eat. (Is there such thing as protein powder too? >.>)
If you get enough fiber from food (vegetables, whole fruits, beans, whole grains), then you are unlikely to need a fiber powder supplement.
Yes, there is protein powder. But you may want to make sure that you get enough protein from real food, like fish, lean other meat, beans, eggs, skim milk dairy products.
If you get enough fiber from food (vegetables, whole fruits, beans, whole grains), then you are unlikely to need a fiber powder supplement.
Yes, there is protein powder. But you may want to make sure that you get enough protein from real food, like fish, lean other meat, beans, eggs, skim milk dairy products.
Shadnic
01-19-2009, 11:48 PM
Well today I went out and bought some fiber powder (I used to eat it during the summer, it didn't act like a laxative, so I'm not too worried about it), and some whey/soy protein powder.
GOOD NEWS! My 5-7 pounds disappeared and I'm right back at 144. (Yesterday I was actually at 152, quite a drop, considering at no point today did I see 7 pounds of ANYTHING leave my body o_O).
Damn I envy my roommate. He eats nothing but 2 bags of cheetos per day and a whole large cheese pizza, does no exercise, and never goes above 135...(we're the same height).
But oh well. As long as that little scare was nothing, I feel confident that I'm on the right track.
GOOD NEWS! My 5-7 pounds disappeared and I'm right back at 144. (Yesterday I was actually at 152, quite a drop, considering at no point today did I see 7 pounds of ANYTHING leave my body o_O).
Damn I envy my roommate. He eats nothing but 2 bags of cheetos per day and a whole large cheese pizza, does no exercise, and never goes above 135...(we're the same height).
But oh well. As long as that little scare was nothing, I feel confident that I'm on the right track.
tjlhb
01-20-2009, 12:47 AM
Damn I envy my roommate. He eats nothing but 2 bags of cheetos per day and a whole large cheese pizza, does no exercise, and never goes above 135...(we're the same height).
While being able to eat a lot and not gain excess fat may be a good thing when food is plentiful, eating unhealthy junk food and not exercising can have other unhealthy effects.
Plus, if your roommate decides to try to gain muscle, the same fast metabolism may make that hard to do.
While being able to eat a lot and not gain excess fat may be a good thing when food is plentiful, eating unhealthy junk food and not exercising can have other unhealthy effects.
Plus, if your roommate decides to try to gain muscle, the same fast metabolism may make that hard to do.