Bodybuilding Forums

Last April, I realized that my 10 year reunion was coming up. At that time, I weighed just shy of 230lbs, I estimate I had about 28% body fat, and I wore about a size 40 pant. BTW, I'm 5' 11 and 29 years old. By my reunion in July, I was down to 210, at around 23% bf, looked amazingly healthier, and none of my clothes fit. I made that jump by restricting my calories to around 1500kcal. My diet broke down to around 1400 calories, 100g protein, 25g fat, 190g total carbs, and 25g fiber. That was split over 3 main meals with 2 snacks of comparable size. I was lifting 4 days/week, doing early morning HIIT 3 or 4 days/week, and karate 3 days/week.

That low fat diet served me well until lately. I've been stuck at around 190lbs and 18% bf for a few months. One thing I'm confused about is that if you run the number on my weight and body fat, apparently I've lost a lot of muscle over the past year also. However, I continue to make progressive gains every week with my weights. I don't understand how I can be "losing muscle" and becoming stronger. My arms, especially my deltoids, look muscular and have striations, my chest is more defined, and, some days (I'm sure depending on hydration), I can see the beginnings of a 6 pack.

I'd like to get under 10% bf and have a nice set of abs, but I'm a little nervous about my ending weight. If, at this point, I lose only fat and neither gain or lose muscle, I'd have to be at 172lbs to be under 10%. That seems awfully small to me.

So, I've decided to mix things up and try Marks 5 day split and the MANS diet. Last week, I switched from my normal split to Mark's. Obviously, the jury will still be out for a while on that. I'm also doing HIIT for 20 min 3 days/week and karate 1day/week (busy with night classes). As for the diet, I on Monday (7/21/08) and I'm averaging 2756 calories, 206g protein, 168g fat, 81g total carbs, 39g fiber, 42g net carb. I've dropped to 185 but my bf% hasn't changed so I'm sure it's water weight so far. I felt drained on Wednesday, feel a bit more "oily" everyday, and am generally full, but otherwise I haven't had any other effects. Should I drop my calories more? Should I do a carb up on the weekends? If so, I planned on carbing up from noon Friday through Saturday for a 36hr window. Also, I've read that a 12 day induction is better. Sometimes my net carbs seem to get up to 60g, but that increase generally comes from cottage cheese before bed and fibrous veggies. Is that high enough that it'll sabotage my hard work? It just seems too difficult to keep net carbs to 30g. Also, unintentionally, my net carbs averaged 150 2 weeks ago and 60g last week. Did the lower carbs last week help me enter ketosis when I was tired on Wednesday? Any pointers?

BMR = 370+(21.6*190*(1-0.18)/2.2) = 1900
1900 * 1.5 (light work multiplier) = 2850
2850 x 7 days = 19950
Weights x 5 days = 270*5 = 1350
HIIT x 3 days = 100*3 = 300
Average Suggested Calories To Maintain= (19950+1350+300)/7 = 3085 calories

Here's my food intake (drinks are water or green tea):

BREAKFAST - 7am
egg beaters, 1 cup
shredded cheese kraft four cheese mexican 1/2 cup
metamucil, 1 tsp
glucosamine/chondroitin/msm 1 pill

AM SNACK - 10am
broccoli, 3oz or 85g
turkey breast 3oz
heaving whipping cream 100ml
kraft cheese 2 oz medium cheddar

DURING WORKOUT SHAKE - 12pm
whey protein powder, 1 scoop 30g

POST WORKOUT SHAKE - 1pm
glutamine 1 teaspoon
whey protein powder, 1 scoop 30g
creatine 1 teaspoon

LUNCH - 1:30pm
turkey breast lunch meat, 3 slices
veggie steamers, asian 2 cup - mainly broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peppers
tortilla, low carb
kraft cheese 2 oz medium cheddar

AFTERNOON SNACK - 4:30pm
heaving whipping cream 100ml
turkey breast 3oz
almonds 1oz

DINNER - 7pm
chicken breast, 4 oz, grilled
green beans, 1can
almonds 1oz

PM SNACK - 10pm
(sometimes if I'm hungry cottage cheese 1 cup)
metamucil X 2
fish oil 1 pill

Again, that's 2756 calories, 206g protein, 168g fat, 81g total carbs, 39g fiber, 42g net carb.

If you're 185 pounds right now and you want to loose fat, I'd definitely say you need to take in much less than 2750 cals per day. I'd say around 2000, but I'm kind of an extremist. Keep the net carbs under 40, around 30 is ideal for me. Otherwise your body doesn't go into ketosis, or if your net carbs are higher it seems like the body is in 1/2 ketosis 1/2 glycolysis (carbohydrate catabolism)...and that is just frustrating. Net carbs of 60g is WAY to high, that's not even the MANS diet anymore. MANS is under ~45g net carbs.

Big, I'd reccomend you get Mark's Total Six Pack Abs. There's a can't-lose guaranteed fat loss program in it. I can personally testify that it works (or is working.)

As to your fear that 170 at 10% bodyfat is small, I have a couple of points. First, I am 5'10", weigh between 180-185, and am at about 14% bodyfat. People are always referring to me as a "big guy" or "bigger guy." I don't feel small at all. In fact I want to weigh less! I can feel my weight when I run on the treadmill. A few years ago, I was a personal trainer in excellent shape. I went from 190 lbs to 170 lbs and people told me I looked bigger at the lower weight. The reason: When you lean out, the increased appearance of muscle mass makes you look larger, even if you're technically smaller. I saw that with clients, friends, also. If you drop mostly fat weight off a frame that has a respectable amount of muscle mass, you'll actually look larger.

One more piece of advice I'll give you, from personal and observed experience- resist the urge to "play" with the formula Mark gives you. I personally have tried tinkering with the basic program and it didn't do anything (at best) and set me back (at worst, regarding nutrition.) Stick with it and give the plan time to work for you; don't quit because you haven't reached your goal in a week or two. Give it time. The brain needs at least 3 weeks to re-wire neural pathways, and that's when you'll start seeing results are a consistent committment to the plan. Good luck.

biggunks wrote:One thing I'm confused about is that if you run the number on my weight and body fat, apparently I've lost a lot of muscle over the past year also. However, I continue to make progressive gains every week with my weights. I don't understand how I can be "losing muscle" and becoming stronger.

Your central nervous system is just as responsible for your strength as muscle. If you were to take off the limits from your central nervous system, your body has the potential for some superhuman-like strength, at high risk of causing serious injury to yourself. That's what the nervous system is there for, to tell you what those limits are. So while you may not be gaining muscle weight, the central nervous system can allow you more strength with increased activity in the muscles.

Also, remember lean mass does not include just muscle, lean mass is anything in your body that is not fat, including water, which you probably lost a good amount of as well.