PH Transformation Thread 2012 - Chat

PH Transformation Thread 2012 - Chat

Author
Discussion

GBDG

896 posts

153 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
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theshrew said:
The weights went shocking last night for some reason felt really weak :-(
Better than mine, I was doing pyramid sets where you increase the weight each set. There was a bloke using the weight I needed and doing alternate sets with his mate. I asked if I could borrow the weight for a set while his mate was doing his set. I then proceeded to totally fail with the weight, I just couldn't get it into position and I couldn't even do 1 rep. I have no idea what was wrong, as I've done the weight comfortably before. Had to give it back to the bloke and looked very sheepish!

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
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Quick update. I don't know what I'm doing right but I can see the leanness coming back. Am eating 1800 calories net. Don't even need to use a tape measure - I get up every day, look in the mirror (have a dresser by my bed so I know if I'm getting fat or not).

Browse through my diary here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/darrensurre...
(includes exercise)

Smitters

3,995 posts

156 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
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I'd like to tap into the PH knowledge if I may as I've been consistently losing weight for four-five weeks, but hit a plateau which I think may be due to my approach. So, here's the background.

I've been on a strict calorie controlled diet since late February. I started at 82kg at the start of this challenge, by the end of March, was down to 78kg, but in the following three weeks, have struggled to lose any more. Today's weigh in was 77.5. I've dropped as low as 77.1, but it's moving up and down a little. I have a target weight of 72kg which I then want to maintain for a while as I figure out where to go long term.

I've been eating a net 1200 calories five days a week, being reasonably sensible on the weekends, but not counting, just relying on sense and generally making good decisions. By net, I mean eating anything from an actual 1200 and no exercise (miserable!) to 2500, even 3000 calories and exercising to net. Exercise consists of three days weights and three hours a week cardio.

So, what do I do to change things up and kick off stage two of the loss? Visible change is such a motivator, but my primary end goal is to strip fat, so if I have to knowingly plateau and change the exercise program then I'll have to get my head around it. I also don't feel I have much more time to exercise (currently 7.5 hours a week) but I can do different things in those hours.

Cheers in advance! I just can't see the right steps today!

Edited by Smitters on Wednesday 18th April 10:56

GBDG

896 posts

153 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
Smitters said:
Cheers in advance! I just can't see the right steps today!
I'd go for a short term "hardcore" diet to shock your body a bit. I plateaued at 13 stone for 4 weeks and my motivation was wavering. I've been on this new diet for 9 days and I've already lost 7lb! That is with eating more food than previous.

The diet is pretty simple, 6 - 8 meals a day consisting of

Protein - Chicken Breast/Non-fatty fish/Turkey Breast/Lean steak/Egg whites
Carbs - Brown Rice/Whomeal pasta/Sweet Potato/oats
Veg - Broccoli & Asparagus mainly

Drink water, black coffee, black tea & diet soft drinks.

No Milk, no sugar (no fruit), nothing added to the above, and that's all you eat. No cheating either.

Edited by GBDG on Wednesday 18th April 11:12


Edited by GBDG on Wednesday 18th April 11:15

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
Smitters said:
I've been eating a net 1200 calories five days a week, being reasonably sensible on the weekends, but not counting, just relying on sense and generally making good decisions. By net, I mean eating anything from an actual 1200 and no exercise (miserable!) to 2500, even 3000 calories and exercising to net. Exercise consists of three days weights and three hours a week cardio.
Aim for 1800 net. Or keep going. Or cut down further. Do you want to look skinny or good?

If just skinny, then despite what people say about starvation mode and not breaking the plateau, as I posted elsewhere:
If you think it's impossible to lose weight by doing no exercise, lifting no weights and eating only 500 calories a day and that doing so will result in you being "skinny fat", then speak to anyone who has had oesophageal cancer. I've seen someone close to me eat next to nothing (read: baby portions) for 6 months and end up not being "skinny fat" but just plain skinny to the point of boney with a concaved abdomen.

As I say, depends whether you want to look skinny or athletic. My goal is athletic so for me, 1800 calories net is where it is at.

And your diet doesn't have to be a vegan wheat intolerant's heaven - look at the sort of st I've been eating. Monster Munch, anyone?

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
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GBDG said:
Poor advice! You can increase weight loss by eating more you know! Eating less is a miserable experience of feeling terrible, having low energy and generally punishing yourself.

Eating more of the right foods is the solution here. Or just generally eating more.
Did you actually read my post or just see words you wanted to see? For the hard of thinking, I advised him to eat 1800 which is 600 more than he is currently eating which means I'm advising him to eat 50% more than he is eating now!

GBDG

896 posts

153 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
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Hoofy said:
Did you actually read my post or just see words you wanted to see? For the hard of thinking, I advised him to eat 1800 which is 600 more than he is currently eating which means I'm advising him to eat 50% more than he is eating now!
Yeah, looking back I think I misread your post - my apologies!

theshrew

6,008 posts

183 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
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Im still trying to eat a bit more going to give it another month see what happens.

So far the results are - feel fat as f*ck = horrible, belly looks bigger but the weight is maybe a tad less / the same certainly hasnt gone up.


Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
GBDG said:
Hoofy said:
Did you actually read my post or just see words you wanted to see? For the hard of thinking, I advised him to eat 1800 which is 600 more than he is currently eating which means I'm advising him to eat 50% more than he is eating now!
Yeah, looking back I think I misread your post - my apologies!
Accepted... and please accept my apologies for being a bit abrupt with my reply. I had to pop out after replying and felt guilty for being a bit OTT. Manhugs all round. Nohomo.

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
theshrew said:
Im still trying to eat a bit more going to give it another month see what happens.

So far the results are - feel fat as f*ck = horrible, belly looks bigger but the weight is maybe a tad less / the same certainly hasnt gone up.
Is your lifting weight going up? Could try hitting the cardio for a few weeks and seeing what happens.

theshrew

6,008 posts

183 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
Hoofy said:
Is your lifting weight going up? Could try hitting the cardio for a few weeks and seeing what happens.
No its leveled off now. Last night went down - having said that the last 2 weeks ive not trained as much as i normally do due to working lots and Mrs being away so had to stay home with my daughter.

Maybe that was the reason for last nights poo effort + i was really tired.


Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
theshrew said:
No its leveled off now. Last night went down - having said that the last 2 weeks ive not trained as much as i normally do due to working lots and Mrs being away so had to stay home with my daughter.

Maybe that was the reason for last nights poo effort + i was really tired.
One option is to consider trimming back the fat, focusing on getting lean, just to give yourself a bit of motivation, before going at the weights again ie bulking up. I understand a lot of bodybuilders zigzag upwards bulking and cutting.

Ordinary_Chap

Original Poster:

7,520 posts

242 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
Hoofy said:
theshrew said:
No its leveled off now. Last night went down - having said that the last 2 weeks ive not trained as much as i normally do due to working lots and Mrs being away so had to stay home with my daughter.

Maybe that was the reason for last nights poo effort + i was really tired.
One option is to consider trimming back the fat, focusing on getting lean, just to give yourself a bit of motivation, before going at the weights again ie bulking up. I understand a lot of bodybuilders zigzag upwards bulking and cutting.
That's what I do.

You can do it staying lean as long as you don't mind sacrificing a great deal of growth you could of been having by eating more.

Personally the zig-zag approach works for me as I want to see progress in gaining muscle, like to eat and don't really want to stay sub 10% body fat all year around!

I did one session of mega bulking (my part 2 thread) enjoyed lifting a lot and getting really fat then lost it all and at the end I was so much bigger than when I started.

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
Ordinary_Chap said:
That's what I do.

You can do it staying lean as long as you don't mind sacrificing a great deal of growth you could of been having by eating more.

Personally the zig-zag approach works for me as I want to see progress in gaining muscle, like to eat and don't really want to stay sub 10% body fat all year around!

I did one session of mega bulking (my part 2 thread) enjoyed lifting a lot and getting really fat then lost it all and at the end I was so much bigger than when I started.
I imagine it's better for you from the viewpoint of encouraging you to develop.

steve_bmw

1,590 posts

174 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
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55 kg overhead press DONE!
90 kg seated over head press free weight machine DONE!

Well happy with the progress, going for 60 kg over head press on Friday moan


theshrew

6,008 posts

183 months

Thursday 19th April 2012
quotequote all
Ordinary_Chap said:
That's what I do.

You can do it staying lean as long as you don't mind sacrificing a great deal of growth you could of been having by eating more.

Personally the zig-zag approach works for me as I want to see progress in gaining muscle, like to eat and don't really want to stay sub 10% body fat all year around!

I did one session of mega bulking (my part 2 thread) enjoyed lifting a lot and getting really fat then lost it all and at the end I was so much bigger than when I started.
I want to try and get a bit less body fat first before anything as thats my main goal. Then once im happy with that i will try and build up but id rather do that slowly and by staying as lean as i can. Im finding it hard enough to loose the weight i have now without a big bulk and cut type thing. Its getting there but going slowly. Certainly not seen any big changes lately but I look far better than i did. I now realise i have a really wide hip bone, i thought it was just flab that made it stick out before lol id have a great v shape if it wasnt for that lol The one thing i hate about this is the stretch marks feck me every time i look in the mirror i have more of em.

TBH im not that bothered about getting big id be quite happy if i grew a bit more muscle + i enjoy the cardio side of things so that wont help with growing any.

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Thursday 19th April 2012
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Stretch marks and wide hips? I thought you were a bloke. *runs*

theshrew

6,008 posts

183 months

Thursday 19th April 2012
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LOL twaaa* im just a freak

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Thursday 19th April 2012
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I don't know how "fat" you are right now but low carbing for a bit can help. Could also try carb-backloading (google it).

It's funny, really.

As I alluded to earlier, for every statement, there's a counter-statement:
"Starvation mode will kick in" vs "intermittent fasting is a great way to lose weight"
"Carbs make you fat" vs "eat as much carbs as you want but keep the calories down"
"Eat protein after lifting" vs "carb-backloading feeds the muscles"



Wait, you mean to say... eat less, move more? Round and round we go.

LordGrover

33,531 posts

211 months

Thursday 19th April 2012
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That's all well and good.

MY way is best.

YOUR way is rubbish.

tongue out