Advice for the desperate

Hello everybody. First time poster here, i just found your forum last nite, and have spent that time since browsing thru threads and getting a general feel for how things are run around here.

Anyway, you all seem quite knowledgeable so i'll ask you for some advice.

First, some background info:
Im 24, 5'9", 147. Im very skinny, and for as long as i can remember Ive had love handles (no lower ab fat though)--it all just collects around the sides and especially the lower back area. Like 75% lower back/25% sides (oblique area).

DIET: My diet is immaculate, and has been for quite some time. (I live with two girls who love to cook, among other things). For breakfast i usually only eat fruit: apples, oranges, peaches, plums--no bananas or raisins, watermelons, etc. and a little bit of natural unsalted peanut butter. Some mornings, irish unflavored oatmeal--that i like to throw in with some egg whites cooked in canola or soybean oil.

Lunch/dinner i'll eat anything ranging from: skinless chicken breast, extra lean turkey, tuna, salmon, eggwhites, brown rice, broccoli, applesauce, greenbeans, mushrooms, onions, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce, asparagus, artichokes, tomatoes, vinegar dressing, colliflower, pears--no dairy except for the occasional nonfat cottage cheese. Im seriously reviewing everything i eat, and what i listed above is mostly it. Aside from the fruit, i eat no sugar (honey, sucrose, corn syrup--corn anything or potatoes i dont eat). i eat really well so that isnt the problem. Around 1500 cals a day.

Ive been eating like this for a couple years, and i definetly dont put wieght/fat ON, i just cant take this ever-existant backfat OFF.

adding in that on some days, as a "snack" I'll drink some vanilla designer whey powder mixed with water.

EXERCISE: I used to run 5 miles a day every morning, but have since stopped, because of joint pain in my hips. That cardio did nothing in terms of removing the love handles. I now do fast walking for about 1-11/2 hours a day, and it keeps me feeling good, but the lower back fat wont budge. I dont weight train, and dont know how (proper form, repetitions, cycles, etc) and dont have the money to hire a personal trainer to teach me. Most of my friends are hippies and are definetly not "gym-people."

I have always tried to stay drug-free/stimulant free, but after years of effort to no avail, i feel like i need to turn to supplements as an alternative. Im open to anything at this point, but running around like a sweaty speed freak doesnt exactly sound like a good time to me, but if it is truly what it takes--then i will sacrifice the immediate comfort of sobriety to be truly lean and proportionate and not self-conscious when i take my shirt off in front of strangers.

thank you so much for your time,
jesse

Sounds like there are lots of things you could tweak before trying supps. How many meals do u eat per day? Looks like 3. Aim for 5-6 small meals. How many calories? Do you weight train? Carrying more muscle on your body will raise your metabolism, so you'll burn more fat.
Read the stickies in the Diet forum for lots of info.

I regularly eat 3-5 meals a day, ranging from 300 to 500 calories each meal. Averaging about 1500 a day total, give or take 100. How do i figure out my body fat percentage?

SolidSnake said:

I regularly eat 3-5 meals a day, ranging from 300 to 500 calories each meal. Averaging about 1500 a day total, give or take 100. How do i figure out my body fat percentage?

Click to expand...

your caloric intake is to low for fat loss...

You could buy some calipers or pay someone to check you. Diet really is the key to losing fat. Something must be off. You may want to try adding some muscle first (bulk) and try dropping the fat after that. At 147lbs, you probably arent carrying much muscle mass and you sure as hell arent fat. Also, having more muscle in your upper body will naturally make your waist look smaller.

LAM said:

your caloric intake is to low for fat loss...

Click to expand...

Right on!

Wells theres flab to be pinched in my sides/lower back, so thats fat to me! i think your right about me needing muscle mass, its looks wierd to see my chest/rib cage and then flabby sides.

What do you mean my coloric intake is too low for fat loss? i thought you were supposed to eat less calories to lose fat--especially since i dont do heavy cardio or weight lifting. SHould i start eating more per meal, and step up to cardio again?

thanks for responding back var

You want to be in caloric defecit, but not so low that your body thinks its starving and needs to store fat for survival. Cardio helps burn calories, but isnt as effective at burning fat as people make it out to be. Do a search on HIIT. Thats the way to go cardio wise.

P.S. Great catch, LAM! I didnt even look at his calories.

man you guys rock.

What is a calorie defecit? How do i achieve that?

thanks again var

Just means that you're burning more calories than you're taking in. As LAM said, it sounds like you're not taking in enough to begin with. Try upping your cals in each meal. If you're going to do cardio, do HIIT. Getting into weights is a great idea too if you're interested in improving your overall appearance. Read up like crazy...there's a lot to know with this stuff.