Need Some Help...Built?

[johnc602]

Long time lurker here. I've tried to read and learn a lot here.
I've been working out and dieting for about 7 months now.

Stats:
Height: 5' 11"
Weight (6/1/10): 195
Weight (1/21/11): 170

I'm having trouble losing the last 10-15 lbs. I'd really like to lose it by summer.

Typical day diet looks like this:

8:30 am:
Subway 6 in Ham, Egg white, Swiss on 9 grain

10:30 am:
Protein shake and an apple

1pm:
Turkey, lettuce, tomato sandwich and 12 oz cup of chili

7-8pm:
6-8 oz seared tuna
2-3 oz spinach
1 cup brussel sprouts or asparagus

Daily Macros:
Protein: 153 g
Carbs: 155 g
Fat: 34 g
Total cals: ~1800

The challenge with my diet/workout routine is my schedule. I travel extensively for work and spend an average of 3-4 nights a week in a hotel. Typically I work out Monday night, Tues am, Weds am, Thurs am. When it is warm enough at home I run 2 out of 3 days on the weekend.

Workout typically consists of:

DB Bench/DB Inclined Bench
DB bent over rows
Lat pulldowns open/closed grip
DB Squats
DB Dead lifts
Leg Press
DB Military Press
Some sort of bicep work (standing curls, isolated curls, etc)
some sort of tricep work (skullcrushers, tricep extensions, etc)
Bosu ball crunches/weighted ab work

30 minutes post workout cardio (typically running on a treadmill)

I do alternate exercises so that muscle groups are not worked on back to back days.

Pictures as of 1/21/11 attached.

I would appreciate current body fat estimates; my scale currently says 15-17% although I know this isn't necessarily accurate.

I welcome any comments/critique to help me improve my diet/routine.

 

[Built]

Hi there

Typing really quick here 'cause I gotta run. In no particular order -

How long since you've had a diet break?
Are you still losing weight?
Why all the light weights for your training? Where is the heavy, low-rep barbell work?
Your fats are beyond insanely low. Between that, the dieting, and the cardio - your testosterone must be TANKING by now.

 

[johnc602]

Wow, that was fast.

I took a 2-3 week break from diet and working out around Christmas and basically ate whatever.

I've been using dumbbells because I've been working out in the hotel gym. However, I feel like i'm starting to outgrow it (my bench is now 3x12 with 50 lb dumbbells).

The first 15 lbs came off really easily, but now I'm really struggling to lose any more. This isn't the first time I've been larger and then lost down to about where I am now. Same thing happened last time in that I'm not able to "break through this barrier or plateau" that I'm at.

At this point, I'm kind of at a loss. Do I modify my diet/workout and keep trying to cut weight or do I try to eat more for a while and try to gain some muscle and then come back to cutting?

I'm willing to join a true gym at this point, just trying to figure out where it makes the most sense, either at my work site or at home.

As far as fats go, I eat a lot of turkey, chicken, fish. Should I be looking to pick up more fat from things like eating more beef? Or should I focus on trying to eat more olive oil, avocado? Or does it matter? Also, meals are difficult Monday morning through Thursday night because I have to eat out. The hotel I stay in doesn't have a frig or kitchen. I work very hard during the week to try to watch what I'm eating.

Thanks,

J

 

[Built]

I generally recommend that fat should be, at a minimum, half a gram per pound lean mass.

If you carry 160 lbs lean mass, this puts fat intake at no lower than 80g.

With regard to your current and former plateau - you need a new strategy. You're THIN, and yet carry too much bodyfat so your body is softer than you would like. You do indeed know the answer - you need a diet break, and it's time to focus on getting stronger and more muscular.

Join a gym, and start doing the plan outlined in the link in my sig on getting started. Do that workout for two months before you change to anything else. Lift 3 or 4 days a week, and do 20 minutes of cardio after your workouts if you wish, and recreational activity/walking on rest days. Gradually creep up the calories (if you go high too fast, you'll get rebound fat-gain) about an extra hundred for a week, then another extra hundred for another week until you're at or close to 15 times your bodyweight. Then hold it for a while, and build your strength. You can do another little cut in May to try to lean out a bit for summer, but only for about two months before maintaining whatever you hit by the end of June.

Come next fall, repeat this, creeping calories up while cranking up your lifts.

 

[johnc602]

So if I understand correctly, I should try to slowly creep up to around 2500 cal/day (15 x 170). Then hold that diet while working out until May, when I can try to cut down some weight again?

A couple of questions:

Is the reason for me moving my calories back up to maintenance just to give my body a chance to rebuild for a few months?

When I get to 2500 cals/day am I correct that in assuming that I shouldn't gain or lose much weight (in terms of fat or muscle)?

What should my macro breakdown look like? 40/40/20?

Should I be shooting for two month cycles between maintenance and cutting?

When I return to cutting, I understand I need to up my current fat consumption, but is 1800 calories/day an acceptable level for my size?

Finally, I herniated a disk in my lower back a few years ago, so I need to be cautious of how I lift so as not to reinjure myself. Especially during square and dead lifts.

Really appreciate all of the help and advice so far.

 

[Built]

So if I understand correctly, I should try to slowly creep up to around 2500 cal/day (15 x 170). Then hold that diet while working out until May, when I can try to cut down some weight again?

A couple of questions:

Is the reason for me moving my calories back up to maintenance just to give my body a chance to rebuild for a few months?

Yes. Dieting is a lot of stress. Your body needs a break.

When I get to 2500 cals/day am I correct that in assuming that I shouldn't gain or lose much weight (in terms of fat or muscle)?

Yep. You SHOULD find you're able to slooooowly recompose a bit - you'll likely gain a few pounds of muscle and drop a few pounds of fat; the change will be subtle, but positive.

What should my macro breakdown look like? 40/40/20?

Please get away from ratios. They're meaningless. Read the link in my sig on getting started for more on this.

Should I be shooting for two month cycles between maintenance and cutting?

That's not a bad plan.

When I return to cutting, I understand I need to up my current fat consumption, but is 1800 calories/day an acceptable level for my size?

Again, please read the link in my sig on getting started.

Finally, I herniated a disk in my lower back a few years ago, so I need to be cautious of how I lift so as not to reinjure myself. Especially during square and dead lifts.

Really appreciate all of the help and advice so far.

I have a herniated disk and anterolisthesis - believe me, I understand.

You should still be able to squat and likely also deadlift, unless you've been ordered not to. Have you seen a sports-medicine doctor?

 

[johnc602]

You should still be able to squat and likely also deadlift, unless you've been ordered not to. Have you seen a sports-medicine doctor?

I have and he's cleared me to do pretty much anything with the caveat of just being cautious.

By the way, I've been working on shifting up my diet, here's what fitday says for the past several days...

Calories: 1939

Carbs:136.1 g 526 cal
Fat:80.4 g 716 cal
Protein: 167.1 g 682 cal

Am I on the right track?

 

[Built]

Yes! How do you feel?

 

[mike456]

I <3 you built

 

[johnc602]

I definitely feel like I have more energy and endurance in the gym. I also feel full, I guess that's a result of the increased fat consumption and the additional 100 cal/day this week. My biggest fear is gaining the fat back that I've lost so far (but I trust you built). I'm going to continue upping to my maintenance and hold there until May. I figure I'll be at 2500 cals at the end of feb. And will have two solid months of maintenance before I start cutting again in May-June.

 

[Built]

Good, good. Increase your training volume as your calories come up - you'll be able to work more with more food, and it'll help mitigate fat-gain.

 

[BigBlackGuy]

Great advice from Built in this thread. If you're really having a hard time with losing the last bit of fat and want to get very shredded, I recommend trying out Dermatherm from Primordial. It's a topical fatloss agent that can help target fatloss in the areas it is applied. If you want 15% off the dermatherm, use the code PP15%.

It's best to be stacked with other fat loss supplements and, of course, a decent cutting diet.

I really think you're on your way to a better body my man.

 

[johnc602]

Okay, been a few weeks, figured its time for an update.

For week of 2/1-2/7
Daily Calories : 2,027
Protein: 176.1 g
Carbs: 148.5 g
Fat: 82.2 g

I'm planning on upping calories another 100 this week to 2,100. My appetite has definitely picked up and I'm starting to become hungry during the day. Workouts are definitely better, more strength and endurance. Weight is still hanging around 170, but I feel like I may have lost a little bit more fat. Am I still on the right track?

 

[Built]