I weigh 144 and need advice for getting cut...

[xfile384]

Alright, i've been searching everywhere and trying very hard. Yes, i'm getting pretty lean and you can start to see a little muscle. But, you can see my ribs and my abs don't show too much due to a little fat i assume? I think i just still have some stomach fat in that area and it's making it hard for my abs to show. Also, i have a short torsa, which seems to make things weird. Is this just genetic? Maybe i can't get them...I'm 5'8 roughly 143lbs depending on when i weigh myself. I'm in good shape and i can jog for 45mins without stopping. Longer if i push myself, but i heard you don't want to push your heart rate too high, otherwise you could burn muscle.

This is what i do. I do 30-40min of cardio jogging outside everyday. I workout my upper body, biceps and triceps 3 times a week and i do abs everyday as well. I do 3-4 ab excercises one of them being bicycles and that one burns, it's great. It feels like i good workout when i'm finished.

Maybe food is my problem. My diet consists of 1/2 oatmeal with 1 banana and some blueberries with protein in the morning. Snack would be some carrots. (decent amount) Lunch would be some egg whites and more protein. Snack would be brocolli and an apple. Dinner is 4-6 ounce chicken breasts with a side of brocolli. Then, after my food is digested, i go run for 30-40mins and then slam some protein and go to bed.

Please, what is my problem?

I'm trying to get a really nice defined cut look. I want my abs to show, because it's something i've never had and it's been a goal of mine...I also want to work on getting my arms bigger, but i know i can't get bigger and lean and the same time, so i'll work on that later...

Thanks for the help.

 

[xfile384]

I'm going to bed, so let me vent this. I want you guys to know a lot about my problem.

I'm 23 and in high school i weighed about 185 at one point and lost weight quick. So, when i was 18 i got to about 165 and dropped to 155 and have stayed there since until i started working out and running. Now, i'm down to 144 but still feel fat. I have that fat look in my stomach still, where it looks pudgy. When i sit bent over a lot, my skin will roll a little bit making me feel disgusting. It feels like that won't go away. It makes me not want to go to the beach, which is why i want those abs. Since i have a short torso and big ribs, i look weird in my opinion. I hate my look...Although, because i have broad shoulders and a thin looking stomach (through clothes) i pull a lot of chicks...The thing is, i really don't have the body it appears i have...My arms are small, but not disgusting small. (You can judge by my weight)

The thing is, the more i do what i'm doing, i'm losing weight. I am losing body fat, but not in the right area. I lose it in my face, legs, arms, and that makes me start to look too skinny...WTF? I can't focus on one part of the body...

I'm thinking about saying screw it and just getting bigger. Then, i will never have the abs i have wanted. Being bigger at one point in my life has determined me to try and get something i thought i would never have. Still, no success...Which is why i think i just don't have the genetics, but anyone should be able to get their arms and chest bigger...

Also, i will be working a lot this semester for my new job and going full time to school. I won't be able to attend a gym, so i do all workouts at home. I run around the block for cardio. I have free weights and a bench and i figure doing pushups and advanced sit ups is enough for getting the simple cut look i want...I just think i need to lose this fat...Maybe it's not fat, but skin? I think i'm screwed...

Maybe i should just get bigger, but then i need to eat more i would think....I don't know, i need some advice. I feel great when i workout, but i really want a good change in my body. Bigger arms and chest, or really lean and cut. I'm closer to being cut, so i think that makes more sense, but it seems to be going no where...I'm not like your typical 144lb person it seems like...That would be because i was overweight at one point...

 

[allnaturalmyass]

First of all , you can't spot loose which means when you drop weight and body fat your body distributes it all around not only on the area you wan't.

Second you need to find where your maintenance and then go on a cutting diet, read on this pages and you will get ideas of what you can eat and stuff to get your bf and weight lower, http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/diet-nutrition/21113-guide-cutting-bulking-maintenance.html

http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/diet-nutrition/92310-cutting.html

those two links are very helpfull

another thing , why do you do so much cardio everyday is way too much i do hIIT cardio 20 min max maybe 1-2 times a week usually only 1 time , too much cardio will eventually hurt your muscle gains , and remember if you want to gain mass, you need to get a bulking diet , dont expect to cut and gain cause it won't happend, food= make you grown in a bulking diet 3000-4000 cals a day , so you have to choose you can bulk and then cut like i'm doing ive been bulking for 6 months now and in a month and a half i'm going to start my cutting until i get where i wan't to anymore questions ask were all here to help

 

[Merkaba]

First off, calm down. Second, all natural is right. Third, dont work your abs everyday. Thats overtraining in my book. Three times a week is enough. Don't think that doing a shlt load of cardio is the best way to go either. Get ready to count calories and Follow the previous provided links. If youre not a naturally lean person then youre trying to get your body to go against its emergency backup plan. So be prepared.

 

[xfile384]

Correct me if i'm wrong, but basically from what i read (briefly) i'm doing everything right, except cardio to much? Am i not eating enough? I thought that was maybe my problem. I prefer to eat what i have listed above. Should i eat more or less of what i'm eating?

Also, i run everyday to burn fat, but it's a slow jog. So, i don't see how that would hurt, but i suppose it does.

Also, when i lift. Should i just move up on my weight instead of doing light weight? I do 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps. (free weights) maybe this will burn some more calories and get my arms bigger a bit...

It seems like i'm on the right track, but something is missing...

I always just thought eating right with the cardio alone would get me a cut look. (With the ab workout as well)

Any tips on how i should alter my current routine a little bit would be appreciated. I seem to have a steady routine in line as it is...

Thanks everyone!

 

[bigsahm21]

Based on what you posted as your diet, it looks like you aren't eating near enough. Can you give us a detailed diet? Exactly what you eat (portion sizes) complete with calores, macros (carbs, proteins, fats, etc).

 

[xfile384]

Based on what you posted as your diet, it looks like you aren't eating near enough. Can you give us a detailed diet? Exactly what you eat (portion sizes) complete with calores, macros (carbs, proteins, fats, etc).

I believe you could be right. I'll give you a detailed description. Please, just tell me how much much of these meal portions i need to increase, or maybe add. This way i can continue the routine, but eat more. (This is for me getting cut. I jog everyday, but will cut down and i lift weights 3 times a week)

First off, the protein shake i take is called Nector. It only has 90 calories and 23g of protein per scoop. No carbs or fat.

(This is from morning to night)

First, i have 1/2 cup of oatmeal with 1 medium banana mixed in with about 20 blueberries.

Snack, i'll have some carrots or fruit. I eat until i'm satifsfied which doesn't take much. Maybe 10 carrots...If i eat fruit, it will be grapes and i'll have no more than 20 of those...

Lunch i'll have egg whites. I'm not sure hot to calculate how much, because i buy the kind in the cartan. So, i just poor it out until it goes about mid way in the pan. It isn't much, i would say maybe 2 eggs or something...I add pepper and thats it. I'll also eat an apple with my lunch.

For another snack i'll have carrots again or the fruit. With whatever i choose, i'll have the Nector protein with it.

Dinner, i ALWAYS have a little more than a serving of broccoli and 4-6 ounces of chicken breast. I buy the frozen broccoli and the boneless chicken breast thin sliced cutlits. For example, the pack i have now has 5 boneless chicken breast cuts and i'll use that for 5 nights. The total weight of all the chicken is 1.60lbs. So, i'm splitting that much meat for 5 days.

Any advice? Is this good for trying to get lean with how i'm working out? Like i said, i'm 5'8 145 right now. I just have pudge on my stomach and i feel like i'm getting thin all over, but the pudge doesn't go away.

I think i will also increase my weight when i lift. (Less reps and more sets)

 

[xfile384]

MySpace.com - Jay/Z28 My Photos - Photo 17 of 30

This is me about 10lbs lbs heavier. (I'm the one with the beer) I'm thinner now and i've lost a little everywhere. I just wanted you to see my body type.

So, i weigh about 155 here and weigh 145 now...

 

[Lacoste]

Just here to let you know you're not alone. I'm in the exact same boat as you. I weighed about 160ish (which is the heaviest I've ever weighed) and managed to cut it down to 145 by cutting out all fasts foods, generally eating correctly, doing cardio and pushups/situps.

After all of this, I'm pretty happy that I lost weight, but there is still stubborn belly fat around my lower abs. I started lifting weights and even tweaked my diet, and managed to cut it down closer to 142 pounds (I'm 5'9"ish, 21 year old male). This would seem like I'm skinny to some people. I have naturally large shoulders/chest, decent sized arms, and my upper, and now middle abs are coming in nicely. I started a lifting routine based off of Built's "Baby got Back", and hope to see even more improvements.

My general advice to you is to just keep at it. Mix it up with some heavy weight training (3x8's), make sure you keep reading information to be as efficient as possible, and realize that lower stomach fat is usually the last place you will lose fat off of. It is where men generally store fat, so even though you lost a ton of weight elsewhere, the fat wants to hang on in that area. If you stay consistent and determined, that fat wont have any other choice but to melt away.

I don't know to much about all of this yet. I recently joined here myself, but I can definitely see improvements, and I know you will too

 

[xfile384]

I really think my problem was that i'm not eating enough. I'm going to continue to eat healthy, just a lot more. If i consume 3000 calories of good food a day, i don't see how i could gain fat weight. I suppose i would just gain muscle weight.

Also, i don't see how doing cardio 30mins a day would be bad. You would think that working out 3-4 times a week and cardio 30mins everyday, eating 3000 calories of good food everyday should get you in amazing shape...Why is this wrong thinking? Anyone care to elaborate, so i don't continue to do something stupid.

I am getting my food advice from this video. Here is the link. Watch and let me know if it's a good idea for a meal plan. I think this guy is smart about it...

YouTube - 6-pack abs part2, Nutrition

 

[CG]

now i am no small guy(5'11" 230).. but I am currently cutting and my cal intake is between 1700 and 1900 daily. it looks to me like you're practically starving yourself, but thats just my 2 cents.. check out FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal and see what they have to offer, since they really helped me track my caloric intake, as well as my protein, fat and all that good stuff. cutting isn't just about how little you can eat, you need to consume enough protein (and lots of other things) to keep your muscles from being turned into food for your body.. its a hard thing to keep muscle and ONLY lose fat... ask around a little bit, there are plenty of people around with plenty of knowledge..

EDIT: Sorry, can't view the video at work..but i am always wary of diet advice from youtube..

 

[xfile384]

now i am no small guy(5'11" 230).. but I am currently cutting and my cal intake is between 1700 and 1900 daily. it looks to me like you're practically starving yourself, but thats just my 2 cents.. check out FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal and see what they have to offer, since they really helped me track my caloric intake, as well as my protein, fat and all that good stuff. cutting isn't just about how little you can eat, you need to consume enough protein (and lots of other things) to keep your muscles from being turned into food for your body.. its a hard thing to keep muscle and ONLY lose fat... ask around a little bit, there are plenty of people around with plenty of knowledge..

EDIT: Sorry, can't view the video at work..but i am always wary of diet advice from youtube..

I'm telling you, watch the video when you get home. It really does seem logical. (To me at least)

I just need to make sure that jogging everyday is bad. I'm still confused. I get mixed answers about it. Some people say jogging 30mins everyday is too much and burns muscle, but others say jogging everyday while lifting 3-4 times a week is perfectly fine. Assumming you eat enough calories. 2500-3000

 

[CG]

I'm telling you, watch the video when you get home. It really does seem logical. (To me at least)

I just need to make sure that jogging everyday is bad. I'm still confused. I get mixed answers about it. Some people say jogging 30mins everyday is too much and burns muscle, but others say jogging everyday while lifting 3-4 times a week is perfectly fine. Assumming you eat enough calories. 2500-3000

i will look into it when i get home.. just remember, you are trying to cut weight.. so depending on how you do it can change what you should be eating. check out fitday, and start logging everything you eat. i can't give you advice on what good numbers (macros) should look like, but ask and ye shall receive, there are a few around here who can look at your diet (cal, carbs, protein, fats) and compare that with your workout routine and they could be able to tell you the good bad and ugly parts of your current plan.. best of luck, and keep me posted once you get on monitoring your intake completely..