Arrghh!! Can't see my abs!

[doggmeister]

Hi guys, you have all been a great help in the past and I turn to your knowledge and wisdom once again to help explain my phenomenon....Arrgh I can't see my abs!!

It's so annoying, coz after my workouts there they are..looking all mean and what-not but three hours AFTER the gym they've reduced to the tummy paunch I am so sick of having..what am i doing wrong? Or what do I need to keep doing to maintain them?

My diet is real simple..

AM Oatmeal/milk and green tea

Lunch three chicken breasts with a piece of bread and green tea

Afternoon: four crackers with half fat cheese

Dinner: chicken with green vegetables/salad

Midnight: two more chicken breasts sometimes with a grilled lamb

My workout is also simple, three times a week

20 mins run, followed by 2 hours of uppper body weights

Can anyone please advise where I am going wrong or what to change etc??
Any advice really appreciated coz I am thinking of going completely atkins to get those damn abs to stay!

 

[SteelWeaver]

Are you putting in more calories than you're burning?

Why don't you work legs? Big mistake right there. Also - 2 hours is a LONG workout. Cut it to 1 hour, 1 hour 15 min max.

Do cardio AFTER weights.

Add protein to your morning and afternoon meals. Toss out the crackers and bread, replace with oatmeal, yams, brown rice or something low GI and not processed.

What time do you go to bed? Don't eat RIGHT before bed.

Include some EFA's (flax seed oil or nuts or something).

Eat more vegetables.

Good luck

 

[BigMackster]

I believe you are eating too much protein in the evening meals. Your body CAN and WILL convert protein to glucose, which eventually gets stored as fat because your metabolic rate is lower at night and your body's glucose levels are now higher.

Big Mack

 

[Torch]

Drink lots of water and cut back on your carbs.

 

[doggmeister]

Hi guys

Really appreciateyour feedback and I have a few questions..

I do drink plenty of water, at least 8 glasses a day and during the days I go to gym I have a 2 litre bottle on top..

Steelweaver..good point I don't think I am putting in more calories than I am burning..I was trying not to bulk so I figured maintainance caloric intake would be the best..what did you suggest? Also any particualr reason for the prefered cardio after weights? I always find that harder on the heart and less motivated when I am pumped out already from the weights sesion, hence I tend to get it ovre with first, but if you think it's really gonna make the difference let me know and I will make the change..

If I toss out the crackers how do you eat the cheese on its own? Again if you think it's best I'm ll up for that..I thought my carbs were already at a low but you're making me go Atkins here!!

I do tend to eat right before bed, again if youthink I should make the last meal an hour before bed or more let me know..open to it...

I tend to eat nuts..but more like cashews and pistachios..I take it almonds are the best?Cheers...


Big Mackster..point taken, perhaps I should look to reducing the protein in take at nite? Just that I notice a lot of folks on the diet board took protein shakes b4 bed so I figured I'd go for the real meal..but you're making me think twice now..any ideas what to take for that extra protein burst at night instead? Or should I be taking anything else instead?



Torch..as I mentioned I am drinking a lot of water..and after gym man I am pissing about 5 times in an hour..you know thats bad when there's no toilet in sight on your way home from gym , As for cutting back on carbs interesting..guess you are also supporting a more Atkins based diet huh?



Do you all agree on a refeed day at all considering this no carb approach? Or should it be no carb al the way?

Again thanks so much for the feedback! I really just crave that 'Gilette guy' look and feel I am almost there..just need that final push and help from you guys to make it I think!!

 

[Torch]

Atkins sucks but works for very obese people.

If you want to see your abs, go to the extreme and they will come out. You want to eat high protein, low/no carbs, and low fat.

I have been eating like this for about a month and a half now and I get compliments left and right. Its rough at first but you get used to it.

Eat grilled chicken, fish, lean meat, eggs, low carb shakes and protein bars. I eat what ever I want on sunday. Or sometimes the whole weekend, just depends on how I am feeling. Keep in mind everyone is different.

I havent done one lick of cardio either, I cant stand cardio

I love carbs too!!

 

[Shankerr]

You eat the cheese without the crackers by first cutting it into slices, then you place it into your mouth, chew, swallow, repeat. very simple

I have the same problem when I retain extra water.... could this be the case with you? I find that once I start drinking a gallon or so of water per day and doing my cardio (usually with an ECA twice per day) out pop the abs again. Probably just a case of having a bit of water, or a bit of fat on top of them. You must be close though if you can see them at the gym, and they only disappear later!

I'd cut all your meals down a bit. Like in meal 2 and at midnight, there is not really any need for all that chicken, eat one breast for meal two, or better yet, sub it out for a can of tuna, and have two breasts at dinner with a bit of broccoli. No chicken in the middle of the night, lost that meal all together!

Heres what I'd do to modify your diet...

AM > Keep the oatmeal, make it no more than 1/4 cup though, and add three egg whites in there, keep the tea if really necessary for your sanity, otherwise, drop it for water.

Lunch> one chicken breast and a protein shake (ie. dump the bread and two of the breasts)

Afternoon > no more than like 25g of cheese (see instructions on preparation above) lots of water (add some crystal light if it gts boring)

Dinner > Two chicken breasts, broccoli or a spinach salad with balsamic for dressing, water water, and more water


Post Workout > shake, 3 scoops of whey and no more than 1/2 cup milk, add some water and maybe a banana for some carbs.

Cut out the middle of the night meal all together, no need to eat just before bed. Add in a bit of cardio to cut off the extra fat and water, and you're set


Hopefully if ya do this, your abs will be out and ready to go

 

[doggmeister]

Hey thanks for that Torch and Shankerr, I will give it a go, sounds like a complete no carb diet for me, gonne lose the extra chicken though my other concern was that whther I needed to up my caloric intake or not..you guys decide..!

As for the oatmeal, jeez I think I've been having like a cup and a half of oatmeal everyday and now gonna reduce it to quarter cup is gonne be tough, but I'll give it a go!

And gonna have to double up on my eca too so far I usually only take three a day on gym days..

cheers for all that!

 

[doggmeister]

bumpies

 

[SteelWeaver]

Steelweaver..good point I don't think I am putting in more calories than I am burning..I was trying not to bulk so I figured maintainance caloric intake would be the best..what did you suggest? Also any particualr reason for the prefered cardio after weights? I always find that harder on the heart and less motivated when I am pumped out already from the weights sesion, hence I tend to get it ovre with first, but if you think it's really gonna make the difference let me know and I will make the change..

Ummm, if you wanna LOSE fat you have to eat less than you burn. "trying not to bulk" ........ you mean, you're not DIETING? If you're not dieting (ie, eating less than you burn), you're never gonna see those abs. If you're not losing fat right now, that means you're not burning enough or eating too much. Go to fitday and check how many cals you're eating.

Do cardio AFTER weights, because weight training is what will help you preserve muscle. If you do cardio first, you'll use up all the glycogen you need for weight training, then you won't be able to lift as hard or heavy, and that's bad. If you do cardio after weights, your glycogen will be depleted, and your body will turn to fat for fuel. Your body cannot use fat for weight training, but it CAN and will use it for cardio, assuming there isn't much glycogen running around your system, which there won't be if you're going low carb.

You could check out the Crum diet, or the modified crum diet. The original version is basically low carbs, all taken postworkout. The modified version is moderate carbs.

You might want to note that rebound off low/no carb diets can be pretty bad, so consider your long-term goals.