Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
napsgear
genezapharmateuticals
domestic-supply
puritysourcelabs
UGL OZ
UGFREAK
napsgeargenezapharmateuticals domestic-supplypuritysourcelabsUGL OZUGFREAK

I really need some advice

N

needsleep

New member
I have a big problem, seriously this has me exceedingly demotivated and very worried.

My problem is that I had been bulking, I'd been reading everyones posts here about how food is the best anabolic substance and how they eat so much food. For four months I piled in the food, taking in 350+grams of protein a day and averaging 5000kcal, I went from 196lbs to 218lbs. Along this journey I added fat, I want to be big and buff looking but being a strong fat guy was deffinately not my agenda.

So at 218lbs I started a diet, I went down to 2500kcal a day started taking a thermogenic and incorporating sprints into my training. What got me worried was that at 218lbs an electrical impedance machine read me as being 26.0% body fat, this really upset me, the majority of my gains had been fat, shit I don't need to go to the gym 3-4 times a week to put on fat.

After 4 weeks of dieting and being really strict always having 2200-2500kcal, taking flax oil and fish oil and having 250g of protein I weighed myself and got my body fat measured. I weighed 200lbs, yay 18lbs lost, but my body fat went up to 29%. I could have cried, seriously it was like being spat at by all the training I had done and the carefullness of my diet. My only way out is if the electrical impedance machine was incorrect, otherwise I lost a load of muscle and actually gained fat, I am not sure if many know how I feel having this happen.

I feel pretty bad right now and have no idea what to do, I look in the mirror and I'm sure I look better, but it's probably just my mind seeing what I want to see.

As for advice, I honestly want advice on how to continue.
Not sure how private messages work but I'd prefer to talk privately if anyone thinks they can give me some good advice, otherwise please reply here.
 
honestly, dont get your bodyfat tested. just stick to a very strict diet and keep at it and you will get to where you want to be.
 
Problem with electoempedance machine is it is based on water content for transmisivity. If you are dehydrated a little they won't work right. If you have a lot of muscle mass they don't work right. If you have worked out within 12 hours they don't work right. Basically unless you are a lazy water dweller they don't work right. If you want to know your bodyfat either get a dunk test or find someone who really knows what they are doing with calipers. Then do it two more times over a couple of days and average the info together. Trust me I saw a girl use the electro and her body fat was like %4 with the calipers it was %16 which is much more realistic. Also look in the mirror that is a better guage of your body than any machine ever will be.

Cheers,
Scotsman
 
Lee said:
honestly, dont get your bodyfat tested.
Click to expand...

:confused:

If he is concerned with body composition...why wouldn't he get it tested. Having said that I would find a more accurate way than the one he is using now...like hydrostatic weighing or a bod pod. At the very least find a "trainer" to use caliper...the number he gets might not be accurate, but as long as they measure in the same place every time the delta (change in composition) will be and thats all that really matters.
 
I had the same dilemma. AFter the summer i went on hardcore bulking cycle, eating everything and anything, drinking gallon of whole milk a day, eating clean but big, pasta, rice, macaroni, cheese, meat, fish everything. All I got from it is bloat and fat gain. It is only my observation.. but some people need to grow gradually over time, adding lean muscle tissue takes a long time, not a month of stuffing your face with food.
 
First, take a deep breath bro. Second, do you think you look better? That's all that matters ...

The bodyfat measuring techniques can be very wrong. Did you measure things like your waist before and after? Did you take pictures?

From now on just take pictures to see your progress, don't depend so much on these bodyfat measuring tools unless you have a real "expert" use a 9point calliper test on you.

-sk
 
Personally I would look at your diet first... Do you eat enough Veggies, Protein and fat.... Do you get enough Vitamins... Ho much dairy do you intake (this cause me and a lot of people I know to get bloated) are your meals frequent throughout the day... When you have balance all these things out the you hould start droping the fat
 
Taking pictures is a great ideas from SK. I don't want to sound like a therapist, but relax and realize that improvement takes time. The thing you need to judge is going to be inside, then use the mirror to gage your progress. Your method of measuring BF is inaccurate. Whatever happens, use it to motivate you, not get you down.
 
revexrevex said:
It is only my observation.. but some people need to grow gradually over time, adding lean muscle tissue takes a long time, not a month of stuffing your face with food.
Click to expand...

Exactly, just take your time...I've only put on about 15 pounds in the last few years, but almost all of it has been lean muscle mass...
 
I do think I look better, I've lost an inch and a half from my waist and my lifts have improved if only slightly. I was really psyched going to get my bf measured because I was certain I'd lost a fair bit of fat.

I keep a food diary for a couple days each week just to make sure I'm not slipping up. I've been living on protein shakes and fish/chicken/red meat with flax and fish oil thrown in.

This is Thursday 15th May:

7:45am Protein shake (48g pro) 2 fish oil capsules, 1 tblspoon flax.

11:00am Protein Shake (48g pro) 2 fish oil capsules, 1 tbl spoon flax.

13:00 2 chicken grill things (44g pro) (20g fat)

16:00 Protein shake (same as above)

18:00 2 quarter pounder 100% beef burgers, no buns, (30g pro) (21g fat)

20:00 (Training)

Post training 500ml grape juice (75g carbs), Protein shake (60g pro)

Before going to sleep 2 teaspoons of glutamine

I have been very strict on myself and am basing my diet around this:

http://www.testosterone.net/nation_articles/256beast.jsp

Similarly my training is split to 4 times a week, each body part once a week

Monday Off
Tuesday Biceps and triceps
Wednesday Off
Thursday Shoulders and Traps
Friday Off
Saturday Chest and Back
Sunday Legs and Abs

I am following this training plan

http://www.testosterone.net/nation_articles/257ovt.jsp

Seeing my body fat go up and knowing I lost a good 20lbs of muscle and may have actually gained a little fat has really destroyed my inner drive.
 
needsleep said:
I do think I look better, I've lost an inch and a half from my waist and my lifts have improved if only slightly. I was really psyched going to get my bf measured because I was certain I'd lost a fair bit of fat.

Seeing my body fat go up and knowing I lost a good 20lbs of muscle and may have actually gained a little fat has really destroyed my inner drive.
Click to expand...

An inch and a half off your waist while adding that much weight is a MUCH better indication than the test you were given. If you're looking better in the mirror, then that is further proof. You're lifts have gone up slightly and I doubt you've lost 20lbs of muscle and gained that much fat while you say you look better.

Maybe get another test, or just go by how you feel and look, rather than numbers. Don't be so down about it. It sounds like you're doing a lot right, rather than wrong, so I doubt things are that bad.
 
You lost 1.5inches from your waist and improved strength slightly, well my friend that's an accomplishment. Whenever you go up in strength that means you have added on muscle/water ... ALWAYS, so use your strength as the gauge.

-sk
 
Photo1002.JPG

26% bf, 5'11 1/2, 210lbs (taken a short while before I reached 218)



Photo1004j.JPG

29% bf, 200lbs.

They look about right?
 
It's really hard to tell because in the first pic you're covering your stomach. You really shouldn't trust bioimpedance devices...Scotsman is right on in his summary of how well they work.

7:45am Protein shake (48g pro) 2 fish oil capsules, 1 tblspoon flax.

11:00am Protein Shake (48g pro) 2 fish oil capsules, 1 tbl spoon flax.

13:00 2 chicken grill things (44g pro) (20g fat)

16:00 Protein shake (same as above)

18:00 2 quarter pounder 100% beef burgers, no buns, (30g pro) (21g fat)

20:00 (Training)

Post training 500ml grape juice (75g carbs), Protein shake (60g pro)

Before going to sleep 2 teaspoons of glutamine
Click to expand...

From what I can tell, you had only 2 real meals per day, one being the chicken thingie and the other being the quarter pounders. How many calories did you consume total? It looks like it's way too little for a guy your size. If it did turn out that you lost muscle, that diet is probably the culprit. 500 calories below maintainance is a healthy deficit. Go any more than that and you risk losing more muscle along with the fat.

-casual
 
The ONLY accurate and repeatable bodyfat measurement system is hydrostatic weighing. Honestly dude, all you need is a scale, digital camera, and a tape measure.
 
I know you must feel very frustrated right now, but try to calm down just a bit. I know how it feels to think as if you've made no progress at all. Trust me, most of the time it's all in your head. Most of us into lifting, have a distorted view of ourselves. This can sometimes lead one to almost go crazy!


Take some pics, it's always easier to tell from pics, on how you look. Make sure you have a tan, and the lights are overhead, otherwise you will look smaller than you reall are. Also always go by mirror, and tape measure. If your waist went down, and arms, thighs, etc are going up, then you are making progress!

Lastly, it's tough to choose a good program these days. It's so hard to pick a program. There seems to be so many these days! It can make your head spin! All I can offer in that department, is to pick one program that is sensible (focuses on compound lifts, etc), and stick with it. Also it helps a whole lot if you 'believe' in the program.

Try to keep things in perspective, and know you are working hard towards your goals, and you are going benefit from it all. I am sure you progress is good, and it will only get better in time. Good luck, and keep with it.
 
needsleep said:

They look about right?
Click to expand...

For close to 30% bodyfat in the last picture?

Excuse me for being blunt, Need, but I think you could stand the attention-getter:

FUCK NO.

You are closer to 15% than to THIRTY. You do realize what 30% bodyfat *looks* like, don't you? :)

Let me give you a clue my friend. It's FAT. You're not shredded, but your waist isn't Professor frickin' Klump's either. To be 30%, you would have your gut hanging over your pants, to the sides...everywhere. I seriously doubt you could even SEE your navel.

FWIW, I'd estimate you're closer to 16-18% TOPS. The test you took is inaccurate, unless of course your legs are like 40" apiece and PURE FAT. That's rather unlikely, eh? :) I mean, Jesus...you're doing that OVT thing. Look at what Christian Thoreau (or whoever) looked like at 18% bodyfat. He looked like a total slob, yet you do not. You really think that's possible if he's so much leaner? NO!

You are doing GOOD, man. Listen to everyone here when they tell you that stupid fucking test isn't at all consistent. You CANNOT have any kind of V taper and have close to thirty percent bodyfat!!!!!

I also have to concur with Casual WRT OVTraining itself. Burn fat with lots more muscle, not activity.
 
Thanks for the advice all, when you come away from somewhere after being told you are 29% bodyfat you feel bad as hell, and yes I did take it as gospel as it was a machine and thought it would be accurate.

I did tell myself, "no way can that be right" but the other voice in my head was saying "you know you're a fat bastard now", it's really hard to explain how down you feel after thinking all the work you've done has netted you no results. Despite really enjoying lifting it's sweet to see progress, you want to look as though you lift weights not as if you just depleted the worlds supply of cake.

Thanks casual for the advice, I'm sticking with OVT for 6 weeks as it's a nice change from DC just to mix things up, i'll see about upping my calories to 2500-3000 from the 2000-2500 i was doing though.

I did feel bad as anything, not a cry for attention for sure, I really did think i was 30%bf and had to do something about it, was truelly awfull feeling.
 
i would have to agree with everything that has been posted here....those electrical impedance tests aren't worth crap....I once got a reading of 27% and 22%....complete shit.

gotta go by the mirror.

you'd be suprised what a difference shedding some water can do also....and it is fairly easy to do.


obviously with bulking, you will put on some fat....but, you will add muscle, which burns fat, and you will fire up that metabolism as well, making it that much easier to burn that fat.

you just need to learn what your body is capable of, and you will get the shit down to a science....takes experience and trial and error.


there is no way you are even close to 30% body fat.....I mean that would be friggin obese.
 
I have scales that use the electro whatever method, and I can tell you that they suck.

For one thing, I tested my bf on 1 scale and it said that I was 14% bf, then I used another scale and it said I was 9% bf.

My scale right now says that I am at 16% bf pretty consistently. I dont think I am quite that high. I test myself every morning before I get into the shower. If I dont drink enough water the day before I weigh myself, it reads high, like 20% bf. There is no freaking way that I can gain 4% bf in one day.
 
Skinfold calipers are very reliable and most consistent if the same person checks it each time. Sure hydrostatic weighing may be a better option, but it's much easier just to grab a set of calipers.
 
and needsleep, at 30% bf yer belly would be hanging over your belt. you look like you're more around 16 or 17%
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

F
need your advice on tb500
Replies
6
Views
460
Arabian
Arabian
donkeypunchbub
Approved Log NPP Testosterone HGH Anadrol and retatrutide cycle Journal
Replies
91
Views
8K
the_alcatraz
the_alcatraz
L
Woman needing advice
Replies
24
Views
4K
25homes
25homes
S
This will be the 5th cycle I have done.
Replies
23
Views
3K
25homes
25homes
L
Lady is needing advice on supplements?
Replies
19
Views
2K
SSFITNESS
SSFITNESS
Top Bottom