question on fat loss

[chesty]

Okay,
So here is my question,
I am getting ready to run a 12 week cycle of test/eq/deca/tren/winny.

I have noticed something horrid since my hernia surgery. My abdomen has become thick, almost like it is bloated or distended to some degree. I have dieted down to 200 lbs and it looks the same as at 230, (just a bit smaller). I can't figure it out nor how to get rid of it. I do cardio, lift, diet, etc. It is almost like I'm perpetually bloated in my lower abdomen. In short, I want it gone.

Any thoughts? I'm only 45 and it shouldn't be this way.

 

[soupeater]

u ever run HGH or IGF? they say they (or one of them) can make ur intestines grow...

 

[chesty]

I tried it once over 12 years ago. This didn't happen till right after my hernia surgery 2 years ago.

 

[chesty]

I ran 6 weeks of gh at 4 iu a day for 5 days a week.

 

[Zyglamail]

So is it actual flesh/fat on the outside of the stomach wall or is your stomach wall bulging as well?

 

[chesty]

Mostly on the outside. I think it is screwing up my posture which makes it worse. The skin is much thicker than it used to be.

 

[chesty]

I'm gonna post a pic if I can that is quite embarrassing. My avatar is me all natural 10 years ago.

 

[chesty]

This what happened over time. I need to get back to what I was. I know I can, but when I see this I remember when we made fun of people who looked like this. It makes me quite ill knowing I have become this. I have always been in the gym, I just can't figure out what the f! happened.

 

[chesty]

No insight? Okay...

 

[yankeefan420]

Just curious have you seen a doctor about this? Looks like your retaining alot of water. Def looks like somethings a miss though. Espically from the first picture.

 

[chesty]

Yep just had a ton of blood work by endocrynologist. Get results on thirteenth.

 

[chesty]

Yep. Find out what up next week i hope. Weird. I alwys feel bloated. Almost like i need to crap. Plus, when i eat my gut always feels rock hard. I know that ain't right. But so far they say nothing wrong.

 

[Zyglamail]

To me it simply looks like male pattern fat retention as you age which is exacerbated by low test. Another thing that may be making it look worse than it is is a weak transversus abdominus muscle, which is on the inside and holds your guts in basically. This can be strengthened by doing vacuums. Unfortunately the ab/chest fat will be the first place it settles and the last place it leaves so to get rid of it at your age you really going to have to drop your body fat.

 

[zedhed]

Dude not slamming you in any way. But I agree with Zyglamail. You are carrying a lot of fat period. Methinks you really need to check in on your diet. I am not saying that is all of the problem, but I feel that it is a large %.
You are carrying fat on your chest, on your sides and on your stomach, typical for a guy your age. Are you on HRT/TRT?
After you get your bloods back I think you will probably see high cortisol, and high estradoil along with low test. If that is the case seriously consider HRT/TRT, it will make a world of diff for you.
Best of luck with this, I know exactly how you feel.

 

[Stocks_and_Steroids]

I agree with Zyglamail and Zedhed. No need for a Doc. Drop the bodyfat and it will go down. One of the last places I hold BF is my abs. Drop the total BF.

 

[chesty]

I do have low test levels. I have gone on a strict diet, and got down to 200 from 235. It really didn't do much except zap my strength. I am going on HT starting today along with the diet again. And no need to apologize. I didn't pay attention and i got fat. Als agree with stomach strength and working that. It has been a bitch after my hernia surgery.

 

[Zyglamail]

I do have low test levels. I have gone on a strict diet, and got down to 200 from 235. It really didn't do much except zap my strength. I am going on HT starting today along with the diet again. And no need to apologize. I didn't pay attention and i got fat. Als agree with stomach strength and working that. It has been a bitch after my hernia surgery.

I feel for ya Bro, getting old is a bitch. All my fat collects on abs and pecs as well. HRT should do wonders and will just help the diet aspect of things. As we bust into the 40's the diet becomes so much more important and we need to be even more calorie conscious.

And what I mean by that is exactly what you have commented on about it sapping your strength. We just cant carry the mass we could when we were 35 and in addition we dont recover as quick and suffer more from calorie restrictions. This means you wont be able to cut as much and in turn will lose fat slower if you dont want to be run down all the time.

Also, you have to totally cut out sugars, especially fructose. Regardless of what people may say a calorie is NOT a calorie and a large portion of all fructose carbs consumed are subject to de novo lipogenesis which means they get converted right to fat. Ditch processed foods in general.

 

[chesty]

I do have low test levels. I have gone on a strict diet, and got down to 200 from 235. It really didn't do much except zap my strength. I am going on HT starting today along with the diet again. And no need to apologize. I didn't pay attention and i got fat. Als agree with stomach strength and working that. It has been a bitch after my hernia surgery.

 

[Ezekiel]

This what happened over time. I need to get back to what I was. I know I can, but when I see this I remember when we made fun of people who looked like this. It makes me quite ill knowing I have become this. I have always been in the gym, I just can't figure out what the f! happened.

Bro... what are your stats?

Height?

Looks to me like you are carring some weight. What BF% are you at...

Judging by your back pics, you still have hips and your lats are watery.. Sorry bor, not trying to be a debbie downer... but you are not a muscular 200lbs...

You look like you could easily loose another 15-20 lbs...

 

[zedhed]

Yeah bro, the HRT/TRT made a world of diff to me. Yes if full agreement with Zyg, at our age it happens much more slowly BUT on HRT/TRT it is a diff that you wont believe! Get your script, get it filled and get to feeling good and looking good, all in good time.
BTW congrats on posting the pics, you da man bro!

 

[chesty]

That pic is at 235. 5'10.5, 45, used to compete. That is me in the avatar. I just had two shoulder surgeries last fall. Im just. Trying to get back in the game.

 

[sonicwaste]

Hey bro. I used to have the same issue.

How many carbs do you eat per day? About how many do you eat at one time? And how frequently?

This was a big issue for me... I could not eat more than 150 carbs per day, no more than 30 or so every 3-4 hours without getting awful stomach distension and bloat.

I had digestion issues, and that may be what you have.

I started on a daily regimen of Lactoballus, Digestive enymes, and Betaine HCL (to correct low stomach acid).

This really cleared things up for me and got me back on track. I was down to sub 10% bodyfat but would bloat and have horrid stomach distension when I ate carbs. This fixed the problem... And I am finally weening myself of the combination, hoping that I am back to normal.

Now that I am on those supplements my stomach bloat and distension is absolutely non existant... and my abdomen area matches thee look of the rest of my body at sub 10% body fat.

If you are curious about the lactoballus supplements and digestive enzymes or curious about the Betaine HCL therapy (to correct stomach acid issues) feel free to send me a PM.

I examined a lot of different things including food allergies, gluten intolerance, and complex carbohydrate digestion syndrome. Non of those were a factor for me... It came down mainly to stomach acid, digestion issues, and correcting those problems.

 

[soupeater]

one other possible cause could be parasites. im currently living south of the border (where there are lots of parasites but also where we got most of our produce in Canada and the US) and sure enough every 6 months or so I get a lot of those same symptoms. bloated gut, especially after eating, low on energy, irritable, gotta take a crunch more often, dry skin... best bet is to nuke the ol body for parasites (down here they recommend Vermox).

anyways, just a thought. could be causing some of the issues.

HTH

 

[chesty]

Thanks, I believe a large part is my diet. I have found that carbs in general give me the runs and make me feel ultra full. I am looking at eliminating all but essential carbs and keeping them to around 30% of total calorie intake or less. My body fat is around 17-18%.