Hi all,

Need advice from all the guru here.

I started working out in Jan cause i was slightly overweight. I was at 73kg, 168cm, 25% fat. I went out some diet cutting all fatty food, and started drinking protein shakes two months ago.

I do 0.5hr of cardio and 1.5 hr of weight training, 3-4 times a week. My weight reduction was going well and I start drinking protein shakes two months ago and start noticing my muscle showing up which i'm extremely happy.

Now, i'm at 65kg, 20% body fat....sometimes i feel that i'm too thin now. I still have muscle but its not as buff as i seen some ppl in the gym. How do you reduce fat % but at the same time want more buff. I think my fat % is too high and thus my 6 packs is still not showing. If i am going to continue doing cardio to reduce the fat %, then my arms and chest seem to look thinner by the day. The muscle in these parts does not look buff. Do i need to start weight gainer drink?

20% bf, seems like u r losing ur muscle during the cutting phase. Hows u r diet?

Bulking dont need any weight gainer, More calories = Weight gain, So eat more if u wan to gain.

My diet....

Morning..
Oatmeal with protein shakes

Lunch
Rice, fish and veges

Dinner
Protein shakes after workout
Bread and tuna or/and salad

eggs are good source of protein.
mayb u can add them in ur current meals.
u want to b muscular, ur protein intake has to b high, general rule is 1 - 1.5g per every pound u have on u.
if u r 65kg now, tat translates to 140+ lbs.
u need approx 150 - 220g of protein everyday.
an egg consists of approx 6-8g of protein.
check how much ur protein shakes contains.

hello looks like you and i have the same problem.
i have alot of trouble hanging on to my muscle mass too... and i was making big mistakes - not enough protein, not enough food in general, and too much cardio. on top of that i was compulsive with my routine - low carb, low fat, HIIT cardio or endurance training style like 10km runs. try to cut down ur cardio perhaps... instead of running or jogging start walking - best bit of advice darklight has given me.

good luck with the diet cant help u too much there cos i myself and trying to figure my own out. BUT i think ur eating way too little for a guy who works out. even i eat more than that.

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. I do seem to be eating too little. I do take eggs with my meal but just one or two eggs per day. Will increase my protein intake to see how things goes.

Regarding the protein shake intake..i know that we should take Whey after workout, which i do and take the slow release protein before i sleep, which i do too. But is it adviceable to take the protein shake between meal during the day. And if i do, which kind do i take, whey or cassein?

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Added on June 18, 2010, 1:56 pmWow...i just check. The ON Whey is only 25gm of protein per scoop. For my req, according to Janson...i need like 150gm min....That is a lot of protein intake? Is there side effects to this. Heard that un-used protein will turn to fat. Is that a right assumption?

This post has been edited by dwk2112: Jun 18 2010, 01:56 PM

You shouldn't try culking (gaining muscle and losing fat) unless you've been training for quite a number of years. It takes a lot of experience to do so. The gains you've got in the beginning were mostly beginner gains, now they're slowing down. Cheat meals once a week, carb up! Caloric expenditure from cardio + caloric deficit from diet = double negative gains if you overdo them both.

Only 4 meals a day? 3 solid and 1 liquid shake? Not enough. It's not just how many cals you get in daily but the timing in which you eat them. Food proteins have been scientifically proven to be vastly superior to supplementary proteins. You depend too much on just shakes in the morning.

ps my girlfriend eats more than you. no offense.

No.

This post has been edited by darklight79: Jun 18 2010, 02:10 PM

Thanks darklight....Initially, I was more focus on losing weight and reduce my junk food intake. Believe me, I use to eat anything and everything in front of me. Now, I control my diet but i may have gone overboard with it. Will start increasing my food.

I do find it hard to do the 5 meals a day cause i am not a snack eating person. In fact, i don't take breakfast before this. I will try it again by eating something in the afternoon.

What's so hard brother? Breakfast, lunch, PWO shake, post post workout meal/dinner, pre bedtime meal.

That's already 5!

I find it hard cause after one meal...i feel bloated and full that can last me 5-6 hours and do not feel like eating anymore. If i do, I feel uneasy. I do take oatmeal before my workout but even that, I feel full and find it hard to eat anything after the workout. I usually workout in the evening.

I know this is something i need to overcome.

That's weird. Are you working hard enough? I'm insanely hungry after my workouts.

I do...i think i do... Just that after the oatmeal and after the protein shake immediately after the workout...I seriously don't feel like eating. But i will eat something...used to just eat bread and tuna....Will eat a full meal.

I get the same thing. After workouts I find I'm insanely hungry as well, but I just can't down any solid food till about 30+ minutes or so later. So I usually just down my PWO shake and wait a while longer before eating.

That's weird. I usually feel hungry after my work out. But I don't immediately eat after my workout. I rest for about 30 minute to an hour before taking solid food.

BUCKET OF KFC.

You serious!!!! I don't mind...

TS,

I'm in the same case as you. Working out for half a year and shows no sign of bulking. I weigh around 65kg as well, but i don't think i eat around 150g of protein each day. Perhaps near 100g I would say.

Anyway, few weeks ago i came across Stronglifts 5x5 and downloaded the ebook. Information inside it were great and this is my 2nd week into the programme. Its main concept is lift heavy and increase weight every session. Its based on compound exercise rather than isolation and it gets your whole body bigger at the same time.

This is my 2nd week into the program and I've felt my chest grown bigger. Hope by the 2nd month i could see further drastic changes.

Just some advice TS.

Have a nice day

Hi...thanks for the recommendation. Will find and download the book to read about it.

Same here man. even right after a large meal, i can "feel" my body crying out for more food!

in your case, you need to fix your diet first if youre not packing on mass.
its not just about protein. its about caloric surplus, suffcient protien and nutrition timing.
however, u recommended a strength program to TS. thats not exactly the right fix to TS question since we have no idea what his current training program is like.

No comment on your training, since you didnt mention anything bout it. but i assume you're doing it right since you didnt really ask bout it.
but for packing on mass, or losing body fat, stick to either or. not both.
lose the fats first, then go and pack on mass after.
Its all about the DIET.
for fat loss, need caloric defict.
pack on mass, need caloric surplus.
and for both fat loss and mass gain, you shd have a 5 meal a day plan.

bugod i send u d ebook.. if u haven already downloaded it la haha.

EAT EAT EAT. less carbs more protein