Hi All

I am Pritish from New Delhi,India and here are my numbers:

1. Age-25
2. Height-183cms
3. Weight-105 Kgs
4. Bodyfat %- approx 20%
5. Goal (Muscle Gain, Weight Loss, Strength Gain, etc)- Fat loss and muscle gain
6. How long you have been exercising- Almost 2years
7. Daily calories- Around 2500
8. Daily macros in grams (protein, carbs, fat)- No idea
9. Injuries or restrictions- NA

I have been working out for almost two years now and I managed to loss around 30kgs and around 6inches from my waist. But since the last 6 months, despite regularly working out, there seems to be no reduction in my belly fat and this has made me very frustrated.

My routine is:

30-40mins of steady state cardio- treadmill and elliptical on alternate days.

40 mins of single body part training

15 mins core training

My diet generally consists of:

Breakfast: Oats or muesli with 3 egg whites

Mid day: 1 cup black coffee with a digestive buscuit

Lunch: Vegetables and chapati (Indian bread made with wheat flour)

Early evening, before going to the gym : Green tea

After the gym: Protein Shake

Dinner: Chicken breast or cottage cheese with salad

I would really appreciate if someone could please help me figure out how to get out of this jam that I am stuck in.

Thanks in advance

Hi Pritish,

You have fallen victim to the amazing adaptability of the human body. You have given your body no reason or urge to shed additional body fat. Exercise alone does not burn body fat - proper nutrition does. A lean physique is 90% diet and 10% exercise. Here is where the errors lie:

1) Steady state cardio is the WORST for dropping stubborn body fat and actually can lead to muscle loss.

2) You are not eating enough healthy fats. Fats don't make you fat but they do let the body know it is alright to burn fat if it is seeing some in the diet. Eat whole eggs not egg whites, eat some olive oil, try to eat some fatty fish like tuna and salmon, eat avocados or nuts. I know some foods may not be readily available in India but nuts and avocados should be.

3) You haven't calculated your macros. You are basically flying blind. Carbs need to be manipulated to control insulin and body fat levels. Without knowing how much protein, carbs, and fats you are eating, it is impossible to tune your diet to lose body fat.

4) At the surface, you are not eating enough protein and fat and eating too many carbs. Carbs are the only macro to impact insulin levels and insulin is the only hormone that causes body fat storage.

5) You may not be consuming the right amount of calories. To lose body fat, you need to be at a 250-500 calorie deficit from maintenance level. Any more and your body goes into survival mode and slows down the metabolism and fat burning processes. Where did you get the 2500/day calorie figure? If this is your maintenance level, then you need to eat 2000-2250 calories/day to lose fat not 2500.

How to fix your dilemma:

1) CALCULATE your macros. Until this is done, there is nothing further we can do for you and the remaining steps below are useless and incalculable :-)

2) Do HIIT cardio not steady state at most 3 days a week and for no more than 15-20 minutes each session. HIIT is High Intensity Interval Training and is things like wind sprints, sled pulls, or jump rope. It can also be done on a treadmill or stationary bike. The idea is to do an activity at full speed for 30 seconds then slow down to a restful pace for a minute or two then go full out again. You do this 5-10 or so times in the alloted timeframe. This torches body fat and preserves muscle and always keeps the body guessing. You can change the intervals as you get more fit, e.g. do 1 minute of full speed followed by a 1 or 2 minute "rest" period. When you do steady state your body adapts and has no need to burn extra calories. You also tell the body you don't need strength muscle fibers (white) you just need endurance muscle fibers (red). White fibers grow bigger than red fibers. This is why sprinters look muscular and marathon runners look like concentration camp survivors - they have 0 muscle mass.

3) Get more healthy fats in your diet. Fat does not make you fat and healthy fats and cholesterol do not cause heart disease - processed foods and lots of simple and man-made sugars do. If the Chapati you are eating is not made with 100% whole wheat flower (the flour should not be white), then you need to stop eating it as this is spiking your insulin and preventing any body fat loss. 100% wheat flour does not necessarily mean 100% WHOLE wheat flour. There is a major difference metabolically.

4) Get more protein in your diet. Protein not only supports muscle growth but it burns 1/3 of the calories it provides in its digestion. This will keep you fuller longer and keep your metabolism in fat burning mode by keeping your insulin and blood sugar levels low and steady. You need to eat at least 1g per pound of lean body mass.

John

Thanks for the input sir. Will calculate my macros and post them asap.

@jmboiardi has you covered.

I just wanted to say looking at your meal plan, I would be very suprised if you were getting 2000 calories let alone 2500. To me it just doesn't look like much food at all, and you are eating a number of foods which don't look very calorie dense.

While this kind of eating regime might be good for losing weight initially, it will eventually catch up with you. Your body is probably going into starvation mode almost and is trying to hold onto as much weight as it can.

Once you figure out your macros, it will make things a lot clearer.

Jordan

Excellent point Jordan.........totally agree

John

Just keep working hard and doing your cardio im struggling with my weight loss also prolly not a good idea too take advice on losing weight from a 375 pound overweight offensive/defensive linemen but keep working!

HI, Malik i been cutting for the past 5 months and i took the extreme route 25% calorie deficit i had great results i lost 32 pounds and im sitting at 23% body fat im losing about 6 pounds every 45 days the way its been i hold to my weight for those 45 days then my body just drops i just recently lost 2 lbs of fat and 6 pounds overall when you cutting it doesnt matter what you macros are really you cant gain any muscle when you in a calorie deficit just eat 1g of protein for 1 pound of body weight carbs and some fat i do a 40% 40% 20% or sometimes i just cut my carbs more and increase fat i need about 2400 to 2500 calories to maintain my weight so maybe if your not seeing any results need to cut your calories more or do more cardio.this is coming from my own personal experience.

note: since im comitted to this and like to get it done asap i dont have many if any cheat days i stay the course no bread or sugary things i eat clean fish,chicken,sweet potatoes oatmeal try to stay with the slow digestive carbs also i eat pork chops and steak and bacon and eggs but when i eat greassy things i cut my carbs but i stay within my 1800 calorie range.

also if you get a food weigh scale you wan to take the time you weigh things youll be surprised what you find dont rely on what the labels say example quick oats 150 calories for 1/3 cup you getting more then that because there crushed is not whole so by weighing you eating the right amount also on my whey protein 1 scoop is 40 grams lol not 30g.

any comments please comment on this.

on a funny note i watch alot you tube and i like what tiger fitness say its hard to get fat on oatmeal,chicken and fish so if you eat clean we both we reach what were after. Losing the fat  GOOD LUCK!!.