75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

Well, I've lost the first 30lbs since my year in vegas...went from 205 to 175 in about 4 months time...very happy with that. Did this using a low cal high protein diet and daily morning cardio for 90min. Some lifting in there.

Now its time to get serious and trim bf% to new heights (lower heights i guess). I'm a 34-35 waist size and want to get back to 30-31. I also want to get my abs and cuts back and increase the look of vasculatiry throughout my body from my arms to my stomach.

Contemplated taking a 16 week cycle of cutting steroids but I think I'll go natural instead.

Gonna be eating the same exact thing everyday (oatmeal, metrx bars, chicken/brown-rice, protein shakes) and reducing caloric intake as I lose weight. 5 day/week...lifting + cardio in evenings along with a 2nd workout daily of cardio and ab routine in the mornings.

I'll track progress and post pics once I'm complete. I have pics from 205lb to 175 lb and really there isn't much difference definition wise, just losing bf.

Hopefully by the end of this there will be 75 replies all by me and I'll have all the progress documented. I'm gonna do food journal, lifting journal and have my lipids tested monthly. Also gonna try to not drink any beer in this time. Only bicardi and diets when I go out.

I'm also beginning training for a Sept triathalon at the same time (.9mile swim, 18mile bike, 6mile run)

wish me luck fckers

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

good luck. how many more pounds of fat do you think you need to lose?

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

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good luck. how many more pounds of fat do you think you need to lose?

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20-30

I'll re-evaluate after 20 but I think it might be closer to 30...I can increase cals and lift heavy after I get the weight down. I have good genetics and my body changes pretty quick so it's easy for me to get bigger and stongers if I take in 2500cals and lift hard everyday.

At this point though I'm more concerned about cardiovascular exercise. MY cholesterol is 161 which isn't bad according to the doc but I'd like it to be lower and under 150. I'm gonna take the advice of the posters in my other thread and I started interval training yesterday for running long distances. Overall I'm just gonna stay on the bike/treadmill/pool and do only core exercises when I lift (deadlift/benchpress/lat pull-down/squats/dips/chin-ups/pushups/etc.)

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

4 days at it now

diet is pretty solid...oatmel/metrx bars/protein shakes/chicken and brown rice is pretty much all I'm eating

been doing lifting daily but only core exercises, no isolation work.

also running 2 miles/day interval style...will weigh myself tomorrow to see but my body is wierd and I'm already feeling changes.

also gonna do a 5 mile run this saturday and sunday?

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

When u were really cutting weight how many cals and how many grams of protein were u averaging

Also it looks like you had no vegetables at all?

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

You should vary your diet from day-to-day if possible. Eating the same thing every day isn't very good for you.

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

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When u were really cutting weight how many cals and how many grams of protein were u averaging

Also it looks like you had no vegetables at all?

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i eat carrots and celery for snacks but I do need to add more veggies you're right.

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When u were really cutting weight how many cals and how many grams of protein were u averaging

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I really don't know, I was eating very clean and also was doing cardio 90min in the morning right after I woke up...unfortunately I don't have the time now to do that.

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You should vary your diet from day-to-day if possible. Eating the same thing every day isn't very good for you.

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I have one cheat day a week but I really feel that eating the same thing puts me in a schedule and gets me used to doing stuff...does that make sense?

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

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You should vary your diet from day-to-day if possible. Eating the same thing every day isn't very good for you.

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can you expand upon this point kyleb?

I often eat the same thing day after day after day.... I likes what I likes

Is this unhealthy if it has the mix of fats, carbs, and proteins I'm looking to eat.

I've heard something about how the body needs changes to diet, just as it needs changes to workout regiments. I thought it was hogwash....was I wrong?

Looking forward to what else you have to say





OP,
sorry for the hijack. I wish you luck in your quest.

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

MT2R,

It'll be the same foods, but you can rotate combinations etc. Many pro athletes etc eat some of the same meals every day consistently but with large variety. Like take a avg 8 meal per day workout. Meals on workout days that could be the exact same every day include.

Breakfast
Pre Workout
Post workout
Snack
Shake

With really no deleterious effects. Pre/Post will be the same for everyone almost every day, I think what Kyleb was more getting at is that you should have a complete diet that covers all nutritional bases. If you are only eating 15-20 different fruits and vegetables, but consume each atleast once a week that would be fine. But eating the same small selection every day would not be.

This post is pretty scattered and nonsensical. Ask questions to clarify.

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

so, if I only eat apples, oranges, bananas, berry mixes (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries), and avocados as fruit, it's no good.
I have a serving of each on a daily basis, except for my cheat day.
I take a multi-vitamin and just figured that covered any fruits I'm missing out on.


ok, fruit was a bad example. I eat less veggies. Pretty much some spinach leaves on sandwiches and some broccoli and bell peppers with my chicken and brown rice.....No good?

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

MT2R,

You probably need a good bit more variety than that. Fruit isn't terrible. Veggies is pretty bad. You could probably get away with 5 fruits and 10 diff veggies as a minimalist.

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

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With really no deleterious effects. Pre/Post will be the same for everyone almost every day, I think what Kyleb was more getting at is that you should have a complete diet that covers all nutritional bases.

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Basically, yes. It's good to rotate foods in and out every other day, or so. It's fine to eat the same stuff 3x a week, just not every single day.

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

kyleb,

I agree. I'm sure there is some sicko though that manage to eat 2 ounces of 14 different veggies each day. Your vegetables are more about nutrients. You can supplement with Greens+ when in a rush, etc. Though weigh this with the rest of your life. Obv I'm not going to bring Greens+ with me on Spring Break or search adamantly for a wide range of fruit to eat before I slam 15 beers.

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

yea, i gotta eat more veggies, I'm lacking there...having been losing much weight though

even though I'm making progress on my running (I can run 3 miles everyday no problem now)...I'm not making any gains muscle wise and seem to be losing strength which sucks.

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

surf, as your body fat plummets drastically, expect more muscle and strength loss. You could lessen this effect significantly by substituting long-distance running for interval sprints (HIIT). Also, weight-bearing exercise.

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

What is your BF% now?

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

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surf, as your body fat plummets drastically, expect more muscle and strength loss. You could lessen this effect significantly by substituting long-distance running for interval sprints (HIIT). Also, weight-bearing exercise.

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yea this sucks very much, about 3 weeks ago I was able to EZ curl with 35lbs on each side 12 times, now I can barely do 6...also I was benching 185lbs at medium reps, this is slowly decreasing as well.

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

I agree with everything in skunk's post except the stregth part (yup, even though you corroborated this expereientially.)

If you lift smart, eat/supplement well, and get good rest, there's no reason why you shouldn't be to maintain/increase stength through inneervation while minimizing muscle loss.

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

Interval sprints wont burn fat. It will mostly burn his carbohydrate intake. Long distance running is best for his goal of lowering his BF% but what he could add for a more effective muslce strength building, and fat burning is hill running. Adding multiple hills in will give his body the shock it needs to burn fat and it also builds strength in the quads.

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

congratulations man, seriously.

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

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Interval sprints wont burn fat. It will mostly burn his carbohydrate intake. Long distance running is best for his goal of lowering his BF% but what he could add for a more effective muslce strength building, and fat burning is hill running. Adding multiple hills in will give his body the shock it needs to burn fat and it also builds strength in the quads.

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sanmarcosrun1, your advice is a bit out-of-date.

Low-intensity cardio work (like long-distance running) uses more fat stores for energy, but high-intensity exercise causes greater postexercise fat oxidation and energy expenditure. This effect is significant enough that there is a similar amount of fat burned after 24 hours when comparing low vs. high intensity exercise. (See: Saris WH, Schrauwen P. Substrate oxidation differences between high- and low-intensity exercise are compensated over 24 hours in obese men.)

High-intensity exercise is better for increasing cardiovascular fitness (read up on the research behind the Tabata protocol) as well as preserving/increasing lean mass (many sources, I can provide some if you'd like). In addition, there is a lot of research that supports high-intensity exercise being as good if not superior for reducing body fat. Intuitively, we can hazard a big fat assumption that, at the very least, maintaining more of your lean mass after exercise means increased base metabolic rate, which in turn means more fat burned.

The bottom line is that there is a lot more to reducing body fat than the direct energy expenditure that exercise causes. The intensity level of the exercise makes a difference. You seem to understand that partially since you do advocate hill running -- one way of increasing intensity.

Re: 75 day challenge into single digit bodyfat %
 

I understand what you are saying. I guess we are just misinterpreting intensity levels. I know when most people think of long distance running for fat burn use it is about 40-50% VO2max intensity. To me the best range is 65-80% VO2max as this produces the effects you are talking about post exercise as well as burning fat during the exercise.