[jboy]

Hi, all....like many here, I'm looking for some help with losing the ominous belly and lovehandles.

My stats: I'm 32, 6'0 and weigh around 195 lbs. Last checked bodyfat was 19%, about a week ago. I can actually see a semblance of upper abs, but the lower stomach and love handles are goo.

I have been working out pretty steadily for the last ten years, I wasn't an athlete in high school, I do it more to keep myself from feeling old, mostly. I play basketball and golf for fun, and I really love hitting the weights. My best parts genetically are my biceps, tri's and thighs, I'm the guy that always gets comment about how big my arms look and then I get laughed at when my shirts off....my gut has been around since I was a boy, I grew up on Mc'D's and fast food, and it almost seems like losing it is an impossibility.

I have studied fitness and diet for years, I understand carb manipulation, I use HIIT and steady state cardio throughout the week, I lift five times a week hitting each body part...I try to eat a gram of protein per weight a day, I don't eat junk food more than once a week, generally, but I'll be honest, sometimes I'll fall off a bit on the weekend (not crazy eat an entire pizza or anything) because I have a new baby boy and he is a full time job, it's hard to fit in healthy meals at times.. Still, I eat good 80-90% of the time and I still hang around my same weight and BF...my big problem is staying motivated consistently. It's easy for me to be gung ho for a week or so, but then I constantly want to shift my goals or try something else, it's really annoying.

I dieted down to 11% BF and 170 lbs in 2006, and I just looked thinner. My upper abs started showing through a tiny bit more, but I honestly couldn't maintain a normal life on the calories I was eating, and over the last three years I have gone back up to 20% BF and around 200 lbs.

What I am really looking for is someone with similiar experiences whom succeeded, or if anyone knows of a set diet (strict is fine) that I can follow, or where to get one, it would be so appreciated. If someone handed me a list of six meals a day and said eat this, do this workout and in 12 weeks you'll have abs, I'd follow it to a tee. After the last few years of trying to formulate my own diets, I admit I need help!

Sorry for the lengthy post, just wanted to be thorough. Thanks for any responses!

[bharrop]

Originally Posted by jboy

It's easy for me to be gung ho for a week or so, but then I constantly want to shift my goals or try something else, it's really annoying.

After the last few years of trying to formulate my own diets, I admit I need help!

Shifting your goals, formulating your own diet, being gung ho for a week..........

This will kill any chance of progress. Even with this lengthy post it is next to impossible to give much advice without knowing exactly what your eating. Macros and total calories.

Some people will have visible abs at 12-14% BF and other 8-10% some of what depends on the thickness and genetic structure of your abs.

You need to implement a diet and macro structure that allows for 1 - 1.5lbs. of BF loss per week incorporating moderate cardio. When you get that part right you need to run that recipe for as long as it takes to get to your goal weight. Carb cycling is a nice tool to use when your fat loss stalls but most of your weight should come off at a 1 - 1.5lb per week rate. So the key ingredient is time and lots of it. (16-20 weeks is not unheard of).

Most people think they are on mark with there diet when in fact they are way off. Enter your macros and total calories into any one of the many online counters. Fitday.com is one of them and structure your diet so you have plan.

Execute it.

Be successful.

[nic902]

bharrop is right on! When you seem to just be spinning your wheels...you can usually pinpoint something in your diet that needs tweaking. Even the best 'training' routine with 100% commitment wont yield the best results without proper nutrition.

[jboy]

Thanks for the info and posts, I'm going to check out fitday.

[stev394]

jboy I too have fought the long hard road to find my "6pak" When I started lifting in December of 1999 I was 300lbs of flub for lack of a better term. Now if you check out my pics in my album you can see where I am. I am about 190 lbs and approx 7%bf A couple of things I have learned from experience when looking for your abs...
1. Diet is KEY if your diet isn't clean no abs.....
2. Mix it up (mix up your workouts often) don't get stuck in a rut.
3. Cardio is essential. Alot of people overdo it on cardio and thats self defeating.no more than 45min
Lastly just stay consistant you will get to where you want to be.
Good luck man...

[Lift for Life]

jboy I too have fought the long hard road to find my "6pak" When I started lifting in December of 1999 I was 300lbs of flub for lack of a better term. Now if you check out my pics in my album you can see where I am. I am about 190 lbs and approx 7%bf

Wow, Congratulations on your success. What a journey this must have been

Lift

[salatheel]

This is the first time in my life that I can see all my abs. I think with me I never really hit them that hard. Just a few sets of crunches and some leg raises here and there. Now I blast them. I prioritized them. I do 2 -3 ab workouts a week for 10-12 sets. I do weighted crunches with 75lbs on my head. Hanging leg raises with a 30lb dumbell, incline sit ups with a 45lb plate and side bends with 50 lbs dumbells. I feel you need to hit abs hard with weight in order to get them to grow.

Of course diet is the other thing. Six meals a day consisting of 30-40 grams of proetin each. Other than that my protein source which is either chicken,turkey, fish or whey, I only eat fruits and veggies. I almost entirely cut out any other carb sources while dieting down.