Changes in metabolism

[niko777]

Hi guys!

Not really muscle growth, but here is what happened.

6 -7 months ago, I was 19 and weighted 195 at 6 feet, but it was mainly fat. I've always been kinda fat, but healthy at the same time, so it didn't bother me. One day, I decided that I would like to lose some weight, which I did and I lost 40 pounds. Then, by training at the gym, I gained a few pounds of muscles, which makes me about 162 pounds right now. I'm happy about that fat loss, but it's been like a month since I really put the emphasis on gaining mass (by training, not doing cardio and eating a lot more) and I can't seem to put on a pound! Not even by eating like a pig during Christmas time and by drinking alcool like there was no tomorrow. I didn't even put on fat, while I swear I could gain a pound just by looking at a cake before.

Has this happened ton anybody here? Could it be that I went from a fast gainer to a hard gainer?

[musclebaz]

Hi niko,
I would have to know how you are training and what you ae eating before we could judge why you seem to have remained static in weight. The very fact that you have lost weight and have now started training will have altered your metabolism. All is not lost. Also it will take longer than a quick message here to get you on the right track. Don't give up!

[niko777]

Well, I would say first that I've always been this healthy but quite fat guy. I used to have trouble controlling my weight, which used to go up as soon as I ate more. At one point, I even weighted 200 pounds! So one day I started doing cardio mixed with weightlifting. I lost 40 pounds (some muscles, but mostly fat) to be at about 160 pounds. (I have been at 162 for the past weeks). Now, I eat more protein (tuna, chicken, protein drinks, etc.) do no cardio, go to the gym 1 hour a day and lift weights emphasizing on supersets and sub-maximal intensity, to promote muscle growth. My biceps were just under 15 a few weeks ago, now they are 15 inches. So I guess I lost a little fat and gained a little muscle. Also, I'm stronger than I was when I was 200 pounds. Please, how can I gain mass? I don't recognize myself anymore.

[musclebaz]

OK - Use the basis of training with three basic exercises. Squat, deadlift and bench Press with other exercises to cover the other muscle groups i.e. bicep curl and lat pull down. Always warm up well first and use correct form. Build up weights over time. Don,t overtrain and get plenty of rest. Diet- work out your calorific intake that keeps your weight constant and then add about 500 cals per day. It takes 3500 cals to put on 1lb body mass and the same to take it off. take in 160 -220 g protein per day and ensure you have a balanced diet of carbs,fats, vitamins and minerals. Try and eat smaller meals more frequently takiing in no more than 40g preotein per meal. Hope that helps.

[CelticMuscle]

Between August 31st and December 31st 2009, I lost 11lbs by simply working out how many calories I use by simply being, then I figured out how much 1lb of weight loss would equal per day and after a bit of maths came up with a calculation that by eating 900 calories a day, I would lose 2lbs a week. Well, clearly my maths was a little off but the fact that I have still managed to lose 11lbs in 4 months means that the theory was right (and as such I am keeping to that until I reach 174lbs which will equal perfect BMI)

[niko777]

Thank you guys for your tips! Is there an exercise that could replace bench press, because I will never ever do that exercise under any circumstance (I saw someone almost die doing that exercise, so I'm a bit traumatised).

For those who are intersted in knowing how I lost 40 pounds, here is my trick. I would always train in the morning after breakfast. If I had eaten a, let's say, 200 calories breakfast, I would lose twice that amount of calories by doing cardio (400 calories). For the othe meals, I would just eat smaller portions than usual. That's all there is to it! Lose more calories than you take and voil?!

[digger]

You can use dumbbells for presses instead of a barbell. In fact, many of us prefer them.

[musclebaz]

I don't do barbell bench presses myself and I agree with digger completely

[Mdlftr]

Originally Posted by digger

You can use dumbbells for presses instead of a barbell. In fact, many of us prefer them.

DItto.

Besides the safety question, dbs are better for your shoulders than straight bb bench press because your shoulders can move independently.

Mdlftr

[niko777]

Ok! Thanks guys!