5'3", 128 Pounds. Lost 25 Pounds This Year. What Should I Do?

Yes, this is the problem.
I am losing weight but not gaining muscles.

I agree.
I should go for hormone test so that I can track the performance.

Reports should state where the problem is.

Just for shits and giggles, any chance you could fill us in on what your diet and training look like? Just so we can help rule out if there might be a non-medical solution to your issue?

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Sure.
Diet: Carbs from wheat , protein from chicken and eggs. about 20 gram of fats come from eggs and milk. (low on fats)

Total daily dietary intake is about 1200 - 1400 Calories per day.

Training: 30 minutes of training. Isolated targeting. minimum wait between sets. I try to train to failure; I drop weight when my arms shake and I believe that I cannot perform a rep anymore.

For diet I want to add that, For the month of September and October, I have been consuming more carbs, in order to put some muscle. Approximately, 200 - 250 gram of carbs. is this could be the reason for stopping fat loss?

In General, I feel energetic and motivated. I am better now as compared to the point from where I started. I have lost fat from belly. It was 37 when I started and now it measures 33.5 inches.

I know that it is long term play and I have adopted this as a lifestyle. I workout 7 days a week and having 9 to 10 hours of sleep. along with this, I am on semen retention for the sake of muscles.

I am not eating any sugars or refined carbs. I am strict to diet AF. I am not taking any tea and coffee. the only sugar that goes to my body comes from fruits [Apple, banana, pomegranate]

Huh?

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Just my n=1 observations. I feel better and perform better with less/no wheat and a lot more fat from a variety of sources, to include some unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. And some vegetables.

Have you ever tried a program based around big, heavy barbell lifts? Again n=1 observation here from someone who has felt similarly “hormonally doomed”, I got a lot bigger and stronger when I started basing my training around moving big iron in a way that puts a stress on my whole body. Training that necessitates taking more than 30s rest.

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In my opinion, more information is rarely a bad thing. The OP is sincerely looking for help as what he has been doing isnt getting him the desired results. I merely suggested that he get a baseline hormone panel. If his levels are “normal” then he will know his issues are related to his training/diet/lifestyle.

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The description of your diet has changed three times so far. The only thing that’s consistent is that you don’t actually know how many calories you’re eating and there are things you eat that you haven’t mentioned (like fruit and who knows what else).

The story’s changing, just like with your diet. That’s a problem. Combine it with a poorly designed training plan, and that’s why you’re not getting very good results. Hormone levels never should have been mentioned in this thread, because there are much more important priorities to address.

Uh, that’s 800-1000 calories just from carbs. Either your numbers are miscalculated, or we just discovered your problem.

Long story short (too late), there are tons of simple and effective plans to follow. I suggest starting doing this for training: Rebuild Yourself with Complexes

And follow this for nutrition: The Simple Carb Cycling Diet

Spend 4 weeks sticking to that, track progress weekly, and watch what happens.

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you should be aiming for 60-90 seconds of rest time between sets, and typical rep-ranges are 8-12. Pick a weight you can do for 8 reps and stick with it until you can do it for 12 reps (with proper form!), then increase weight.

1500 calories a day? thats pretty low, but the weight loss speaks for itself. If you intend to gain muscle, you need to EAT.

If you aren’t tracking macronutrients, I suggest you start so you can get a good idea of actual protein intake. Eating “clean” is great for overall health, but it is undirected towards the goal of building muscle. 30% protein, 30% carbs, 35% fats.

Train with more intensity - if you’re hitting another set within 30-45 seconds, you’re not lifting enough weight. Make sure you’re doing your squats and deadlifts.

I’d even say with the compounds resting 3-5 minutes is worth the time. I don’t think I’d have gotten as strong as I am if I had only rested a minute and a half on my compound lifts.

Smaller movements, I think the minute and a half is a good recommendation.

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I agree with this entirely. I was basing my 60-90 second recommendation on the OP muscle development - I do not believe he is lifting weights (compound or isolation) that would require anything close to that much rest period. Compound lifts should be 2-3 mins for hypertrophy and 3-5 for CNS/Strength IMO

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What do you bench and deadlift?
How many chinups can you do from a dead hang?

This right here is exactly why I don’t recommend he get tested, along with 99% of other people. This statement is just plain false.

If his levels are out of wack, it could TOTALLY be related to his training, diet, and lifestyle - those things can absolutely have a detrimental effect on your hormones.

Instead though, people who eat shitty diets and don’t know how to lift get bloodwork, see their test is low, and use that as an excuse to get on TRT, when it’s usually their lifestyle causing the low test.

Look at what we’ve found out from just a tiny bit of prodding. He’s getting like 1000 out of 1200-1400 calories from carbs, and he’s training exclusively to failure using isolation movements.

I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree, but TRT should always be the absolute last step, and never the first step when dealing with situations like this.

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Oh my goodness yes: people just want a pill or a needle vs eating whole, nutrient rich foods, using alcohol and recreational drugs in moderation, if not abstaining, getting adequate sleep, limiting stimulants, staying hydrated, exercising regularly and keeping stress low.

There’s your “natural test booster”. You’re welcome internet.

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As someone who dieted himself into a hormone deficiency I’ll second this statement with my entire essence of being

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I’m preferable to this, let’s me stay strong on the movements where I care about it and make up for the time “lost” to resting on the stuff where I’m mostly going for pump anyway

Big lifts Secondary Machine Work Isolation
≤5 reps 3-5 minutes
5-8 reps 120-150s 90-120s 75-90s 60-75s
9-15 reps 90-120s 75-90s 60-75s 45-60s
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So you just keep in your mouth as long as possible?
How does that help?

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