How are you testing BF?
BIA scale, and I am well aware how notoriously inaccurate they are, which is why I look at the weekly average. I know it’s probably 1 1/2 to 3 points lower than my actual body fat. So, a 12.3 is more like 13-15.
I also have an Omron hand held that I use - I know, cray cray.
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Two ideas:
- Do something to encourage your body to retain muscle, maybe a few heavy singles a couple of times a week
- Start taking creatine to plump up your muscles just for the look of it.
Would really need to know more details about your nutrition to answer this, but if you’re losing LBM, you should lighten up on the cardio, increase protein or eat more calories and slow down on the weight loss, and possibly a combination of all of them.
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This is much better advice than what I said. What a surprise.
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Thanks!
I don’t think a pound a week is crazy. I think it might shifting to keto, and I think I am more calorically deficit than I should be,
This is what @EyeDentist suggested, and it made sense, so I have switched to a 3x5 for compound/main lifts.
Yes, good advice. I was on creatine until I started keto and then I wasn’t doing a protein shake in the morning, which is what I put my creatine in, and before I knew it, I was off creatine for a week and I just stayed off it.
I’m pretty dry, not holding water from carbs or creatine, so I get that. I’m really not sure I’m losing LBM, I just think I don’t have a lot of it to start with, lol.
FWIW @robstein, here are my macros for the last two weeks on keto.
I think I am just reading too much into my body measurements and I should go more by the mirror.
This is today.
Clearly not 12%, which is what my scale tells me, and clearly lacking mass.
So, it is what it is. I’m losing weight, which is good, but not sure I’m just losing fat.
Thoughts?
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Arms looking good though. You’re probably losing mostly fat, some water and hopefully very very little muscle.
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ah yes, you have reached the worrying dieting stage. Happens to us all. A lack of water and glycogen in your muscles, and reduced energy in the gym lead you to believe you’re losing muscle so you freak out.
That’s how you know the diet’s working. Stay the course, mate. It’s very unlikely you’ll be losing significant LBM so long as protein is high and training is as intense as you can handle in your weakened state.
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Gotchya, thanks for the details. As @Yogi1 said, I doubt you’re losing muscle, especially if you’re losing a pound a week. I would very highly recommend staying away from body fat measurements, all they do is mess with your head. People ask me all the time what body fat I am, I have no idea. IMO, it doesn’t matter, keep dieting until you get to the level of leanness you want. I’m sorry if I missed this, how are you checking body fat? If you do want to check body fat just to be sure or know the percentage, maybe try calipers instead of a scale, scales can be notoriously off. If you’re losing between 1-2 lbs a week, protein requirements are being met and strength isn’t tanking, you’re not losing muscle. One of those things you just have to know as you progress and trust the process.
On keto the muscles will most definitely appear flat, I had to get used to this last year when I went keto for a few weeks before my first show. You’ll look tight, but flat for sure, there’s no glycogen in the muscles. If/when you do have a carb heavy meal or day, don’t be surprised if you look puffy and the scale goes up from holding extra water as your body hasn’t had carbs in a while. Just wondering, why are you doing a keto approach?
You’re doing well man, a hard diet can be a serious mental mind f@ck. Keep lifting as intensely as possible, make sure to do low rep stuff in there (5-8 range) to keep strength as high as possible and make sure your muscles know not to go anywhere. I noticed while training on keto I typically felt like I didn’t have much gas in the tank during training, combined with brain fog, is why I’ll never do keto again. If it’s working for you, that’s awesome! Try not to get in your head about it.
EDIT: One more thought - on keto or not, you’ll rarely look “jacked” or “big” standing relaxed, so make sure to flex or hit a pose or two that will allow you to better see how your muscles look. From the side shot, arms are looking tighter for sure, and we know your quads are already seeing separation!
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Thanks brother. I had planned on getting to below ten, regardless of the consequences, so I am going to stay the course. But, it’s nice to have some reassurance.
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Thanks Robostein!
I was just going to give keto a try and it’s working pretty well, so I’ve stayed on it. And, I’m beginning to think I’m allergic to gluten because I’m feeling better and my complexion has changed - my color is more even as opposed to blotchy.
I have to figure it out. It might just be no sugar as well.
I have lost significant strength, but there are other things involved with that. I just recently switched to lower reps, doing 3x5 on my main lifts, that may help.
It’s week twelve, I think I may bump calories to maintenance for a week and level out. I’ve got another twelve weeks to go until vacation, I’m in a good spot. Weighed in at 175.8 this morning, so making progress.
Thanks again!
yeah man the mental aspects of dieting fucking suck, particularly when you’re doing the keto thing
I was wondering this too. Seems like it’s a popular choice for the transformation contest but the scientific jury’s out on whether or not there’s actually anything inherently magical about being in ketosis (Lyle McDonald has written extensively on the subject), so if you think you’d be happier with carbs then why not try that?
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I’m not unhappy, just trying to figure out what I can and can’t eat.
I did cave day before yesterday - had two bowls of Kashi Go Lean cereal, and it tasted good.
The lack of strength is because I’m off TRT. I had been on for two years and about six months ago I developed a pretty wicked case of bacne. My doctor lets me do self injection but is a bit of an ass and doesn’t test for estrogen or give an AI. I’m not sure if that caused it or not, but I quit about twelve weeks ago. It got better, but not perfect. Now, since I’ve been doing keto, it’s completely clearing up. So, I reckon it was either carbs, gluten, or sugar that was causing it.
But, it’s like quitting a cycle with no pct - pretty sure my test levels are sub-optimal, lol.
I’m going to rock keto for a few more weeks until it’s completely gone, and then reintroduce clean carbs, no flour, try to do the whole food thing, and see what happens.
I’ll probably jump back on the TRT after that and try to regain some strength and size.
Make sense?
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I’ve been thinking, which is never good. I’m skinny AF right now, on keto, off TRT, and worrying about losing LBM.
Here’s Sunday at 179.
Pretty flat. Here’s August 23rd, 2016 at 190.
Okay, so a tan and a shave, and on TRT, but, am I wrong or do I look better at 190?
But, I think when I get done with the keto, get down to 170, get a shave, a tan, and back on the juice, I’m going to look good, right?
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You look better at 190 IMO but those are snapshots. You’re committed to the keto, so see it out unless things go south. Once you’re done with it and back on TRT start building back up.
You do look leaner at 190. Though, I’d suggest considering a few things:
- My keto weight is typically 4-10lbs less than a normal diet.
- Your 190 weight - was it measured mid day, after eating high carb, etc?
- I’d assume that there are hormonal effects at play as well.
Yeah, I agree. But, I think when I get to 170, get back on TRT, and eat some carbs, get a shave and a tan, I’ll look pretty good.
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I misread, you’re at 179lbs. So, take the keto-low weight and depleted feel, with not on TRT into account and you’re not too far off.
It was post workout, on carbs and TRT.
1 - Yep, I suspect when I hit 170 I’ll carb up and grow to 175.
2 - Mid day, post intra workout carbs and pumped
3 - Yes, on TRT at the time
Also, tanned and shaved, which does make a big difference.
I was 176 this morning and that leaves me a lot of loose skin - I was 220.
That loose skin shows up as a muffin top and pretty sure there isn’t much I can do about it. @EyeDentist wrote about it in his training thread.
I wonder if @robstein had any issues with this because he lost a lot of weight, but is younger than I.
Anyway, it is what it is, going to stay the course, am eight weeks away from 170, and that is a good weight for me.
I may end up at 165 by the end of the contest, but want to eventually be a lean 185.
There you go.
BAB!
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Just re read this thread, still fighting the same shit, same battles, I feel stoopid.
Should have just kept eating well, followed a program.
Hind sight is 20/20.
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