Thinking of Changing It Up

So I need some help. From a lifting perspective, I’m right on the edge between novice and intermediate (this is just background material).

Now, I’m ~210 pounds (I weigh myself in kg, and I was 93.6kg this morning after bleeding the lizard), probably around 20% bodyfat, 5’9" (or 177cm) and I’ve made an arbitrary decision to get lean before I start adding bulk. I’m not “big”, I’m not really “fat”, but I sure as hell am not slim. I wear 34" dress pants, but they aren’t, uhm, loose. Arms are 16.5" cold, calves are 17.5" cold, and waist, at the widest part, is 41" (104 cm).

So since I’m not a competitive bodybuilder, but more someone who wants to look good nekkid, I’ve decided to cut down to a respectable waist before trying increase size again. Is this the way for maximum gains? No, of course not, but I’d rather have a 30" or 32" waist, 10% bodyfat, and be lean and muscular than have 18" arms but be a sloshing sack of lard.

My diet is keeping it under 2,000 kcals using a lean-gains approach. I lift fasted at ~11am (with 10 grams of BCAAs taken 20 minutes prior to lifting), eat lunch, and eat dinner. My mid-afternoon snack is a whey protein shake in water. I also take a whey protein shake with lunch (post workout) and with dinner.

My lifting routine is based on kingbeef’s starter routine. I do chest, back, legs, shoulders, and arms, Monday through Friday, with the weekend off.

The reason I’m asking for advice is due to my limitations.

  1. I’m a type 1 diabetic, so I inject insulin
  2. Because of (1), I need to limit my carbs. I’ve found meals which are high in protein, and moderate in fat and carbs are easy on my blood sugars, as long as I only eat until I’m not hungry, rather than eating until I’m full.
  3. Two weeks into this, I’ve already noticed a drop in strength. But not in weight. How much of weight loss will be determined by insulin, I don’t know.
  4. I can’t exercise more than 5 times a week, but I do walk alot. Maybe 10 - 12 miles a week.

So can anyone help me understand why my weight hasn’t dropped in two weeks with me being VERY careful about diet? I measure everything, even the pat of butter I cook my whatever in. My calories are always sub 2000 (I was previously at 2800 a day).

Is there a better program than a 5 day split to preserve muscle while cutting?

Did I miss anything?

Thanks!

–Me

Have your measurements changed at all?

[quote]kravi wrote:
Now, I’m ~210 pounds (I weigh myself in kg, and I was 93.6kg this morning

I measure everything, even the pat of butter I cook my whatever in. My calories are always sub 2000 (I was previously at 2800 a day).

–Me[/quote]

…Where did you hear that eating sub 2000 calories a day for a 210 pound male is advisable?

[quote]kravi wrote:

-I’m ~210 pounds
-probably around 20% bodyfat
-5’9"
-waist is 41"

-I’m not really “fat”

[/quote]

hmm…

well, since you are a diabetic, i would start to look into how you can use this to your advantage… as insulin in the most anabolic hormone there is.

i have read numerous posts by diabetics who are able to put on considerable amounts of lean mass simply by adjusting the timing and dosage of their insulin.

[quote]The3Commandments wrote:

[quote]kravi wrote:
Now, I’m ~210 pounds (I weigh myself in kg, and I was 93.6kg this morning

I measure everything, even the pat of butter I cook my whatever in. My calories are always sub 2000 (I was previously at 2800 a day).

–Me[/quote]

…Where did you hear that eating sub 2000 calories a day for a 210 pound male is advisable?[/quote]

Advisable for what? For cutting? I did basic math. I went from 2800 (where I was gaining about .5kg every two weeks) to 2000 a day in order to lose weight.

–Me

[quote]Mr. Walkway wrote:

[quote]kravi wrote:

-I’m ~210 pounds
-probably around 20% bodyfat
-5’9"
-waist is 41"

-I’m not really “fat”

[/quote]

hmm…

well, since you are a diabetic, i would start to look into how you can use this to your advantage… as insulin in the most anabolic hormone there is.

i have read numerous posts by diabetics who are able to put on considerable amounts of lean mass simply by adjusting the timing and dosage of their insulin. [/quote]

I don’t have a problem gaining muscle, I have a problem losing fat. Insulin is a double edged sword, in that it may make gaining lean mass easier, but it also makes losing fat harder.

–Me

[quote]myself1992 wrote:
Have your measurements changed at all?[/quote]

Not yet…

–Me

Up your calories a bit and try one of these

also ask Shelby Starnes over at elitefts some questions in the q and a -he has worked with type 1 diabetics and got them in great shape

[quote]kravi wrote:

[quote]The3Commandments wrote:

[quote]kravi wrote:
Now, I’m ~210 pounds (I weigh myself in kg, and I was 93.6kg this morning

I measure everything, even the pat of butter I cook my whatever in. My calories are always sub 2000 (I was previously at 2800 a day).

–Me[/quote]

…Where did you hear that eating sub 2000 calories a day for a 210 pound male is advisable?[/quote]

Advisable for what? For cutting? I did basic math. I went from 2800 (where I was gaining about .5kg every two weeks) to 2000 a day in order to lose weight.

–Me[/quote]

What were you doing before that? I mean before the 2800 calories per day. Did you have a period where you crash-dieted before?

Brings metabolic damage to mind. It’s just surprising that an adult male over 200lbs who is training with any intensity can gain weight with 2800cals.

I’m not sure what effect being diabetic would have on your BMR, but man…that’s a reallllllyyyy slow metabolic rate.

I very well may have some metabolic damage. I’ve been on a 2800/3000 kcal diet for 2 years and have held steady at a 34" waist. I do, however, manage to put on muscle.

To be honest, it is very frustrating. Dropping from 2.8k kcal to 2k kcal (and definitely being a bit hungry much of the time) is all well and good, but I would like to see the scale slide downwards. I’ll give it another two weeks and see what happens.

Ironically, it is only some of my lifts which have dropped. My bench dropped by a good 7 1/2 pounds, but my back exercises and squats/deadlifts are still going up, on 2k kcal… Shoulders aren’t going up (I press, besides the pure hypertrophy exercises), but they aren’t dropping either.

I also do get my 8+ hours of sleep (actually sleep, not just time in bed) every night. I’ve even given up the sauce except for a wee bit on Fridays and Saturdays, to keep me from cheating on the diet (and, to be honest, because I can’t afford empty calories on 2k kcals).

–Me

[quote]kravi wrote:

Ironically, it is only some of my lifts which have dropped. My bench dropped by a good 7 1/2 pounds, but my back exercises and squats/deadlifts are still going up, on 2k kcal… Shoulders aren’t going up (I press, besides the pure hypertrophy exercises), but they aren’t dropping either.

–Me[/quote]
That’s to be expected. The bench is, for my money, the first exercise to tank during weight loss. How you set it up rep/set wise can have a big impact on strength retention/gain on this lift in particular.
As for the weight loss, you could be surprised by a sudden drop in weight. I definitely would not recommend going lower than where you are right now.

[quote]Legalsteel wrote:

[quote]kravi wrote:

Ironically, it is only some of my lifts which have dropped. My bench dropped by a good 7 1/2 pounds, but my back exercises and squats/deadlifts are still going up, on 2k kcal… Shoulders aren’t going up (I press, besides the pure hypertrophy exercises), but they aren’t dropping either.

–Me[/quote]
That’s to be expected. The bench is, for my money, the first exercise to tank during weight loss. How you set it up rep/set wise can have a big impact on strength retention/gain on this lift in particular.
As for the weight loss, you could be surprised by a sudden drop in weight. I definitely would not recommend going lower than where you are right now. [/quote]

Yeah, I won’t go lower. If 2k kcal isn’t enough to lose weight, something is wrong with me :slight_smile: Besides, I have a life. It isn’t worth it to me to go below that and be miserable. I’m not entering any competitions.

As for my bench, I’m still doing 3 x 5 as my primary lift on chest day. That is barbell flat bench. That went down as I said. My higher rep incline DB bench did not seem to suffer (though it did stagnate). Pushups and flys have just stopped, but aren’t going down either.

I guess it is just a “wait, keep doing what I’m doing, and give it another couple of weeks” type of thing. I just hate the idea of cutting calories for nothing :wink:

–Me