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My Progress Pics. No Results!


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I've been training since November. I recently took a picture to see if I've progressed in anyway. I was really disappointed!

I feel I have lost fat around my chest due to almost 2 months of hard cardio. But there are no muscle gains! I've been doing mainly compound movements 3 times a week.

I feel its my diet thats letting me down. Although now I have cut out most of the unecessary carbs, I eat between 100-150g. Protein I have trouble meeting. I can barely get 162g (1g per 1lb body weight).

I need seriously help guys because this is frustrating. It cannot all be down to protein.

 

Please see pics below (The insert image link ain't working btw):

 

November 2008

 

http://img12.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fatfront21stnov2008.jpg

 

http://img12.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fatside21stnov2008.jpg

 

March 2009

 

http://img200.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=18681_Fat_Front_923rdMar20091_122_548lo.jpg

 

http://img101.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=18719_Fat_Side_223rdMar20090_122_15lo.jpg

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No its not working hard enough. 3 times a week isnt going to cut it. Not if you want results, maybe for maintenance, but not really for that either. I feel guilty if I miss more than one day a week... And I try not to ever have a completely down day.

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I've been following a plan VeganEssentials put together for me last month.

Along with this I do 40 minutes of cardio 3 X weekly

 

Monday - Legs/Chest

Barbell squats - 2 or more warm-up sets, then 3x8 working sets

Low incline bench - DB or BB, 2 warm-ups, then 3x8

Lying leg curls - 3x8

Close-grip (hands 14" to 18" apart) barbell flat bench - 3x8

 

Wednesday - Upper back/arms

Pull-ups (or, pulldowns) - 2 warm-ups, then 3x8, add weight if too easy at bodyweight

DB rows - 3x8

BB or DB shrugs - 3x8

Rear delt flyes - 3x8

DB hammer curls - 3x8

Any preferred triceps exercise - 3x8

 

Friday - Lower back/shoulders

Deadlifts - 2 or more warm-ups, then 3x8

Standing or seated DB or BB overhead press - 2 warm-ups, then 3x8

Cable w/2 handled rope pull throughs (wide stance, letting rope get behind you for a good stretch) - 3x8

DB lateral raises or 1-arm lean-away side raises on cable machine - 3x8

 

Keep rest periods at 2-3 minutes maximum between sets.

 

Prior to this I did the 5X5 workout for around 1.5 months.

 

My eating plan is roughly:

 

Breakfast (PRE WORKOUT MEAL)

Oats, Strawberries, 1 Banana, Blueberries, 20g Whey and water ALL blended together in a smoothie.

 

TRAINING (See Above)

 

POST WORKOUT

20g Whey Protein straight after workout

 

Lunch

Jacket Potato with a can of beans and cottage cheese

OR

Naan with Protein Mince/2 X Soya Burgers/Anything that's soya and has a high source of protein.

 

Mid Afternoon

3 Protein Sausages in 2 Brown Slices of Bread

OR

300g Cottage Cheese.

 

Pre-Dinner

20g Whey Protein

 

Dinner

1 X Chapatti or Rice with vegetable curry containing protein or lentils/daal. This alternates every day but I don't eat it unless it's high in Protein.

 

This is a guide but I pretty much follows this.

 

Thanks guys

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As far as your workout goes, you should be lifting a weight that you can lift 6-8 times with good form. If you are doing all three sets of eight and it's tough, but you probably can do more, you aren't pushing yourself hard enough. The last one should feel like hell. Hell with good form.

 

Annnnd going vegan would help. Lots of animal in your diet. No variation and all processed. Eat mostly whole fresh foods, and mix it up a bit.

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As far as your workout goes, you should be lifting a weight that you can lift 6-8 times with good form. If you are doing all three sets of eight and it's tough, but you probably can do more, you aren't pushing yourself hard enough. The last one should feel like hell. Hell with good form.

 

Annnnd going vegan would help. Lots of animal in your diet. No variation and all processed. Eat mostly whole fresh foods, and mix it up a bit.

 

I do fail at 8 reps for most of my exercises. I've only been doing this routine for a month. I feel I do push myself and I feel totally exhausted at the end of my session

 

I cannot go completely vegan. I'm not really considering that at the moment. But I still will try vegan recipes if it helps.

 

What exactly do you mean by eating unprocessed stuff? I looked into tempeh and seitan but I don't have an incubator.

 

I do eat tofu, soya, lentils, beans and nuts.Thats about the only thing I can think of with high sources of protein.

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Not enough calories?

Yeah, gaining muscle while losing fat is not so easy. Pudh, if you have been losing bodyfat it means you have been on a calorie deficit which is not an optimal condition for building muscle. Id think you best bet would be to first try to gain muscle and then lose bodyfat, or vice versa.

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To start adding more "unprocessed" foods you should just try adding more fresh fruits and vegetables. Based on your sample day, you don't have any fresh uncooked fruits or vegetables after breakfast.

 

I would also recommend going vegan, and yeah, it's going to seem like a lot of people have a vegan bias here, but that's expected. But really, it's not because we're trying to be preachy or convert some new person to veganism. It's because we believe a vegan diet is the best diet you can have for athletic performance and optimal gains. I guarantee a vegan diet will help you gain muscle AND lose fat if you do it right.

 

I know that switching to a vegan diet is tough (at least it was for me) but why not start by switching to a vegan protein supplement. Soy is great, but I prefer hemp protein. Rice can be good too. Anyways, this is just my 3 cents.

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To start adding more "unprocessed" foods you should just try adding more fresh fruits and vegetables. Based on your sample day, you don't have any fresh uncooked fruits or vegetables after breakfast.

 

I would also recommend going vegan, and yeah, it's going to seem like a lot of people have a vegan bias here, but that's expected. But really, it's not because we're trying to be preachy or convert some new person to veganism. It's because we believe a vegan diet is the best diet you can have for athletic performance and optimal gains. I guarantee a vegan diet will help you gain muscle AND lose fat if you do it right.

 

I know that switching to a vegan diet is tough (at least it was for me) but why not start by switching to a vegan protein supplement. Soy is great, but I prefer hemp protein. Rice can be good too. Anyways, this is just my 3 cents.

 

I can't go vegan guys! I can still eat what you guys are. I'm a vegetarian.

 

It almost feels like converting to me

 

I have alot of vegetables in the indian dishes I cook at home.

 

So what whole foods will be good for me?

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Yeh I don't want to go vegan.

 

Its not really about going vegan is it guys?! It's not like vegans get exclusive foods that others can't get.

 

I just need help with my program and eating style. I can incorporate vegan foods in my vegetarian diet.

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Yeh I don't want to go vegan.

 

Its not really about going vegan is it guys?! It's not like vegans get exclusive foods that others can't get.

 

I just need help with my program and eating style. I can incorporate vegan foods in my vegetarian diet.

 

Haha, I don't push Veganism on anyone, but look where you are.

 

Here, well, yes, it is about going vegan. That's 50% of vegan bodybuilding man.

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First of all I would also like to say that more veggies in your diet would be great, you eat a lot of processed foods like sausages, burgers etc and if you can reduce it I think it would be great. How does the macro breakdown of cottage cheese look? Is it the low-fat one or what's up? Do you calculate calories? If you don't you should, and simply reduce them untill you start loosing weight.

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First of all I would also like to say that more veggies in your diet would be great, you eat a lot of processed foods like sausages, burgers etc and if you can reduce it I think it would be great. How does the macro breakdown of cottage cheese look? Is it the low-fat one or what's up? Do you calculate calories? If you don't you should, and simply reduce them untill you start loosing weight.

 

Thanks for your help xjohanx.

 

I don't understand the deal with people in this thread. I DONT want to go vegan YET I'm willing to make adjustments to my diet WITH vegan products. Why is that so hard for people to grasp?!

 

Anyway, yeh ur right. I need to get rid of the processed stuff but what else couls I replace them with. Give me suggestions please.

The cottage cheese is low fat yeh. It contains 88 calories per 100g, 12.2g Protein and about 2g carbs.

 

I calculate my calories and I never eat to fill myself up. I have small regular meals, each meal equating to about 400 calories.

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Thanks for your help xjohanx.

 

I don't understand the deal with people in this thread. I DONT want to go vegan YET I'm willing to make adjustments to my diet WITH vegan products. Why is that so hard for people to grasp?!

 

Anyway, yeh ur right. I need to get rid of the processed stuff but what else couls I replace them with. Give me suggestions please.

The cottage cheese is low fat yeh. It contains 88 calories per 100g, 12.2g Protein and about 2g carbs.

 

I calculate my calories and I never eat to fill myself up. I have small regular meals, each meal equating to about 400 calories.

 

The "deal" with people is that they are ethical vegans who believe that animals are being unrightfully exploited in the dairy and meat industry. This is kind of our safe haven from the animal abuse that goes on in the world. They might not see things from your viewpoint (mainly because you haven't explained it) but you surely don't see it from ours.

Okay, if you've calculated your calories and your weight is standing still, try cutting out 300 kcal. A good idea is to cut 4-500 and replace the 1-200 calories with veggies that fill you up (read dark leafy greens). You get more full of chewing the greens but you could def add some to your morning smoothie, try kale for example.

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Hate to be the bad guy or whatever, and maybe its the 5 hours total sleep Ive gotten in like close to the last 72. Your on a vegan forum. People on here believe in our life choices... Granted its not the end of the world you arent vegan, its great your vegetarian... But to ask for advice... Well just deal with the fact your going to get advice from what we know works.

And yes 300 - 500 kcal less and dark leafy greens good... Also start watching you protein... Not anti cheese on the principle, but on the fat! Watch your sugars.. Try to go as natural and as wholesome as you are comfortable doing...

And dont whine when people jump your case a bit, some of us might be offended. So deal with it, it'll help you build some traps.

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Guys I'm sorry if I offended.

 

I don't want to head over to BB.com because I cannot eat much of what they'd recommend.

 

I don't eat poultry, meat or essentially anything that is linked to direct killing for sense pleasures.

 

It's all good being vegan but at this stage in my life, I am not considering it. But does that mean I should be outcast straight away?

 

I understand your reasons and please understand mine.

 

Anyway, back to the topic. I think the cardio I am doing now is helping me loose the fat. Its the muscle and developing strength I cannot nail.

 

I should have seen gains after 4 months tho right? Look at my pics. Theres hardly any change.

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It seems that people here are willing to work with you, and its true we're not all about eggs and fish and meat and such. I think lesson learned here is to just not bring up dairy again. I think that would help reduce some concern among members. I appreciate your willingness to participate here and gain from our collective veg knowledge.

 

I'm in a situation somewhat like you where i've been eating a good deal of processed and cooked food so I'm trying to eat more raw things. I'm doing good with rainbow chard, carrots, and apples. I had some oranges but I ate them all...

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Anyway, back to the topic. I think the cardio I am doing now is helping me loose the fat. Its the muscle and developing strength I cannot nail.

 

I should have seen gains after 4 months tho right? Look at my pics. Theres hardly any change.

 

Back to the basic way of thinking regarding training -

 

1. If you aren't getting bigger and stronger, but you're training with 100% intensity and doing a sensible program, then it's likely that you aren't eating enough daily to make the gains. Lack of sleep, too much stress, etc. will make it more complicated as well, but most often, it's a lack of calories that halts progress for adding size and strength.

 

2. It is definitely difficult to get bigger AND get leaner simultaneously. Often, it's that people who are fortunate enough to do so are the ones who eat just enough to gain lean mass with absolute minimal fat mass, so it seems like you're losing fat but in reality, it is more that you're just gaining enough lean mass to skew the bodyfat totals in the better direction even if your fat levels stay the same. Most people find it easier to cycle mass and cutting periods to keep things focused on one mission at a time where you'll get the most in the way of results and go back and forth between the two. Again, it's not impossible to do well for both at the same time IF you're fortunate enough to have your diet dialed in well and know your body well for training properly, but if you're still relatively new, I'd focus more on one part and then the other a few months later. My main discouragement in training my first year came as I would see people in contests like Body For Life where they'd say "So-and-so gained 10 lbs. of lean mass and lost 30 lbs. of fat in 90 days" when it is damned near impossible for the average person. Count your progress in steps, one bit at a time, making sure to work one goal hardest to maximize potential results and then switch it out for another periodically and you'll find a balance in time.

 

3. If what you've been doing isn't working, then change it up! If you aren't seeing results with a program after a few months, or if your diet doesn't seem to be moving you in the right direction in time, don't stay with it month after month if it isn't paying out. Many times, it's not the diet or training protocol that's at fault for lack of results (see above regarding incorrect caloric balance, too little sleep, stress, etc), but sometimes, a specific diet or program isn't ideal for everyone, and you need to experiment. I just cannot lose fat on a high-carb/low fat diet - I'm not built for it, and after numerous tries, it's been a miserable failure. My only good results come from lower carb/higer protein intake, so I know now what I have to do when I want to diet down a bit. I've learned over time what I'm meant to do and what doesn't yield results, even when I give it my best, and I'm sure you'll go through a few different situations like this in years of training. Experiment, experiment, experiment and give everything your full effort and in time, you should start to find what works for you.

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