Getting frustrated

[FamilyBeer]

I've been doing StrongLifts 5x5 since the beginning of the previous challenge (Nov 10?). I have only been doing weight lifting for less than a year and although I was stepping back, when I started SL in Nov, I decided to start with the beginner weights, despite the fact that I could do more than beginner weights for some of them (I hadn't been doing OHP or barbell rows previously so those were definitely good to start at beginner weights).

 

I'm now doing 170SQ, 85OHP, 165DL, 135BP and 110Rows, which are decent numbers (a couple of failures and changes made along the way). However, my body looks essentially the same: I'm trying to lose about 10lb fat around my belly.

 

OK, diet. I'm a carb addict, particularly things like chips, bread, and baked goods. So what do I do: I don't buy them but then I find them at home because others in the house (sons in early 20s, wife) decide they want some, buy them and then leave the packages out on the table or somewhere. I can avoid them if they're in the cupboard (except for cookies) but if they're out because someone was eating them and left them on the table, they're mine and they're gone. I had hoped that my weightlifting would offset some of the gains as a result of my carb addiction but it appears not.

 

Regular meals are decent: eggs and bacon or sausage for breakfast, veggies (peppers, cucumbers, carrots) and hummus or lately, Spicy Pineapple Chili for lunch and homemade meals for dinner.

 

I'm not too much over the "normal" BMI, running at about (last time checked in early Nov) 18% body fat. I'm 5'8", 175lbs, 54yrs.

 

What do I do if I don't get support from my family? (Believe you me, I've spoken with them many times.)

 

OR

 

What can I change in my gym workout to improve my body makeup despite how I eat?

 

Help, please

 

[Bookworm_Tess]

First thing: you are 54 and 18% body fat, that's a win right there! Alright!

 

Two: it's hard enough to chage your habits, I don't think you're going to change your family's too. Sorry.

 

Three: low carb didn't work for me. Not because it didn't make me lose weight, but because it didn't have a chance... (I have to go, someone's ate the door, I'll come back I promess)

[danica]

 

 

What do I do if I don't get support from my family? (Believe you me, I've spoken with them many times.)

 

OR

 

What can I change in my gym workout to improve my body makeup despite how I eat?

 

First, let me say I empathize - I get no support at home. None. In fact, we often butt heads over me not wanting to go get drinks constantly, and then being told that's how I need to give quality time to my partner (because apparently he refuses to hang out at the house since he works from home, and there's NOTHING TO DO OTHER THAN DRINK since he is mildly autistic and hates everything that's not his sameness. Answer to that question: Keep doing whatever it takes to get to YOUR goal. It's your goal, not theirs. It's harder without support. But...it's not impossible. 

 

Now the second question...there's a ton of differing opinions on this, but nutrition is truly 80% of this. You don't have to eat Paleo, or even eat clean to cut fat. But, based on your goal, it sounds like losing fat is something you'd like to accomplish to reveal those sweet gains you're making. So, what worked for me was to just eat less. Small deficit every day, logging my intake with MyFitnessPal on my phone and committing to it. I still got strong, and still cut fat and managed to put muscle on, too. I'm a girl...this makes that approach even more of a challenge and I was still able to get it done. So, if I can do it, you can! I didn't change a whole lot beyond just watching calories. Now, while I eat a little closer to my maintenance calories (and a little above them every few days), I try to eat quality stuff about 85% of the time. That other 15% is often beer (we've talked about this, dude...beer is tits) and steak and crab, but it's a treat now instead of me stuffing my gourd 24-7. I stress the calories because I was a fat, fat, fat CrossFit athlete for a while there until I realized I couldn't eat all the Paleo food I wanted just because it was Paleo...I had to know exactly how much fuel I needed and eat at a small deficit. Once I did that, the fat melted off fast. 

 

I'm ALWAYS happy to help answer more questions about the process I went through. I know it's different for everyone. I know my routines are bizarro. But I did go from almost 40% body fat down to the teens, and I'm seeing some pretty sweet muscle coming in. So while my secret isn't much of a secret, I'm sharing it because it did work.

[danica]

Sorry this double posted, ugh.

[FamilyBeer]

First thing: you are 54 and 18% body fat, that's a win right there! Alright!

 

Two: it's hard enough to chage your habits, I don't think you're going to change your family's too. Sorry.

 

Three: low carb didn't work for me. Not because it didn't make me lose weight, but because it didn't have a chance... (I have to go, someone's ate the door, I'll come back I promess)

 

Thanks for #1

 

#2, boo hoo

 

#3, I'm not thinking it as low carb, although that may be what it is, I'm thinking of it as not buying (having in the house) things that I go gluttonous over. If they're not available, I generally don't miss them. Low carb would also cut out carrots, bananas, apples, etc, all of which I eat in moderation and are relatively good foods.

 

Also, if someone ate your door, I guess my problems are so big after all.

[FamilyBeer]

As always danica, an inspiration, thanks!!

 

Regarding your comment about beer, are you suggesting that beer creates moobs (if so, then no beer for me!!) or was that a typo or ... ?

 

I will try to be stronger, put away those open bags of chips/cookies (ok, maybe sneak one but that's all!) so that they're out of sight (out of mind). I eat different bread (gluten-free) so if I don't buy it, it isn't available (sometimes it is bought for me because it is thought that I want it because I finished the last loaf).

[danica]

As always danica, an inspiration, thanks!!

 

Regarding your comment about beer, are you suggesting that beer creates moobs (if so, then no beer for me!!) or was that a typo or ... ?

 

I will try to be stronger, put away those open bags of chips/cookies (ok, maybe sneak one but that's all!) so that they're out of sight (out of mind). I eat different bread (gluten-free) so if I don't buy it, it isn't available (sometimes it is bought for me because it is thought that I want it because I finished the last loaf).

Haha when I say beer is tits, I mean it's just awesome. Like tits. But yeah you can get chunky drinking it...my best bet has always been to focus on quality, not quantity. One craft beer is plenty of a gourmand experience.

 

It's definitely easiest to purge the house of crap. If you have bad-for-you pantry items you'd like to rid yourself of, may I suggest taking them to a food pantry to donate? It's a great way to purge your pantry but ALSO do right by others who need food...especially in the colder months. I volunteer at a pantry/kitchen occasionally and i know this means a lot to people in need. 

[FamilyBeer]

I am definitely not a heavy beer drinker, nor a heavy wine drinker but I will have one of each about once a week. Yup, beer is tits, that works very well in my books.

 

The food bank is a good suggestion, I'll see what I can do. Good of you to volunteer at one, nicely done!

 

I'm feeling much better, thanks.

[DrFeelgood]

My wife is on her own quest and our kids are still young so keeping snack foods out of the house hasn't been a problem.

 

That said, I can relate in terms of toys: they're always being left out and about.  So I imposed a rule--anything not put away that gets in Dad's way gets thrown in the garbage.  It took a few precious items at the bottom of the refuse bin for them to get the hint, but my space is always clear now.

 

To control my own proclivities for snacking (mainly at work), I make myself log everything I eat.  Of course, I'm actively trying to lose a bunch, too; so I'm getting pretty compulsive about hitting my daily calorie goals within fractions of a percent.

 

Regrettably, I don't think there's a gym solution to a food problem.  I'm incorporating a modified Stronglifts routine in my weight-loss/fitness plan and it's sometimes frustrating to stick to the prescribed pace.  Patience has let me see steady strength gains in the logbook, but I can only detect subtle changes in my appearance when comparing photographs taken at wide intervals.

[FamilyBeer]

Nice goal and thanks for the help.

[HDLevs]

Hey familybeer. Like Danica the awesome viking said mfp logging will help alot. Our nutrition goals might be different (I'm eating everything I can to gain weight) but once I started logging and meeting those goals I started to see much better progress. A little progress is still progress and I think sticking to stronglifts for this long is great progress and in time we'll get this nutrition thing down and join the viking ranks.

[FamilyBeer]

Hah, joining the viking ranks, that's funny (have you seen what that girl does????).  If I tried to join the viking ranks, you know those cookies I've been eating, I'd be tossing them in the corner.

 

You go for it, I'll keep plodding away at SL.

[HDLevs]

We all gotta start somewhere. Many different type of Vikings. Instead of how to train your dragon just think how to train your viking.

[Bookworm_Tess]

Thanks for #1

 

#2, boo hoo

 

#3, I'm not thinking it as low carb, although that may be what it is, I'm thinking of it as not buying (having in the house) things that I go gluttonous over. If they're not available, I generally don't miss them. Low carb would also cut out carrots, bananas, apples, etc, all of which I eat in moderation and are relatively good foods.

 

Also, if someone ate your door, I guess my problems are so big after all.

 

I am actually laughing out loud. Because I'm a little silly, I even spat out some coffee. But the computer's alright

 

It was a student. Then I got distracted..

 

I was saying. There are so many approches to losing weight, if one is has not worked for some time, maybe some other will. You could try counting calories or whole 30 or whatever.

 

Low-carb, and not no-carb, didn't work for me because I could never keep on ketosys. Still I managed most days under 10 grams of carb and after several weeks, I got very sick (infection) and I had to eat properly to get better. It took a few weeks and by the end of it, I had put on all the weight I had shed plus a cuple of kilos. So I'm trying something else.

 

Then you have to remember losing weight might be hard then it's possible that it's not that you're not getting results, but you're not getting the resukts you expected?

 

In that last case, I can only assure you you're not alone and tell you to hang in there because, after all, it's not like we have a choice to give up, is it.

[Bookworm_Tess]

Oh for the family habits: you could go martha stweart on them ang get them a pretty big plastic box, with a lid, and tell them this is where gluttony candy goes and make it a rule not to go in there.

 

And make a visible limited obvious space for them to put those things in? You could make it red. Or worse, pink mhuahuahauha 3:)

[FamilyBeer]

Haha when I say beer is tits, I mean it's just awesome. Like tits

 

I feel soooooo old, my son told me, "Yeah Dad, tits is awesome, didn't you know that?"  (I felt like correcting his grammar, "tits are awesome" but I figured, that's not the point)

[FamilyBeer]

Day started really well: had a decent sleep (not perfect, just decent), got up early, had a good breakfast, big mug of strong coffee (mmmmm!!), took meds, cleaned kitchen and living room and then vacuumed the whole ground floor (wife still in bed so no noisy vacuum upstairs). Gym later today when one of the boys gets home with a car (2 boys, 2 cars, parents have none).

 

Feeling really good!!!

 

Forecast for 5-10cm (2-4") of snow today, can't forget to take the dog out for a walk in it, he loves it.

 

[FamilyBeer]

Stupid double post

[FamilyBeer]

Stupider triple post