# Cardio 6 days a week + weights 4 days and no weight change? Advice



## buddhistpunk (Jun 16, 2010)

So last sunday I decided to start getting aggressive with the fat loss by doing cardio 6 days a week with my current lifting shedual.My weight last sunday was 147lbs 18% body fat.Ive been doing 60 mins of cardio every day burning between 200 and 300 calories per session and 30 to 40 minute weight sessions mon,wed,fri,sat.I use fit day to keep strict track of my calories eating between 1500 and 1600 per day with 40%carbs 40%pro 20% fat.Ive calculated I should be burning off between 600 and 700 calories per day.

I weighed myself this morning and my weight is still 147lbs :confused1:

I expected to be down at least 1.5lbs by now.My body must have somehow evolved to using photosynthesis for energy or something, I don't know, any advice.


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## Virtus (Apr 30, 2007)

Simple answer is you are not eating enough to support the amount of exercise you are doing. Increase your calories, steady weight loss of around 2lb a week should come from a daily calorific reduction of around 500 calories per day from your daily requirement. Don't assume the less you eat and the more you do equals more weight loss


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## buddhistpunk (Jun 16, 2010)

I work from home so Im usualy sat at the computer so my calorie requirements are around 1900.So isnt 1500 to 1600 plus burning 200 cardio and about 150 with weights about right?


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## Ts23 (Jan 14, 2011)

keep dropping the cals till u start loosing, you must be doing something wrong ur calculations cant be right, or ur scales are broke


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## Virtus (Apr 30, 2007)

Ts23 said:


> *keep dropping the cals till u start loosing*, you must be doing something wrong ur calculations cant be right, or ur scales are broke


Don't do this, completly the wrong advice



buddhistpunk said:


> I work from home so Im usualy sat at the computer so my calorie requirements are around 1900.So isnt 1500 to 1600 plus burning 200 cardio and about 150 with weights about right?


Your calorie requirement is 3200, you need to multiply your calorie expenditure (1900) by 1.725 to take into account the amount of exercise you are doing. Up your calories to around 2800 and work from there


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## buddhistpunk (Jun 16, 2010)

Thanks for the advice but 3200 sounds hight for my weight.Where does the 1.725 come from?


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## Virtus (Apr 30, 2007)

3200 will be to maintain weight with all the exercise you are doing, you've got to remember you are undertaking hard exercise and this needs to be reflected in your requirements.

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

•If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2

•If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375

•If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55

•If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725

•If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9


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## Prodiver (Nov 14, 2008)

It's simple. If you eat excess calories to your daily energy expenditure, they will be stored as fat. If you eat fewer, you will lose flab.

Whatever anyone tells you, no-one can possibly determine their daily energy requirement with sufficient accuracy. It varies significantly from day to day depending on activity level, routine, workout intensity, air temperature, and especially if you go from a sedentary occupation to gym work.

Eat just a few more cals on average than your requirements and you'll get or stay porky. Eat too few and you'll gradually lack energy.

But you can determine your daily protein requirement with some confidence. Eat a minimum of 2 grams protein per kilo actual bodyweight a day and you won't go far wrong. More if you're working out especially hard and/or on gear.

Get most of your protein from real food, which contains trace elements and enzymes which help protein assimilation, and top up with shakes as necessary.

Then don't be afraid to eat fat, including saturated fat: milk, real butter, cream, cheese, olive oil, mayonnaise. You need fat to kmake your testosterone work, which helps shed flab, and fat in itself doesn't make you fat.

Rather fat is very satiating, so once you get used to fewer carbs, though fat gives you gram for gram twice as many cals than protein or carbs, you'll feel far less hungry and bloated. And energy from fat is long lasting and takes longer to convert.

If you ever feel peckish, don't eat carbs, eat a cube of cheese or some nuts.

It's carbs that make you store bodyfat efficiently. They're "more fattening" than fat because they raise blood triglycerides, cause insulin spikes and promote strong fat deposition.

So control and limit your carb intake every day. Eat only just enough carbs to top up your energy needs. You won't need much if you're eating enough fat. You don't actually need any carbs to live (Google it) but today we get most of our vits and minerals from carbs - salads, vegetables and fruit. The carbs to avoid are bread, pasta and rice. Ordinary potatoes ore OK if you really need some added energy.

Also, eating carbs - breakfast - immediately on getting up in the morning is shown to reduce the conversion of fat into energy. So get going for an hour or so before eating any carbs in the morning, then have a good protein- and fat-rich breakfast plus some carbs, and only a protein shake mid-morning before lunch.

Because carbs are quick-acting, you can feel and see the results of raising or lowering them in a day or two. If you lack energy up the carbs a little; if you get porkier lower them a bit.

PS: You do not need to gain flab - to "bulk" - to gain muscle. It's possible to lose flab and gain muscle at the same time, and therefore get heavier.


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## buddhistpunk (Jun 16, 2010)

Tnaks again for the advice, I prety much have it sorted when it comes to eating the right foods.I lost 2 stone in the last 4 months of last year with only training weights 3 times a week.I have good definition in my chest and shoulders but im still carrying weight on my hips. I guess ill try upping the calories and see what happens.


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## suliktribal (Apr 4, 2010)

Awesome advice from PD.

Try and keep carbs to breakfast. Get the rest of your calories from protein and fat.


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## Prodiver (Nov 14, 2008)

buddhistpunk said:


> Tnaks again for the advice, I prety much have it sorted when it comes to eating the right foods.I lost 2 stone in the last 4 months of last year with only training weights 3 times a week.I have good definition in my chest and shoulders but im still carrying weight on my hips. I guess ill try upping the calories and see what happens.


Let us know how much fatter you get...


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## suliktribal (Apr 4, 2010)

Prodiver said:


> Let us know how much fatter you get...


Lol.


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## buddhistpunk (Jun 16, 2010)

Could my body be holding on to the fat because of introducing the cardio for the 6 days while maintaining 1500-1600 calories a day? Or maybee its a loss of fat and a gain of muscle but it would have to be a gain of a 1lb in a week for the scales not to change, which seem a lot.


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## Virtus (Apr 30, 2007)

Prodiver said:


> It's simple. If you eat excess calories to your daily energy expenditure, they will be stored as fat. If you eat fewer, you will lose flab.
> 
> *Whatever anyone tells you, no-one can possibly determine their daily energy requirement with sufficient accuracy. It varies significantly from day to day depending on activity level, routine, workout intensity, air temperature, and especially if you go from a sedentary occupation to gym work.*
> 
> ...


Bit of a contradiction there, you say that nobody can determine somebodys calorific requirements, yet you tell him to a few less than he's required, how does that work???

Buddhistpunk - I worked your energy requirements using the Harris Benedict Equation, which uses your BMI (which is simple equation) to give you an idea of your energy expenditure for a day, and what to work from. Like you said in your last post, you lost 2 stone in the last 4 months with only weight training, the addition of cardio as limited weight loss, coincidence???

The human body is an amazing thing, when it thinks its under threat it protects itself. You under feed it and it will slow metabolsim down and store fat (i.e. startvation mode), utilising other nutrients for energy. Provider thinks by adding more calories you'll gain weight, well if you over eat you will, by simply supporting your body for its needs you will not.

It may be an idea to post up your current diet


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## buddhistpunk (Jun 16, 2010)

> Buddhistpunk - I worked your energy requirements using the Harris Benedict Equation, which uses your BMI (which is simple equation) to give you an idea of your energy expenditure for a day, and what to work from. Like you said in your last post, you lost 2 stone in the last 4 months with only weight training, the addition of cardio as limited weight loss, coincidence???
> 
> The human body is an amazing thing, when it thinks its under threat it protects itself. You under feed it and it will slow metabolsim down and store fat (i.e. startvation mode), utilising other nutrients for energy. Provider thinks by adding more calories you'll gain weight, well if you over eat you will, by simply supporting your body for its needs you will not.
> 
> It may be an idea to post up your current diet


I think you right bud.Its the only thing that makes sense.I never would have thought my body would adapt that quick to conserve energy.

My BMR is 1642 so according to the equation im using around 2832 calories.Ill up them to 2000 and see how that goes.

Diet: Breakfast: Oats/or wheetabix and a protein shake

2nd meal: 45g wholeweat pasta with a tin of tuna and green beans.

3rd meal: eggs and a slice of wholemeal toast.

4th meal: turkey or chicken breast with sweet potatoe green beans or brocoli

5th meal: Post workout protein shake with a banana.

This is just a rough Idea of what I eat.I stick to complex carbs, lean proteins and dark green vege on a 40/40/20 ratio....


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## suliktribal (Apr 4, 2010)

It's easy really.

If you lower calories and carbohydrates, your body has to get a greater percentage of its energy from fat. That's why you keep protein high and fat moderate. It has enough fat coming in to let go of your stored fat, but not enough carbs to store as additional fat.

Like I said, get your majority of calories from protein and fat, keep carbs low.

You don't need to significantly lower calories. Just 200 below your needed amount will see fat loss. Keep up the cardio and try and do it fasted (before breakfast) And your body won't go into starve mode, or catabolism (too much).


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## Virtus (Apr 30, 2007)

buddhistpunk said:


> I think you right bud.Its the only thing that makes sense.I never would have thought my body would adapt that quick to conserve energy.
> 
> My BMR is 1642 so according to the equation im using around 2832 calories.Ill up them to 2000 and see how that goes.
> 
> ...


Personally try 2400, for a couple of weeks if you sticking to all the cardio. Last year i cut on 3000cals a day, i read the anabolic diet and did;t believe it could be done, i put the theory into action and it worked, so never assume less is better. You need to know your body and by starting a bithigher and working down you'll know when you hit that 'to low' point. Give it 4 weeks (not long at all) at 2400, take a pic week 1 and one at week 4 and see if there is any difference. Also by upping calories to 2400 we are going to refire the metabolism which will more than likely have stalled.

Seeing as you mentioned you the weight on your hips this will be down to manipulating your diet. Try getting a food plan based around the following:

240g pro

120g carb

106g fat

That is a 40p/20c/40f split, dropping the carbs and replacing them with fat. With regards to the food, keep carbs for breakfast and PWO and PPWO. Drop pasta, bread. Things like sweet potato are great and cottage cheese is an excellent source of protein, especially pre bed.


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## Prodiver (Nov 14, 2008)

Virtus said:


> Bit of a contradiction there, you say that nobody can determine somebodys calorific requirements, yet you tell him to a few less than he's required, how does that work???...


"Eat just a few more cals on average than your requirements and you'll get or stay porky. Eat too few and you'll gradually lack energy."

This wasn't an instruction - it's rhetorical language. Is it clearer if I say "If you eat just a few more cals on average than your requirements you'll get or stay porky. If you eat too few you'll gradually lack energy."?

The commonly used equations for working out energy expenditure plainly don't work in the real world.

The surest way to know if you're eating excess calories is to look in the mirror and jump up and down. If it wobbles it's fat.

Fat round guys' middles is often related to insufficient active testosterone. You need to eat enough fats to make your testosterone work. If you don't eat enough fats and too much carbs you'll pack on flab around the middle.


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## Virtus (Apr 30, 2007)

Prodiver said:


> "Eat just a few more cals on average than your requirements and you'll get or stay porky. Eat too few and you'll gradually lack energy."
> 
> This wasn't an instruction - it's rhetorical language. *Is it clearer if I say "If you eat just a few more cals on average than your requirements you'll get or stay porky. If you eat too few you'll gradually lack energy."?*
> 
> ...


I know it was not an instruction, but again my question is, how does he determine, or even what are, his requirements??

Well i totally disagree with your claim on equations, they work because they will give you an idea, a starting point to work from. To say they don't work is quite a statement, what is your theory behind this (without saying everyone is different, working patterns etc etc)?

And yes, thank you for the lesson on fats, i am aware. However, somebody who was eating 1600cals a day, exercising to the extent of 700 cals a day, basically living off 900cals is heading for trouble. The idea to increase calories will kick start the metabolism, it will also support the amount of exercise carried out by the individual, instead the body will continue to feed of itself.


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## buddhistpunk (Jun 16, 2010)

Virtus said:


> Personally try 2400, for a couple of weeks if you sticking to all the cardio. Last year i cut on 3000cals a day, i read the anabolic diet and did;t believe it could be done, i put the theory into action and it worked, so never assume less is better. You need to know your body and by starting a bithigher and working down you'll know when you hit that 'to low' point. Give it 4 weeks (not long at all) at 2400, take a pic week 1 and one at week 4 and see if there is any difference. Also by upping calories to 2400 we are going to refire the metabolism which will more than likely have stalled.
> 
> Seeing as you mentioned you the weight on your hips this will be down to manipulating your diet. Try getting a food plan based around the following:
> 
> ...


Thanks again for the advice. Ill give 2400 calories a day a go and reduce my carbs late afternoon.


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