Dieting Problems

Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Messages
35
Reaction score
34
Points
3
Yo roiders
I'm natty, looking for advice on my current predicament.

I'm 19 years old, 147 lbs, 5'6", been training for 1 year.
3 months ago, I started a cut. I went from eating 2500-3000 kcals to eating 1200kcals overnight. I lost 30 pounds.
2 months into the cut, I started rapidly losing my strength. Come to today, where I want to gain my strength back that I just lost.
I've already tried to eat maintenance calories (2236 kcal) and with some issues along the way this has given me much of my strength back.
However,

Every time I've increased my calories, my strength goes up a certain amount for a whole week. Maintaining these calories, it then goes down gradually. For example,

The first time I upped my calories, I upped them to 1800 kcals. My numbers instantly went up, but then started decreasing.
Second time, I upped them to 2100 kcals. My numbers went even higher, but then started decreasing.
Third time, (my current attempt), I'm upping them to 2236-2300 kcals. Don't know the results of this yet.

My plan is to get my strength back to where it was when I was 2 months into my cut without gaining fat. Then, I wanna cut in a smart way to get down to 130 lbs.

I want some pointers on how to smartly cut after this whole losing strength fiasco.

Thanks!

Also, I attached a pic of my current physique for the lols.
cya
 

Attachments

  • me hehee.jpg
    me hehee.jpg
    25.1 KB · Views: 10

PZT

Elite
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
6,475
Reaction score
14,575
Points
333
Personally I do not like the drop 500 cals from maint. calories theory. Especially if strength is a concern but also I think strength dropping quickly is a sign the muscle lose maybe around the corner.

Seems like from the pic if you were to eat the right foods and stay around maint. your body would probably respond well.
 

CJ

Mod Squad
Joined
Feb 24, 2014
Messages
20,720
Reaction score
38,431
Points
383
I have to ask.... Why do you want to be 5'6" and only 130 lbs?
 

sfw509

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2020
Messages
1,133
Reaction score
1,007
Points
113
I have to ask.... Why do you want to be 5'6" and only 130 lbs?

Same question here. What is the ultimate goal? Are you training for something specific or is this strictly for appearance?
 

Uncle manny

Elite
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Messages
1,554
Reaction score
937
Points
113
What’s your training routine like? Do you change it often?
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Messages
35
Reaction score
34
Points
3
Same question here. What is the ultimate goal? Are you training for something specific or is this strictly for appearance?
I just wanna be aesthetic. It's part of my identity to be skinny and good looking and I got fat for a while. I wanna go back to being normal again basically. Not sure about 130 lbs, but it just seems like thats what I need to be to have abs and a flat stomach.
 

Robdjents

Ski bum
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
3,641
Reaction score
4,183
Points
193
I just wanna be aesthetic. It's part of my identity to be skinny and good looking and I got fat for a while. I wanna go back to being normal again basically. Not sure about 130 lbs, but it just seems like thats what I need to be to have abs and a flat stomach.

You could be 180 and still have abs. Just sayin
 

creekrat

Elite
SI Founding Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2012
Messages
1,361
Reaction score
1,583
Points
113
Where is Jin when you need him? 6'3" ish and at one point 299 and still ripped.

At 5'6" and 130lbs you're not going to be able to keep a whole lot. My wife is 5'3" and 140lbs and not fat. I think you'd be better off adding lean mass to your frame than cutting to 130. I also can't imagine going from 2500 to 12 calories. Your body was consuming itself
 

sfw509

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2020
Messages
1,133
Reaction score
1,007
Points
113
I just wanna be aesthetic. It's part of my identity to be skinny and good looking and I got fat for a while. I wanna go back to being normal again basically. Not sure about 130 lbs, but it just seems like thats what I need to be to have abs and a flat stomach.

Robdjents and creekrat make good points.

Don't focus more on the number than how you look and feel. Your comment about identity and being back to "normal" make this seem like it's in your head. We all love training, being strong, and being healthy. It's why a forum like this exists. But don't let the pursuit of a number on the scale of the be a defining characteristic of who you are. It's not healthy and leads to some poor choices and disappointment.
 

Sicwun88

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2020
Messages
2,285
Reaction score
1,149
Points
113
If you're 147 and dropped 30lbs?
You'd be 117!
Is your goal to be a fitness model?
 

lfod14

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2019
Messages
809
Reaction score
633
Points
63
I just wanna be aesthetic. It's part of my identity to be skinny and good looking and I got fat for a while. I wanna go back to being normal again basically. Not sure about 130 lbs, but it just seems like thats what I need to be to have abs and a flat stomach.

Dude, my wife is like 120lbs and she pretty lean, she's also shorter than you. I think you got some image shit going on, you're a couple inches shorter than me (I'm 5'9") but I'm in the 11% bodyfat range and I weight 215lbs. What do you really mean when you say "aesthetic"? You have abs from 1. having built them up, and 2. having low enough bodyfat to show them. Do you really want to be a dude that weights 130?

You're also cutting your calories WAY too much! How do you think you're going to maintain strength when you're not fueling yourself? From what I'm reading your issue is (aside from wanting to weight 130) nutrition coaching. I forget who it is but there's somebody here that does that as a job. It could be worth looking into and getting a good overview of your programming. The only thing you're going to accomplish on your current path is getting weaker, slowing your metabolism, and getting stuck in the calorie trap where whatever you do put on will be fat. I'd be shooting for at LEAST 160-170lbs at your height.
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Messages
35
Reaction score
34
Points
3
Dude, my wife is like 120lbs and she pretty lean, she's also shorter than you. I think you got some image shit going on, you're a couple inches shorter than me (I'm 5'9") but I'm in the 11% bodyfat range and I weight 215lbs. What do you really mean when you say "aesthetic"? You have abs from 1. having built them up, and 2. having low enough bodyfat to show them. Do you really want to be a dude that weights 130?

You're also cutting your calories WAY too much! How do you think you're going to maintain strength when you're not fueling yourself? From what I'm reading your issue is (aside from wanting to weight 130) nutrition coaching. I forget who it is but there's somebody here that does that as a job. It could be worth looking into and getting a good overview of your programming. The only thing you're going to accomplish on your current path is getting weaker, slowing your metabolism, and getting stuck in the calorie trap where whatever you do put on will be fat. I'd be shooting for at LEAST 160-170lbs at your height.

but at 147 lbs im still fat as ****. I just wanna be lean, and I think 15 more lbs of fat loss will get me there. At 160-170 lbs I was seriously fat and depressed over it.
 

Spongy

Senior Moderator
SI Founding Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2012
Messages
4,766
Reaction score
4,220
Points
193
but at 147 lbs im still fat as ****. I just wanna be lean, and I think 15 more lbs of fat loss will get me there. At 160-170 lbs I was seriously fat and depressed over it.

There's a difference between fat and skinny fat. if you think you need to lose 15 more lbs to be aesthetic you are mistaken. you're 19. you've ****ed with your metabolism by dropping that low and continuing to workout. You'd benefit a lot by focusing on increasing your metabolism through smart eating. The great news is you are young and presumably physically healthy so it shouldn't be too hard to get your metabolism ramped up.

For what it's worth I consume between 2500 and 3000 calories when I'm trying to drop fat, unless it's prep for a show.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CJ

Send0

Taskmaster (Moderator)
Joined
Oct 28, 2020
Messages
11,886
Reaction score
20,652
Points
383
but at 147 lbs im still fat as ****. I just wanna be lean, and I think 15 more lbs of fat loss will get me there. At 160-170 lbs I was seriously fat and depressed over it.

I think you have some level of body dysmorphia; don't worry I'm not insulting you, many of us here have that problem, and we use each other to set each other straight. With that said, if your picture is the current you, then I have to say you have a great foundation! I would never look at you and think of you as fat or skinny fat in your current condition... instead I look at you and think "athlete" (if you notice, most athletes are not shredded to the bone). However I completely understand the desire to have that lean fitness model type look.

You have a hormonal advantage that most of us here don't have; youth, and with that comes naturally elevated levels of androgens in your body. And with that comes optimal fat mobilization within the body.

Why do I bring this up? Its because with your current body composition, and the power of youth, I believe you could simply eat at maintenance and recomp your entire body without dropping weight. You would look phenomenal at 150lbs @ 10% bf. You would have to work hard, and cardio is required, but it seems easily doable with your current physique.

The picture you posted isn't the most detailed... but my eyeball guestimate over the internet is that you are somewhere between 12 - 15% body fat. If so then hitting 10-11% body fat while eating at maintenance is just a stone throw away for you.

Good luck brother!
 

New Threads

Top