Help!!!!

[Michael89]

Hello everybody, I'm Michael. I'm 22 years old and consider myself physically fit. I've served in the British Army for a period of 4 years and have alway succeeded in physical aspects of training/exercises ect. Last year I left the armed forces and began to gain weight fast. Anyways it took me around 6 months of being slightly overweight to decide it wasn't for me! I wanted to loose weight and get fit again. I joined my local gym and started hammering the cardio, at this time I didn't see big results as I was in denial
about my diet.

After speaking to people in the gym and friends from the army I were told about a fat burner "grenade thermo-detonators" I considered these to be quite expensive at £46 for only 100 tablets! If I were going to spend that much on just 100 tablets I was definitely going to change my diet aswell.

Cutting a long story fairly short, within one month of eating right I lost over 16lb and have been able to maintain my current weight which I am more than happy with! I have now invested in a pre workout supplement "jack3d". I find this to be brilliant, gives me a lot of motivation before a workout and also lifts my mood, as well a enhancing my performance! I have started to gain mass, I'm getting definition in all the right places and are really happy with my progress, although I still have a long way to go until I reach my ideal appearance.

Here's the BUT... Since loosing weight and toning up I've been left with these hideous love handles which seem impossible to shift! I'm on a low carb diet and never eat what people would consider as junk! I've read and read and read information on getting rid of these and have come to the understanding the only thing you can do is eat right and hammer the cardio, there is no use spot training this area I constantly hear and read.

So I've been rowing 3km and running 10km daily 6 days a week, aswell as eating healthy and drinking plenty of water, all after 9 hour day at work where I am constantly lifting sheet metals and are always active. No matter what I seem to do nothing seems to work! There has to be somebody out there who has had this problem and have been able to improve the appearance of these not so "loveable" love handles! Please help me! I am really unhappy with my appearance because of this! All advice/information will be very much appreciated!

Thank you Michael

 

[ZiR RED]

A couple things.

1. We are pretty genetically disposed to where we gain and lose fat from, and your love handles could be the area where accumulation occurs quickly and loss is a little more stubborn. Continue working to lose fat and it will come off.

2. It sounds like you made yourself skinny fat. Cardio is great, but if you really want to look good then you need to do some resistance training. You'll get a whole host of benefits that have been covered ad nauseum around here.

3. What is your diet and what do you consider to be healthy nutrition?

Br

 

[Michael89]

For breakfast I have oatmeal with skimmed fat free milk, lunch I have chicken salad (cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes and red onion) before I work out I have a small protein bar. After I get home from the gym I will eat chicken or fish with boiled potatoes and green beans, this does vary but this is an average day. I do not eat after 7pm at night and try my best to only eat carbs before I work out. I am happy with everything about my body, may just be a case of like you mentioned keep at it a they can be the last thing to go, I don't do as much work on my abs as perhaps I should but my stomarch is now flat, I was always made to believe sit ups, crunches ect. Will not get rid of love handles and that lots of cardiovascular exercise was the remedy? Im now trying spot training my obliques, willing to try anything now! Really pissed off lol! Thanks for your advice, any specific exercise I can try, I've been told air bike is an effective one, feel a bit ridiculous though lol.

 

[ZiR RED]

I'm not sure what an air bike is...but:

I think you need some more protein in your diet
Don't be afraid of eating CHO after you train...they are needed
Don't be afraid of eating at night

Would be interesting if you started a fitday.com diary to see what your exact intakes were.

You need to start resistance training. The hormonal response (especially from someone who doesn't lift) and the caloric expenditure that you will incur from lifting will really go a long way toward your goals. Major movements: Squats, dead lifts, pull ups, presses, rows, etc.

Br